Razorback Softball

[softballdad2118]

Im not a advocate for anyone but I guess the guy (asst coach)they let go wasn't the issue...lol

[softballdad2118]

Hiring a JC coach would be quite a departure from Jeff Long's normal pattern of hiring thus far. He has either hired senior assistants from DI teams (Pulliza, Hale), coaches with previous DI HC experience (Larabee, Schimmel), or sports broadcasters. ;-)

No info about Sisemore and no opinion, just saying that it would not be the kind of women's sports hire Long has made to this point.

.   go get one of Oklahoma asst..they can coach and recruit

[beartown]

There are definitely issues when a 6th year coach has so few Jrs and Srs on the team. Plus there are players leaving the state every year that could help this program that aren't even formally offered a scholarship.

[psycHOGlogist]

Larabee had some very good years here, to be fair. His 3rd and 4th years we were ranked in the top 25 at various times, had wins over top programs, and made the NCAA tournament. It really looked like the program was on the rise. Last year, big things were expected. We had an all-conference pitcher coming back for her junior year, a solid group of bats, and lots of confidence. Then boom --  Beasley couldn't pitch (injury, I believe), the fielding went south, and there was clearly no depth coming up behind the upper classmen (and none at all in the circle). This year, the chickens are coming home to roost, and it's a disaster. I agree that this is unacceptable in Year 6.

[Inhogswetrust]

The two premier women's sports in college is basketball and softball.  There are a lot of programs more advanced in one or both sports than ours which means we face an uphill climb.

Larrabee (coach Mike) has been with the program, I want to say, four or five years.  I was not among his fans the first or second year.  But to give him his due, last year was, as I recall, the best year we ever had.  We reached the tournament for the first time I can remember (coming out of the SEC isnt easy)

He lost several crucial players, his two top pitchers, and top hitters.  I am a little disappointed but give him some times before you have a stroke or declare him and his staff incompetent.

I'd go with basketball and gymnastic............................with softball a close third.

[Princesshog]

They did not make the SEC or the NCAA tournament last year.

[psycHOGlogist]

Seems to me what counts as a "premier" women's sport is dependent on the institution and/or geography. For example volleyball is THE premier women's sport at Nebraska and some other B1G schools, and very close at Texas and other programs. There is very little history of volleyball in Arkansas, and the state juniors program is still relatively underdeveloped, unlike basketball and softball.

[GroundHawg]

The fielding went south? Larabee places NO emphasis on defense. You can't just throw people in new positions and not expect some issues. Who is responsible for recruiting and DEVELOPING that depth? The coaches. The stats and record speaks for itself. Simply unacceptable. Any other sport and the move would've already been made. Way past due.

[Inhogswetrust]

Seems to me what counts as a "premier" women's sport is dependent on the institution and/or geography. For example volleyball is THE premier women's sport at Nebraska and some other B1G schools, and very close at Texas and other programs. There is very little history of volleyball in Arkansas, and the state juniors program is still relatively underdeveloped, unlike basketball and softball.

On the contrary..............there is or at least was a huge impact with volleyball at Arkansas...........................

[Inhogswetrust]

Seems to me what counts as a "premier" women's sport is dependent on the institution and/or geography. For example volleyball is THE premier women's sport at Nebraska and some other B1G schools, and very close at Texas and other programs. There is very little history of volleyball in Arkansas, and the state juniors program is still relatively underdeveloped, unlike basketball and softball.

Gymnastics seems to be big across the country but it is true volleyball is big elsewhere and I believe softball as well.

[GroundHawg]

Well swept by Missouri by a combined score of 30-1. 1-17 in conference. Stop the madness - clean house. Tragic.

[softballdad2118]

It will soon be over...will be interesting to see which direction they go for a coach

[Sueie]

It will soon be over...will be interesting to see which direction they go for a coach

It better not be to a damn Juco!!!!!!
SURELY there is an experienced coach out there that we could get from the D-1 level.

[psycHOGlogist]

This weekend's games were excruciating to watch. Hard to believe the reversal of fortune in just two years.

On the coaching front, I vote for the Minnesota coach, $$ or not. Our conference is a powerhouse with some of the best coaches in the country. If you want to compete, go get one of them. What she has done at Minnesota is pretty darned impressive.

[JackJohnson]

This weekend's games were excruciating to watch. Hard to believe the reversal of fortune in just two years.

On the coaching front, I vote for the Minnesota coach, $$ or not. Our conference is a powerhouse with some of the best coaches in the country. If you want to compete, go get one of them. What she has done at Minnesota is pretty darned impressive.

The minn coach is definately my favorite.  They are now 37-7 and 12-3 in Big 10.

Side note- they have only play SEVEN home games all year!!  I am guessing they have to schedule mostly away and neutral due to weather.  Surely she would love to coach at a place where they can actually play home games!!

5-2 home, 17-1 road and 15-4 neutral on the season

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-softbl/sched/minn-w-softbl-sched.html

[softballdad2118]

Will have to pay more than 125k...I believe they need to step up and go get whomever is necessary to turn this around..doesnt make a lot if sense to build one of the best facilities in the country and not expect excellence

[Mork]

Trip McKay at OU would be a huge get.Currently the hitting coach with the sooners

[softballdad2118]

Mckay isn't coming to Arkansas, I agree it would be a great hire but I believe he makes more at OU than Larabee does here..they would have to get to 200 to get him

[psycHOGlogist]

Gasso (OU's HC) makes $350K - or maybe more by now. So $200 seems cheap. And Auburn hired Clint Myers from Az St for only $180. Let's put some of that SEC Network money to use! (Yeah, I know the basketball practice facility is expensive).

[JackJohnson]

Mckay isn't coming to Arkansas, I agree it would be a great hire but I believe he makes more at OU than Larabee does here..they would have to get to 200 to get him

Last I could find he just got a huge jump of 31k in 2013 to get up to 100k. 

http://newsok.com/ou-athletics-regents-approve-hefty-raises-for-softball-coach-patty-gasso-assistants/article/3856473

Not sure what he makes now though.  If it is still 100k, would a 25k pay raise and a chance to run a major college program be enough?  Who knows, but he isn't even the highest paid asst on the OU staff...

If possible I would prefer a proven major college HC over a top assistant all things being equal

[softballdad2118]

Trip does a ton of hitting type camps...I saw the 2013 salary, OU typically gives raises every year but even without that with his camp money he is over 125k. Regardless, I don't  think the coaching in the SEC is a lure because he is a asst at a top 5 school and lets face it Arkansas is a LONG way away from top 5. I agree with Jack lets get a proven head coach and pay them. The  lady from Minnesota would be a home run!

[Mork]

Trip has family in the river valley area on the OK side and would take the job in a heart beat. Gasso isn't the easiest coach to work for.

[softballdad2118]

Maybe he maybe he wouldn't but my guess is he may be in line for the OSU gig  too, he was a 2 time all american there...the issue with that job is he would have to recruit against Coach Gasso in Oklahoma where as Gasso rarely if ever recruits Arkansas...There are structural issues with the Arkansas job that inhibits a coach such as the number of kids that HAVE to be on roster with some type of money and financial aid constraints with  Arkansas being a difficult school to get financial aid for in state kids even with a 30 on the ACT...the only allure imo is its in the SEC

[pccmizuno24]

Long will make an off the wall but great hire. Anybody has to be more motivational than larabee

[Iwastherein1969]

women's softball at Arkansas is the most embarrassing and pathetic program ever fielded at Arkansas since Title IX...from what I've seen on TV we have a nice ball park (on par with other schools in the SEC) and other schools in this region excell like OU, MIZZOU, etc...so what that tells me is that whoever is running the softball program needs to get his/her walking papers....this past weekend, one couldn't help but notice th scores to the Mizzou series and it was totally humiliating...whoever the coach is needed to leave yesterday....hire me, I can lose every game with the 10 run rule in effect, and I'll do it cheaper than this clown who is coaching them now

[Porked Tongue]

Don't sweat it.  He's gone.

[Porked Tongue]

15-31 Overall

1-18 Conference

[yraciv]

15-31 Overall

1-18 Conference

We won one? That's exciting!

[psycHOGlogist]

Run-ruled again tonight in Auburn. That's 5 straight run-rule conference games.

Nope, nothing to see here.

Edited on Sunday to add: Make that 6. I feel very bad for the young women on the team.

[softballdad2118]

I suspect he will termed a week from Monday....my guess is he will call the SAU coach ( don't kill the messenger) Bargfelt from Tulsa, Lombardi at Oklahoma and maybe a another woman.

[psycHOGlogist]

Interesting. Any basis for your choices, softballdad, or is that just speculation?

I would be very happy with Lombardi, less happy with Bargfelt (he's been good, not great, at a good, not great program), and puzzled but not angry with the SAU coach. The guy's record (prior to this year, when he is just .500) so far is nothing short of amazing, but ... I think it would say something if Long dipped down to someone with no DI coaching experience at all to be HC of an SEC program. Does not seem like his style.

And if the other woman is Jessica Allister, I would be very happy. :-)

[softballdad2118]

Just speculation...the SAU guy is very connected

[softballdad2118]

Bargfelt is widely respected and he has done well at a mid major...recruits locally and has had success...could he take it to another level?? Who knows...he is a pitching guy too. I personally think they will go with a woman, they have tried two guys,  time for a womans touch..lol

[psycHOGlogist]

Well, the program's first coach was a woman, and she (like Larabee) had some success and then fizzled out.

The coach before Larabee (Pinkerton?) was hired from Tulsa, so in some ways Bargfelt would be a deja vu hire. Lombardi would also a pitching hire, based on what she's done at OU.

[softballdad2118]

Lombardi would be a tough get, she is in a great situation, makes as much as Larabee. i dont think Bargfelt would leave...he is up there in age and has a young team and a nice recruiting class coming in with a couple of kids from Texas and Oklahoma and 2 from Arkansas with one of those being ranked in the top 100 kids  nationally in her class...its those kids we cant lose.

[pccmizuno24]

http://www.muleriderathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=192&path=softball

Dude would be a hell of a hire!! struggling this year with injuries but has a great resume. He is a young energetic coach who can RECRUIT!  more than anything he bleeds Razorback red! He will get a look somewhere!

[Sueie]

http://www.muleriderathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=192&path=softball

Dude would be a hell of a hire!! struggling this year with injuries but has a great resume. He is a young energetic coach who can RECRUIT!  more than anything he bleed Razorback red! He will get a look somewhere!

Looking over the roster.  I did not know anyone ever heard of Brazoria, Texas.  I grew up there on a place called Clemens Prison farm.  It is a small world.

[nwahogfan1]

Need to get better pitching for sure, but whoever the coach is he needs to recruit the best players in the state...lock the state down and cherry pick from Texas, Cali, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana.

Totally agree.  When I watch women's softball I see a lot of players from California and Texas but mostly California.   Look there for a few pitchers and then cherry pick the country for the others.  We are in the SEC where softball is very good so you have to find players. 

Maybe find a successful Coach from California and woo him/her with more money or a cheaper state rate and cost of living.   I don't think the answer is necessarily hiring a D2 coach from Arkansas.  We have to think outside the box and go nationally.

[psycHOGlogist]

Other issues aside (and by Monday I think we will have an actual, as opposed to a hypothetical, coaching search to talk about) - it is very heartening to me that we have a 2-page-and-growing thread about the softball team.

[softballdad2118]

We have the facilities, we play in the right conference, all we need is the right person to lead this team and RECRUiT, evaluate and develop

[kevinagee]

As a first time season ticket holder and been to all the home games. I just do not know full what to think of this years team and coaching staff. I see talent and bright sides in Sidney pitching, Clark and Canfield are good players both at the plate and outfield, Reggie Harrison is a good Def. 3rd base and in the last 4 games her bat has came alive. They will need to replace D Wallace at 1st base and Cassie F at shortstop. But I like what I have seen of Madison Y at shortstop and Parker P at Second. Catcher has been a revolving position. As for right field I like both freshman Autumn and Tori and I think the experience as a freshman will only make them better Soph.

I also agree with some of the recruiting post I read. I'm not understanding why there is not more Arkansas players as women's fast pitch softball as really taken off as a sport.

I would guess these three remaining games at home with all probability will be L's. leaving them with just one home win this year that came yesterday against SE MO.

So yeah. Seeing the games and decisions made in the games. I think you need to take a look at the head coach in the off season and evaluate the future of Arkansas Softball with him vs. with out him. If the decision is made we must get a proven coach to replace him

[softballdad2118]

Kevin, I suspect he will fired this next week if he doesn't already know.

[psycHOGlogist]

Will today be the last day of the Larabee era?

Who's got the Magic 8 Ball?

[ricepig]

http://www.nwahomepage.com/story/d/story/larabee-steps-down-as-razorback-softball-coach/25178/U-N9AW8ekkm-XIkURohKcg?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[pccmizuno24]

http://www.nwahomepage.com/story/d/story/larabee-steps-down-as-razorback-softball-coach/25178/U-N9AW8ekkm-XIkURohKcg?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

he knew what was about to happen!

[softballdad2118]

That was a firing couched as resignation..anyway, lets go get the right person!

[psycHOGlogist]

Got to give it to him. He handled his exit with class.

[kevinagee]

So Does anyone think we will lose current underclass players already on the roster that will transfer?

[psycHOGlogist]

It's always a possibility. With coaching change comes player turnover. We may also lose some commitments.

[Dr. Starcs]

Kevin, step away from the "o" on the keyboard. Lol