Seems to be doing a very good job. I watched some of their game the other night, and they look pretty darn solid to me. They can shoot the ball. Look very well coached and fundamentally sound. I've seen them several times this year, and I believe they've gotten better each time. That's what you want. Doesn't hurt that he's got some talent too. I don't know who recruited it, but he has some. No doubt Long took a chance on a so-called on Dykes, but I think it's gonna pay off. Look better than any pig team since Blair was there. And there were probably some who said, "who can we get any better."

Jimmy is the type of guy who has a lot of personality, and because of his years on TV as an analyst, he'll be able to get in the door to some good talent. Wasn't he an assistant here at one time, and wasn't he Wally Hall's choice to get our coaching job at one time? Some of our long time fans can probably recall that situation.

(02-23-2015 06:49 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  Jimmy is the type of guy who has a lot of personality, and because of his years on TV as an analyst, he'll be able to get in the door to some good talent. Wasn't he an assistant here at one time, and wasn't he Wally Hall's choice to get our coaching job at one time? Some of our long time fans can probably recall that situation.

That sounds familiar. Probably wasn't ready then, but probably would have done as well as Platt did. Since he coached for Newell, he probably would have known to put the round pegs in the round holes, and the square pegs in the square holes.

I'll have to admit I thought it was a reach to hire him but he's proven me wrong. He's got them competitive and playing good ball. Something no one up there since Gary Blair had been able to do.

(02-23-2015 10:18 PM)Karl B Wrote:  I'll have to admit I thought it was a reach to hire him but he's proven me wrong. He's got them competitive and playing good ball. Something no one up there since Gary Blair had been able to do.

He was able to get the best Talent within the State last year and also this falls class.

(02-24-2015 01:50 AM)bigdhl Wrote:  He was able to get the best Talent within the State last year and also this falls class.

Probably true, but the pigs have for years been able to get the best talent in the state, that is until the last two outstanding footballers from NLR went to Alabama and Ohio State. It's sort of like being a believer, all Christians have two choices, and all choose heaven. Same way with the states athletes, "hog heaven." I assume the all hog coaches since Blair have had the same opportunity of the "hogs first" mentality. Dykes obviously knows his basketball, and evidently knows how to relate it to his players. He probably learned more basketball as a walk-on from Eddie Sutton than most of the guys who logged most of the playing time. Evidently Sidney didn't come away with a bunch of knowledge.

When Memphis hired Larry Porter to be their football coach, the sales point was he was a top recruiter... at LSU. You can ring up some impressive recruiting numbers just fishing in the borders of Louisiana so I wasn't terribly impressed that they hired a running backs coach.

When the AState job was open multiple times we had to hear over and over about Tim Horton. His claim to fame was he was responsible for all Hog recruiting in Arkansas. Wow, such a hard job!!! In the worst of years you might fight over 3-4 players and you go in holding the edge because nearly everyone who has seen the kid around town is trying to help do your job.

I was skeptical of Dykes and noted that Hugh Freeze had coached more women's games than he had. I really felt like it was an "appease a booster" hire for a sport that didn't matter in the big scheme.

My dad on the other hand had said, "Last time he coached was when men's basketball was still a team sport. Women's basketball still is, he might do OK."