Our team actually put up a decent fight in regionals. We have had much better teams do much worse, as a 1 seed, in Austin! But giving up the lead against Washington and then not even showing up in the elimination game against Minnesota... writing on the wall? How long now. Should be it. I would love for there to be some excitement with the softball team. As far as women's sports goes, we have amazing programs. Lady basketball team and volleyball team are fierce competitors every year.
Chris Del Conte's first major coaching change..?
- Thread starter JHop6714
- Start date
If I had a vote, I would hire Cat all the way. That girl has won almost everything there is to win.
Cat coaching is kinda like hiring Michael jordan..... its hard for a player who was THAT dominant to coach kids with half her natural talent.
I agree with you in most all cases. I think this is an exception because it is college women's softball. No disrespect, but, college women's softball doesn't have all the complexities and egos compared to the men's sports. I am assuming she is not lazy like Clark, but a hard worker (Somebody at the top of her game for as long as she was has to be a hard worker and has love for the game). Nonetheless, it is a risk, but, I love the risk-benefit odds on this one.
Our local D2 softball coach has a kid who plays baseball at Texas State and during his time there, the family has gotten to know Cat fairly well. Granted this is coming from a D2 softball coach (who's winning percentage is north of .750) he has said that she is going to be an absolute gem for whoever hires her to be a head coach. She can recruit against anyone and has the knowledge to take players and increase them. The only downside to her, is that she was never an offensive player and will have to hire a really good assistant coach in that regards. Why do you think Texas State is a top 25 team? Cat, that is the only reason.
She’s literally US softball Royality that’s going to carry weight on the recruiting trail, and honestly recruiting is 3/4 the battle.
Devil's advocate -- why would Walton leave Florida where he's settled and on top of a dynasty, to come build from scratch and start over, at Texas?
He may well not. But Florida doesn’t pay him much more than we’re currently paying for our lazy, deadweight nobody of a coach. We should at least force UF to compete with our offer. If they do enough for him that he says no to us, so be it. But make him say no first.
Coaches are often extremely proud and what better way to show how good you are than to leave a program on top to go create another monster somewhere else. Especially if they money at the new place is as good or better. Not saying he would leave (I wouldn't) but sometimes coaches do weird stuff.
Sure I do. She had two choices. Resign or be fired. She chose to resign. There ya go. Lol
Question, as an outsider.....
Will Texas build a facility to compete with the programs of the SEC? McCombs field is nice but a far cry from many others and not even the best in the Big 12
Will Texas build a facility to compete with the programs of the SEC? McCombs field is nice but a far cry from many others and not even the best in the Big 12
Eventually, yes, but Texas has allowed its facilities to fall behind across the board over the last 10-15 years, and there are other far more pressing priorities at the moment (football and basketball).
In any case, Texas can win in the meantime more than well enough with what it has as long as Del Conte makes the right hire. Florida plays in a dump and yet recruits lights-out and dominates on the field. (Florida facilities have long been outdated dumps in most of their sports, actually.)
Texas also has a severe space issue, and this seems like a very low priority
I expect 8-9 wins this year. What are you guys shooting for? I see 3 automatic wins at the least. UAB, LA Monroe and NW St.
Back to softball for a minute......
Walton seems more like a pipe dream. He has Florida on a roll and a BRAND new facility is coming. Not sure any big name head coaches will be in the works and Cat would be nice but she's never been a head coach before. Also, and this is the scary part about softball, many of the kids she would be recruiting nationally don't know who she is. There is no sense of history in the young softball recruits. They know the teams that go to the World Series or the teams that have gaudy facilities and most of recruiting is controlled by club coaches that only "allow" their players to go to those teams.
Texas can become a major player again but I believe it will be with a grinder of a coach that wants to recruit his/her butt off in addition to a MAJOR investment in the program. Just my thoughts.....
Walton seems more like a pipe dream. He has Florida on a roll and a BRAND new facility is coming. Not sure any big name head coaches will be in the works and Cat would be nice but she's never been a head coach before. Also, and this is the scary part about softball, many of the kids she would be recruiting nationally don't know who she is. There is no sense of history in the young softball recruits. They know the teams that go to the World Series or the teams that have gaudy facilities and most of recruiting is controlled by club coaches that only "allow" their players to go to those teams.
Texas can become a major player again but I believe it will be with a grinder of a coach that wants to recruit his/her butt off in addition to a MAJOR investment in the program. Just my thoughts.....
Cat has been recruiting for Texas State the last few years and doing it very well. Kids today may not of seen her play but she’s not exactly an unknown on the circles either.
Plus being able to put Olympic gold on the kitchen table isn’t a bad tool either. If we can’t get a big name hire an up and comer like Cat. I know everyone likes proven names but sometimes the up and comer is the way to go.
Like I said, With your schedule you should win that many. I think we win 7-8.
I'm actually surprised a school bigger than Texas State hasn't hired Cat by now. Her pitching prowess is alone worth her pay, not to mention the instant recruiting edge you get by having a legend and Olympic gold-medalist as your pitching coach. Texas State has done very well for themselves in the years Cat has been there. I'm curious why a big-time school hasn't tried to bring her into the fold as an Assistant/pitching coach.
Understand that just because Cat was a phenomenal player, that doesn' mean that she knows how to coach..
Are you implying that Cat is NOT a good coach? If you read the thread, I'm definitely not one of the ones advocating for hiring her as our HC no matter what. But take a look at the pitching for Texas State, the thorn in our side that is Randi Rupp.
https://www.flosoftball.com/article...her-randi-rupps-legacy-will-transcend-records
She’s already proven to be a good coach/recruiter. That’s not really a question. The only question is can she go from good assistant to a good head coach. Which is a hurdle all coaches have to clear eventually.
