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Post by Admin on Mar 13, 2014 17:31:05 GMT -6
I've uploaded a video regarding the UTPA/UTB merger you might be interested in. It's under the "General" board. The UTPA President, Dr. Robert Nelson, talks about how the merger can create anxiety and how even he is unsure what his position will be after the merger. He starts to talk about it at the 11:50 & 15:50 mark.
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Post by sean. on Mar 13, 2014 18:06:35 GMT -6
Thanks, he sounds reasonable. I hope he gets the job.
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Post by Sean...... on Mar 15, 2014 15:27:53 GMT -6
It's worth noting that when other schools change divisions they generally keep a current and successful coach. Here is an example of a team that moved up to Division 1 to join the WAC and kept their successful coach: www.gculopes.com/coaches.aspx?rc=418&path=msocanother example of a team moving to Division 1 and not dismissing their successful soccer coach: www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2011-12-08/northern-kentucky-moves-dihere is an example of a school from the same conference that UTB plays in now, that moved to Division 1 and did not dismiss their successful coach: www.hbuhuskies.com/staff.aspx?staff=28Note: This is the same conference that Dan won coach of the year five years out of seven! There are numerous other examples out there and I can’t find a single one in which a successful coach was removed simply because of a restructuring. The general precedent indicates that successful coaches do not get dismissed simply because a team is changing affiliation.
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Post by Sean_ on May 29, 2014 13:42:10 GMT -6
I continue to follow this closely and it still appears that there are decision still to be made. There is a lot of interest Q&A to be found here: www.utsystem.edu/news/topics/project-south-texas/ask-a-questionOne particular item seems to imply that both coaches, Dan from UTB, and Paul from UTPA will each have the opportunity to apply for the UT-RGV job: Question posted: Staff and faculty currently working at UTB and UTPA will they be rehired? or their jobs will be terminated? Reply: All jobs at UTB and UTPA are being eliminated because both entities will cease to exist next year. We will follow the law creating UTRGV and dissolving UTB and UTPA, which states that "the board of regents shall facilitate the employment ... of as many faculty and staff of the abolished universities as is prudent and practical."
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Post by bob on Mar 13, 2015 7:28:31 GMT -6
and then to finish it off Chris King UTPA AD is still trying to leave down as fast as possible after firing people who truly appreciated what the Valley has to offer. Chris King UTPA AD has fired many coaches in his short tenure, both basketball coaches one Saturday morning. How can this guy be leading anything? He'll fire someone and not even care that it's a life changing experience for someone, and then he's always looking for a better job for himself. m.themonitor.com/news/local/report-utpa-athletic-director-up-for-hawaii-job/article_1f29cb22-c8cf-11e4-b074-e3c94b969d38.html?mode=jqm He's tweeting about UTPA running through his blood but he's laughing at us because after he sends the tweet while he's applying for new jobs. Here's Chris King UTPA AD calling another job his dream job: missoulian.com/news/local/montana-ad-candidate-lauds-programs-urges-honesty/article_9aec15c8-f3dc-11e1-bc66-0019bb2963f4.htmlI love the valley and I'm upset that Chris King UTPA AD treats the UTPA and the soon to be UT-RGV as only a launching board for his career. I want someone at UT-RGV who appreciates what the valley has to offer and recognizes that UT_RGV is a dream job. Chris King clearly doesn't want to be in the valley anymore why do we need him or even want him? Has he done anything exceptional, not really. Do the coaches like working with him, I'm guessing not really. Is he loyal to the school CLEARLY not. This upsets met.
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Post by Bob on Apr 14, 2015 18:32:35 GMT -6
It's official, the recruiting class is in and the games set to begin in the fall. I wish the team luck, I truly do, unfortunately I think it will quickly become obvious that Paul Leese is second tier compared to dan Balaguero and will just be another addition to the poor legacy of Chris King. To the players: I hope you go undefeated like Dan's team did. To Paul and Chris - I'm fairly certain the win total will be 4 games max.
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Post by Sean. on Apr 15, 2015 9:02:56 GMT -6
Bob, it's going to be painful to watch no doubt. If Paul Leese's recruiting history at Coker is any indication of what is to come (you'll notice that Leese had two good first seasons at Coker but that was with the previous coaches recruiting class, by the time a full recruiting cycle was complete under Leese Coker was about a .500 club AND it was left it shambles for the new coach). Chris King had a winning soccer coach in Dan Balaguero at 24-0 last season, built the program from scratch, and basically got fired. Only a few months away to seeing the fallout from another Chris King bad decision executed. No wonder he's trying to leave as soon as possible! Anyway, good luck to the players, seriously, I hope you can overcome.
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Post by UTB MAN on Apr 15, 2015 13:09:17 GMT -6
What are you talking about Sean? Coker 2008 Old coach 7-12-2 2009 Start of the Leese era 12-5-3 (Conference Champion) 2010 7-7-5 (Conference runner up) 2011 18-3 (Conference Champion) 2012 12-4-1 2013 9-5-4
Should not make claims that are easily looked up in the internet. I am not defending Paul Leese, perhaps Dan should of gotten the job, but I am accusing you of lying. A little more research will also show up that the former coach was always poor and Paul created that team from the ground up, in a very tough league, much tougher then what UTB plays day in and day out.
You talk about winning 4 games....this is NCAA D1, very tough, they have limited scholarships the first year, it is a building job. Who expects miracles the first season?
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Post by Sean.. on Apr 15, 2015 17:03:16 GMT -6
I disagree with you. I believe the first couple of years are very influenced by the previous coach. When I say the program was left in shambles I believe it's accurate. Paul Leese announced he signed a bunch of players at Coker the day before he took the UTB job. Coker had an awful season last year and if you believe that those weren't the players recruited by Paul Leese then you may need to do some research yourself. we'll see, and I agree we won't know for a couple of years, but in my opinion, Paul Leese was the wrong choice. Also, with a large recruiting budget, enough wiggle room with scholarships and the low cost of tuition along with in-state waivers, not to mention some matriculating UTB players there is no reason not to be able to put a decent team together, I just don't think Paul Leese will be able to do so.
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Post by UTB MAN on Apr 15, 2015 18:05:57 GMT -6
Fair enough, guess we will not agree on this. I do agree with you that there are some major advantages that Leese will have, including the fact that there are only a handful of teams at D1 level in this state.
I will also agree that Dan should of been given 3-4 years and see how he does at that level.
But, you have to give it at least 2 recruiting if not 3. If it is anything like the women's program, the first year they have very limited scholarship money, if any, and the next 3 years their money increases to what is allowed by the NCAA. That means that it will take a couple of years to get to the rest of the WAC.
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Post by Berto on Apr 15, 2015 18:43:08 GMT -6
Guys, interesting discussion, I played NAIA and d2 and have seen UT Brownsville play on many occasions. D2 ball has more parity than NAIA but top NAIA teams are even if not better than d2 teams. The conference where Coker college played was actually ranked 20 out of 20 last year by bennettrank.com I couldn't find a rank on the RRAC where UT Brownsville play but my guess the conference carolinas is slightly better. What must be tough is the travel schedule for Brownsville in that conference. I know St. Thomas is a good team, I wonder if they will be playing UTRGV in the fall? UT Brownsville plays a great out of conference schedule every year, so i give them props for that Both of you make good points. 4 wins would be great first year and d1 men's soccer is hard, very few easy games. Not sure on the scholarship amount but it's very cheap and easy to get accepted into UTRGV. Lots of good players who get Govt $ and want to stay home. I believe main discussions is who should be the coach? many people in the area where stunned when Dan was not given the job, I agree utb main he should have been given the chance for 3 years to see if he could have replicated his NAIA success. Not sure about past history of coker college, but Leese has very limited head experience and no connection to this unique area. Breakout year 2011, but not much else. I'm excited to catch a game in the fall, I have seen a lot of d1 games on tv but not been live for some time. I hope that there are many players from the RGV staying home to play. I saw a few women's games at UTPA in the fall and it was very bad soccer. I heard that the bottom women's NCAA 1 soccer is really bad and that average d2 NAIA teams would destroy them.
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Post by Sean.., on Apr 16, 2015 17:19:37 GMT -6
Berto, I don't know much about the women's team but again it looks like they hired a coach who never produced many successful teams at his previous school so I'm guessing it'll be more of the same. I do hear that the women's assistant coach is legit so maybe she'll be stepping in one day. I was pretty neutral on the women's coach until I heard him state that he has the best coaching staff in the country, and that pretty much sums up the mentality of a coach who's out if touch with reality and that type tend to lose a lot of games. I think the assistant will take over eventual and she'll be able to get it done.
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Post by William T Riker on Apr 16, 2015 19:39:38 GMT -6
I have just spent the last hour reading this entire forum and found out the discussions on this board very interesting. My daughter attended UTPA and I have followed the athletic program closely, specifically basketball as I played in HS. However, I was very excited when they started the soccer programs. It is amazing that this university has not had this sport in so many years. For Sean and UTB man: What exactly is a your idea of a good coach that UTPA (UTRGV) should hire? So far no one is good enough! Who should they of hired? The men’s coach has decent pedigree, some of the programs he has been an assistant at have been in the Top 20 and the Coker record seems strong, based on what UTB man wrote. He will need a few recruiting classes, but we are judging a man who has not even coached one game at this level yet! I looked at his recruiting class and it is mixed, some Valley kids, some players from abroad, I am not sure what type of team it will be. That will be his job to figure out. All this team has to do is compete in the WAC, which every athletic team at UTPA has struggled to do so far (look at our baseball team), but I think soccer may be the successful one, especially men’s soccer. I am looking forward to see how they do against the top teams in the conference since men's basketball seemed miles away from the top teams this season after two recruiting classes under new coach. I know the women’s soccer coach, my younger daughter plays for the Dynamo soccer club and has attended camp at UTPA. I have spoken many times with him and seems knowledgeable, although I am no expert. However, I do sit in front of the computer all day, so google his last school. Shootings, absolutely no money, about to close it down. From reading his bio, he seems to have won a championship there and has produced teams with the best records in that schools history, in what I believe could have been a very tough situation. Maybe that is why they hired him, if his previous situation was bad and he worked with limited resources in a ghetto area, but was able to win, then why can’t he do it here. He may be a bit arrogant, but has had plenty of success and he does indeed have a good staff, both of his assistants worked with some of the players at Dynamo and they are top notch. Sean, I looked at your previous posts and they all bad mouth the UT RGV men’s soccer coach as you have a relationship of some sort with the UTB men’s soccer coach, which is understandable. However, it is time we accept the merger and get behind this UT RGV and move forward.
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Post by Seann on Apr 16, 2015 19:59:16 GMT -6
Thanks for participating in the discussion. As they say, only time will tell. Until then, of course we hope the best for both programs.
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Post by Salvador on Apr 18, 2015 19:32:54 GMT -6
Congrats to Brownsville Rivera on winning the Texas 6A championship with a perfect 28-0 record!
Where are the RGV players on the men's soccer roster!?
We have the best players in the state down here, ours teams are always in the top three or four in the state!
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