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USM Forum -- Message Board -> AAUP-USM MESSAGE BOARD -> Eagles Sweep, RPIs, "We Miss Lu"....
Post Info TOPIC: Eagles Sweep, RPIs, "We Miss Lu"....
Cox-Purvis Report

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Eagles Sweep, RPIs, "We Miss Lu"....
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Congratulations to the USM baseball team for sweeping USF in their last home series of the year.  The Eagles are closing in on 40 wins now, with a road trip to UNO and a road series with Houston to close out the season.  The Houston series is this coming weekend.


Still tracking the Eagles' RPI over the past few days.  Here it goes: 24, 28, 29, 32, 33, 30 (W, UAB), 36 (L, UAB), 33 (W, UAB), 32 (NG), 31 (NG), 33 (NG), 32 (W, USF), 27 (W, USF), and 25 (W, USF) [http://www.warrennolan.com/baseball/2005/rpi]. 


In other news, the Lady Eagles softball team was defeated in the C-USA tournament to end their season 29-32 (0.475).  Coach Gay McNutt is now 164-144 in her tenure at USM, spanning the 2001-2005 seasons.  This record includes her first year of 46-21, which came on the heels of Coach Lu Harris' departure from USM.  Since that season (2001), McNutt is only 118-123.  This is sad since McNutt inherited a program that had gone 115-22 in just 2 seasons under Harris (largely explaining McNutt's first year).


The Lu Harris story is nothing short of amazing.  She inherited a program that hadn't played since 1992, even then going 8-34 on the year.  Her first team at USM (1999) went 52-9, including a trip to the CWS.  In her second year, the Eagles finished 63-13, including a 2-2 record in their second straight trip to the CWS.  They almost won an NCAA championship.


Lu Harris bolted for Georgia in 2001.  Since leaving, her Lady Dogs have amassed a 204-74 record, even though she inherited a program that had never won a game in any NCAA regional.  This season they are currently 51-13, and are hosting an NCAA regional in Athens.  Lu Harris has taken the USM program with her back East.


When Lu Harris was at USM, THE programs in the deep South were USM, Alabama, and LSU.  Now, it appears that the cream is represented by Alabama, Georgia and Auburn.  Note that two previously off-map programs (USM and Georgia) were put there by Harris.


Many wonder why Mr. G didn't seem too interested in keeping her in the 'burg.  She was clearly the crown jewel of the USM coaching group.  She is missed by many.   


 



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CPR Note

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Lu Harris bolted for Georgia in 2001.  Since leaving, her Lady Dogs have amassed a 204-74 record, even though she inherited a program that had never won a game in any NCAA regional.  This season they are currently 51-13, and are hosting an NCAA regional in Athens.  Lu Harris has taken the USM program with her back East.


Note: Harris' record at UGA is now 255-87 (or 204-74 plus 51-13). 



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Kudzu King

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Wonder if Sharon Perkins would take the job here?

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In the Know

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You can never say never. But, it is my understanding that she is making more as associate head coach than Lu was as head coach at USM (with bonuses and camps considered). Anyway, between Mr. G and his trusty sidekick SV, she would never come back to work under those conditions where he and her pride themselves upon mediocrity.


 


I posted this in another post and thought it was pertinent here.


As someone who knows Lu and Sharon very well, I can assure you they never would have left if they would have bumped Sharon up from 21K to 30K. Lu didn't even want any extra money. She asked for a raise for Sharon and G-Man told Lu that she was more than welcome to take it out of her salary. Just so you know, you can go on UGA's website and see the stadium they have now built them. The school has just announced the largest Daktronics contract in the companies history that will include new scoreboards for Samford Stadium, baseball, basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball. The softball board will be complete with a new video replay board.



Neither of them wanted to leave but were basically shown the door when they were told no pay raise for assistant after two-straight WCWS and no travel after the second WCWS outside of the Southeast Region. The team you would have had that following year would have been as good or better than the two WCWS teams. One of UGA's three-time All-Americans had signed there, Notre Dame's No. 1 pitcher had signed their as well as three other players (only one stayed at USM for four years). That program would be right where Georgia is now, if not higher, but apparently he didn't want it that way.



As far as making a profit is concerned. How much profit do the other sports actually make for USM? And if you are going to have a sport, regardless of financial revenues, why not be really good at it instead of being average?



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