Maybe just maybe Shelby hired Eustachy with every intention of running the basketball program into the ground because he (Shelby) was too short to play basketball.

May I respectfully second Townie's suggestion. However, this board is pretty open and if people really want a thread like that, the rest of us don't have to read it.

I think the Eustachy situation is parallel to SFT's academic disasters. The poor decision-making processes that have been used to run USM's academics in the ground are the same processes that have been used to create a really unstable basketball program. I believe NCAA probation could closely follow SACS probation, given Eustachy's recruiting techniques.

To suggest that this thread has no place on this board is ludicrous. The next thing you know, someone will say that discussion of a particular program should be moved because it doesn't pertain to the university as a whole.

When making a case against a defendant, prosecutors use all available evidence, even evidence of past crimes when allowed. Take the Eustachy situation as another piece of evidence in the "Shelby is a disaster" case.

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Originally posted by: Emma
"We can read what we want to read and choose not to read other postings. I think an AAUP Message Board could have people who'd like to talk about athletics, and I don't think we should try to stop those postings. I have bypassed certain postings usually due to time constraints; yet, sometimes they get posted "up", and I read them and find myself interested in what people have to say.  Even though this Message Board has some strong "Fire Shelby" feelings, we are about the best interests of this university, so I would be reluctant to ban postings that seem more appropriate for EagleTalk.  With that said . . . Let the Force Be With You."

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Hey!, I'm an fan of athletics and I follow the Golden Eagles as much as anyone.  I think that we need to be patient (see Cox-Purvis Report) and see what happens with LE.  I do think LVN and Townie have valid concerns as to the content of the board, but as long as the issue is the university (and that includes athletics) it's fair game for posting.  People (if they wish) can choose not to read a thread that does not appeal to them.  Just my 2 cents.....

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Originally posted by: B Ball fan
"Green Hornet's right. We've got to give Eustachy at least three years to get the program up and running. "

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Unfortunately, giving someone enough time to get their program up and running is not the USM way. Look what they did to Horace Fleming.

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Originally posted by: Townie
"May I suggest you move this discussion over to Eagle Talk.  The folks on this board share a common concern with the academic future of USM, but may have differing views (or no opinion) about a particular athletic coach.  At worse, these sorts of topics just distract from the real issue -- removing President Thames and begining the rebuilding process for our wounded institution."

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By saying this should go to Eagle Talk, Townie, you are acting the same exact way Thames acts. I don't want to hear it, therefore it doesn't exist. Lets squash all who try to say things we don't want to hear...

A later post in this thread said that NCAA probation is very similar to SACS probation. Let's break that down shall we. If a school goes on NCAA probation they lose scholarships which in turn means they lose potiental athletes and students. The quality of the team goes down along with the stigma of being on probation in that particular sport which causes very few people to show up for the games. That leads to a drop in revenue from the games for the school meaning all that money coming in from ticket sales, endorcements and potiental students spending money has dropped or disappeared. Also, you lose some TV privilages that keeps potiental students from out of state from hearing about Southern Miss.

The same principle applies to the SACS probation. You lose good students that won't come to the school because they don't want to attend somewhere with the stigma of a probation school. More importantly, they don't want to jepordize their academic future with a school that could lose its accrediation (sorry spelling bad). In turn the university still loses money, from these students who don't attend, pay the ungodly amounts to live in dorms and eat in the commons and pay for books.

Both of these senerios hurt the university...so my point (which took the long way to point out) is this thread has plenty of business on this forum.

I think the bigger problem is anyone who actually believes Eustachy will be here after two more years. IF he's here for this season, he'll leave after next. LE doesn't want to be at USM. USM is the conduit that will take him to his next job. In that way, he's just like a lot of other "higher ups" at USM: their current job is simply a time-filler until they get their higher calling.

If LE were interested in building a program, he would do it the way other successful programs have done it --- through solid recruitment of high school players. I think we can all remember how the JUCO route hurt Mississippi State's football program. JUCO players fill immediate needs but never buy into a university or a coach's system because they have only two years to play. Croom is changing that, and they have already had some success beyond Jackie Sherrill's level.

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Originally posted by: B Ball fan
"Green Hornet's right. We've got to give Eustachy at least three years to get the program up and running. "

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I don't want anyone to think I'm a LE fan. I just wanted to support free speech and the freedom of positng areas of interest to the university on this board.

For the record: I support the athletes and I support Coaches Bower, Palmer and many of the others in sports such as softball and women's basketball, but I have yet to appreciate the coaching abilities of LE. I used to watch the Sunday night Southern Miss Sports show and it was terrible to watch LE making excuses for that week's losses. It was very obvious he doesn't like it here in Hattiesburg. He didn't treat the athletes right. I think we could have found a "better" fit for our men's basketball team. I think that if LE moves on we should let him go and try to find a "better fit" for our unviersity and our community.