So, how's Coach Beard doing thus far...???? What do you think of his new assistant coaches? What do you think of his recruiting abilities now.........??????????

I'm pumped. So far, so great. I just hope he's not gone in two years, because if he keeps this up he will be if he wants to be!

Hopefully not two. At least five.

I'm like some of the others. I'm excited, but you know the old saying, "the proofs in the pudding." I want to see the pudding first. I like what I've heard of his recruiting. The coaches I know nothing about other than Flannigan, and I'm not particularly excited about him, but, it is what it is.

(05-17-2015 05:57 PM)Mr. Basketball Wrote:  So, how's Coach Beard doing thus far...???? What do you think of his new assistant coaches? What do you think of his recruiting abilities now.........??????????

I'm thrilled about the staff and the players he is bringing in. Amazing what he is doing, after getting here so late in the recruiting season. Scary to think what he can do when he has a year or more to recruit kids here. Bringing back Wes Flanigan was obviously a no brainer, once he became available. I like what I have read about the other 2 coaches, but haven't met them yet. While my choice was clearly Coach Beard, when I saw the list of finalists, he is exceeding my expectations a month into the job.

(05-17-2015 10:02 PM)mjs Wrote:  Bringing back Wes Flanigan was obviously a no brainer, once he became available. .

Explain why it's a no-brainer. I suspect he came back here because he couldn't get a job at a larger and better program. I've always heard that when you experience the "big league" perks, you don't ever want to go back to the minors and those bus rides.

(05-17-2015 10:12 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(05-17-2015 10:02 PM)mjs Wrote:  Bringing back Wes Flanigan was obviously a no brainer, once he became available. .

Explain why it's a no-brainer. I suspect he came back here because he couldn't get a job at a larger and better program. I've always heard that when you experience the "big league" perks, you don't ever want to go back to the minors and those bus rides.

According to Coach Beard himself, he had to work hard to get Wes to come here since he had offers at some bigger schools. The clincher was that Wes has a son entering high school who can now player for his father, the legendary Coach Flanigan. Not very often do we have a chance to bring in an assistant coach who has worked in the Big 12, SEC, and the ConUSA (before its massive decline). The fact that he is from here, and has great local connections is a pretty nice "extra".

(05-17-2015 10:24 PM)mjs Wrote:  According to Coach Beard himself, he had to work hard to get Wes to come here since he had offers at some bigger schools. The clincher was that Wes has a son entering high school who can now player for his father, the legendary Coach Flanigan. Not very often do we have a chance to bring in an assistant coach who has worked in the Big 12, SEC, and the ConUSA (before its massive decline). The fact that he is from here, and has great local connections is a pretty nice "extra".

I'll take you word for the first part since you've obviously heard coach say that, or read where he said it. The second part is pure bull****. Name one local player that he got. How many of the many good players to play at Parkview for his legendary father, did he get here? I can think of one who signed a letter of intent, but he then signed with the enemy at ASU.

(05-17-2015 10:39 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(05-17-2015 10:24 PM)mjs Wrote:  According to Coach Beard himself, he had to work hard to get Wes to come here since he had offers at some bigger schools. The clincher was that Wes has a son entering high school who can now player for his father, the legendary Coach Flanigan. Not very often do we have a chance to bring in an assistant coach who has worked in the Big 12, SEC, and the ConUSA (before its massive decline). The fact that he is from here, and has great local connections is a pretty nice "extra".

I'll take you word for the first part since you've obviously heard coach say that, or read where he said it. The second part is pure bull****. Name one local player that he got. How many of the many good players to play at Parkview for his legendary father, did he get here? I can think of one who signed a letter of intent, but he then signed with the enemy at ASU.

The first part came from the horse's mouth. The second part, I can't say for sure, but I think he was involved in getting local players like Mike Smith, Patterson, and Solo (along with a local kid who came from Juco- can't recall his name).

I think it was Terrence Akins.

How many LR guys did he get? How many from his legend father did he get? I suspect that if we get any now, it'll be because the high school and AAU coaches like Beard better than they did Shields, and not necessarily because of Flannigan.

In all fairness, if coaches don't want their players playing for the head coach, the assistant's hands are tied, no matter how good a recruiter he might be. I'm going to look at Wes with fresh eyes, as if he's never been here before, but came here with the credentials he now has. That seems to be the only fair way to do it. Let's just see how he does this time.

(05-17-2015 11:14 PM)outsideualr Wrote:  I think it was Terrence Akins.

That was the name I couldn't recall. He was a pretty decent player. But, I couldn't care less where our players come from. For all I care, they can all come from Europe like our volleyballers- those girls win, graduate, and represent our university with class. Coach Beard isn't going to beg Little Rock players to come to UALR. When he wins big, they will started begging him to come here.

I agree. I don't care where our players come from if they're good players and good citizens. Local players would just be icing on the cake. The only thing about signing really good local players is that it gives our program more credibility in the community. We could sign a Labron James clone from New Jersey, and the local media would give us a small blurb, and we're still "poor little UALR". But we start signing the Malik Monks, Archie Goodwins, and the really good local players, and suddenly we are seen with new eyes. That to me is the only advantage to recruiting good local players. Of course if we start going to the NCAA and beating some big time teams on a regular basis, that will also help.

(05-18-2015 08:59 AM)mjs Wrote:  That was the name I couldn't recall. He was a pretty decent player. But, I couldn't care less where our players come from. For all I care, they can all come from Europe like our volleyballers- those girls win, graduate, and represent our university with class. Coach Beard isn't going to beg Little Rock players to come to UALR. When he wins big, they will started begging him to come here.

I agree. If most of us cared whether we were watching local kids play for UALR, we'd been gone long ago. I could probably count on both hands the ones from Arkansas in the past thirty years. Most hog players don't come from the state, and it doesn't seem to affect their attendance. It would be nice to have some local talent, but it's not a top priority for me.

Not a top priority. I agree. Just might give us a little more street cred when locals have read about or heard of the players we are recruiting. As far as winning, I want the best players we can find. Regardless where they are from.

(05-18-2015 09:58 AM)outsideualr Wrote:  I agree. I don't care where our players come from if they're good players and good citizens. Local players would just be icing on the cake. The only thing about signing really good local players is that it gives our program more credibility in the community. We could sign a Labron James clone from New Jersey, and the local media would give us a small blurb, and we're still "poor little UALR". But we start signing the Malik Monks, Archie Goodwins, and the really good local players, and suddenly we are seen with new eyes. That to me is the only advantage to recruiting good local players. Of course if we start going to the NCAA and beating some big time teams on a regular basis, that will also help.

The swine couldn't keep Archie in State and hired Marcus Monk in an attempt to get Malik. The great players want to go to "great" programs. Maybe the day will come that we can get an Archie Goodwin type player, but right now I think we are shooting at getting the players that have typically gone to schools like LaTech, MoSt, and Ole Miss in the past.

Let's win first. Once we do, local players will become easier to sign.

I think Beard is going to do fine. However, we have to be patient with him. We can't expect him to go to the NCAA tournament his first year in. It takes at least three (3) years to build a team like you want it.

http://www.d1coachcorner.com/Coaches/Chris-Beard.htm

(05-19-2015 11:08 AM)BallFan Wrote:  I think Beard is going to do fine. However, we have to be patient with him. We can't expect him to go to the NCAA tournament his first year in. It takes at least three (3) years to build a team like you want it.

http://www.d1coachcorner.com/Coaches/Chris-Beard.htm

Interesting he is at 219, ahead of Porter Moser, before he has coached a DI game. They actually have Mike Anderson in the Top 50 (#47), which is rather hard to believe. Won't be long before Coach Beard passes him.