This one is for the Cohen bashers...

[Coach34]

"The Wildcats (40-14, 15-13 Southeastern Conference) have only finished with 40 wins four times in the history of the program, twice under fifth-year head coach John Cohen, including the school-record of 44 wins during UK's 2006 SEC Championship run. Only four-times in school history has UK totaled 15 wins in SEC play, setting a school-record in 2006 with 20 wins in conference action."

When did we become so good that a coach that is making a loser into a winner isnt good enough for us? Cause as I look at our 8-20 SEC record this season, and Polk's losing SEC record since his reurn, I see a loser. Just something to think about.</p>

 

[Coach34]

"The Wildcats (40-14, 15-13 Southeastern Conference) have only finished with 40 wins four times in the history of the program, twice under fifth-year head coach John Cohen, including the school-record of 44 wins during UK's 2006 SEC Championship run. Only four-times in school history has UK totaled 15 wins in SEC play, setting a school-record in 2006 with 20 wins in conference action."

When did we become so good that a coach that is making a loser into a winner isnt good enough for us? Cause as I look at our 8-20 SEC record this season, and Polk's losing SEC record since his reurn, I see a loser. Just something to think about.</p>

 

[Bob Sacamano.sixpack]

Sincere question... do you think cohen is the best hire that MSU can make?

I think that casey, fox, and a few others would be a tremendous hire, but do you think that would be the best hire we could do?</p>

 

[Coach34]

I dont think we have a chance in hell of hiring Casey, he's a West Coast guy and living his dream. Its about hiring the right coach at the right time for our current situation. Our situation is this:

1. We need a change of attitude- What is Cohen doing at Kentucky with their losing *** attitude?
2. We need better players, our talent level is down- What has Cohen done at Kentucky? He has raised them from the bottom of the SEC to a contender
3. We need someone that wants to be here awhile- This is Cohen's dream job, he would be here 15 years
4. We need someone that understands the tradition- he helped build it
5. We need a late 30's-early 40's guy- yeah, he fits that too

I've never said he should be the only candidate, but i think its going to take one helluva candidate to beat him.

 

[Bob Sacamano.sixpack]

He's always seemed like a hell of a candidate... I would be nothing but happy with a Cohen hire... to be honest, i'd be happy with anything other than a raffo/polk hire, because i see no difference than a raffo hire and what is getting displayed right now... It is late and a little too many drinks to make a decision without displaying some emotions, but the best thing is that byrne is making the decision and I honestly believe he will choose the best/"most qualified" candidate for the job.

 

[dawgoneyall]

coach? Who knows, but he is the best fit for various and numerous reasons.

It has become quite obvious to everyone except Polk that Cohen is a hell of a coach. A proven head coach.

People knocking Cohen are idiots.

 

[Shmuley]

The guy is smart. The guy is aggressive. The guy is impressive. The guy can recruit. The guy can take a down program and turn it around quickly.

The fact that he played here, got fed the BBQ, knows the atmosphere, understands the tradition, knows all about the sacred cows ... all of that **** is just gravy.

I'm so ready for a hard charger to come in here and run the pussies and their coddled parents OFF. Damn, let's clean out the estrogen and put some testosterone on the field. I'm ready for some hard-nosed, cleats first, charge the mound if necessary, thoroughbreds - guys that played like Cohen did. Thankfully the estrogen queen is hanging up her spikes Saturday, so now she can devote her full time to thank you notes.

 

[jwbigcreek]

I'd be happy with Cohen (no complaints whatsoever). That said, he does tend to play a very weak OOC schedule which helps to pad wins. REGARDLESS, you can't take away the fact that he has 1/2 UK's 40 win seasons.

 

[8dog]

has ever played a rigorous non-conference schedule so he's basically dealing with the same hand his predecessors did.

And I think Coach34's checklist is spot on.

 

[8dog]

over the last 3 years (through last night), the top 5 programs in terms of regular season conference wins:

Vandy 53
Arkansas 49
Bama 49
Kentucky 48
Georgia 48
Ole Miss 47

Lottery state schools TN and LSU were not anywhere close.

 

[Todd4State]

That said, he does tend to play a very weak OOC schedule which helps to pad wins. REGARDLESS, you can't take away the fact that he has 1/2 UK's 40 win seasons.

Louisville home and home and South Alabama, who we also played. Plus, he also has 15 SEC wins out of his 40.

Just saying.</p>

 

[Stormrider81]

I have stated that there are candidates out there that are more proven than Cohen and thus would be higher on my list. That said, I've been a fan of Cohen for quite some time and would be nothing but thrilled with a Cohen hire.

You can like Cohen and be thrilled with the prospect of hiring him without having him on the top of your list.

 

[JacksonDevilDog]

I agree about the Kentucky weak non conference schedule:

Signed,

Some of MSU's low ranked RPI teams

Air Force (rpi 271)
UALR (233)
MVSU (256)
Austin Peay (228)
Memphis (182)
UAB (159)

 

[Goat Holder]

nm

 

[DowntownDawg]

...or whatever your stupid little nickname was for people who cheered for State this season in football?

Seriously man, get off it. There's plenty of people who would fine with Cohen but think we could do better, and to you they are "Cohen bashers." How moronic is that?

This year is important for my perception of Cohen. Even if you write off his first two years, and Year 3 was "Year 1," he needed to have a good year this year to prove that that SEC Championship run was not a fluke. And for a while he was under .500 and in danger of missing the tournament. They appear to have turned it around, and I honestly care more about what Kentucky does than what we do this weekend. I want to see Cohen do well in the SEC tournament, and at least make a little noise in the NCAA's so that I can feel good about him coming, because I still feel like it's going to be him when it's all said and done.

 

[Goat Holder]

and a few others who ARE bonified Cohen bashers.

 

[cowbell9]

Dont be an idiot. I think we can do better, thats all.

 

[Goat Holder]

but for the money, and the enthusiasm he'd bring to the table, I think he's the best hire. If there's ANYTHING we need in Starkville, it's excitement. Noone cares about the baseball team anymore. I bet they don't even get laid by the cleat chasers anymore.

 

[beachbumdawg]

over the last 3 years (through last night), the top 5 programs in terms of regular season conference wins:

Vandy 53
Arkansas 49
Bama 49
Kentucky 48
Georgia 48
Ole Miss 47

Lottery state schools TN and LSU were not anywhere close.

Georgia: Hope Scholarship</p>

 

[8dog]

the 3 easiest to obtain academic scholarships are TN's lottery funded one, TOPS and HOPE. I find it ironic that they are such advantages yet, TN and LSU aren't even in the top 5. That was the point.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

I honestly care more about what Kentucky does than what we do this weekend.

I've been there for a while now. Cohen is in my top 2 or 3 choices and I've been watching UK baseball every time they've been on tv this season. The more I watch, the more I think he could turn things around and make everybody forget the legend in a short amount of time.</p>

 

[patdog]

Even if you write off his first two years

What a total dumbass statement. Even IF you write off his first two years??? Really??? You do realize he took over the WORST baseball school in the conference and they had won a total of 22 SEC games in the last THREE years when he was hired, and you're even suggesting that you might not write off his first two years! Not to mention that when he was hired (as with all college baseball coaches), it was too late to even recruit his own freshmen for his first season.

 

[DowntownDawg]

"suggest that you not write off his first two years"? All I am saying is that if you start at 2006, he needed to have a good year this year to make me feel comfortable that he is building a winner, and hey, it looks like that is going to happen. I am pulling for him. I hope it happens, because I give it about an 85% chance of him being our next coach.

If he hadn't had a good year this year, then you would have a coach that had one great year in 3 (really 5, but giving the benefit of the doubt), and that is not good enough for me at Mississippi State in baseball.

Analogy. If you are Alabama and you need a football coach, and one of your former players comes into Vandy and goes 2-10, 3-9, 10-2, 5-7, 7-5, then you consider the guy. In fact, you feel pretty good that he has truly turned Vandy around and that that one year was not just a flash in the pan. However, if he goes 2-10,3-9,10-2,5-7,5-7, then you aren't sure. That's one good year in 3, even if you write off the first two, which is fair to do, considering it's Vandy. At Alabama, you think you can probably do better than that. You ask yourself, would you even consider him if he wasn't a former player?

Is that clear enough for you? Is that hard? That's all I'm saying.

 

[jwbigcreek]

where do I get on the Cohen bandwagon? (20-16 for 3 years at Vandy should be worthy of Coach of the Decade.)

 

[patdog]

What Cohen has done at Kentucky is much better than his Vandy analogy. Cohen is 49-39 in the SEC over the past 3 seasons. When's the last time Vandy's been above .500 in SEC football for even one season?</p>