|
Post by indyvalpo on Feb 16, 2007 18:09:45 GMT -5
SUU is also in it's 10th season in the Mid-Con. They began D1 play in the American West which was a four team league. After everyone else found a western conference home, the Thunderbirds landed here. Despite a .478 winning percentage, SUU has always been a tough road trip for Valpo. That plus the distance will eliminated this rivalry. SUU has one conference tourney title. They are always a threat to leaver should a better geographical fit present itself.
|
|
|
Post by valporun on Mar 7, 2007 10:20:05 GMT -5
I had first heard this news when listening to Greg Rackestraw's broadcast of the ORU-IUPUI game from Monday night, but Southern Utah is not renewing Bill Evans's contract after 15 years. This is either because of his losing career record there or because the team hasn't proven successful since their NCAA appearance in 2001? I didn't expect this to be the major firing in the Mid-Con this season. I was thinking it would have been Derek Thomas at Western Illinois. Maybe he'll be the next name in the conference, since I can't imagine any of the other coaches being let go. This leaves the question, "What coach would want to go to the 'asscrack' of Mormon country to coach basketball at a smalle state university?
|
|
|
Post by aztrig3 on Mar 7, 2007 12:18:39 GMT -5
I'm shocked to hear Bill Evans is being fired. He's a great x's and o's coach. SUU should think about getting out of Div 1. It's too difficult to recruit there because of its relative remoteness. Evans had to exist on JUCO's by and large. I also think their budget isn't adequate. They're still using IBM electronic typewriters at the scorer's table.
|
|
|
Post by valpotx on Mar 7, 2007 13:44:40 GMT -5
I imagine any coach wanting to break into D-1 would take this job, to be honest. If I was coaching baseball, I would coach at "Asscrack University" any day, if it meant I got my foot into D-1.
|
|
|
Post by thunderbirds on Mar 8, 2007 16:19:12 GMT -5
Actually, the rumor has it that the new SUU president had Evans' successor picked out long ago: www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070307/NEWS01/703070311Reid is a really good coach but I don't think he'll do much better than Evans. SUU is a hard place to succeed. By the way, it's not the "asscrack of Mormon country." Cedar City is a really pretty town nestled at 6,000 feet in the mountains. You want to talk about "asscracks" of Utah, make a trip out to Green River sometime.
|
|