The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(03-14-2018 11:26 AM)brovol Wrote:  This is a bit analogous to the Bill Cubit situation. Bill Had a good tenure at WMU, with some solid years, but......

No. It is not analogous to Cubit at all.

Hawk has won CHAMPIONSHIPS at Western Michigan and has an outstanding record against CMU.

Cubit won nothing and had a miserable record against CMU, including an inexcusable 0-5 streak.

What is analogous is both are genuinely good men. That is where it ends, however.

(03-14-2018 11:58 AM)BuickBronco Wrote:  I hope some of you Hawkins haters are able to meet up with him. You are going to find out a D1 basketball program is far from the world Twitter, Facebook, and message boards think it is. The issues of recruiting mid major players into Kalamazoo while nearby schools like Fort Wayne, Ill Chicago, Kent, Oakland, Cleveland State, Wright State, BG, Toledo, etc spend millions on their BB programs. Please report the meeting minutes and take a list of recruits you think should forgo the above schools and come to WMU. I'll be waiting.

While your points are more than valid, the phrase "Hawkins haters" is a pretty sizable misrepresentation.

(03-14-2018 11:58 AM)BuickBronco Wrote:  I hope some of you Hawkins haters are able to meet up with him.

Anybody here hate Steve Hawkins?

WOTS is that Mrs. Hawkins and some of the Hawkins family members monitor, and/or post on social media if/when they feel coach Hawkins is being (unfairly) criticized. To "protect" his reputation.

Discussing the WMU basketball coach and his program is clearly a (VERY) personal issue with you.

Do you fall into either of these categories?

I'm guessing that most of the fans on this board simply want coach Hawkins to spend his time recruiting now, and getting his program in order.

Rather than meeting with social media critics.

Unless

That's where his priorities really are?

(03-14-2018 11:58 AM)BuickBronco Wrote:  I hope some of you Hawkins haters are able to meet up with him. You are going to find out a D1 basketball program is far from the world Twitter, Facebook, and message boards think it is. The issues of recruiting mid major players into Kalamazoo while nearby schools like Fort Wayne, Ill Chicago, Kent, Oakland, Cleveland State, Wright State, BG, Toledo, etc spend millions on their BB programs. Please report the meeting minutes and take a list of recruits you think should forgo the above schools and come to WMU. I'll be waiting.

More never ending excuses. Investing/spending is a two way street. You have to be able to sell your product to the school, boosters, whoever else to get them to buy-in/invest. If you can’t do that, it’s probably time to move on and try something else.

(03-14-2018 11:58 AM)BuickBronco Wrote:  I hope some of you Hawkins haters are able to meet up with him. You are going to find out a D1 basketball program is far from the world Twitter, Facebook, and message boards think it is. The issues of recruiting mid major players into Kalamazoo while nearby schools like Fort Wayne, Ill Chicago, Kent, Oakland, Cleveland State, Wright State, BG, Toledo, etc spend millions on their BB programs. Please report the meeting minutes and take a list of recruits you think should forgo the above schools and come to WMU. I'll be waiting.

With the exception of the three MAC schools, none of those programs have football or hockey. Basically, basketball is their sport, and that’s where the money goes. That said, there are numerous schools that fall into that catagory, and don’t have success. Loyola hadn’t been good for some time, but have turned it around.

BG has the Strohs family funding them, not sure who or how Savage got funded at UT. Heeke pleaded poverty, had no big donors yet raised 25 million to upgrade that mess. If money is the issue then KB, Culhane, and Hawk have to figure that out.

I personally don’t see it happening, unless Bill Johnson decides to build a downtown arena on Western’s land (Gilmour lot) for the K Wings, and WMU b-ball and hockey. Outside of that the only quick fix is a change at the top, and even that’s hit or miss.

Maybe we need to get creative. Deed that downtown property to Bill Johnson, in return he builds a practice facility with his name on it, and WMU agrees to play 50% of their b-ball and hockey games at the downtown Stryker arena. Won’t know unless you ask for the sale.

(03-14-2018 11:58 AM)BuickBronco Wrote:  I hope some of you Hawkins haters are able to meet up with him. You are going to find out a D1 basketball program is far from the world Twitter, Facebook, and message boards think it is. The issues of recruiting mid major players into Kalamazoo while nearby schools like Fort Wayne, Ill Chicago, Kent, Oakland, Cleveland State, Wright State, BG, Toledo, etc spend millions on their BB programs. Please report the meeting minutes and take a list of recruits you think should forgo the above schools and come to WMU. I'll be waiting.

Exactly. UT hasn't been to March Madness in 38(!) years! Oakland has their ups and downs, and they're a basketball school. BGSU hasn't done anything since I've been following MAC basketball in 2011. Not going to look up those other schools, but same thing.

Unfortunately, that's kind of the issue: We want WMU to be above those schools.

But look at a team like Akron: consistently made the Big Dance, consistently lost in the first round. UB will be lumped into the same category after tomorrow night.

Bottom line is this: unless you're a Michigan St / Kansas / UNC / etc. it's always going to be a struggle.

Let me start with I am not a Hawk hater. IMO, the program has plateaued and is ripe for a back slide. At this point, Hawk is not going to be the agent of change to push the program to new levels. If he was, it would already have happened.

Completely different sport, and love him or hate him, PJ came in seeing things completely differently than the coaches before him. His bold vision was mocked by most, including myself, but everything he did was for a purpose.

Honestly, I don't see UT, Akron, or anyone else as being what WMU should focus on. Be your best, not someone else's. The program needs someone with a bold vision and a plan to get there. I believe there are plenty of people who would buy in if they knew what they were signing up for. Again look at what PJ was able to get done in terms of facility upgrades. IMO, it wouldn't have happened without his vision and plan.

(03-15-2018 09:28 AM)Wheres_Waldo? Wrote:  Let me start with I am not a Hawk hater. IMO, the program has plateaued and is ripe for a back slide. At this point, Hawk is not going to be the agent of change to push the program to new levels. If he was, it would already have happened.

Completely different sport, and love him or hate him, PJ came in seeing things completely differently than the coaches before him. His bold vision was mocked by most, including myself, but everything he did was for a purpose.

Honestly, I don't see UT, Akron, or anyone else as being what WMU should focus on. Be your best, not someone else's. The program needs someone with a bold vision and a plan to get there. I believe there are plenty of people who would buy in if they knew what they were signing up for. Again look at what PJ was able to get done in terms of facility upgrades. IMO, it wouldn't have happened without his vision and plan.

Could not agree more.

"Hawkins, he's gotta go". No hate in any responses to that thread. Looking forward to Monday night recap of meeting and who actually showed up.

The new guy always gets what the last guy asked for but didn't get.

(03-14-2018 11:58 AM)BuickBronco Wrote:  I hope some of you Hawkins haters are able to meet up with him. You are going to find out a D1 basketball program is far from the world Twitter, Facebook, and message boards think it is. The issues of recruiting mid major players into Kalamazoo while nearby schools like Fort Wayne, Ill Chicago, Kent, Oakland, Cleveland State, Wright State, BG, Toledo, etc spend millions on their BB programs. Please report the meeting minutes and take a list of recruits you think should forgo the above schools and come to WMU. I'll be waiting.

Nobody is "hating"... it's called criticism. Every adult faces it in different forms and should be able to handle it constructively when appropriate.

It's not our job to sell WMU - it's the head coaches job. Literally.

Hawk is a great basketball mind. And I really do like him a lot. But it's fair to acknowledge when we haven't met expectations and criticism certainly feels warranted.

(03-15-2018 09:58 AM)BuickBronco Wrote:  "Hawkins, he's gotta go". No hate in any responses to that thread. Looking forward to Monday night recap of meeting and who actually showed up.

That thread was started by a banned poster in 2009.............