Pressurized coaches?

[Gorf]

ruffda said:

I am convinced that Illinois' struggles can be directly attributed to recruiting. They just haven't gotten the best in-state players.

I could be wrong, but I find it hard to believe Don has forgotten how to coach. Now, you _can_ ask about his recruiting. I mean, really. Who have they had? They've had decent VB players but they've always been pretty limited. Heck, his best player was probably Spicer and I think she came with him from Louisville.

Btw, better recruits next year.

Recruiting and injuries.

In recent years the Illini, the Buckeyes and the Spartans just seem to have had more season ending injuries to starters / key players than the other Big 10 teams.

[VBCOACH]

eastivball said:

If Illini fans still cared, you'd see many votes for Hardin. He has brought such mediocrity to a storied program located in the heart of volleyball country, that people just don't care enough to pay attention.

This could be so much a better board if the posters would actually read it from time to time. Here are some excerpts frrom a recent thread; Ilinni Thoughts:



Post by VBCOACH on Aug 21, 2006, 10:11pm


Aug 21, 2006, 4:36pm, palo wrote:
I just find it strange that many of their best recruits over the last several years have come out of Kentucky and not Illinois. You can't let the top talent leave each year. Who is at fault here?


While there is some truth here, let's remember:

1. Illinois recruited the highly regarded setter Betsy Eiserman (out of Lake Forest IL) who, unfortunately was only a very average setter at the collegiate level. Happens to a lot of recruits.

2. Lost star setter Erin Virtue ( St. Charles IL) to injury early in her senior year.

3. Recruited the VERY highly regarded Jen Hynds (6' 3" middleblocker, Mundelein IL) who retired after two years of almost constant injury.


Post by Girlfriend on Aug 21, 2006, 10:16pm

For all Illinois fans, not to worry. The program is good shape. I agree that the addition of Hambly is going to help the program and Hardin runs a first-class operation.

It was actually only two seasons ago that the Illini upset #1 USC and were ranked #9 before the untimely injury to Virtue. Last season, they also battled numerous injuries and illinesses (Hynds, Rasa, Henderson).






Post by phaedrus on Aug 28, 2006, 3:54pm

This may be redundant, but the year that Hardin and the coaching staff ha last yuear was brutal emotionally. They had three kids with either career ending injury or personal issues. It really tears at a team when you have so much upheaval in sucha short period of time. Illinois will be OK as long as they don't experience a similar year from all the dirty little extras from life


Post by Girlfriend on Aug 28, 2006, 9:44pm

The injuries started before the season opening tournament at NIU. Hynds and Griffin were already out for the season and Virsilaite had just returned from surgery for a heart murmer. The season only went downhill from there. Rasa played most of the season with a broken finger and a torn meniscus. Henderson missed eight matches with mono while Turner missed the final six matches with a fractured tibia. I think that would affect anyone's season. Credit the Illini for playing as well as they had, defeating #16 Ohio State and nearly upsetting #10 Wisconsin along the way.



P. S. Betsy Spicer was not a Kentucky recruit. She's an Illinois player, from Barrington H. S.

[fightingminime]

P. S. Betsy Spicer was not a Kentucky recruit. She's an Illinois player, from Barrington H. S.

Betsy was always going IL. Never Louisville. And Betsy was the last year of a consistent stream of Chicagoland talent. Before her . . . Mary Coleman (coach), Tracy Marshall, Sara Sorrell (Munciana actually me thinks). After that he seemed fascinated with recruiting "local" Central/Southern IL talent and kids from Louisville area rather than the hotbed areas like Chicago. The rumors about picking Missy B. over Bonnie Bremner because she was local . . . and others. Granted some panned out (like Christy Chapman) but others . . . well the philosphy that local kids bring in local fans doesn't make for a winning program. There have been a few Chicagoland years (Harks/Virtue, Bazetta/Henderson) but nothing really as big as the upcoming 2007 class (Nelson, Haen, Kump, DeBruler). Me thinks he needs to continue with this trend.

Also? Did anyone notice that they seem to have severe large and small recruiting classes? Like one year its 1 person, and then the next its 8?

AND, if we hold IL accountable because there is such a large talent pool of kiddies to pick from in the backyard, shouldn't IU also be accountable with clubs like Munciana in their backyard? Or Northwestern for that matter?

[Wolfgang]

Sorry, but I keep thinking of exploding coaches.

[Gorf]

I was thinking of coaches in the Lil Red costume.

[Deleted]

OK. So who was it that transferred to Illinois from Louisville? She was a decent player, too.

[Deleted]

likewoah's Illinois kids -- Marshall and Coleman anyhow -- were actually Hebert recruits.

I still call her likewoah. Can't make me stop.

[bigfan]

Gimmilaro. New AD Cegeles is watching.

[pogoball]

To VBCOach: Please don't insult anyone for not reading every thread on the board. I did read many of them, and I appreciate your assembling them in one place.

I may have been a bit harsh in my assessment, but it's hard to ignore the bottom line before Don Hardin: top-3 attendance in the nation, regular trips to the NCAAs, occasional Big 10 championships and final four appearances. Great peripheral support -- Full coffers. Nationally relevent.

To likesad14: the above history and consequent resources is the primary thing that differentiates Illinois from Indiana & Northwestern in volleyball. Also, as good as Indiana has been in club volleyball, it just doesn't compare to Chicago & Illinois.

To those who think Don Hardin should stay on, I ask at what point do you say that it is time to move on?

[FreeBall]

freeball said:

idahoboy said:

Personally, I think that Dave Shoji has the most fan pressure to win, mostly because he has the largest group of fans, by far.

Is the second part of this statement based on anything objective and quantifiable?

I didn't think so.

[VBCOACH]

eastivball said:

To VBCOach: Please don't insult anyone for not reading every thread on the board. I did read many of them, and I appreciate your assembling them in one place.

Sorry if I got a bit rough. I don't do my best posting at 2:45 a. m.

And it's not just you. So many posters bring up things that were answered as recently as page 2. I always just assumed that if someone was interested enough to post on a subject, they would also read other posts on that same subject.

Peace and love.

[Deleted]

So what is VBCoach talking about?

[SaltNPepper]

Pressure comes with success. Success in recruiting means higher expectations of a team and more pressure to do better. Success generally increases attendances/fan base - more fans more pressure. Successfully making the NCAA tournament every year increases the pressure to advance to the Regionals. Successfully making the Regionals on an annual basis increases the pressure to advance to the Final Four. Successfully making multiple Final Four trips increases the pressure on a coach to win a (or more) National Championship. I believe the greatest pressure on successful coaches is the pressure they put on themselves, not from the fans or the administration or other "external" forces.

Pressure is a good thing.

[fightingminime]

eastivball said:

I may have been a bit harsh in my assessment, but it's hard to ignore the bottom line before Don Hardin: top-3 attendance in the nation, regular trips to the NCAAs, occasional Big 10 championships and final four appearances. Great peripheral support -- Full coffers. Nationally relevent.

To likesad14: the above history and consequent resources is the primary thing that differentiates Illinois from Indiana & Northwestern in volleyball. Also, as good as Indiana has been in club volleyball, it just doesn't compare to Chicago & Illinois.

I know. I know. and I know. They were supposed to be philisophical questions for others to ponder. I like to think I am deep. I still think NW should be better. As should IU. Certainly better than others in the Big 11.

I couldn't remember which year would have been Hardin's first recruiting class. And I was too lazy to look.

Coleman and Marshall were 2 years ahead of Spicer . . . right?

[hoosierman]

Because I'm... well, the only one here, I will bring my own interests to the table. I have to wonder how much administration at IU cares about the volleyball program. The last time the Hoosiers made it to the tournament was 2002, losing to Texas in the fifth, in the 1st round. After that, not a whole lot. Last year, IU was 2-18 in conference. Don't get me wrong, I think Katie Weismiller is awesome, because she really is, but IU is a school that has a lot to offer, not to mention the talent that lies in close proximity for recruiting. Who knows - once the program is known as "bad," it's tough to get back up, because no one wants to go there. I just hope for Katie's sake that she has a breakout year in some sense. I also wonder if it's a program that anyone of note would actually want to rehaul.