# Spinoff: Who do you want as the next baseball coach?



## Jason Svoboda

Here is your thread to nominate, politic, what have you. Who should be the next Sycamore baseball skipper?


----------



## TJames

*you all know my vote......*

1. mitch hannahs (former isu player and assistant coach)

2. ken westray (former isu pitching coach now a minor league pitching instructor)

3. steve degroote (former isu assistant coach and now a highly successful local high school coach)


----------



## SycamoreStateofMind

I like all of those Tom can't really argue with that list - I guess I am just curious if Kyle Kramer got any talk/consideration before they brought Meggs in? Is he even interested in moving up to the college ranks? 

I never played baseball in highschool and I know that he was pretty hard core, reminds you of Meggs at the highschool level. But I tell you what, over the past 10 years has their been a more consitant highschool baseball program in Terre Haute? Granted West Vigo and THN have all been pretty damm solid. Pretty darn good baseball community really.


----------



## Jason Svoboda

Bio on Hannahs:



> This is Coach Hannahs' eighth year at the helm of the Statesmen. He has led Lincoln Trail to Region 24 titles in 2005 and 2007 along with two Great Rivers Athletic Conference Championships in 2006 and 2007.
> 
> Hannahs is a former All-American infielder at Indiana State where he helped the Sycamores to three NCAA playoff appearances including a trip to the college World Series in 1986. He was a 16th round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers, spending 5 seasons in the Brewers organization before returning to ISU and beginning his coaching career.
> 
> Since his arrival on the LTC campus in the fall of 2001, Hannahs has had over 70 Statesmen go on to play at NCAA D-1 programs and many more continue their playing careers at other levels of college baseball. His impact has also been felt in the classroom with the Statesmen teams achieving a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher in each of his eight years at LTC. The 2006 team was named the NJCAA Academic Team of the Year with a GPA of 3.28.
> 
> While at ISU; Hannahs spent 5 years as the hitting and infield coach, and his final two as the pitching coach.
> 
> His years as an assistant at ISU were highlighted by a 1995 NCAA playoff appearance, and the team finishing second in the nation in batting with a .340 batting average. In 2000, he switched to the defensive side, becoming the pitching coach at ISU. The impact was felt immediately as the young Sycamores finished in the top half of the Missouri Valley Conference in ERA both years he was in charge of the staff. Coach Hannahs and his wife Amy are the proud parents of Derek, Kylee and Kaleb.


 
http://www.eteamz.com/sites/LincolnTrail_Baseball/sponsors/


----------



## Jason Svoboda

Bio on Westray, who is an assistant coach at Illinois:



> Ken Westray begins his fourth season with the Illini as pitching coach. He oversees the development of the Illinois pitching staff and is instrumental in recruiting. He has coached All-Big Ten hurlers in each of the past two seasons and has helped bring some of the top pitchers in the state to Champaign.
> 
> It is in that recruiting capacity where Westray has already proved his value to the Illini. In just his first full year of recruiting, he brought in righthander Nick Chmielewski, who was ranked 85th in the country in _Baseball America’s _Class of 2007. This past season, he signed righthander Bryan Roberts, the No. 19 recruit in the state.
> 
> Westray’s efforts as pitching coach also have been fruitful recently, as he groomed a pair of All-Big Ten performers in the past two seasons. Tanner Roark was a secondteam All-Big Ten selection in 2007 after going 8-2 in 83 innings, and Kevin Manson earned third-team honors as well as All-Big Ten Tournament laurels after going 8-2 in 74 2/3 innings. Manson also tossed a complete-game in Illinois’ 3-2 win over Ohio State in the squad’s Big Ten Tournament opener.
> 
> Westray is a 10-year veteran of the Philadelphia Phillies organization, working in the club’s player development system. He assisted with the development, both personally and athletically, of Phillies’ minor league players from Canada, Japan, Korea, Latin America and the United States. He also coached in the Florida Instructional League on three assignments.
> 
> His connections within the majors also will be of benefit to the Illini, as Westray is in constant communication with professional colleagues employed in the scouting, development and major league levels of multiple professional organizations. Westray also assisted in the management of over 700 professional games and coordinated individual player development plans for 12-15 athletes each year.
> 
> While he was in player development with the Phillies, Westray coached many current Major League pitchers, including Seattle Mariners starter Carlos Silva, Houston Astros starter Ezequiel Astacio, Phillies starters Brett Myers, Randy Wolf and Robinson Tejeda and Phillies relievers Ryan Madson and Eude Brito. Westray also worked a full season with first-round draft picks Gavin Floyd, a right-hander, and Cole Hamels, a left-hander, who were both selected out of high school.
> 
> Westray also has valuable college coaching experience from his stint as an assistant coach at Indiana State from 1985-91. During that time, he helped guide the Sycamores to the 1986 College World Series, three NCAA regional appearances and two Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championships.
> 
> A graduate of Eastern Illinois University in 1983, Westray holds a B.S. in special education and earned an M.S. in physical education from Indiana State in 1987. He grew up in nearby Clinton, Ill.
> 
> Following his career at Eastern Illinois, Westray was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 22nd round and played in that organization from 1980-83, reaching AA in Memphis, Tenn. He also has coached baseball at Elgin (Ill.) Community College, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College and Mesa (Ariz.) Community College in his career.


http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ill/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/09mgsection2.pdf​


----------



## TJames

*jason...you are good....lol....*

i had forgotten that westray was now at illinois....the last that i had heard, he was still working in the minors...

ken is a great pitching coach....and a good guy.....and a very good recruiter......

i really don't think that indiana state could go wrong with either mitch or ken.....it would be great if they could afford to get both...lol...let mitch be the head coach and ken as assistant head coach/pitching coach/head recruiter.....now that would be a lethal combination....lol.....

they both know the territory....they are isu people.....and they have both been successful on their own....

heck, coach degroote would be good too. he is older and i'm not sure if he would even entertain going back into collegiate coaching. but he was very well liked as an assistant and was an outstanding recruiter. he is a gung-ho kind of coach. his players love him.

he recruited hannahs for indiana state out of ohio. but maybe his best find was former sycamore pitcher blaise ilsley from alpena, michigan. blaise was an all-american and was drafted high by the expos.


----------



## Jason Svoboda

It seems like Westray has the better credentials of the two. Why would Hannahs make the better head honcho?


----------



## crey26

*Hannahs*

I played for 8 coaches in 4 years of college baseball, and Mitch Hannahs was the best of the bunch.  He has continued to succeed at the junior college level, while also juggling the AD job at Lincoln Trail.  He develops quality baseball players, students and men.  That said and as much as I would like to see him at the helm in Terre Haute, I would not blame him for turning down an invitation to interview.  Unfortunately, the ISU administration stubbed its toe 3 years ago (i.e., conducted a public interview process with three finalists who where then outed at their then-current schools (one of whom had already been fired from ASU) only to bring in a coach that was clearly using ISU as a stepping stone).  I have no ill will for Meggs, but ISU needs to pick a quality, loyal coach that is interested in developing a top 30 program for decades to come.  Of course, Joe Torre could not do that with the current facilities (but that is a topic for another thread).


----------



## Jason Svoboda

Another Hannahs bio from the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame:



> Mitch Hannahs (Skyvue High School, Class of 1985) was the epitome of a winner in high school as the twosport, four-year letterman sparked the tiny Golden Hawks to the state tournament in both basketball and baseball.
> 
> In basketball, Skyvue made the OHSAA state tournament in Hannahs’ junior and senior seasons, finishing as the Class Arunner-up in 1984-85. He was selected first team All-Ohio as a senior and second team as a junior and was a two-time first team All-Eastern District, All-OVAC and All-Pioneer Valley Conference honoree. He also participated in the Ohio North-South All-Star classic following a senior season where the 5-10 guard averaged more than 22 points per game.
> 
> In baseball, the consistent-hitting and sure-handed shortstop helped the Hawks to the Ohio Class A state championship as a senior (1985) as well as the OVAC and PVC titles. He earned first team All-Ohio, All-Eastern District, All-OVAC and All-PVC honors and was selected for the Ohio Baseball All-Star Series.
> 
> He also received All-Eastern District, All-OVAC and All-PVC accolades following his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984) seasons.
> 
> After graduation Hannahs pulled off a rare 'double' when his college team - Indiana State University - advanced to the NCAADivision I College World Series in 1986 and that same season, he played for the Maynard Post 666 team which advanced to the American Legion World Series. Hannahs was voted MVP of the regional tournament that season and won the Louisville Slugger Award for the highest batting average in tournament play. At Indiana State, Hannahs was a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference performer (1987-89) and was an NCAA Division I All-American following his senior year (1989).
> 
> He was a 16th round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers, playing in their farm system from 1989-93. Hannahs is currently athletic director and head baseball coach at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Illinois. He previously coached for seven years at his alma mater - Indiana State University.


 
http://www.ovac.org/hof/displaybio.asp?ID=19


----------



## TJames

*mitch has the credentials.....*

he is a great leader....players gravitate to him.....he is a very good recruiter.....he is hard-nosed...but he is fair.....he coaches that baseball be played the right way.....he pushes for the "team" concept and not "me, me, me"....he has a great personality as a coach.....he can lay down the law one minute...and then be joking and kidding aorund in a quiet way the next....he earns players respect......

i know ken westray....and i know mitch hannahs.....and i just think that mitch would be the better of the two.....ken would be good.....but mitch is the right man for the job right now....

he has remained in the area...knows the local high school coaches....he recruits this area for lincoln trail....has recruited the indiana/illinois area when he was an assistant at indiana state....and he has a very strong following among former isu players.....

if you are gonna have bob warn field, then i think it would be fitting to have a bob warn disciple leading the program....


----------



## BlueSycamore

I agree with "staying local" for a coach.  Otherwise we will be looking for another one in about 2-3 years if he does well here.  Nothing against West Coast guys but they won't stay long if successful. Let's get a "keeper" this time.


----------



## Beav89

I think all of you have made a very compelling case for approaching Hannahs for the position.  The reasons for finding someone from the ISU family with strong alumni support and a great recruiting network are key right now.  But, since any job search could entail surprises (heaven knows the UW Husky fans are surprised today), I thought I'd throw another name out there as a possibility -- Rick Heller from the now-disbanded UNI Panther program?


----------



## TJames

*talked to a former isu player this morning....*

and he has been told that isu wants to hire someone who will bring an exciting brand of baseball and somebody who will entice former players to come back and support the program. many former isu players are now high school, legion and aau coaches around the state. and almost to a man, from what i have been told, they are pushing for mitch hannahs.


----------



## TreeTop

I'd never even heard the name Mitch Hannahs before yesterday and already I'm sold on him being the next ISU Baseball Head Coach.


----------



## TJames

*well Q.....*

he is a former isu player...an all-american second baseman....was a backup infielder on the 1986 isu college world series team...was drafted by the milwaukee brewers and played in their farm system for several seasons before he was forced to give up his professional career due to a neck injury...he got flipped while turning a double play in a minor league game and landed on his head and neck......he was an assistant coach at isu under bob warn.....and then left to begin his own coaching career at lincoln trail community college in robinson, illnois....he applied and came in a close second to meggs for the head coaching job at isu before....he was/and is well-liked by the isu baseball community...he is one of their own.....


----------



## Jason Svoboda

Beav89 said:


> I think all of you have made a very compelling case for approaching Hannahs for the position. The reasons for finding someone from the ISU family with strong alumni support and a great recruiting network are key right now. But, since any job search could entail surprises (heaven knows the UW Husky fans are surprised today), I thought I'd throw another name out there as a possibility -- Rick Heller from the now-disbanded UNI Panther program?



Rick Heller bio:



> ­Head Coach Rick Heller begins his 10th season as the head baseball coach at the University of Northern Iowa where he has earned one Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) championship and an NCAA Regional berth. In 2007, Heller earned his 200th win with the Panthers, as well as his 500th win as a head coach. During his tenure, Heller has developed the program into a conference contender year in and year out, while coaching three MVC Most Valuable Players and one MVC Pitcher of the Year.
> The Panthers have broken 57 team or individual school records with Heller at the helm which includes UNI posting a 4.63 earned run average in 2006, its lowest ERA since joining Division I in 1981. It also broke team records for hits, runs batted in, doubles and extra base hits during the 2001 season.
> 
> In 2008, UNI finished with its third 30-win season, posting a 30-24 mark. Shortstop Brandon Douglas earned MVC Player of the Year honors, as well as second-team All-America honors. The Panthers finished with the third-highest batting average in the Valley, and Douglas finished the year with the league's second highest average at the plate.
> 
> Including 2008, Heller has led the Panthers to four MVC tournaments, winning the Championship in 2001 with all-American Ryan Brunner claiming the league MVP award and all-American Nic Ungs taking home Pitcher of the Year honors. Since Heller's arrival, 18 Panther players have gone on to play professional baseball, including current minor leaguers Brandon Douglas, Guido Fonseca, Nic Ungs, and Adam Boeve. The Panthers recorded back-to-back 30-plus win seasons in 2001 and 2002 for the first time in school history and set the school single-season record at 35 wins in 2001.
> 
> UNI's NCAA Regional appearance in 2001 was the school's first since becoming Division I in 1981. Heller also has coached two academic all-Americans in Travis Welsch and Ryan Brunner.
> 
> Since Heller's arrival in 2000, the school record books virtually have been rewritten. The Panthers have a strong tradition as one of the best offensive teams in the conference as well as the country. In Heller's nine years, UNI has led the league in hitting three times and finished second once.
> 
> In 2001, UNI was ranked 10th in the nation in hitting with a team average of .333. The Panthers were sixth in the country in stolen bases with 130 in 2003. The team has averaged more than seven runs per game in three of the six years he has been at the helm. In 2003, Adam Boeve finished second in the league in hitting, leading in home runs and RBI. Boeve was also the second player during Heller's tenure to earn the MVC Player of the Year award.
> 
> Team hitting is not the only thing that has improved since Heller's arrival. The pitching and fielding has also strengthened. UNI's earned run average has lowered in six of Heller's years with the 2006 ERA being the best in school history. The club's walk to strikeout ratio has improved with nearly every season since 2000. The 2003 and 2004 Panther squads also put together the top two defensive teams in school history with an overall fielding percentage of .964 both seasons.
> 
> Heller became just the sixth UNI baseball coach since 1926 when he was hired in September 1999. He had spent the previous 12 seasons building a nationally-ranked program as the head coach at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa.
> 
> While at Upper Iowa, Heller recorded a 291-194-3 record and was named Iowa Conference Coach of the Year four times. The Peacocks won three regular-season and three Iowa Conference Tournament titles in his tenure.
> 
> Heller arrived in Fayette in the fall of 1987 and quickly turned things around, earning his first Iowa Conference Coach of the Year honor in 1989. One year later, he led Upper Iowa to its first winning season in 17 years. In 1993, Heller won his first conference championship, and the first for any UIU program in 20 years, while advancing to the NCAA Division III Regionals.
> 
> Heller's team won the Iowa Conference and advanced to the NCAA Regionals again in 1995. His team finished 19th in the national rankings and he won his third Coach of the Year honor. He repeated Coach of the Year honors again in 1996 when the Peacocks won the Iowa Conference and Central Regional to advance to the NCAA Division III College World Series. His team finished the year ranked sixth nationally and he was named NCAA Division III Central Region Coach of the Year. That 39-12 team also set a school record for wins.
> 
> In 1997, his team was ranked seventh nationally in the pre-season poll and won the Iowa Conference Tournament. In 1998, his team reached as high as 10th nationally while finishing with a 38-8 record to set a school record for winning percentage. His final UIU team finished 30-15-1 and finished third in the Iowa Conference while setting five school records.
> 
> As a player at Upper Iowa from 1982-86, he was a four-year starter at shortstop and he also lettered in football and basketball. He is a member of the Upper Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame.
> 
> Heller has two daughters - Tara (27) and Alyssa (19). He and his wife, Rachelle, live in Dike.



http://www.unipanthers.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/heller_rick00.html


----------



## BankShot

*UNI's Last HC*

Not sure if Heller has the _national_ resume that RP desires IF he decides to again search "out of the box" for a Megg's replacement. If it's not Hannah, then I would hope that RP would again scan the boundaries of America for a coach with a (1) high record of success (2) strong recruiting ties in BASEBALL-rich areas. The record shows that ISU can still harvest a few highly-skilled players from the Wabash Valley, but it helps to have the ability to pluck a "gamer" from NJ, MN, AZ, OR or CA whenever the need arises. I'd like to see some STABILITY in a coaches tenure...players/recruits need that security, but ISU must raise the SALARY or the merry-go round will continue. 

Hannah would be an excellent "olive leaf" connection with ISU baseball's past, while unifying the alumni base and just maybe, elevating Sycamore baseball budget $$$. He has great MIDWEST connections, but can he stretch his influence to the corners of America when the need arises?


----------



## TJames

*mitch's recruiting connections go beyond the midwest....*

from his time as a minor league player in the milwaukee brewers' organization....one of isu's former players, ex-sycamore pitcher mike farrell, is one of the top scouts in the brewers' organization right now, and could be a huge help in locating players from around the country. plus the fact that other former isu players are spread out across the country. i have heard from guys all over the country in the past 24 hours, former isu players, who have all promised to help in recruiting if mitch were to be hired.


----------



## Jason Svoboda

TJames said:


> from his time as a minor league player in the milwaukee brewers' organization....one of isu's former players, ex-sycamore pitcher mike farrell, is one of the top scouts in the brewers' organization right now, and could be a huge help in locating players from around the country. plus the fact that other former isu players are spread out across the country. i have heard from guys all over the country in the past 24 hours, former isu players, who have all promised to help in recruiting if mitch were to be hired.


Tom, I threw a message up on the Facebook group. Hopefully more register and do the same here. We've got quite a few administrative eyes that read this daily that would probably like to read those things.


----------



## Daveinth

I think if we dont go with one of our guys its going to be a huge mistake . Look at the the intrest of doing so with the hiring od Trent Miles has spaked in the football program .


----------



## BankShot

His father also laid a pretty solid foundation for this _within _TH.

We've gotta be careful in weighing the advantages of parochialism in hiring. For almost 4 decades now, ISU has struggled to escape this shadow, attempting to develop a NATIONAL image.  Miles and Hannah have had completely different coaching tracks.


----------



## TJames

*the thing with mitch though.....*

is that he has LOT of support in the terre haute area among alums and people in the city.....when they had the public interivews with the baseball coaching candidates the last time, i think some people were surprised (or shocked) by the outpuring of support for mitch.....

i have heard from a lot of former players over the last 48 hours...through emails...who were not happy that mitch didn't get the job the last time..and the majority feeling is that they would be very disappointed if he didn't get it this time around....some have talked about distancing themselves from the university and program if mitch didn't get the job...and have emailed the appropriate people at isu to tell them that.....

while i don't agree with distancing yourself from the school and program if mitch isn't hired....i do agree it will have serious reprocussions within the isu baseball alumni community.....

the big question in my mind...is will mitch apply.....i have heard through the grapevine that he was pretty down after not getting the job the last time....so we'll see how everything shakes out over the next few weeks.....

in regards to comparing trent miles to mitch hannahs...there is one interesting comparison.....trent wanted the job when lou west was hired....lou got it....and trent was left waiting....just as mitch was with the baseball job....

when lou didn't work out after a short stay, the school came back to trent miles.....there are those who hope that isu does the same thing with mitch hannahs...come back to him and offer the job.....

getting a so-called "national" coach is great....if you can keep him for any length of time....with isu's pay scale what it is....and as we've found out with coach meggs...if a bigger school comes along and offers the moon, there is virtually no way that indiana state can match those kind of offers.....

now if you have an alumnus...somebody with ties with the school.....such as mitch.....there is a better chance of that person staying longer....because of their loyalty to the school and the program...of course, if a huge offer comes along.....then you have to see what happens...but the chances of keeping someone like mitch would probably be better than someone with no close ties to the school or the community......


----------



## Jason Svoboda

Tom, I think Todd Golden's new article was aimed at them. 

http://www.tribstar.com/sports/local_story_207235907.html


----------



## TJames

*jason...you might be surprised.....*

but i pretty much agree with what todd wrote.....although i think there were legitimate questions raised at the time...when meggs was hired...like how would a west-coast coach do in recruiting talent to the midwest.....and would he bolt for another job on the west coast if offered.....

he had no recruiting connections in the midwest for the most part....he tried to get california or west coast kids to come this way.....and didn't really have all that much success in doing so.....

california kids couldnt acclimate themselves to playing in 30 and 40 degree temps.....in sleet and snowy weather....midwest kids are used to it....if you can get used to it....lol.....but i do credit meggs in being able to recognize that fact pretty quickly...and being able to recruit some local talent back to isu.....

when bob warn had his most successful teams.....his players came primarily from indiana, illinois, wisconsin, michigan and ohio....and several from canada...all from northern climates...

you need find someone, whether it's mitch hannahs or someone else, who can go after the best midwest kids that you can get....and then fill in with jucos where you need them.....

i do agree...hire the best man for the job...no matter where he's from....and the push among isu baseball alums for mitch hannahs is strong....their feeling is pretty much this: if mitch was such a great candidate the last time...and he was a strong second to meggs by all accounts...then he should be just as impressive a candidate this time around as well....

from what i've gathered from my talks with a lot of former players over the last couple of days, if mitch is interested and wants the job...and isn't hired....there will be a lot of hard feelings that will take time to heal.....but if it's not mitch and the new guy has a lot of success, a lot of that hurt will go away over time....not entirely mind you....but a lot of it will....

ron prettyman will have to weigh a lot of things in his search for a new head baseball coach. if he wants support for the program from former indiana state players, he should weigh mitch very carefully. 

if it looks like mitch is getting the short end of the deal, it will be tough to get a lot of those guys back in the fold. i sense a lot of the same feelings from them as i did with many former isu football players before trent was hired. a lot of them feel left out of the program and that their concerns don't matter. 

and one other comment about mitch hannahs...a lot of people are hung up on resumes....but sometimes you have to take a long, hard look at the person.....is this person head coaching material...can he lead players.....can he recruit.....can he do things the right way.....

there have been a lot of great assistants who were busts as head coaches....and there have been assistant coaches with short resumes who have become great head coaches....you can't go solely on a person's resume.....yes, it's important...but it shouldn't be the entire picture of a person's abilities....

i know when an athletic director hires a coach, one thing that often goes into it is "feel"....do you think that this is the guy.....you have to have a good feel for him....personality-wise....coaching-wise....does he fit into the community....does he fit into the school...does he fit and buy into into what you are trying to do with the athletic department....

from my perspective, i truly believe that mitch hannahs fits all those qualifications.....yes, he is a friend of mine....but even if he isn't hired....i am not going to quit supporting isu athletics or isu baseball......

i will, however, be sorely disappointed....both for mitch as a person...and for indiana state...for missing out on a great coaching candidate.....isu and mitch were made for each other....


----------



## treefromafar

*Mitch Hannahs*

I know that I have posted this before, but I too support Mitch Hannahs.  I was a freshman at ISU in 1986, and had the pleasure of meeting Mitch at a few social gatherings at Lincoln Quad.  I also ran into him later in the summer of 1987, as his first minor league stop with the Brewers was in my home town of Beloit, WI.  Have not spoken or seen him in years, but based on all the criteria presented, he is the man for the job.  I hate to keep going back to this, but with our Athletic Budget, we are limited.  No one understands that better than Mitch.  This is not to say we are settling for Mitch.  Even if we were able to offer the money that Washington gave Meggs, I still think Mitch is the man for the job.


----------



## TJames

*how about this....just got off the phone with several former isu players.....*

and the rumor is that if mitch hannahs is hired, former indiana state pitching great mike farrell would like to come back as his pitching coach.....farrell is currently a midwest scout and coach in the milwaukee brewers farm system.....he played in the minors for the brewers...and saw some time at the major league level.....before finally retiring and going into the scouting department.....

farrell is an indiana guy...from logansport...which is a hotbed of indiana baseball talent.....and, as a professional scout, he knows where the talent is.....farrell is a great guy....and would be perfect to coach some of indiana state's young pitchers.....he can talk pitching and get into their heads....

and a couple of other things.....another former player, steve ruckman, is coaching youth baseball down in evansville.....ruck was a hard-nosed third baseman for the sycamores.....what he lacked in athletic skills he more than made up in grit and hustle....he would be interested in coming back to isu as an assistant to mitch....

ruck's oldest son was just featured in sports illustrated for kids...as an up and coming youth baseball talent.....and his daughter got back from a university of tennessee invitation-only girls basketball camp.....

oh...and one other note.....another former sycamore baseball player, outfielder brandon martin, is now coaching high school baseball in arizona...his team was ranked no. 1 in the nation a year ago.....he is pushing for mitch hannahs as well...and said that he would help in recruiting the arizona area for players if needed......


----------



## IndyTreeFan

Hey guys, let's give Prettyman the benefit of the doubt.  If he hires worthless coaches, he'll lose his job.  He wants the right man for the job as much, if not more than, all of us.  I'm gonna trust he'll get us the best person for the job, be it Mitch Hannahs or someone else...


----------



## SICKNESS

nobody should panic. if everyone were behind the closed doors on the sycamores they'd know meggs wasnt that good of a coach and it was the kids without the coaches that came together in one of kids apartments 2 weeks into conference and had a speech about playing for the team and to forget what meggs said because he bothered people to a great extent, so far, it took them off their games. all of a sudden isu was 26th in the nation. the players will play more relaxed not playing behind meggs, he slowed the game down with pick offs and stupid strategical theories. it was painful for some parents to even come to the games and watch. all we need is a good player coach who will let the kids enjoy their lives instead of ruining them like meggs did with over half the isu players. ciolli shoemaker and lafrenz might of got drafted but he didnt help them.they hated playing for him, he screwed lafrenz his junior yr and treated him like a dog. we just need somebody thats personable, a good coach, rip some butt when its needed and just have fun playing the sport.


----------



## Jason Svoboda

So are there any rumors of potential replacements that may have been contacted yet? If you can't post them, feel free to send me a PM.


----------



## treefromafar

TJames said:


> and the rumor is that if mitch hannahs is hired, former indiana state pitching great mike farrell would like to come back as his pitching coach.....farrell is currently a midwest scout and coach in the milwaukee brewers farm system.....he played in the minors for the brewers...and saw some time at the major league level.....before finally retiring and going into the scouting department.....
> 
> farrell is an indiana guy...from logansport...which is a hotbed of indiana baseball talent.....and, as a professional scout, he knows where the talent is.....farrell is a great guy....and would be perfect to coach some of indiana state's young pitchers.....he can talk pitching and get into their heads....
> 
> and a couple of other things.....another former player, steve ruckman, is coaching youth baseball down in evansville.....ruck was a hard-nosed third baseman for the sycamores.....what he lacked in athletic skills he more than made up in grit and hustle....he would be interested in coming back to isu as an assistant to mitch....
> 
> ruck's oldest son was just featured in sports illustrated for kids...as an up and coming youth baseball talent.....and his daughter got back from a university of tennessee invitation-only girls basketball camp.....
> 
> oh...and one other note.....another former sycamore baseball player, outfielder brandon martin, is now coaching high school baseball in arizona...his team was ranked no. 1 in the nation a year ago.....he is pushing for mitch hannahs as well...and said that he would help in recruiting the arizona area for players if needed......



Probably all ready know what he would say, but have you had a chance to speak to Coach Warn about this search and get his thoughts?  I am quite sure he is a big Mitch Hannahs fan as well.  Just curious.


----------



## TJames

*tree...i haven't talked to coach warn.....*

but i have talked to his oldest son brian...via email.....he is really pushing for mitch hannahs.......


----------



## BankShot

TJames said:


> he had no recruiting connections in the midwest for the most part....he tried to get california or west coast kids to come this way.....and didn't really have all that much success in doing so.....



While teaching and umpiring FHSAA baseball in Florida between '90-98, it was pretty apparent that 99.9% of the Division I prospects recognized the relationship of warm weather to a HEALTHY baseball body and henceforth, were reluctant to sacrifice such favorable home-state amenties in favor of life in the "deep freeze." 

Logansport native/ISU grad JEFF STEINMAN has had an outstanding 20 yr. record coaching in the former historic backyard of the L.A. Dodgers @ Vero Beach H.S. He's produced countless Division I players...but NEVER an ISUer. There might be unusual circumstances where we'll pluck a JCer from a Sunbelt school...but rarely. In this case, Hannah's record of recruiting IN hard and filling the gaps with appropriate midwest recruits is a real plus.


----------



## Jason Svoboda

BankShot said:


> While teaching and umpiring FHSAA baseball in Florida between '90-98, it was pretty apparent that 99.9% of the Division I prospects recognized the relationship of warm weather to a HEALTHY baseball body and henceforth, were reluctant to sacrifice such favorable home-state amenties in favor of life in the "deep freeze."
> 
> Logansport native/ISU grad JEFF STEINMAN has had an outstanding 20 yr. record coaching in the former historic backyard of the L.A. Dodgers @ Vero Beach H.S. He's produced countless Division I players...but NEVER an ISUer. There might be unusual circumstances where we'll pluck a JCer from a Sunbelt school...but rarely. In this case, Hannah's record of recruiting IN hard and filling the gaps with appropriate midwest recruits is a real plus.


I think this is an excellent point.


----------



## millwood

Mitch Hannahs for sure,  just ask 09 Sycamore pitchers Manus and Smith They pitched on his 07 League and Regional Championship Team. He's a great coach and an even better person.


----------



## millwood

Mitch Hannahs for sure, just ask 09 Sycamores Smith and Manus, they pitched on his 07 League and Regional Championship Team. He's a great coach and an even better person. He knows Pitching as well as the rest of the game,so we won't have the highest team ERA in The MVC for the Third straight year with him running the show.


----------



## msreason

Help with pitching appears to be a major need...but we are also down on offensive firepower.  Doesn't matter how good the pitching is if the run support is not there.


----------



## TJames

*one thing about mitch.....*

i was talking to former isu catcher stoney burke the other day...he mentioned to me what a great hitting coach mitch hannahs is....stoney was struggling with the bat during his collegiate career....he went and did some private workouts with mitch...on his own....while mitch was still playing in the minor leagues....mitch used to help former sycamore pitcher john gardner at gardner's local (terre haute) baseball academy.....stoney went from being a .250 hitter one year to hitting over .330 the next season.....

stoney said that mitch really helped him....as a hitter.....he said that mitch is great at getting into your head...he said that he coaches you from the neck up.....

stoney added that so many players on the collegiate level are close to being equal in ability but that mitch really gets it.....the mental part of the game....he knows how to communicate it in ways that are easy to understand.....

mitch was a second baseman and stoney was a catcher...but he added that mitch had a great feel for the game as a whole....was equally adept at working with pitchers.....calling pitches....as he was as a hitting coach....that he would really get into the pitchers heads....about different situations.......make them think before they pitched....turned throwers into pitchers.....


----------



## Sackalot

I understand the idea of wanting a "local" coach.  A coach from ISU, I am about as True Blue as you can get.  But that doesn't always lead to the best situation.  I mean, look at Bobby Knight (probably the best college coach in any sport ever).  He didn't go to IU, he came over from Army where he got his coaching experience.  So I don't think ISU should wear blinders in finding only a coach from or connected to ISU.  

That all being said, I am not a huge college baseball guy.  So my opinion isn't worth much. I just would caution everyone that is passionate about the coach situation.  ISU will find the best candidate they can...regardless of that coach's past university affiliation.  There is a better chance that many of you will be disappointed than there is you all being happy.  But I have faith in the Athletic Director and other administrators that would be invovled with any decision on a new coach.


----------



## TJames

*sack...i agree...getting a "local" coach doesn't always cut it....*

but you have to look at each case individually.....and if the so-called "local" coach or someone from within the isu family IS the best guy...then you don't necessarily grade him out just because of that fact...i, too, have faith that mr. prettyman will hire the best possible coach for the situation.....


----------



## 4Q_iu

*Put down the Ganja Sackalot...*

What in the world are you smoking?  bobby knight 'the best college coach is any sport ever?!'  WTH...  Let's focus on State's baseball coach needs, not the sphincter of bloomington...

Get the best coach who's interested/wants to BE the State baseball coach; pay them the most $$ available.

Too often MVC schools are way stations until a BCS job becomes available.

IF that's M. Hannahs -- Great; alumni tend to remain at the alma mater longer than non-alumni coaches (but it's likely even Larry Brown would have left UNC if he'd ever had had that job!)

Let's work to keep this board a booby knight-free zone!


----------



## SycamoreinTexas

I keep hearing Hannahs name but are there any other coaches with prior Division 1 experience anyone would want to see.  Don't get me wrong Hannahs, I think, would be a good fit but anyone else you would like to see?


----------



## TJames

*well...joe torre is busy with the dodgers....lol...*

and larussa is spoken for.....lol.......how about augie daugie down at texas?...lol...nah, he won't be available....he's serving time for his dui.....lol.......maybe the guy at miami???......hey, the former washington coach is available.....lol......


----------



## TJames

*lest anybody forget......*

but bob warn didn't have any division I coaching experience before he took over the isu program.....he was at a junior college head coach in council bluffs, iowa.....hmmm...sounds familiar doesn't it???...a junior college head coach...in a small midwestern town....hmmmm........


----------



## Sackalot

I was only using him as an example.  Wow!  Bobby was a great coach regardless of his off the court antics.  

Either way, due to budgetary constraints and simple lack of money cycling through the athletics department, ISU will hire the best coach possible for the small salary that can be afforded.   Of course the MVC is a way station...typically they don't pay as well as larger schools with larger enrollment, alumni support and fan bases.  If Hannah is the best coach and is willing to do the job for the salary that ISU can afford, I am all for it.  I was only trying to get the point across that the political games and governmental interventions at any university don't always allow for a school's athletics program to seek former players or students as instructors, faculty or coaches.  The hiring process can be unfair at times...that is all I was trying to say.  

But I do strongly beleive that Mr. Prettyman is doing a great job and will choose the best candidate for the position.  One thing to keep in mind when talking about hiring processes, Athletics is under Student Affairs at ISU and reports to the VP for Student Affairs, that makes thing different at ISU than the majority of schools out there.


----------



## SycamoreinTexas

TJames said:


> and larussa is spoken for.....lol.......how about augie daugie down at texas?...lol...nah, he won't be available....he's serving time for his dui.....lol.......maybe the guy at miami???......hey, the former washington coach is available.....lol......



hey now. rumor is daugie said theres nothing left to do at texas so might as well take a chance at some other school..just a rumor though. lol


----------



## TJames

*well..there ARE some great bars in austin.....*

and i visited several of them one evening when the sycamores played down at texas....a couple of times...once for an ncaa tournament game.....and once for an early season game....back in the day...with coach warn.....

even went to whatt-a-burger...lol...great food there....lol......

by the way...i rememer when augie daugie was the head coach at illinois.....and then he left to go back to the west coast...before winding up at texas.....


----------



## BankShot

*Texas Basketball*

Did you get a chance to see the illuminated "Longhorns" mounted on the wall behind the entranceway to the basketball office(s) of Frank Erwin Center? Those must a record set of horns, stretching close to 10' from tip to tip! :violent:


----------



## TJames

*no..but i liked going to disch-faulk field......*

pretty nice ballpark down there in austin for the longhorns....when i visited down there, former isu assistant football coach steve brickey was on the texas coaching staff then....he gave me a nice tour of their football facilities too....


----------



## SycEm

With Centenary announcing they are transitioning to D3, I think their veteran coach - Ed McCann - is most likely in the market for other positions.  He has had some success down there in Shreveport at the smallest D1 school in the country (enrollment wise).  While he has climate in his favor - if you can win at Centenary, you are a pretty good coach.


----------



## rgd

Rumor on the streets has it that 3 candidates will be interviewing Wednesday of this week with an announcement pending on Thursday or Friday.


----------



## SycamoreSage

You remind me that when Terre Haute's Babe Ruth League All-Star team reached the finals of the world championship in Austin during the summer of 1955, they liked their chances when they learned that the name of the stadium where the games were being played was DISCH FIELD. One of Terre Haute's top players was Terry DISCHinger and the assistant coach was his father, Donas DISCHinger. Both were known by the nickname, "DISCH."

Terre Haute did win the title.


----------



## BankShot

Wasn't Donas also Supt. of Vigo Schools in the late-60's?


----------

