Exactly, he had a pretty good thing going at Bama, definitely a surprise to see him bolt. I would say a very very good hire. Must say something about the LSU softball team if he was willing to leave. Hopefully better days are soon to come.
Wow. That stadium is HUGE! In that bottom picture you're so high up you can actually see the curvature of the earth!
You do realize that is the lens, right? There was a special running a few weeks ago—ESPN, the Deuce, maybe CSS—that was an in depth tour of your softball facilities. They are nice. It certainly didn't hurt the offer Red, but one thing Murphy didn't lack was state of the art facilities...from the offices to the diamond itself. Many coaches visiting Tuscaloosa have said it's the nicest facility they've ever been in. I won't go that far but don't have a problem saying it's one of the top five facilities in the nation. It was sort of shocking to me to find out how out-dated some of the complexes around the NCAA are. Heck, there were several teams in the WCWS that don't have enough seating capacity to even bid for regionals.
Hmmm, what is lens? Look, I'm just a unfrozen caveman lawyer. I'm frightened by your strange machine, so get me another Dewars and water OK? I'm quite sure. But bigger, newer, better AD support, more salary, more tradition, and mentor connections tend to speak loudly.
A few questions come to mind... Why Dewars? Oh, sports forum, that's right! Bigger? How so? Newer? Granted, our stadium was built in 2000...but, the additions of seating, clubhouse, batting cages, etc. all within the last few years. You've got a hell of a stadium, don't get me wrong. Better AD support? No doubt in this case. Salary? Sort of...it was matched, but too little too late. Tradition? How so? Are you looking at SEC alone, or NCAA as a whole? Mentor? A HUGE factor here...
4 womens NCAA titles at Bama versus 26 at LSU. 5 minor sports titles versus 42 for LSU. Womens athletics and minor sports at LSU matter. Rightly or wrongly Bama is perceived as a "nothing matters but football" school. Your softball coach knows the situation better than most folks. He had a fabulous record at Bama but didn't get the respect or salary that he thought he'd earned. We have some experience with this,too. Pat Henry is the best track coach in the nation, he had around 20 mens and womens championships at LSU. More than football, more than basketball, more than baseball. He also a long rocky relationship with Skip Bertman's baseball program as they jockeyed for #3 in the pecking order. He had four times the championships as Skip but Skip's program got all the attention and Skip ended up as AD. When Skip hired Pokie Chatman to coach women's basketball and paid her twice Henry's salary, he walked. Now he is at A&M and has them at the top of the top.
That's where you lost me Red. I thought, based on this thread being about softball, this was about tradition in softball. Not what has happened in the past with track, baseball, etc. It's an interesting take, one I hadn't considered...that being the affect support for other women's programs would have on the decision Murphy made. At first, my thought was "other programs don't have any bearing on coaches decisions on where to work." As soon as I thought it I told myself—yes, out loud and I'm not drinking Dewar's—"you are wrong T." I've seen over the past year how well the success on the football field has translated to success with Anthony Grant's recruiting. I've seen the same with Saban bring recruits to basketball games this past season and being undefeated at home, winning the west, etc., presented recruits with something else to be impressed by with UA. If it works that way with men in Tuscaloosa...it works that way with women in BR. NOW, tradition in softball? I'd say both programs are about even in terms of tradition (championships, etc.) with Bama leading the way the last several years. You guys certainly started off like wildfire when the SEC adopted softball back in the late 90's. Right now, I see Bama fans getting mad at Murphy. Me, disappointed, but not mad...by no means. I'd bet that 99.9% of those fans that are mad don't know a 'effin thing about that program other than W's, L's, and tourney appearances. I certainly am a bit ticked off at the AD of women's sports programs at Bama. She should have gotten off her lazy )(*&*&^$&%$# and walked down the hall Monday and at least talked to Pat. Can't say I'm surprised. She's one of the ones that screwed up a few years ago and was "demoted" of sorts...the term "dead wood" applies to her both professionally and socially...
