Putting emotion aside. Chris Lemonis has got to go.......

[thekimmer]

Ranting and raving after a bad loss and calling for the coach to be fired is as inevitable in sports as death and taxes. However a time comes when emotions are set aside and you come to the logical, calm conclusion that a coaching change is necessary for the good of your program. We have reached that point with Chris Lemonis. In my opinion we reached that point at the end of the 2023 season but I digress. At the end of every loss Lemonis himself tells us why he needs to go as he laments over the COACHING RELATED mistakes that cost us the game. We are in the top half of the SEC in pitching and batting average and are 1-5! OU, the team that just took a series from us is in the bottom half of both categories. TX who swept us at home is one spot above us in pitching and 5 spots below us in BA! We are now four years past our 2021 championship and are staring at four straight seasons where DNF will be dark in the post season. We are now trending toward missing the post season 3 out of 4 years AFTER a national championship!!!

Enough already. I appreciate Coach Lemonis for his service to MSU but it's just not working out. Good luck to you but see you later at the 2021 team reunion.

 

[HuntDawg]

We are in the top half of the league in pitchign and batting average because we play Queens and Jackson State.

What are our numbers in SEC play... tells that tale.

Did you really expect Aaron Downs to continue to be Mark McGwire once SEC play started?

 

[ronpolk]

Ranting and raving after a bad loss and calling for the coach to be fired is as inevitable in sports as death and taxes. However a time comes when emotions are set aside and you come to the logical, calm conclusion that a coaching change is necessary for the good of your program. We have reached that point with Chris Lemonis. In my opinion we reached that point at the end of the 2023 season but I digress. At the end of every loss Lemonis himself tells us why he needs to go as he laments over the COACHING RELATED mistakes that cost us the game. We are in the top half of the SEC in pitching and batting average and are 1-5! OU, the team that just took a series from us is in the bottom half of both categories. TX who swept us at home is one spot above us in pitching and 5 spots below us in BA! We are now four years past our 2021 championship and are staring at four straight seasons where DNF will be dark in the post season. We are now trending toward missing the post season 3 out of 4 years AFTER a national championship!!!

Enough already.

Yeah, it’s just time to move on for both sides.

 

[Shmuley]

Ranting and raving after a bad loss and calling for the coach to be fired is as inevitable in sports as death and taxes. However a time comes when emotions are set aside and you come to the logical, calm conclusion that a coaching change is necessary for the good of your program. We have reached that point with Chris Lemonis. In my opinion we reached that point at the end of the 2023 season but I digress. At the end of every loss Lemonis himself tells us why he needs to go as he laments over the COACHING RELATED mistakes that cost us the game. We are in the top half of the SEC in pitching and batting average and are 1-5! OU, the team that just took a series from us is in the bottom half of both categories. TX who swept us at home is one spot above us in pitching and 5 spots below us in BA! We are now four years past our 2021 championship and are staring at four straight seasons where DNF will be dark in the post season. We are now trending toward missing the post season 3 out of 4 years AFTER a national championship!!!

Enough already. I appreciate Coach Lemonis for his service to MSU but it's just not working out. Good luck to you but see you later at the 2021 team reunion.

Welcome to 2023.

 

[Anon1713389554]

Should’ve been gone after 2023

 

[thekimmer]

We are in the top half of the league in pitchign and batting average because we play Queens and Jackson State.

What are our numbers in SEC play... tells that tale.

Did you really expect Aaron Downs to continue to be Mark McGwire once SEC play started?

Fair enough but we aren't the only team that plays cupcakes in the non-conference and are comparable enough with TX and OK that we should not be 1-5. Putting stats aside, just looking at the flow of the games, we look sick next to the teams we have played. OU made us look like a rec little league team fundamentally all weekend. Whatever the reason ultimately does not matter and are just arguing about the arrangement of the deck chairs on the titanic. The bottom line is winning and hosting and competing for Omaha. We have not come close to doing enough of either for 4 long years. It is time to move on.

 

[Seinfeld]

Well said, and now the dilemma… do we trust an administration that doesn’t give two sh*ts about this baseball program to go out and hire an adequate replacement or will they just make things worse?

 

[17itdawg]

100% agree.

It will be the to the benefit of both sides for Lemonis and his staff to leave. Lem needs a clean slate. We need a reset in our program. It's a little too similar to 2006 - 2008 at the end of the Polk II era. Some talent, but a lot of guys that aren't good enough. The who's and the why's that they aren't good enough at this point no longer matter. It's simply time for change within the baseball program. The question will be how much culture will a new coach have to fix ala Cohen in 2009 - 2010. Now I do think in the portal era, a new coach should be able to turn it around very quickly. Maybe even in one off season. It certainly shouldn't take more than two seasons to right the ship.

However, does anyone here want Zac Selmon and Mark Keenum making this hire? I don't particularly want either involved in the process, but I know that's out of the question. I have no faith in either to get this right. I expect those two will hire someone who will give us the same exact results or worse than Lemonis.

 

[thekimmer]

100% agree.

It will be the to the benefit of both sides for Lemonis and his staff to leave. Lem needs a clean slate. We need a reset in our program. It's a little too similar to 2006 - 2008 at the end of the Polk II era. Some talent, but a lot of guys that aren't good enough. The who's and the why's that they aren't good enough at this point no longer matter. It's simply time for change within the baseball program. The question will be how much culture will a new coach have to fix ala Cohen in 2009 - 2010. Now I do think in the portal era, a new coach should be able to turn it around very quickly. Maybe even in one off season. It certainly shouldn't take more than two seasons to right the ship.

However, does anyone here want Zac Selmon and Mark Keenum making this hire? I don't particularly want either involved in the process, but I know that's out of the question. I have no faith in either to get this right. I expect those two will hire someone who will give us the same exact results or worse than Lemonis.

I do understand the dilemma but what are we going to do. Based on what I saw this weekend I might be happy with Selmon poaching the OU guy. He made us look silly all weekend and exploited our weaknesses like a champ.

 

[HuntDawg]

Fair enough but we aren't the only team that plays cupcakes in the non-conference and are comparable enough with TX and OK that we should not be 1-5. Putting stats aside, just looking at the flow of the games, we look sick next to the teams we have played. OU made us look like a rec little league team fundamentally all weekend. Whatever the reason ultimately does not matter and are just arguing about the arrangement of the deck chairs on the titanic. The bottom line is winning and hosting and competing for Omaha. We have not come close to doing enough of either for 4 long years. It is time to move on.

No but we play more of them than most programs do.. and it was very obvious when we played a team with a pulse we struggled.

the expectation of us performing at a high level once conference play starting was hopeful at best.. our pitching was the one thing that gave me hope, and outside of Kohn, this pitching staff and bullpen doesnt look up the SEC standards, which again isnt a surprise when you start Stone Simmons to begin the season as a "tip of the hat"... probably should have used those innings to find someone that could really help.

Same goes with Downs.... but again we started Johnny Long all last season too.. because he was "the glue"

 

[17itdawg]

I do understand the dilemma but what are we going to do. Based on what I saw this weekend I might be happy with Selmon poaching the OU guy. He made us look silly all weekend and exploited our weaknesses like a champ.

Look I agree. A change has to be made, but it's a 17ing awful situation. Everyone wants the guy gone. Hell, Lemonis himself probably wants to leave at this point. It sucks when we as fans and supporters have no faith in the administration to make a hire that will put the program back in the upper echelon of college baseball.

 

[patdog]

Well said, and now the dilemma… do we trust an administration that doesn’t give two sh*ts about this baseball program to go out and hire an adequate replacement or will they just make things worse?

And is completely incompetent even if it did care. But the fact remains. 36-60 and he has to go unless there's a dramatic turnaround the rest of this year. They literally can't hire anyone much worse.

 

[thekimmer]

Well said, and now the dilemma… do we trust an administration that doesn’t give two sh*ts about this baseball program to go out and hire an adequate replacement or will they just make things worse?

I also wonder if Selmon's reluctance to replace lemonis is motivated by fear of having to hire a coach in a sport he knows little about but knowing how it will affect him at a place like State if he screws it up.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Objectively, he has to make a regional this year to keep his job. It may not be all that he has to do, but that’s something that absolutely has to happen in order to fully reinforce that 2022-2023 was an aberration. I don’t think anyone would dispute that is the minimum expectation, and its not looking good right now.

 

[GoToHellOleMiss.sixpack]

Base running mistakes.
Defensive errors.
No visible improvement as players progress through the program.
Lack of coaching in critical situations.

I've been an apologist but I'm done. Let's move on.

 

[tcdog70]

we have a guy go 5 for 8 in first 2 games and he benches him. stupid **** like this.

 

[Shmuley]

I also wonder if Selmon's reluctance to replace lemonis is motivated by fear of having to hire a coach in a sport he knows little about but knowing how it will affect him at a place like State if he screws it up.

Are we seriously going to put a search in the hands of the guy that hired Jeff Lebby?

Please tell me there is an adult somewhere in Oktibbeha County willing to step forward and prevent that from happening.

 

[thekimmer]

Are we seriously going to put a search in the hands of the guy that hired Jeff Lebby?

Please tell me there is an adult somewhere in Oktibbeha County willing to step forward and prevent that from happening.

The only adult in Oktibbeha county capable of doing that is Mark Keenum. I don't disagree with you but reality is we are unlikely to can and hire an AD before needing to hire a baseball coach.

 

[The Peeper]

Objectively, he has to make a regional this year to keep his job. It may not be all that he has to do, but that’s something that absolutely has to happen in order to fully reinforce that 2022-2023 was an aberration. I don’t think anyone would dispute that is the minimum expectation, and its not looking good right now.

'22 miiiiiiiiiight have been an aberation, but then came '23 and it was a pattern at that point and should have ended then no questions asked. Last place ('22) and next to last place ('23) is NOT REMOTELY ACCEPTABLE.

Let's refresh out memories shall we?
-'22 opens losing 2 of 3 to Long Beach St.
-Just 1 week later we lose a game w/ our Friday night starter throwing to the Univ of Northern KY!!!
-4 nights later we squeak by GRAMBLING 2-1 in a mid week game, we only scored TWO RUNS against Grambling!
-We then go to Pearl and lose an in state rivalry game to USM 7-1.
-Then we go to Tulane and lose 2 of 3
-Conference play then begins and we go 9-21 on the season highlighted by getting swept by LSU, FL, TX A&M and TN. In the TN sweep we were outscored 41-10 including 1 game 27-2
-In addition to the sweeps we lost 2 of 3 to GA, 2 of 3 to AR, 2 of 3 to MO, and we also snuck in a loss to Samford near the end of the season in a mid week game.

Was '23 better? Uhh yeah right.....
-We are swept by KY and Vandy to start league play. 1 of those Vandy games we lose 26-3, the 2nd season in a row we've lost a game by 23 and 25 runs).
-We are later also swept by AR and TN (TN for 2nd season in a row and 1 of those was a 7 inning run rule game)
-and we also lose 2 of 3 to SC, AU, and A&M.
-Another 9-21 conference record but only next to last place instead of last this time, GO US!

Those 2 seasons alone are more than grounds for dismissal ANYWHERE, except we've got an AD that didn't want to get his hands dirty so early in his NEW career, so here we are now and remains to be seen if he's grown a sack yet or not.........

 

[beachbumdawg]

Should’ve been gone after 2023

I was told by a ring of honor guy that he was gone
Then when it didn’t happen - he said a bunch of idiots got involved to keep him

 

[randystewart]

Well said, and now the dilemma… do we trust an administration that doesn’t give two sh*ts about this baseball program to go out and hire an adequate replacement or will they just make things worse?

In all seriousness, you could hire a coach from a local high school and it could not get worse. Lemonis teams have been fundamentally awful for years now and he does not fix it. He allows the team to be devoid of player leadership by continuing to play and pander to selfish players that the rest of the team hates. His championship was from a group he inherited that had very strong player leadership and what you have seen since then is what he himself has built.
All I ask is that you hire a good fundamental baseball coach, do the little things right. For the most part, this place recruits itself and I have no doubt a good fundamental coach can take less talent than we have now and be more competitive in the SEC. From a draft perspective, we had more talent than any team in the country last year and WE DID NOT EVEN HOST. Let that sink in. Lemonis is awful

 

[BulldogBlitz]

Lem could be convinced to quit and join another sec staff if someone will just point out that we feed visitors.

 

[HuntDawg]

In all seriousness, you could hire a coach from a local high school and it could not get worse. Lemonis teams have been fundamentally awful for years now and he does not fix it. He allows the team to be devoid of player leadership by continuing to play and pander to selfish players that the rest of the team hates. His championship was from a group he inherited that had very strong player leadership and what you have seen since then is what he himself has built.
All I ask is that you hire a good fundamental baseball coach, do the little things right. For the most part, this place recruits itself and I have no doubt a good fundamental coach can take less talent than we have now and be more competitive in the SEC. From a draft perspective, we had more talent than any team in the country last year and WE DID NOT EVEN HOST. Let that sink in. Lemonis is awful

agree with a lot.... but we didnt have more talent than any team in the country last season. Thats plain silly.

 

[randystewart]

agree with a lot.... but we didnt have more talent than any team in the country last season. Thats plain silly.

I said from a draft perspective and we had more players drafted than any other college in the country.

 

[patdog]

The only adult in Oktibbeha county capable of doing that is Mark Keenum. I don't disagree with you but reality is we are unlikely to can and hire an AD before needing to hire a baseball coach.

Keenum is an even bigger problem for us than Selmon is.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

This weekend will determine Lemonis fate IMO. Get swept and he's done here.

 

[HuntDawg]

I said from a draft perspective and we had more players drafted than any other college in the country.

ok... but we had nowhere near the most talent in the country. Not even close. Had we played a real non conference schedule we would have hosted. Blame that on lemonis, he doubled down on that again this year.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

Keenum is an even bigger problem for us than Selmon is.

Y'all ***** about Selmon and want to know what OK coach he'll hire, well, their coach ran circles around ours and had a top 10 program. Selmon isn't the problem here. The other one is the questionable one.

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

I was not opposed to letting Lemonis have a long leash once he declined after ‘21. But missing the NCAAT three out of four years, I don’t think there’s any scenario you can bring him back next year if that happens. And there’s a strong case to be made that just making the tournament isn’t enough.

 

[Perd Hapley]

'22 miiiiiiiiiigt have been an aberation, but then came '23 and it was a pattern at that point and should have ended then no questions asked. Last place ('22) and next to last place ('23) is NOT REMOTELY ACCEPTABLE.

Let's refresh out memories shall we?
-'22 opens losing 2 of 3 to Long Beach St.
-Just 1 week later we lose a game w/ our Friday night starter throwing to the Univ of Northern KY!!!
-4 nights later we squeak by GRAMBLING 2-1 in a mid week game, we only scored TWO RUNS against Grambling!
-We then go to Pearl and lose an in state rivalry game to USM 7-1.
-Then we go to Tulane and lose 2 of 3
-Conference play then begins and we go 9-21 on the season highlighted by getting swept by LSU, FL, TX A&M and TN. In the TN sweep we were outscored 41-10 including 1 game 27-2
-In addition to the sweeps we lost 2 of 3 to GA, 2 of 3 to AR, 2 of 3 to MO, and we also snuck in a loss to Samford near the end of the season in a mid week game.

Was '23 better? Uhh yeah right.....
-We are swept by KY and Vandy to start league play. 1 of those Vandy games we lose 26-3, the 2nd season in a row we've lost a game by 23 and 25 runs).
-We are later also swept by AR and TN (TN for 2nd season in a row and 1 of those was a 7 inning run rule game)
-and we also lose 2 of 3 to SC, AU, and A&M.
-Another 9-21 conference record but only next to last place instead of last this time, GO US!

Those 2 seasons alone are more than grounds for dismissal ANYWHERE, except we've got an AD that didn't want to get his hands dirty so early in his NEW career, so here we are now and remains to be seen if he's grown a sack yet or not.........

I’m not sure if you’re trying to convince me of something, convince yourself, or what.

All I said was the minimum thing that has to happen for it to be even possible for him to return, while in no way guaranteeing it. The thing that has to happen for some portion of the fanbase, however big or small that may be, to have some argument that he should return for 2026. If it doesn’t happen, it will be unanimous, and he’ll be gone. If it does happen, it won’t be unanimous, and either option is still possible….depending on context.

It just seems like a waste of time to beat a dead horse on it. If we don’t make a regional, or it becomes obvious at some point midseason that we won’t, everyone will know the outcome. If we rally and make it, it will require a lot better product on the field than has been seen currently, and a further discussion can be had. But there’s really no point in calling for heads to roll after every loss. Short of a Cannizarro situation, a national title winning coach at Mississippi State is not ever going to be fired midseason.

 

[Xenomorph]

Now that we’ve waited, expect Bianco to retire this year.

Keith Carter vs Zac Selmon in a hiring contest. ….talk about pistol whipping a blind kid…

 

[HuntDawg]

I’m not sure if you’re trying to convince me of something, convince yourself, or what.

All I said was the minimum thing that has to happen for it to be even possible for him to return, while in no way guaranteeing it. The thing that has to happen for some portion of the fanbase, however big or small that may be, to have some argument that he should return for 2026. If it doesn’t happen, it will be unanimous, and he’ll be gone. If it does happen, it won’t be unanimous, and either option is still possible….depending on context.

It just seems like a waste of time to beat a dead horse on it. If we don’t make a regional, or it becomes obvious at some point midseason that we won’t, everyone will know the outcome. If we rally and make it, it will require a lot better product on the field than has been seen currently, and a further discussion can be had. But there’s really no point in calling for heads to roll after every loss. Short of a Cannizarro situation, a national title winning coach at Mississippi State is not ever going to be fired midseason.

agree. Dont see a firing mid season. Does no good... only way thats even a remote possibility is if they are going to make Parker the next head coach without interviewing others.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

I used to think we should fire Lemonis.

I still do, but I used to too.

 

[Chesusdog]

We are in the top half of the league in pitchign and batting average because we play Queens and Jackson State.

What are our numbers in SEC play... tells that tale.

Did you really expect Aaron Downs to continue to be Mark McGwire once SEC play started?

************ thinks he's Ricky Henderson.

 

[TheBannerM]

Well said, and now the dilemma… do we trust an administration that doesn’t give two sh*ts about this baseball program to go out and hire an adequate replacement or will they just make things worse?

State is no longer an elite program, so we might as well embrace it. Fire Lemonis, bring in some nobody at half his salary, funnel NIL to sports that pay the bills. It's not like the baseball-only folks care about the product on the field as long as they have their spot in the LFL to socialize.

 

[josebrown]

I used to think we should fire Lemonis.

I still do, but I used to too.

Love Mitch Hedberg. If I could play little league again now,, I’d be way better than before.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Base running mistakes.
Defensive errors.
No visible improvement as players progress through the program.
Lack of coaching in critical situations.

I've been an apologist but I'm done. Let's move on.

Once more, I don't know how we could not change much of anything and expect something different to happen.

 

[josebrown]

Once more, I don't know how we could not change much of anything and expect something different to happen.

There’s a word for that.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

State is no longer an elite program, so we might as well embrace it. Fire Lemonis, bring in some nobody at half his salary, funnel NIL to sports that pay the bills. It's not like the baseball-only folks care about the product on the field as long as they have their spot in the LFL to socialize.

What an awful, mean-spirited thing to say!

But it needed to be said.

 

[maroonmania]

Keenum is an even bigger problem for us than Selmon is.

While I totally agree that the program is going nowhere good with Lemonis and crew at the helm, I still think we will need to miss post-season again (would be 3 out of 4 years) to get anything changed. Pretty sad, after the first 3 years of Lemonis (well, really 2 since COVID killed 2020), I was convinced that we had our long term baseball coach with him. And I like Lemonis so I really hoped it would work. Bu, for whatever reason, this staff fails to get any of the big fish in the portal, and we just don't consistently play sound, fundamental baseball so we really don't maximize the talent we do have because of all the screwups that cost us games. Just way too many physical and mental errors in the field, on the bases and an inability to hit in the clutch. After last year I did at least have a lot of faith in Justin Parker but early returns this year really even bring that into question. I hope Lemonis miraculously turns things around starting next weekend but I just don't realistically see it happening.