Kirby staying per Veazey.

[Ivehadbetter]

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2">Robert Kirby is staying in Starkville.</font></p>

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2"> </font></p>

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2">The Mississippi State assistant basketball coach called Grambling this morning and withdrew his name from contention for their head coaching job, he said a few minutes ago. Though he was never offered the job, Kirby said he and Grambling had advanced discussions about salary.</font></p>

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2"> </font></p>

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2">"I just want to thank Grambling, that they considered me," Kirby said. "After talking with Coach (Rick) Stansbury, he expressed a commitment the athletic department is going to be making to the program. At this time in my career, it's best for me and family to stay at Mississippi State."</font></p>

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2"> </font></p>

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2">Kirby will receive a pay increase from Mississippi State, but wouldn't be specific about the numbers. (The latest annual budgeted salary I have on file for Kirby is $108,150, but that's from the 2006-07 budget year. I'm efforting to get the 2007-08 number.)</font></p>

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2"> </font></p>

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2">Kirby, 47, is preparing for his 11th season on Stansbury's staff. He was also a MSU assistant from 1989 to 1993.</font></p>

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2"> </font></p>

<font face="tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="2">By removing his name from consideration, Kirby said he isn't removing his lifelong career goal, which is to be a head coach. He's just waiting for "the right opportunity," he said.</font></p>

 

[Goat Holder]

nm

 

[Porkchop.sixpack]

nfm

 

[statefanjosh]

Just my guess but Stans can't be much older than 47 if he is even that old. Judging by the age of his kids and Meo I would say he is around the 40 mark.

 

[Ivehadbetter]

Stans graduated college in '82, Kirby in '83.

 

[DerHntr]

man that sounds like an internet battle waiting to happen. no head coaching experience and possibly taking over at state....very much like the Raffo situation. i don't know if i can stand another fiasco like the one we are in right now.</p>

 

[Goat Holder]

I see no reason for house cleaning with the basketball program. Now if he has a Polkie Sherrillesque meltdown, things might be different.

 

[DerHntr]

i agree with the winning argument but that argument has not been used exclusively with the Raffo ordeal. a lot of people have posted that Raffo is simply not qualified because he has no head coaching experience.

maybe that should be a topic of or question for the board. would you be in favor of a raffo hire if we were hosting a regional this season?

 

[Goat Holder]

and one I don't know the answer to. You have to take into account injuries, recruiting, etc. I cannot make a rational decision at this time because right now, anybody not named Ron Polk is who I want.

 

[hatfieldms]

i agree with the winning argument but that argument has not been used exclusively with the Raffo ordeal. a lot of people have posted that Raffo is simply not qualified because he has no head coaching experience.

maybe that should be a topic of or question for the board. would you be in favor of a raffo hire if we were hosting a regional this season?

I think most people's point is that we are known well enough in baseball where we can go out and do a national search and get a big named coach. We dont quite have that luxury in football or basketball</p>

 

[DerHntr]

i agree that we should be able to get a big named coach and hope we do. but i do believe that there are a lot of people who would be much more at ease with a hire of Raffo if we were hosting a regional this year after going to the CWS last year.

it pisses me off more each day that Polk has tarnished the hiring process for the only sport that we truly have an advantage. i hope his crap doesn't actually work in his favor.

 

[maroonmania]

,though it may be quickly changing, there is just a higher standard for what we expect out of our baseball program than we do we do our basketball program. Though, like I said, given our basketball success in the mid-90's to now that gap has narrowed quite a bit. But that would be the root of why an unproven coach like Kirby would likely be more accepted in basketball while Raffo is not being very well accepted right now in baseball. Besides the fact the current baseball staff seems to have the program going in the wrong direction, most feel our baseball program, due to its fan support and tradition, can still attract some top shelf proven coaches. I'm still not sure our basketball program can do that.