I see on the other board that the call is for Bartow's head.

But the problem here is that isn't going to solve the problem. Every single one of David Mullins' coaching hires has failed. What makes you think that he will be able to attract a good candidate to ETSU?

At the time it came open, the ETSU job should have been a plum to any good up and coming coach. Jimmy Pastos- the top assistant in college basketball- was interested.

It wasn't so much Mullins hired Bartow, but that his crop of three finalists was so weak. And that his choice for a coach was one who lesser programs had passed on.

But then, this is the guy who hired Science Hill's JV coach as his volleyball coach. The guy who gave Paul Hamilton a contract extension, then dropped the program two months later. The guy who has tried to manipulate the press, the guy who got ETSU kicked out of the Southern Conference.

He is, quite frankly, not qualified for his job and is the worst Athletic Director at a Division I College in America.

The continued demise of the men's basketball program has become a gross embarassment. I don't know why anyone would even follow it anymore. I don't- save for a quick glance at the newspaper article just so I can chuckle and say "I told you so!"

And I'm the guy who listened to every or watched every single Pittsburgh Pirates game in 1985- record 57-104. The guy who went to 59 Pirates games in their last place season of 1998. The guy who once sat in a rainstorm to watch a 3-8 Pitt football team lose 33-0 to Boston College.

Point is, I've been the loyal fan to losers. But I literally have been PERSONALLY driven off by David Mullins by the way he handled the press when I covered them.

But no regrets. Backing away from the ETSU Bucs is like getting into a life raft as a ship sinks.

Now, the Buccanneer ship is at the bottom of the ocean. I mean, what else can happen? Drop to Division II? See attendance go down even more? Tim Smith gets thrown in jail? We change our nickname to the Little Vols?

Realistically, how could it get any worse? IT CAN'T!!!!

I used to dream of a Final Four berth for ETSU. Now, I can't even dream of a first-division finish in the worst conference in college basketball.

Mullins speaks of new facilities to try and throw people off the scent of his ineptitude, but where are the progress reports? Do any of you REALLY think it will come to fruition? Have you ever heard of an AD say that they will tear down their old arena for a new one- IN TEN YEARS??????

Who would give money to this program? Who, at this time, in their right mind would INVEST in ETSU athletics?

I say fire Mullins TODAY! Do not wait one more day. Put a caretaker in charge and then conduct a nationwide search for someone who will completely rebuild the program. Do not hire Jerry Robertson. Do not hire Lee Morrow. Do not hire the athletic director at University High, Science Hill or Unaka.

You hire a guy with a long history in working in college athletics. You hire a guy who has been a part of building a stadium. You hire a guy who has overseen growth and been the part of losers becoming winners.

They don't grow on trees- but they are out there- and they aren't in the ETSU tennis dept.

Pitt

As you know we have not always agreed on everything, but I must agree with you on this one. I too am a loyal fan. I have been a Reds fan from day one, even though I live in ATL I follow the lowly Reds (which I hope may turn things around under new ownership). But onto matters pertaining to this board. Just when you think it could not get any worse as a Buc fan. We lose to Radford; we bounce back against Marshall (a really bad basketball team). Then we BLOW (and I do mean BLOW) a huge lead against Belmont. And we follow that up with a complete chocking embarrassment against Lipscomb! Mullins and Bartow must go! Mullins is a complete joke as AD and Bartow can do less with more than any coach I know of. Last year was not a fluke, if this keeps up (and I see no reason it should not) we will finish last in the A Sun. You can not blame all of last year on the injury to Knuckles. What will his excuse be this year? He can't use the travel, after losing his first two conference games at home. This season truly makes me sick and we have not even started yet.

Here is Bartow's quote from the paper;
“Nobody around our camp is giddy right now,

Fans in East Tennessee make too many excuses in the first place. It's why ETSU is in the boat it is in right now.

You see these guys on the other board all the time. They get on us for being negative, try to compare the A-Sun to the Southern Conference favorably, say Tim Smith is a team player and that "we're going to beat UT! YAAAAAAY!!!!"

The thing is if ETSU fans had- when Mullins was the interim guy- said "Huh? The TENNIS coach?" we probably wouldn't be in this situation.

I warned everyone at the time. I said that you hire a Mullins if you want to kill football. I was told I was crazy. I was told "I had him for tennis and he's a cool guy."

Think about that. Think about a sports fan who says "He'll make a good AD because he gives good tennis lessons."

TODAY STANTON! To be remembered as "the guy who did what is best for the institution," you get rid of Mullins TODAY!!!

When was the last time ETSU fired anyone in the athletic dept? When was the last time ETSU fired a coach? Think about that.

That is a telling, and almost scary, point.

There's been lots of turnover, especially with ADs since Stanton came in, but yeah. They mostly all left on their own.

Alan LeForce is the last coach I can remember that got the boot, and he may have officially "resigned."

Don Riley?

If Bartow doesnt win more than 10 games this year, he SHOULD get the boot.

Quote:I warned everyone at the time. I said that you hire a Mullins if you want to kill football. I was told I was crazy. I was told "I had him for tennis and he's a cool guy."

I have nothing to do with ETSU, but reading this you make it sound like the fans had a say in it. No athletic program can always make the right moves all the time, just roll with the punches. You are 0-2 conference, big deal. You can still go 18-2. You could easily be 2-0 conference with a couple small breaks and this discussion wouldn't be happening.

Oh, please- 18-2?

Let's be realistic. Let's talk about reality and not exceptions.

The ETSU Buccaneers are NOT going to go 18-2.

How much more do you want me to wait, Mercer? This team went from a poor-on-court decision by Tim Smith from taking Cincinnati to overtime and a pick by Sports Illustrated to go to the Sweet 16 in the NCAAs to, since that time, 8-23- all while returning three starters from that NCAA team!

We've seen football die. We've seen women's basketball win- only because the coach there wasn't hired by the current administration.

I suggest you change your name from MercerFan to FEMAfan- because there's no more time to wait.

What- let's say the team goes- miracle of miracles- .500 this year. Hypothetically.

Is that what we really find acceptable? After the legacy of success David Mullins inherited just 20 months ago- and with many of those same basketball players still around?

It is time to make some very public demonstrations indicating this is simply not acceptable. This is ETSU- if you're going to put us in the A-Sun then we should expect nothing less than contending for a conference title year in and year out while playing a monster out of conference schedule.

I agree you guys should be mad that you've fallen from the level of play you had in your back to back NCAA bids. My point wasn't that you could go 18-2, it was that you could easily be 2-0 and somewhat happy.

MercerFan Wrote:

Quote:You can still go 18-2. You could easily be 2-0 conference with a couple small breaks and this discussion wouldn't be happening.

7-1 since that post ain't too shabby, believe me now Pitt? You should be happy you have a team like this, seeing Tim Smith & Co. in action today made me a believer. ETSU is going to be the clear cut favorite (in my book) for the conference tourny -- whether they enter as a 1 seed or an 8. (Home court + that team is going to be rough)

A 7-19 team from a year ago with no significant recruits comes in to the conference and becomes "The Clear Cut Favorite."

Are we even playing COLLEGE teams in the A-Sun?