Greg Byrne's email

[BriantheDawg]

<span id="1_messageHeaderRecipient" class="headerRecipient">[email protected]

Take a minute or two and email him your thoughts. It may not work, but it couldn't hurt. Polk's letter will have an impact on his decision, but if enough people voice their concerns, maybe he will do the right thing and conduct a nationwide search to find the right guy.
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[dawginlaurel]

I will let you guys know if he responds.

 

[Todd4State]

Already sent mine, and I'm not one to usually do that.

I imagine that his inbox will be flooded.

 

[BriantheDawg]

but this is a big-time hire for him. This decision will be Greg's responsbility long after LT and Polk are gone. He needs to live up to his Title and do the right thing and not be told what to do by an out-going coach and AD.

Greg, this is your hire. You are the AD now. Please do what's right for Mississippi State University. Please.

 

[Todd4State]

it makes for Byrne to make this hire because he will be their boss.

 

[maroonmania]

Polk would again try to control the hiring process upon his leaving this time just as he did control it in his last "retirement" (just another reason I never wanted him back). I personally am SO glad Ron is hanging it up but we will likely be worse off, not better, if Raffo takes over. Tommy has never known anything but Polk and McMahon's methods and so we will get more mediocrity with him in my view. This is a time where we need an assertive personality to push our program to excel. Our program DESERVES a full up head coaching search not a passing of the torch to a guy with zero head coaching experience anywhere and that has never coached under anyone but Polk and Mac at MSU. I appreciate the things Polk did for our program in his early years but he and his NCAA fighting have been a drag on our program over the last decade and a half. I just personally feel if we give Raffo this job and don't use what little clout our program still holds to bring in a highly qualified proven coach, then it will be the last nail in the coffin of our once proud baseball tradition.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

That's what you should send Byrne.

 

[maroonmania]

Polk and LT are putting the old arm twist on Byrne with this hire. I'm afraid its almost a no-win situation for Greg. He will likely tick off a large number of people whether he does or does not hire Raffo. Personally, if Raffo gets the job with no full up search all of my support and dollars for MSU sports will strictly go to football and basketball.

 

[Paper Dog]

This was pretty much determined last year - but feel free to email all you want

 

[MSUCostanza]

this is as done a deal as they come.

 

[Stormrider81]

However, there is a difference between the two scenarios. If he passes up Raffo to hire a Cohen/McDonnell type and we have massive success under that person all will be forgiven. If he promotes Raffo and we continue in the same path we've been on for the past 7 years all will not be forgiven. In fact, Byrne will be on the hook for making a bad hire since he is now the AD and those that despise LT's methods will point to Byrne as yet another LT, one who hires on the cheap with little to no search, and from within whenever possible.

 

[RebelBruiser]

Some very good points here, and I do think this is a tough position for Byrne to be put in. One of his first tasks after taking the job will be to replace the baseball coach whose name is on the stadium. Not to mention the fact that this same baseball coach is strongly recommending a replacement candidate to him. It would have to be pretty tough to come in and basically say no to Polk as your first move as AD. You'd create waves a lot sooner than you wanted. If you did go another direction and the hire worked out, then you'd be fine, but if you went another direction and the baseball program didn't do well, you'd have a lot of people second guessing your first move on the job and suggesting you should've just listened to the 'legend'.