Ford and Assistants

[willie]

I think it's a good idea. There are plenty of places the team can watch film. Hell they could probably watch it in this player's lounge.

I always thought the classroom setting was a little much.

[willie]

All I know about Bronson/Cheaney is during that Dayton game where Yarbrough scored like 11 straight points and then missed his last 9 shots, they were both trying to draw up plays at the end of the game for anyone but Yarbrough, but Crews and Platt said we had to call Milik's number.

And you know this how?

[slufan13]

And you know this how?

Somebody in the huddle told me.

[brianstl]

I always thought the classroom setting was a little much.

Especially with the technology available today. You don't need a classroom setting for this.

[bonwich]

I always thought the classroom setting was a little much.

Perhaps. But spending even more money on an eight-year-old arena has the wrong optics. Plus if he isn't recruiting guys who "want to spend time at the arena" without some foo-foo "lounge," he isn't recruiting the right players.

[ModelT]

How about another Ford as an assistant in Geno Ford. He has head coaching experience and plenty of recruiting. Thoughts?

[TheChosenOne]

Chaifetz is 8 years old, how does it not already have nice locker rooms

Locker rooms have become kind of an arms race among the high major programs. The Chaifetz locker room was not considered nice even when it opened, so I think this makes a lot of sense.

[JMM28]

How about another Ford as an assistant in Geno Ford. He has head coaching experience and plenty of recruiting. Thoughts?

Geno is a great guy and great interview. But I don't know if he'd be a good fit.

[TheChosenOne]

Perhaps. But spending even more money on an eight-year-old arena has the wrong optics. Plus if he isn't recruiting guys who "want to spend time at the arena" without some foo-foo "lounge," he isn't recruiting the right players.

Do you follow any college programs besides SLU? Big time programs are constantly upgrading their facilities. Here is a video of the Oklahoma State locker room (and this is from 2010), gives you an idea what he is coming from and why he would think upgrading the locker room makes sense.

[Bobby Metzinger]

Perhaps. But spending even more money on an eight-year-old arena has the wrong optics. Plus if he isn't recruiting guys who "want to spend time at the arena" without some foo-foo "lounge," he isn't recruiting the right players.

They're already dismantling 20 year old Turner Field. 8 years. 20 years. Kids' attention span these days is less than 5 minutes.

[bonwich]

Do you follow any college programs besides SLU? Big time programs are constantly upgrading their facilities. Here is a video of the Oklahoma State locker room (and this is from 2010), gives you an idea what he is coming from and why he would think upgrading the locker room makes sense.

We ain't a state school, nor are we a "high major" program, nor will we ever be. You used the key term above: "arms race." You might recall that in the last real-world arms race, the loser went bankrupt and dissolved.

Maybe, somewhere down the line, a new locker room might climb up the list of priorities. Promoting it right out of the gate wasn't the best possible statement Ford could have made. (Which is, of course, just my opinion and may or may not be representative of other middle-aged, middle-class fans.)

[willie]

Locker rooms have become kind of an arms race among the high major programs. The Chaifetz locker room was not considered nice even when it opened, so I think this makes a lot of sense.

I agree. It's part of the recruiting game. I assume you are just talking about the one outter room. Tear out the bleachers, put in some leather couches,big screen tv etc.

[bonwich]

They're already dismantling 20 year old Turner Field. 8 years. 20 years. Kids' attention span these days is less than 5 minutes.

And, of course, the Rams moved. But there's also an argument that overemphasis on and over-investment in athletic facilities is a sucker's bet.

[ModelT]

I like the idea of the "fix-up" of the locker area. To be competitive in recruits and selling them that SLU is the place for them, you have to compete in facilities and if that means spending on urinals or whatever, then do it. Make it first class and the current players will help sell it to the newbies, IMO

[brianstl]

We ain't a state school, nor are we a "high major" program, nor will we ever be. You used the key term above: "arms race." You might recall that in the last real-world arms race, the loser went bankrupt and dissolved.

Maybe, somewhere down the line, a new locker room might climb up the list of priorities. Promoting it right out of the gate wasn't the best possible statement Ford could have made. (Which is, of course, just my opinion and may or may not be representative of other middle-aged, middle-class fans.)

If he has a donor or donors willing to pay for it, what is the problem?

[BigMouthBilliken]

Do you follow any college programs besides SLU? Big time programs are constantly upgrading their facilities. Here is a video of the Oklahoma State locker room (and this is from 2010), gives you an idea what he is coming from and why he would think upgrading the locker room makes sense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvkrGLIpp5c

That's like professional ! And players want to be paid too!

[bonwich]

If he has a donor or donors willing to pay for it, what is the problem?

None, but again, for optics, he needs to say that.

That's like professional ######! And players want to be paid too!

Well, on the flip side, I think the players should be paid.

[ModelT]

I believe they are through scholarships....

[brianstl]

X is putting $25 million into the Cintas Center.

[billikens747]

We ain't a state school, nor are we a "high major" program, nor will we ever be. You used the key term above: "arms race." You might recall that in the last real-world arms race, the loser went bankrupt and dissolved.

But these are the schools we are recruiting against (or at least hope to). Anything that helps us level the playing field is a plus in my book.

[majerus mojo]

I believe they are through scholarships....

*excuses himself from the room*

[bonwich]

I believe they are through scholarships....

I have a perhaps interesting perspective on this. When I was at the University of Wisconsin, certain high-ranking members of the student newspaper staff were provided scholarships and were paid stipends. (Pretty good ones, as I recall, although it was second-hand information.)

The first year I was in grad school there, with no prior teaching experience, I taught college algebra. I was technically a "TA," but I was in actuality an instructor as I taught three classes a week and had no supervising professor in the normal sense of a TA, where a prof would give general lectures and the TAs would be in charge of smaller breakout classes. In return I received the equivalent of a scholarship -- remission to in-state tuition, which was at best nominal -- and more money that I'd made the prior year as a paid intern at Southwestern Bell.

Is there a difference? I had the occasional football and hockey players in my classes, and it was pretty apparent that they spent more time on their "jobs" than I did.

[BigMouthBilliken]

I believe the players get "stipends." Freshman year I always used to see them use their many Billiken Bucks money to buy Visa gift cards at the bookstore. So not directly getting paid but are given the resources to get money. Can anyone confirm this?

BTW, I'd rather not work a real job in college and get out DEBT FREE than work for peanut spending money while in school.

[billikenfan05]

I believe the players get "stipends." Freshman year I always used to see them use their many Billiken Bucks money to buy Visa gift cards at the bookstore. So not directly getting paid but are given the resources to get money. Can anyone confirm this?

BTW, I'd rather not work a real job in college and get out DEBT FREE than work for peanut spending money while in school.

I can confirm 100% on volleyball players getting actual stipend checks.

[Basketbill]

I have a perhaps interesting perspective on this. When I was at the University of Wisconsin, certain high-ranking members of the student newspaper staff were provided scholarships and were paid stipends. (Pretty good ones, as I recall, although it was second-hand information.)

The first year I was in grad school there, with no prior teaching experience, I taught college algebra. I was technically a "TA," but I was in actuality an instructor as I taught three classes a week and had no supervising professor in the normal sense of a TA, where a prof would give general lectures and the TAs would be in charge of smaller breakout classes. In return I received the equivalent of a scholarship -- remission to in-state tuition, which was at best nominal -- and more money that I'd made the prior year as a paid intern at Southwestern Bell.

Is there a difference? I had the occasional football and hockey players in my classes, and it was pretty apparent that they spent more time on their "jobs" than I did.

Now that is an oxymoron "college algebra"