(08-02-2017 02:27 PM)Minnewaska Owl Wrote:  

(08-01-2017 11:25 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  Wayne's not killing the program... You guys need to get that out of your minds because it's insane. It's still by leaps and bounds the best program we have and any comparisons are laughable. If you want to argue that he's no longer a miracle worker and is returning to still be only one of the top 20 or so coaches in the game, that's fine... but the idea that there's another top 10 coach out there just clamoring for the job is a fantasy. Texas pays a coach whose best year has barely reached Wayne's LOWEST performance in the past 2+ decades more than we'd pay Wayne OR his replacement... and by a large margin. That same guy only stayed at Tulane, who is perhaps most comparable to us in many ways... for 1 year.

"Killing the Program" is definitely too strong a statement - and as people have responded above, I don't think anybody is saying that. But, I personally think it is time to bring in someone younger to take over the program. That person may not have Wayne's baseball knowledge, teaching acumen or game management skills - but my thinking is that we now need a younger leader who will be more engaged and effective in our recruiting efforts.

As for as baseball being our best program by leaps and bounds, I'm no longer sure about that. Women's basketball is coming on very strong. I would not be surprised at all to see our women's basketball team be more successful than our baseball team next year (based on which team makes it to the NCAA tournament - or comes closer to achieving that goal). Also ask yourself, which coach (women's basketball or men's baseball) is more likely to be targeted by a P5 school in the coming year. Based on recent trends, we may soon see women's basketball replacing baseball as the obvious "crown jewel" of the Rice Athletic Department.

It would have to leapfrog women's tennis, which is Rice's best team sport this decade.