Does Lemonis make the ring of honor one day?...

[thekimmer]

One of the saddest things about the lemonis saga is that he was the coach of our first and only National Championship team but has been allowed to flounder until every last ounce of goodwill has been squeezed out of his tenure.

If he had been let go like he should have been after 2023, he would have left having more good times than bad and with a few positive vibes still lingering that might have cemented some kind of legacy. Now, he very likely leaves as a tragic figure with the stench of failure permanently attached to him and the thought that we won the NC despite him instead of because of him.

As the HC of the only team in history to win a NC, his entry into the ROH should be a cinch but now, I am not so sure.

 

[GloryDawg]

Time usually heals all wounds except in Sports. He sucks and will always suck and the guys he inherited from previous coaches won that Championship. That's what everyone is going to believe true or not.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Lemonis is our Eli Manning.

Above average which is average at best for the SEC but got the NATTY.

Eli is in the Giants ROH which means Lemonis will be too.

 

[Shmuley]

Let’s create a Gene Chizik slot in the Ring of Honor.

 

[Dawgzilla2]

We ought to have a statue of him next to Polk's because of the championship....but I can only imagine the vandalism it would endure.

 

[StateCollege]

We will probably wait a while, but yeah I imagine he will eventually get a spot

 

[FormerBully]

When do you bring him back? I think it will be ten years before he is honored.

 

[Bulldog from Birth]

As long as the end to his tenure isn’t ugly and contentious like the 2nd Polk exit, then I think he should and will go in. It’s a total misconception to think he had nothing to do with the national championship. This was his 3rd season. There were key Cannizaro contributors, but a lot of the team was also his, including the MVP of the CWS. And he and his staff made all the in-game moves to finally pull it off. Even if we have to fire him, he was absolutely the right hire and deserves a lot of credit for getting us to the top of the mountain. And that absolutely deserves a lot of honor in the years to come.

 

[DawgInThe256]

I used to think that any coach who one a National Championship would end up with a statue. I'm glad that precedence hasn't been set before Lemonis.

I'm sure he'll be in the ROH after the memories of the past few seasons fade away.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Well, he’s the only coach with a ring

 

[L4Dawg]

It would be SO this board not to honor the only coach ever to take us to a team Natty. He gets a statue.

 

[Howiefeltersnstch]

Of course. As a matter of fact we should put him in today and fire him tomorrow

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

He is the only coach in the history of the school to do it so yeah at some point it should absolutely happen.

 

[Podgy]

Yes. In time

 

[17itdawg]

When do you bring him back? I think it will be ten years before he is honored.

If he's let go this year, I bet you'll see him honored sooner than 10 years from now. My guess would be during the 2031 season during the 10 year anniversary of the national title. That's six years from now. Any hurt feelings should be healed by then.

 

[dorndawg]

Make one section bucket seating, there's your memorial. LT would've loved it.

 

[thekimmer]

As long as the end to his tenure isn’t ugly and contentious like the 2nd Polk exit, then I think he should and will go in. It’s a total misconception to think he had nothing to do with the national championship. This was his 3rd season. There were key Cannizaro contributors, but a lot of the team was also his, including the MVP of the CWS. And he and his staff made all the in-game moves to finally pull it off. Even if we have to fire him, he was absolutely the right hire and deserves a lot of credit for getting us to the top of the mountain. And that absolutely deserves a lot of honor in the years to come.

As long as the end to his tenure isn’t ugly and contentious like the 2nd Polk exit, then I think he should and will go in. It’s a total misconception to think he had nothing to do with the national championship. This was his 3rd season. There were key Cannizaro contributors, but a lot of the team was also his, including the MVP of the CWS. And he and his staff made all the in-game moves to finally pull it off. Even if we have to fire him, he was absolutely the right hire and deserves a lot of credit for getting us to the top of the mountain. And that absolutely deserves a lot of honor in the years to come.

The dichotomy between Lemonis's first three seasons and these last four is just mind-blowing to me. Other coaches players not withstanding, how in the every loving hell is it even possible to follow up a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP with not one but TWO single digit SEC win seasons and working on third in four years?? As you said, Lem and staff did make a lot of key in-game decisions that helped us win, but now coaching is a glaring weakness for a team that does have some talent. Gene Chizik on steroids!

 

[Perd Hapley]

Regardless of what happens moving forward, he’ll be remembered much more fondly in 10 years. Hell, Dan Mullen dipped out overnight to another SEC school and left a loaded team behind him, and you still had people asking on here - less than a decade later - if we should bury the hatchet with him, honor him, etc.

Also some perspective….Cohen seems to be universally considered to be a far better coach than Lemonis. He won an SEC Championship at 2 different schools, one of which is historically the worst program in the league. Took MSU further than we’d ever been in the CWS. Yet at MSU, his overall winning percentage and SEC winning percentage were below where Lemonis currently sits, and will likely finish if its his last season. So in general, putting coaches into the ROH is a dicey prospect unless they just have extreme longevity, or are transcendent to the sport overall in some way like Polk was.

 

[thekimmer]

I used to think that any coach who one a National Championship would end up with a statue. I'm glad that precendence hasn't been set before Lemonis.

I'm sure he'll be in the ROH after the memories of the past few seasons fade away.

I think this is the answer. ROH yes but no statue due to the epic collapse.

 

[The Peeper]

I hope not, in my lifetime anyway. If they do then the Natty info they pump should be immediately followed with info about the next 4 seasons and how those teams were trainwrecks . '22 & '23 finishing last and next to last in conference, '24 team non-conference schedule losing 2 at home to Austin Peay, losing 1 at home to Central AR that finished season under .500, 1 at home to Air Force that finished under .500. Those 4 games cost us a host site in the tourney because of RPI. Then there was '25........

 

[thekimmer]

Regardless of what happens moving forward, he’ll be remembered much more fondly in 10 years. Hell, Dan Mullen dipped out overnight to another SEC school and left a loaded team behind him, and you still had people asking on here - less than a decade later - if we should bury the hatchet with him, honor him, etc.

Also some perspective….Cohen seems to be universally considered to be a far better coach than Lemonis. He won an SEC Championship at 2 different schools, one of which is historically the worst program in the league. Took MSU further than we’d ever been in the CWS. Yet at MSU, his overall winning percentage and SEC winning percentage were below where Lemonis currently sits, and will likely finish if its his last season. So in general, putting coaches into the ROH is a dicey prospect unless they just have extreme longevity, or are transcendent to the sport overall in some way like Polk was.

Regardless of what happens moving forward, he’ll be remembered much more fondly in 10 years. Hell, Dan Mullen dipped out overnight to another SEC school and left a loaded team behind him, and you still had people asking on here - less than a decade later - if we should bury the hatchet with him, honor him, etc.

Also some perspective….Cohen seems to be universally considered to be a far better coach than Lemonis. He won an SEC Championship at 2 different schools, one of which is historically the worst program in the league. Took MSU further than we’d ever been in the CWS. Yet at MSU, his overall winning percentage and SEC winning percentage were below where Lemonis currently sits, and will likely finish if its his last season. So in general, putting coaches into the ROH is a dicey prospect unless they just have extreme longevity, or are transcendent to the sport overall in some way like Polk was.

Here is the difference. Cohen inherited a train wreck and a program stuck in the 1970s that took perhaps the most extensive rebuild in history. He started at the absolute bottom and built it steadily with a blip thrown in due to a ball change that killed us another season. Lem inherited a team near our zenith with three consecutive supers and a CWS the year before. Granted he kept it going for three more but then fell from the mountaintop straight into a deep well and is still there.

 

[Bulldog from Birth]

Other coaches players not withstanding, how in the every loving hell is it even possible to follow up a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP with not one but TWO single digit SEC win seasons and working on third in four years??

Occam’s Razor. Simplest explanation is often the actual explanation. Lemonis is a good (but not great) coach, with complete ability to lead a talented team to a national championship. But like would be the case with many human beings, he successfully climbed the mountain, achieved the ultimate in his profession, got life changing money to the point he and his family never have to worry about it anymore, and he got overly content and lost the drive and intensity that you absolutely have to have to compete in the meat grinder that is the SEC.

 

[PhredPhantom]

There are a lot of people that would be happy to suck at their job while continuing to accept more than a million dollars in pay every year knowing that they either are unwilling to make the effort to be better or don’t have the capacity to do so or both.

Lemonis is one of those people.

 

[beachbumdawg]

MSU honored him after the national championship when they took his salary from $600k to $1.25M.

 

[thatsbaseball]

......don't know but Arnett definitely deserves some sort of recognition now **

 

[Perd Hapley]

Here is the difference. Cohen inherited a train wreck and a program stuck in the 1970s that took perhaps the most extensive rebuild in history. He started at the absolute bottom and built it steadily with a blip thrown in due to a ball change that killed us another season. Lem inherited a team near our zenith with three consecutive supers and a CWS the year before. Granted he kept it going for three more but then fell from the mountaintop straight into a deep well and is still there.

That’s a whole lot of additional context that I don’t necessarily disagree with, but the point is if you put Lemonis in there you have to also look at putting Cohen in, and vice versa.

Their tenures at MSU as far as overall results were very similar. But overall, Lemonis’ best season was better than Cohen’s best season. Lemonis’ 2nd best season was better than Cohen’s 2nd best season. Lemonis’ 3rd best season wasn’t a ton different than every other Cohen non-shítty season besides 2013 and 2016. Lemonis also lost a year between his 2 best seasons in which he had his most talented team of his entire tenure.

 

[NukeDogg]

MSU honored him after the national championship when they took his salary from $600k to $1.25M.

 

[onewoof]

if the 6 pack designed the plaque...

 

[QuaoarsKing]

Yes. He should he inducted in the last home game of this season. Call it Chris Lemonis Day and let him get a final standing ovation on his way out, and then find a better coach for 2026.

 

[thekimmer]

That’s a whole lot of additional context that I don’t necessarily disagree with, but the point is if you put Lemonis in there you have to also look at putting Cohen in, and vice versa.

Their tenures at MSU as far as overall results were very similar. But overall, Lemonis’ best season was better than Cohen’s best season. Lemonis’ 2nd best season was better than Cohen’s 2nd best season. Lemonis’ 3rd best season wasn’t a ton different than every other Cohen non-shítty season besides 2013 and 2016. Lemonis also lost a year between his 2 best seasons in which he had his most talented team of his entire tenure.

Cohen actually built something. Lemonis didn't have to and failed miserably at maintaining what he inherited.

 

[johnson86-1]

Well, he’s the only coach with a ring

The Ring of Honor has 27 people in it right now. If we are going to admit every starter and significant contributor from the national championship team into the Ring of Honor, then he definitely should be in. If we're not going to admit every starter and significant contributor, then I think it just depends on where you draw the line. I think Tanner Allen, Rowdey Jordan, Landon Sims, and Will Bednar clearly go in ahead of him. I know we really only got one year out of Bednar, but that was largely a result of Covid. He looked good as a freshman too before the season was cancelled. Christian McLeod struggled towards the end, but he was a big part of the season overall. Houston Harding? Third in the team in innings pitched and 1.15 whip. Kamren James? Started 67 games and was first in runs scored and second in RBI's behind...Luke Hancock? Does Hancock get in? He was probably the OBP leader or right at it for three years? Logan Tanner? third overall in hits, third in slugging percentage, not a great average or OBP. Kellum Clark? Had a couple of huge hits as a freshmen in the post season. Not sure his career was ROH worthy but we don't win without him.

I don't know where you draw a line in there or where Lemonis falls. All I know for sure are the four that definitely go in ahead of him. But without going back and looking at career numbers, I don't think he's obviously a no brainer pick ahead of anybody on the list. He's going to be a coach that has a pretty average tenure overall but with a championship. Does that obviously get you in over otherwise average players but are major contributors to a championship?

Also happened to see Josh Hatcher's season average lookin gat this stuff. Woof. How did he get so broken that last season here.

 

[AttalaDawg72]

Yes he will

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Well we have a statue of likely the most underachieving coach of all time, so yes Lemon Wii get his name on the ring of honor.

 

[QuadrupleOption]

Absolutely, he should get a spot in the ROH, and he deserves it. The notion that he won with Cann's players is total horsecrap, as he was three years in and the majority of the team was signed under his watch. Including Bednar, Sims, Hancock, and Tanner.

The seniors played under him for four years and they were freshmen under Cann, so all the development they got came under Lemonis prior to 2021.

As much as we've fallen off a cliff since our title, he gets credit for getting us there and winning it when he had the opportunity.