Dykes Resigns as Head Women’s Basketball Coach

[GuvHog]

Respectfully, Guv, by your logic, Jack Crowe wasn't given enough time. However, three years, four years, whatever -- those time frames only matter if there is ample reason to believe the program is trending upward. There is no way anyone, even Jimmy Dykes (and Joe Kleine and Wally if they really looked into it), could say that this program had an upward trend going. It was headed the wrong way, and it didn't have anything to do with the kneeling. It proved to be a bad fit, and unless Arkansas simply wants to say it doesn't care about the women's basketball program, there was no way you could justify sticking with this for another year or two or three.

You're right about Jack Crowe. Firing him right after the first game of his second year was inexcusable and Frank caught some flack for it.

[hawganatic]

Wrong. 3 years is never enough time. It takes 4 years minimum to rebuild a program. Simply put, Dykes was fired because he supported the players who knelt during the national anthem and a bunch of big money boosters weren't happy about it. He was going to be fired even if his team had finished above .500 in conference. He got a dirty deal.

If the program is in significantly worse shape at the end of year 3 than it was at the beginning of year 1, then yes, it is enough time.

You can't put a blanket statement like "never enough time."  You shouldn't expect to win championships in year three of a rebuild, but you should at least see the roots taking place for a good program.   In your honest opinion, was that the case with women's basketball?

[Inhogswetrust]

You're right about Jack Crowe. Firing him right after the first game of his second year was inexcusable and Frank caught some flack for it.

No matter what an AD does he will catch some flack. But to say, think or believe Frank caught a lot of flack for firing Crowe when he did would be wrong.

[riccoar]

Did that female coach ever get hired? If not running off Gary Blair was a dumb move. Maybe we can get the coach from Washington if we don't get Foley. He is a Bryant, AR native.

Mike Neighbors HC at Washington, he's from Greenwood.  The Bryant native is Karen Aston, HC at Texas.  Both would vault the program to a level higher than it's ever been, however, you have to have an athletic administration willing to drop that kind of cash.

The real question is does Arkansas just want to keep a mediocre program that helps vault coaches to higher jobs OR become a relevant powerhouse? 

[Youngsta71701]

Mike Neighbors HC at Washington, he's from Greenwood.  The Bryant native is Karen Aston, HC at Texas.  Both would vault the program to a level higher than it's ever been, however, you have to have an athletic administration willing to drop that kind of cash.

The real question is does Arkansas just want to keep a mediocre program that helps vault coaches to higher jobs OR become a relevant powerhouse?

My bad. I had the them mixed up. I'll take either one of them.

[ShadowHawg]

Mike Neighbors HC at Washington, he's from Greenwood.  The Bryant native is Karen Aston, HC at Texas.  Both would vault the program to a level higher than it's ever been, however, you have to have an athletic administration willing to drop that kind of cash.

The real question is does Arkansas just want to keep a mediocre program that helps vault coaches to higher jobs OR become a relevant powerhouse?

Mike is in a great situation. Why would he leave it to come to a program that has zero history of sustaining success? I don't know if he is ready to retire, but I am pretty sure our job would be the end of his career one way or the other.

They need to get over the not hiring coaches from other schools in the University system thing and make Foley coach as of yesterday.

[Porked Tongue]

Guv gets the career award for fiction.

[GuvHog]

No matter what an AD does he will catch some flack. But to say, think or believe Frank caught a lot of flack for firing Crowe when he did would be wrong.

No, it isn't wrong. Frank did indeed catch a lot of flack for that.

[ShadowHawg]

No, it isn't wrong. Frank did indeed catch a lot of flack for that.

Nationally, but not internally.

Internally, he went and hired Danny Ford as "consultant" to Kines until he made it official at the end of the season. You can't do that when you are catching flack.

[Polecat]

$20 says the SEC Network has already contacted him

[GuvHog]

Nationally, but not internally.

Internally, he went and hired Danny Ford as "consultant" to Kines until he made it official at the end of the season. You can't do that when you are catching flack.

Which was another mistake he made. Kines should have been given more time. Hiring Danny Ford as HC was a HUGE mistake.

[ShadowHawg]

Which was another mistake he made. Kines should have been given more time. Hiring Danny Ford as HC was a HUGE mistake.

Danny Ford was the first coach to go the SEC championship game here. Firing Ford when he did is what's stupid. We took the keys from a NC winning coach and handed them over to the last coach to have a losing record at Boise St.

That team would have 5 pros on offense and 5 on defense.

Only Nutt could have lost to Miss St with a squad like that.

[Jim Harris]

No matter what an AD does he will catch some flack. But to say, think or believe Frank caught a lot of flack for firing Crowe when he did would be wrong.

He caught some national flak, but not around here. Orville applauded it.  Wilson Matthews urged it. Hell, if Frank hadn't done it, there were probably 20,000 people who had attended the game the day before who were ready for do more than fire the coach.  Never seen such anger in a Hog crowd.

[Jim Harris]

Danny Ford was the first coach to go the SEC championship game here. Firing Ford when he did is what's stupid. We took the keys from a NC winning coach and handed them over to the last coach to have a losing record at Boise St.

That team would have 5 pros on offense and 5 on defense.

Only Nutt could have lost to Miss St with a squad like that.

Mississippi State was pretty good in 1998-99. They had their share of studs who went on to the NFL too. Jackie had them about where he'd finally gotten A&M before he had to leave there.

[Inhogswetrust]

No, it isn't wrong. Frank did indeed catch a lot of flack for that.

A little from those primarily not in Arkansas. I say again a little, not a lot. That being said when firing any coach that early in the season some flack or should I say non believing someone would do that that early in the season. 

[ShadowHawg]

Mississippi State was pretty good in 1998-99. They had their share of studs who went on to the NFL too. Jackie had them about where he'd finally gotten A&M before he had to leave there.

I know they were, but we still shouldn't have lost that game with the guys we had. Even the guys who didn't end up as pros were great college players.

[Inhogswetrust]

He caught some national flak, but not around here. Orville applauded it.  Wilson Matthews urged it. Hell, if Frank hadn't done it, there were probably 20,000 people who had attended the game the day before who were ready for do more than fire the coach.  Never seen such anger in a Hog crowd.

I was there and one of those angry one's! IF Crowe wasn't fired then Frank was the one us angry folks would have wanted fired.

[Inhogswetrust]

He caught some national flak, but not around here. Orville applauded it.  Wilson Matthews urged it. Hell, if Frank hadn't done it, there were probably 20,000 people who had attended the game the day before who were ready for do more than fire the coach.  Never seen such anger in a Hog crowd.

The only time I saw it even remotely close was Hatfield losing to Texas on the last play in WMS. 

[Inhogswetrust]

Which was another mistake he made. Kines should have been given more time. Hiring Danny Ford as HC was a HUGE mistake.

Hindsight is always perfect. But almost ANY AD would hire a NC winning coach with his prior W/L record especially when they were already there.

[HognitiveDissonance]

Danny Ford was the first coach to go the SEC championship game here. Firing Ford when he did is what's stupid. We took the keys from a NC winning coach and handed them over to the last coach to have a losing record at Boise St.

That team would have 5 pros on offense and 5 on defense.

Only Nutt could have lost to Miss St with a squad like that.

Oh please.

Yes, he did go to Atlanta in 1995, and he did hand Houston Nutt a good team.

However, I remember that 1997 well. That was the year where a)we didn't know we scored a TD while losing to SMU for the 3rd...yes, third...year in a row, in Shreveport and b)was run off the field 39-18 in a home game debacle in LR against South Carolina where we looked like a junior high team, completely disorganized and unmotivated.

It was time for Danny to go and let him get back to his cattle farm and South Carolina where his heart really was.

It was instant turnaround in 1998.

[hobhog]

No, it isn't wrong. Frank did indeed catch a lot of flack for that.

He was fired first game of 3rd season, just sayin.

And I remember people doing cartwheels. I did.

[snoblind]

He caught some national flak, but not around here. Orville applauded it.  Wilson Matthews urged it. Hell, if Frank hadn't done it, there were probably 20,000 people who had attended the game the day before who were ready for do more than fire the coach.  Never seen such anger in a Hog crowd.

Walking out of the game my dad looks at me and says "Hope you and Bert will enjoy the tickets. I'm done and never setting foot in this stadium again."  And he never did.  Bert is one of my best friends and we've spilt the tickets ever since.

Yes, most folks here were for it.