(03-29-2020 05:29 AM)JMUDunk Wrote: Balance.
I LOVE the “JMU way”, it’s why we all fell In love with the place and why my daughter decided to stay put even when “better” offers were there.
Let’s not dispense with that. The natural courtesy, the high fives, knowing nods, waves out of car windows.
OTOH, let’s keep the good things going, or better get the bad things improving.
Doesn’t need to be one or t’other. We’re all in this together, may just have different means to the same end.
And I think that’s a good thing. More input, more voices, more wrankling the better. Open it up.
Lots of good input to be had from the last voices one would expect. Often times.
It definitely is a balance. JMU has grown since I was a student but my sense is that it still feels tight knit more so than schools half it's size.
The attendance at JMU MBB games notwithstanding the esprit de corps of JMU alum toward their school is stronger than other (even better known or better regarded) Universities. The WSJ survey kind of proved what we (a group of JMU die hards who have posted over 1 million times in a thread about JMU moving up conferences) already knew. JMU students, alum, etc. post about JMU on social media at a very high level as well- another proof point that there is something about JMU that is different.
I guess the question is -has the culture helped create that special something while at the same time holding us back?
The reporting structure is odd I guess yet the growth and investment across the University is hard to deny so that doesn't appear to have held us back. The promoting from within or valuing folks who came from JMU- I can see that- outside perspective is important but Alger is an outside of JMU hire- someone who spent time at Rutgers and Michigan. I'm sure that perspective has been valuable as JMU moves to a National level.
I think of the athletics program. Jeff Bourne has been AD for a while and many suggest he may retire soon. Will Kevin Warner take over? By all accounts Kevin is bright and has been a big part of our recent success (College Gameday) etc. He's younger and more active on social media obviously. Maybe he has different ideas or maybe he will be prone to the same trajectory/path that we have set under Bourne. (which isn't a bad path by the way).
Maybe JMU would be better hiring someone from outside of our bubble to take us to the next level? I don't know enough to say one way or another but I can see both schools of thought and I agree that a balance is probably the best solution. Keep bringing in new voices to lend different perspectives and challenge us to be our best but also stay true to the positive culture that makes us so special.
As it relates to Byington- the subject of this thread- a friend had an observation and I couple that with the one piece of negative feedback from a GSU fan on our board. Something about Coach B being almost too nice. I think his perspective having been a CAA player, someone who is from the area, and who played against JMU during better times (The Electric Zoo) helped get him the job (along with his reputation/track record, and his plan). I like that he is saying that JMU is big time. We need that big time thinking when it comes to JMU Men's basketball. I like that he is in tune with what JMU MBB formidable in the form of the student support and pep band. He seems like a guy who will be motivated to get a lot of energy behind the program.
The question is as a new coach to JMU how boisterous will he be with the administration and how tough will he be with the team- will he show that fire to fight for us to schedule better, to raise our level in terms of assistants and to demand that we keep raising the bar of the program? Will he be tough enough with the team and players to will them to be champions? That remains to be seen. Different sport but will there be a "lock the damn gates" mentality in our locker room at the AUBC?
This (along with the cache and national media coverage) is why folks wanted to see JMU land a JT III or even a Bryce Drew. In JT III's case just being aware of his Dad and their family as a college basketball fan over the years- he would have come to Harrisonburg (if he was even interested in JMU or the job) with those demands already understood. He would have shook things up and the admin and players would have had to play ball. It may have worked out and raised our level (I think it would have) or it could have been a failure with financial repercussions. We'll never know.
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MBB Coach Mark Byington
