Iowa Baseball Coach's Contract not Renewed

[sportstalent]

not good.

Thanks...I don't believe northern schools can sustain stretches of being very good, just a few blips now and then. Also, I just don't think baseball is as popular as it once was. Maybe I am wrong, but it is sad seeing high schools with no JV programs and then the possibility of no Varsity program the following years, not just a year. Schools that have rich tradition are losing kids left and right.

 

[MeatMan]

Thanks...I don't believe northern schools can sustain stretches of being very good, just a few blips now and then. Also, I just don't think baseball is as popular as it once was. Maybe I am wrong, but it is sad seeing high schools with no JV programs and then the possibility of no Varsity program the following years, not just a year. Schools that have rich tradition are losing kids left and right.

iowa's HS baseball situation isn't good either. shrinking sport in this part of the state at least.

 

[AHawk1]

iowa's HS baseball situation isn't good either. shrinking sport in this part of the state at least.

From what I've seen of the Nebraska coach and the effort he puts into recruiting of the good quality kids I know of in the state and elsewhere, I think he will be a force in the poor Big Ten.

 

[JRD90]

Instead of investing resources into a program that at best will be middle of the pack in a mid-major conference, which is what the Big Ten is, Iowa should dump the program and use those scholarships to start a soccer program. Soccer is obviously a growing sport and the odds of fielding a competitive team will probably be higher for soccer than baseball.

And from a business perspective, Iowa already has a soccer field for the women's team, so no additional facilities are needed. Then they can tear down the baseball field and either sell the land to the U of I Hospital or use the space for future athletic facility expansion.

 

[hoffahawk]

Instead of investing resources into a program that at best will be middle of the pack in a mid-major conference, which is what the Big Ten is, Iowa should dump the program and use those scholarships to start a soccer program. Soccer is obviously a growing sport and the odds of fielding a competitive team will probably be higher for soccer than baseball.

And from a business perspective, Iowa already has a soccer field for the women's team, so no additional facilities are needed. Then they can tear down the baseball field and either sell the land to the U of I Hospital or use the space for future athletic facility expansion.

No.

 

[MisterLucky]

Instead of investing resources into a program that at best will be middle of the pack in a mid-major conference, which is what the Big Ten is, Iowa should dump the program and use those scholarships to start a soccer program. Soccer is obviously a growing sport and the odds of fielding a competitive team will probably be higher for soccer than baseball.

And from a business perspective, Iowa already has a soccer field for the women's team, so no additional facilities are needed. Then they can tear down the baseball field and either sell the land to the U of I Hospital or use the space for future athletic facility expansion.

I've been hearing that soccer is going to be the next big thing in the USA for thirty years now.

 

[HawkinGoferLand]

men's soccer will never be popular in B1G, Lacrosse has a chance though. That seems to be a growing sport in Midwest. Many HS programs adding in MN. My son started playing a couple years ago. Fun, physical game.

 

[pumpdog20]

Yeah, I agree, lacrosse is the way to go.

 

[pumpdog20]

Who would have thought it'd be Indiana to end the Big Ten's CWS drought?

 

[SPGroth]

My son played in a youth tournament in Iowa City this past week. A coach (former college coach) and one of the umpires (former Iowa player) were talking between games. Discussing who is in line for the coaching position. Doesn't sound like anyone is in the works right now.

Does anyone know if Rick Heller (former UNI baseball coach) would be interested in coming back to Iowa?

 

[trj]

men's soccer will never be popular in B1G, Lacrosse has a chance though. That seems to be a growing sport in Midwest. Many HS programs adding in MN. My son started playing a couple years ago. Fun, physical game.

I always thought that lacrosse was an upper middle class borderline elitist Northeast thing........I had no idea it was growing in the Midwest.

 

[You]

A baseball thread that veers into a discussion of lacrosse shows where Iowa baseball is.

 

[hoffahawk]

Who would have thought it'd be Indiana to end the Big Ten's CWS drought?

And also shows that it can be done with the right coach, for all those saying they should just dump the program.

 

[sportstalent]

And also shows that it can be done with the right coach, for all those saying they should just dump the program.

For the alternatives that people have suggested, I would be 100% against it.

Soccer is simply a filler sport in the US and it will never be nothing more than a second rate sport...yeah the US women's team is good, but I don't see that as a reason to get soccer.

Lacrosse on the other hand is a sport that I think people are realizing is not a bad thing, little like hockey without skates. However, it should not ever replace baseball.

It does take the right coach and a University to give them the resources to succeed.

 

[trj]

A baseball thread that veers into a discussion of lacrosse shows where Iowa baseball is.

Has Iowa baseball ever been on the radar? I do not think even those Tim Costo, Danan Hughes teams of the late 80's, early 90's created any type of buzz.

 

[You]

Has Iowa baseball ever been on the radar? I do not think even those Tim Costo, Danan Hughes teams of the late 80's, early 90's created any type of buzz.

Did a search for "Iowa baseball history," found this: Facilities, history at root of Iowa baseball issues | TheGazette

And this gem is in it:

Barta will unveil a strategic plan this fall with plans to build an Olympic sports village on the west campus. It’s likely to have new stadiums for Iowa’s baseball, softball and track teams.

Wonder if they'll hand out free condoms in the Olympics sports village? Olympic Village Sex Fest: Athletes Tell All In ESPN Report That Reveals 70,000 Condoms Just Isn't Enough

 

[hoffahawk]

Has Iowa baseball ever been on the radar? I do not think even those Tim Costo, Danan Hughes teams of the late 80's, early 90's created any type of buzz.

They did and the year Iowa hosted the Big Ten Tourney the stadium was packed and was for much of that season.

 

[HawkeyeShane]

Has Iowa baseball ever been on the radar? I do not think even those Tim Costo, Danan Hughes teams of the late 80's, early 90's created any type of buzz.

I believe that was the same team Bo Porter played for and if I remember correctly it seemed like they were damn good...and then they turned around and lost to Maine in 2 straight games in a best of 3 in a regional...Maine...

Big10 Baseball is terrible and all of the good players from Iowa go to traditionally better programs down south or out west. It's going to be a tough job no matter who takes it.

 

[528646]

Honestly, I think it's probably an athletic dept prestige thing for Iowa (and other similar schools). There would be a loss of face if they had to "cut baseball" (a la ISU a while back, even though ISU cutting baseball was probably a really smart move on their part - at least Iowa sucks in a sucky conference...ISU was in the unenviable position of sucking in a pretty good conference).

Running an athletic program in a major conference is probably a bit like living in a real fancy neighborhood - everybody's got a fancy house, a few fancy cars, sends their kids to the nicest schools, and belong to all the right clubs, but when the family down the street decides they can't afford the dues for 2 different country clubs AND the yacht club and decides to drop one of them, all the neighbors take notice and start to treat them a little differently.

 

[trj]

I believe that was the same team Bo Porter played for and if I remember correctly it seemed like they were damn good...and then they turned around and lost to Maine in 2 straight games in a best of 3 in a regional...Maine...

Big10 Baseball is terrible and all of the good players from Iowa go to traditionally better programs down south or out west. It's going to be a tough job no matter who takes it.

Bo Porter that's the guy I was thinking of....i knew there was another football guy that played baseball back then.


Getting off topic here..... Did Bowlsby inherit a lot of dead weight when he took over for Elliot? Bowlsby was hired a few years before the message board, talk radio explosion, so i can't remember if there was talk/ discussion about that or not. Don't rehash the Hayden/TD stuff, but wasn't there a lot of coaches including Banks that were entrenched and should have been let go before bowlsby took over. Obviously, leave Gable out of the equation.