SLURadioBoy Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 I just saw on SLU's web site that Bob Hughes stepped down from his position. The search is on for a new coach. Here's the article... http://slubillikens.cstv.com/sports/m-base.../060607aaa.html "Praises we sing, to you our alma mater, Praise to the white and blue. Our hymn shall ring, in tribute strong to you, We hail Saint Louis U." Official Billikens.com sponsor of Andrew Latimer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four Seventeen Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 The big rumor around West Pine is that recently fired Tennessee head coach Rod Delmonico will be Hughes' successor to lead the Billiken Nine in 2008. That would be a huge boost to the program, as Delmonico led the Vols to Omaha three times in his tenure. Delmonico posted a 699-396 overall record in 18 seasons at Tennessee, including a 263-255 mark in regular-season SEC play. (From UTSport.com) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Sounds like Hughes' retirement may not have been entirely voluntary. Let's hope we can get a good replacement, one who won't chronically underachieve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 "Hughes coached 997 games over his 19 seasons at SLU, punctuated by the program's Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament championship and return to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 after a 40-year drought." Of course, he was responsible for almost half of that 40-year drought. "Hughes has seen eight players selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft and had four others sign free agent contracts to play with minor league affiliates." Considering how many college players get drafted every year, that's not good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 2 winning seasons in 19 years. Gee, how are we going to find a suitable replacement? This couldn't have been totally voluntary, and it should have been the case a decade ago. He has the cushiest job in the world- take over a low-pressure baseball coaching job, win maybe a third of your games, never make a splash in the tournament or with recruiting, and bring home six figures. Where do I sign? 417, I like your suggestion for a coach and hope that's the case. If not, how about somebody like Andy Benes? He's a relatively young guy, probably getting the itch to be more involved with baseball again, lives locally, and just got his master's from SLU and has been an advocate of the school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeSmetBilliken Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 If that is true, that looks like it would be a heck of step up for the program. This Delmonico guy was fired after going 34-25. In Hughes' best season, 2006, SLU went 32-29. Just pointing that out. With that said, with the exception of the Majerus hiring, SLU has seemed to hire younger coaches, sometimes with local ties, to head coaching vacancies in the less talked about sports. Some of these have been under Levick's tenure, while some were under Woolard. Here's a list: Shimmy Gray, Women's basketball, assistant at Arizona Anne Kordes, Volleyball, assistant at Illinois John Conway, Softball-coached at Fontbonne before coming to SLU Marcie Boyer, Field Hockey, assistant at SLU and elsewhere Jim Halliburton, Swimming and Diving-coached at Marquette High and Rockwood Swim Club before coming to SLU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillikenReport Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 SLU should take a look at Vianney coach Steve Bieser. - Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyRican Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Mike Barger and/or Roy Tippett. Both ex Billiken players who have coaching experience in the area. Mike was with the Rascals and Roy with Forest Park CC. Both are younger energenic guys who can pump life into the program. Bob is a great man who was limited in several aspect when it came to the program. Whoever takes the helm will need more support than Bob has gotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Majority Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Bob probably only made $40,000 not six figures, FYI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 in no way am i a fan of hughes. his lack of visibility on the east side over the last 5 or 6 years that i have been following high school and american legion baseball imo was appalling. that said, hughes almost certainly faces even a worst infrastructure crisis and the problem of limited scholarships that plagues all baseball programs. if you have to give partial scholarships to your baseball team, and those players are faced with bucking up for at least some of the tuition and housing, slu's price tag isnt conducive to bringing them in. second you have the slu at best mediocre facilities and the weather of the midwest (would you rather play baseball in early march in st louis or mississippi?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 i grew up in new athens, IL. population 1800 and current high school enrollment of 180 students. tiny new athens has had that many players get to pro ball in that time period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 why would you want to bring in a product of hughes system to take over? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 I would guess that Creighton's facilities are superior, but they face the same challenges that we do in terms of tuition and weather, and they've managed to build a successful program. And in our conference, it shouldn't take much for us to be more successful than we have been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al 1 Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Roy, I would have liked to eee SLU pick up Michael Adamson out of Freeburg Il....He can hit and is a great left handed pitcher...Hughes missed the boat...We need to scout the Cahokia Conference more...They are now the leader in Illinois state championships with Columbia just having won. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 to hughes credit i know for a fact he pursued michael. however again the d-1 scholarship limits wouldnt allow slu to offer the money to compete. in fact the naia and jucos all were giving better scholarships for him than any of the d-1 schools that wanted him. he got a full ride to middle tennessee likely because of his pitching as pitchers get the deals, however, michael's future is likely in the outfield imo. he is pretty special. i got to watch him an entire legion season a couple of years back as my son played on his legion team micheals sophomore year at freeburg. even then, he was better than anyone else on his team and they were all 2-4 grades ahead of him in school. btw, the kid to watch in the cahokia conference besides adamson is the thoma kid that catches at columbia. he is it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyRican Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 "Hughes system"? This is baseball, not rocket science. There are no set plays or gameplans. You hit, pitch and field. It is about recruiting and getting the most out of the guys you have. Just because they may not have had a winning record as a player does not mean they are bad baseball people. Delmonico probably makes in the $400K, no way he comes here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Does SLU offer the maximum number of baseball scholarships as allowed by the NCAA? I know that many of our teams could add more scholarships if the funding were available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 40K?! That can't be right. If so, then I understand his lack of recruiting. I can't say I'd be too thrilled about putting in all the effort that comes with D-1 athletics for a measley 40 grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 I have been told that Hughes makes in the neighborhood of $100K, not $40K. He also has his car taken care of, which was a blue SUV when I was on campus. There is absolutely no way that he could coach at SLU for close to two decades and make only $40K. We're not Florida State, but come on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 Rod Delmonico made low six figures for Tennesse. He would be in the $125-$150k range in future at BCS school, possibly slightly higher. And if he didn't land a BCS job, closer to $100k. Baseball salaries differ radically even among top schools. $225-250 are high end. Some coaches, even good BCS teams make $125 or even less. Most under $200k annually. Non-BCS schols pay a LOT less. Delmonico was partly fired for getting dominated by Vanderbilt this year, and it will continue moving forward. Tim Corbin is out-recruiting him all over the place in Tennessee and the region. Vanderbilt won the SEC East, SEC Reg Season SEC Tourney title and was ranked #1 all season long(before regional final upset). Having Vanderbilt kick your butt up and down when you are Tennessee doesn't sit all that well ...Tenn has far less academic standards, far greater student body size, and has money to spend. And Corbin turned down LSU and other SEC schools to stay where he started a few years ago at Vandy. Vanderbilt baseball has gotten a lot of much deserved attention in Tenn. and elsewhere. Vanderbilt had 7 top 25 programs this year. But Tenn has overall had a solid baseball program in one of top couple of leagues nationally. That wasn't good enough for them. As for Hughes and others.....non-revenue sports coaches don't make a lot, especially at non-BCS schools. That figure for him couldn't be far off, but increased over time. SLU with its long soccer tradition would pay more for a men's soccer coach than baseball. However SLU was very slow in hiring a full time men's assistant, finally doing so starting with Donigan in past 10 years, then made him head coach. Some of the top schools have two full time paid assistants. And elite program soccer coaches make in $125-$150k range...most do not make six figures. Some annually NCAA men's soccer coaches make $50-60k. Depends on the school. If SLU wants to win in baseball with an experienced high level named coach, they will need to pay six figures for a baseball coach. Otherwise they will go local with a lower level coach moving up to college ranks. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. The trend is big increases in salaries in non-revenue sports in past 5 years, and budgets. The big schools or big money schools can do it and the smaller ones can't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billies Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 Considering all current factors with the baseball program Barger would probably be the best local bet to take the job if they will pay competitively. There also is a young asst. coach at MU. Would like to hear the names of coaches who contact Levick from out of town for this job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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