Should he stay or should he go?

[lionspride]

Given our LMU Lions performance thus far this season (4-16 record) and the recent quote from the LA Times today ("One coach who appears safe for the moment: Loyola Marymount's Rodney Tention. Athletic Director Bill Husak said through a spokesman that Tention, 4-16 this season, his third year of a five-year contract, is not in jeopardy although questions about the program are being addressed. "), the need for a "poll" on what LMU Athletics should do as it relates to Rodney Tention and the future of LMU Men's Basketball may be warranted.

Any thoughts?

[dead3man]

We need to get rid of post like this. To me it makes us no better than Pepperdine or USF. We need to support our Coaching staff, I do and this is not my political opinion. If I had an issue with Coach I would just call or go to his office.

I love RT I think the staff is doing a great job. He has my son doing a great job but I want better out of him and in time that will come. At the beginning of the year everyone thought deadwiler was a bust now he's trying to get the job done and they all are. The cohesiveness is there one night and the next night not but I beleive in what RT is doing and the ship will be right and we will be competitors in the WCC next year. We just have to play together, know the plays and move the ball and start doing it on a consistent basis.

Players are accountable too, the coach can call the plays but the players have to execute.

I wish we would get off this RT stuff he's class act and he does things the right way.

We came to LMU to play for RT for 4 years and thats what I want is for my son to play for RT for 4 years. Look at the players he's coached and how good there doing from his AZ asst days, give the man a chance. I was talking to an LMU Alum at the Saint Marys game and he said a couple of years ago Saint Marys won two games and now look at them. If thats true than back off RT and let him do his thing.

[lionspride]

dead3man said:

We need to get rid of post like this. To me it makes us no better than Pepperdine or USF. We need to support our Coaching staff, I do and this is not my political opinion. If I had an issue with Coach I would just call or go to his office.

I love RT I think the staff is doing a great job. He has my son doing a great job but I want better out of him and in time that will come. At the beginning of the year everyone thought deadwiler was a bust now he's trying to get the job done and they all are. The cohesiveness is there one night and the next night not but I beleive in what RT is doing and the ship will be right and we will be competitors in the WCC next year. We just have to play together, know the plays and move the ball and start doing it on a consistent basis.

Players are accountable too, the coach can call the plays but the players have to execute.

I wish we would get off this RT stuff he's class act and he does things the right way.

We came to LMU to play for RT for 4 years and thats what I want is for my son to play for RT for 4 years. Look at the players he's coached and how good there doing from his AZ asst days, give the man a chance. I was talking to an LMU Alum at the Saint Marys game and he said a couple of years ago Saint Marys won two games and now look at them. If thats true than back off RT and let him do his thing.

Dead3man:

I will be the first one to admit mistakes on my perspectives. At the beginning of the season I called into question why some people on this board thought Deadwiler should start. I disagreed and felt another player has earned the right to start before Deadwiler. I never questioned Deadwiler's future potential, only whether he should start or not. Given the situation that LMU is in right now, without Deadwiler...the team would be hurting even more. Deadwiler has shown great improvement year over year and I give kudos to that (which I have on a couple occasions on these boards).

This situation is quite different, though. Rodney has been here three seasons. I think the alumni/fans don't see the potential. We don't see things getting better, only consistently worse. It seems by your words that you have thrown in the towel for the season. If that is the case, we only have hope that next year the team will respond with another year of experience on their belts. However as you know, other teams in the conference do not stand still as LMU develops. It is hard to believe that we will be competitive (.500 season) next year when we are getting blown out night-in, night-out. The team is not gelling. There is no "team concept." Some fans have seen players leave the road games not as a team. Some have heard after the team gets crushed at home, the next thing you hear from some players is where is the party tonight? I am not saying we cannot let the players go have fun, but these coaches are responsible for these players. These coaches have given these players scholarships (free education, housing, food) and have a responsibility to rein them in. It is not happening on the court. I don't see the improvements being made as a team. Yes, the players are also accountable. However, who recruited these players?

If anyone thinks that this is going to change in a year, you are kidding yourself.

Rodney is a class act. No denying that. Let's don't put a class act in a "lame duck" situation by giving him next season (4th season) to improve (which I think we will see minor improvements) and then bringing him back for his fifth season because LMU is known to be frugal and does not want to pay out contracts.

LMU Administration needs to make a drastic move and show the country that they are SERIOUS about resurrecting this program. Whether LMU pushes up the expected date of construction on offices and the renovation of Gersten by allocating necessary funds immediately (which they are hard pressed to do because the school is so highly leveraged with the purchase of UHALL) or whether it is paying out the current coach's contract and putting money up for a SOLID proven coach to replace him during the off-season. It is my opinion that changing the coach would help, but getting allocating more funds would definitely help as well. Either way, LMU needs to act. I think the alumni are getting inpatience with all the talk and we need to see action from LMU.

The time is now in 2008. It would be best for all parties involved.

I understand and respect everyone's opinion and that is why the poll was started. If the newspapers are "checking in" on the LMU program, I think us fans need to check in our position with the future of the program. We cannot hide a 4-16 record from the rest of the country and think things are fine. They are not. Far from it and that is why people are asking questions.

[lmu]

cliff note?

[newlionfan]

I would hate to see him go. I am very close with one of the incoming players, and when I talk to him about the program he talks about how much he loves the coach. That is why he committed as soon as the offer became open. This is year 3, which means his first full year of recruiting prospects are only in their Sophomore seasons. Players want stability, and you cannot build a program when you constantly change coaches. If LMU was a national power then I would understand, but what coach will come if he knows he better win by his 3rd year. Let him atleast coach Orlando Johnson his four years, he's leading the team in scoring and will only get better with more added fire power.


Here is an article from todays SF Chronicle

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/23/SP76UJMV1.DTL

[ironlions]

Coach RT and Co deserves more time.




Go Lions

[waterboy]

I rely on a past witnessing of player development. Do any of you remeber Sherman Gay? His freshman year he could hardly hold a basketball and he could only trip over himself his soph year was not great. I couldn't believe any college would offer him a scholarship, But we did.

However his Jr. year he broke out, he got it, and became an allstar that year and in his senior year he was All World. I couldn't believe how much he had improved, going from our most uncoordinated player his freshman yr to our franchise player by his Jr year left a huge impression on me.

We have a team full of freshmen and sophmore Sherman Gays. They have the talent. Look at Cory, where he plays it at now in his Jr. year. He didn't look like this last year. and he's a walk on. And then there is Deadwiler, Last year he was less than ordinary, now he's truly on Sherman Gays track in only his soph year.

I am FRUSTRATED just like you all. But RT seems to be doing it right. He has recruited LMU quality academic players who have athleticism and talent that need development. So lets be vigilant but helpful and give Rodney's classes a chance to grow into some great Shoes.

[lionspride]

I am good with all the opinions posted here. Everyone seems to be in agreement that something is not right. It is the degree of change that is being debated. I think we can all agree that we want the best for the program. If we could all write to Lawton and emphasize the financial commitment that needs to be made to the program, that would help the situation. Better facilities, etc. can only help. Atleast we can agree on that. Let your voices be heard. Do it for the current coaches and players and the players that are coming in.

[fanblade]

I not satisfied either but I want to give RT more time. I also want to pressure Husak and Lawton to give these coaches the tools they need to win. We could have Wooden on the bench and get nothing going if the administration does not support the program 100%. The budgets, the consideration, and the exposure need increased.

[LMU Alum]

We have tried the fire a coach every 5 years program and it does not work. RT is a stand up guy and reps the university well. He has brought in some solid guards and I say lets give him a chance. He will figure out how to solve the problem with the bigs. It might take a year or so but he will solve it.

[ironlions]

I like RT a lot but at this rate I really don't think he will last past this year.

[dead3man]

ironlions said:

I like RT a lot but at this rate I really don't think he will last past this year.

Why don't you just go up to the man and tell him this instead of write it here. RT is doing a good job, were are just young and need experience. The guards are playing the bigs will come around but Dang you just have a huge issue with Coach T.

What do you want us to do start all over again, lose players that was recruited by RT. Just wait until next year and take what we can get this year.

I love RT and so does the players. Administrator can we get rid of this thread? It really hurts our recruiting. We have two players coming in that were nominees for the All McDonald's team. We have good guards and a good Freshman in OJ plus Tim will only get better.

[lmu]

dead3man said:

ironlions said:

I like RT a lot but at this rate I really don't think he will last past this year.

Why don't you just go up to the man and tell him this instead of write it here. RT is doing a good job, were are just young and need experience. The guards are playing the bigs will come around but Dang you just have a huge issue with Coach T.

What do you want us to do start all over again, lose players that was recruited by RT. Just wait until next year and take what we can get this year.

I love RT and so does the players. Administrator can we get rid of this thread? It really hurts our recruiting. We have two players coming in that were nominees for the All McDonald's team. We have good guards and a good Freshman in OJ plus Tim will only get better.

I will second dead3man. This thread does nothing but hurting our basketball team. Yeah yeah...in the name of freedom of speech...sure

This thread is created by someone who wants RT fired. He created the poll just so he can vote "Fire RT immediately!"

[Deleted]

dead3man said:

ironlions said:

I like RT a lot but at this rate I really don't think he will last past this year.

Why don't you just go up to the man and tell him this instead of write it here.

I want to see a major press conference with Husak and RT soon. I want to know what changes are coming. This season has made us a laughing stock, that has got to hurt recruiting. I want to hear some accountability or acknowledgment that we are being chased out of cellar dwellers gyms across the nation.

[dead3man]

orange said:

dead3man said:

Why don't you just go up to the man and tell him this instead of write it here.

I want to see a major press conference with Husak and RT soon. I want to know what changes are coming. This season has made us a laughing stock, that has got to hurt recruiting. I want to hear some accountability or acknowledgment that we are being chased out of cellar dwellers gyms across the nation.

Well I don't and I don't think we are cellar dwellers, we are young and not UofA, Memphis, UCLA, Gonzaga but that does not mean if we don't give RT time we can become one. Give it time. His first year with his players and next year it gets better.

Admin, pls locked up this post or delete it, its killing our program.