***Larry Tidwell Becomes Lamar Ladies HC**

[KFDM COOP]

Larry Tidwell has been an Asst. Coach at TCU for the past 8 seasons.

[hoops2000]

The best hire that Lamar could have made.  Tidwell was at TCU for the past 8 years.  He is one of the big reasons that TCU has been to 6 straight NCAA Tournaments.

[KFDM COOP]

Well we'll see how he recruits locally.

[Guest baseball25]

should have got ancelot....I thought they didn't need a guys coach...ancelot would have recruited around this area really hard....

[Bobkat]

Hoops2000 how again is he the best hire for this job. Total bunch of crap if you ask me. Has this guy ever been a head coach at any level? And to answer your question Coop, he won't recruit locally. He knows nothing about the area...I'm very disappointed in Lamar right now. This guy is just using this job to climb the ladder in the coaching ranks, where as someone else, this would have been her dream job. A chance to coach at her school and I can promise you no one would have out worked her. She would have been the new fresh start that this program needed, and she would have turned things around. Not a good hire in my book!!!

[Guest Kelly Football]

Tidwell is a great coach i'm sure. But once again typical Lamar! Hire someone that has no local ties!!!!!!!! And people want football back?? Hire another person away from here and recruit away from the area!! Yup same ole Lamar!!

[KFDM COOP]

Hoops2000 how again is he the best hire for this job. Total bunch of crap if you ask me. Has this guy ever been a head coach at any level? And to answer your question Coop, he won't recruit locally. He knows nothing about the area...I'm very disappointed in Lamar right now. This guy is just using this job to climb the ladder in the coaching ranks, where as someone else, this would have been her dream job. A chance to coach at her school and I can promise you no one would have out worked her. She would have been the new fresh start that this program needed, and she would have turned things around. Not a good hire in my book!!!

I'm with ya!!

[hoops2000]

Tidwell was a head high school coach for 18 years.  Was an assistant at Baylor before going to TCU.  He knows a ton of high school coaches in Texas.  He'll recruit Texas High School players.  He isn't using Lamar as a stepping stone.  He is in in 50's.  He probably took a pay cut to come to Lamar.  Tubbs knows him and obviously likes him and respects him.  

There are alot of great players in the Golden Triangle.  I'm sure he'll go to work and try to sign some.  He'll also want to get players who can win.  Just because he recruits local players doesn't mean that the local players will want to stay home and play for the Cardinals.  If a player has a chance to go play at a Big 12 school or an SEC school, they would probably go rather than sign with Lamar.

[Guest baseball25]

I think its a crappy hire.....You need to go get the local kids they have some good talent here Gilligan the baseball coach finally realize that but it took him 20 plus years to realize there was good talent around the area....I would have thought they would have gave it to ancelot becasue it would have made southeast texas happy and she would have got the recruits around the area and also shes a hell of a coach

[KFDM COOP]

LU selects Tidwell to reign over Lady Cards

Gabriel Pruett

The Orange Leader

BEAUMONT — Larry Tidwell expects to win and that starts with next season at Lamar University.

Cardinals Athletics Director Billy Tubbs announced introduced Tidwell, formerly TCU’s assistant coach, as the new women’s basketball coach at a press conference Wednesday.

“We can win and we will win,†Tidwell said. “I am sold on Lamar University.â€

Tidwell takes over where Leonard Drake left off last season when the former coach left citing health reasons.

The Lady Cardinals went 15-17 last season and bowed out in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament against SFA, 73-65.

One of the first major tasks for Tidwell at LU is the recruiting phase, a step many feel Lamar needs to do a better job with on the local level.

“Without a doubt we need to start taking care of our own backyard,†Tidwell said. “We already lost one great player to UH and another out of Hardin-Jefferson High School. We don’t want to lose those players.â€

Tidwell could not say any players’ name due to NCAA rules but he was certainly referring to West Orange-Stark guard Brittney Scott when talking of a recruit heading to the University of Houston. Scott signed with UH early in the recruiting process.

In his eight years at TCU, Tidwell helped the Lady Frogs to 173 wins and seven straight NCAA tournament appearances. Only 20 other schools have gone to the tournament seven straight times since 2001.

Tidwell’s 2001 recruiting class at TCU was ranked as high as fourth nationally and the 2003 class was also ranked in the top 10. “At the high school level he won 78 percent of his games,†Tubbs said. “I know that is a lot because it is better than mine. I had a number of people call and recommend him for this job, five of them came inside the Big 12 conference. The network he has established is important in scheduling games and in recruiting. We got a good hire.â€

Before his time at TCU, Tidwell spent time as athletics director and head coach at Mexia High School. Prior to his time at Mexia, he spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Baylor University form 1992-98.

In all, seven of his 12 college recruiting classes have been ranked among the nation’s top 30.

The job of turning the Lady Cardinals’ program around will not be an easy one for Tidwell.

Since starting women’s baseball for the 1969-70 season, LU has experienced just 13 winning seasons. Lamar’s last winning year came in 1994 when the Lady Cardinals went 16-12.

In 1990-91, the Lady Cardinals went 29-4 and reached the Elite Eight under coach Al Barbe and were America South champions. In 1991-92, the Lady Cardinals went 21-7 under coach Liz McQuitter and won the Sun Belt Conference during the regular season but did not return to the NCAA Tournament after falling in the conference tournament.

Tidwell expressed heavily the desire to win now instead of rebuilding the Lady Cardinals’ program over the course of several years.

“When I go grocery shopping, I don’t buy green bananas,†Tidwell said. “I buy bananas you can eat right now. We are going to win and it will start next season. It is not about me, it is about the girls. These current girls will be the ones to turn this thing around. They will help me recruit. It is about these girls. I am just the bus driver, they are the ones who will make the Golden Triangle proud.

“We are going to run and play transition basketball. If you have watched Ole Miss lately, we will play their style of game. There will be a lot of traps and press and play the inside-out game. Our girls are going to hit the court running and then run off the court when we are done I assure you that.â€

[hoops2000]

Thanks for posting the article.  Sounds like he is going to reach out HARD to the local coaches for players. 

[whsalum]

LU should thank their lucky stars that a coach of this caliber would want the job.You dont work as an associate head coach on a staff like the TCU one and not know your business.Everyone thinks Ancelot would have fiiled the coffers with local players and won at the national level.While she is a great coach that wouldn't have happened.There will be some local girls who will play D1 college ball but they are few and far between.Everyone needs to check out LSU,Tenn and North Carolina this week in the tourney and you will see the talent it takes to play at that level.The resume this guy has in recruiting speaks for itself,we need to support him and let him get the ladies program back on track.There is nothing like 10,000 screaming fans in the Montagne whether it be for the men or the women.While I don't know the man personally,I think this was a very good hire.Good luck coach.Go big red.

[GoatHerder]

I think either way you went with this hiring situation could work out for all involved. I would have loved to see Sandra hired with her local ties to this area, but more than that her success as a coach! I read all this TCU hooplah about NCAA tournament appearances but who cares, do we need to be satisfied with just making the tournament? I am sorry but I will never be happy with being average and neither should Lamar!! I hope Tidwell is not using Lamar for a stepping stone, I dont know him personally so I will save judgement....I wish the best to Lamar but boy would I be more encouraged to go support with a local coach, excardinal, that would be Sandra, not Tidwell!!

[Guest summittfan]

Lamar made a great hire.  Larry Tidwell brings enthusiasum, experience and tons of recruiting experience to Lamar.  Coach Ancelot would have been a good choice also.  she is an excellent coach but the question here is, who is the BEST hire.  Tidwell's referances are unbeilevable.  Lamar is very lucky to snag him.  He has ties from Beaumont to Europe!!!  Let's get behind him and support him. 

[Guest baseball25]

nobody knows how good this guy is going to be yeah he is a good recruiter but u know what Roccaforte for lamar was a great recruiter at Memphis and now he's at lamar and there not doing that well.....there supposed to have all the studs guys and they barley make into there conf tourney..so who cares at tcu he was a great recruiter at TCU thats overated he's at lamar now and he's going to have to recruit local players to make lamar a good team thats just how it is.....yeah you can watch UNC and all those teams this weekend but everyone knows lamar will never be that good so that was dumb to even bring that up......look how many good girls and guy players around this area lamar doesn't recruit theres alot of them........

[hoops2000]

Just satisfied with making the NCAA tournament????  Lamar women's basketball has been horrible lately....in fact....horrible for a long time.  Making the NCAA tournament would be huge.

Sandra is an awesome coach.  She's done wonders at Orangefield.  And she'll continue to coach great teams because she is well organized, studies the game and is very intense. Her teams are well prepared and her kids play extremely hard.  Qualities I like in a coach.  She also has D-I assistant experience.  But when she was an assistant , none of the teams she coached made the NCAA tournament.  Tidwell has been a big part of 7...plus he was at Baylor when they got the the championship of the NIT.  He also has an unbelievable won/loss record as a head high school coach.

 

[hoops2000]

What makes you think hiring a local coach will result in getting local player to stay home????  I'm sure there are alot of local players who wouldn't go to Lamar regardless of who the coach is.

[Guest baseball25]

Yeah look when roccaforte at memphis they went to the tourney all the dang time and look at tubbs he was one of the best coachest ever and they still couldn't win....theres alot of good ass coaches out ther but they might not be a good head coach......lamar needed a woman's coach change it up do something different.....Ancelot is a young hungry coach and could have put lamar on the map...only reason they hired tidwell was becasue of tubbs thats the only damn reason....just like Texas A&M corpus christi coach Ronnie Arrow wanted to come to lamar when tubbs resigned but tubbs wanted to give it to roccaforte when Arrow is a hell of a coach.....

[Guest baseball25]

everyone  loves ancelot and everyone loves how she coaches.......you would have got courtney wilson, chelsea pickering, the player from WOS and Brandi fowler from silsbee......thats  4 good players right there and plus the other players she would have recruited.....your telling me if Boutte was the coach at lamar the people around this area wouldnt go to lamar.......heck yeah they would go to lamar and there are some great players around this area......

[hoops2000]

WAKE UP!!!!  We're trying to get Lamar's program built up.  Lamar can't compete with any school in the Big 12 or most in Conference USA.  If a player has a chance to stay at home and play at Lamar in front of 500 fans or go play at Iowa State in front of 5,000 fans plus a TV audience...what will most do???  Again...I say MOST!!!  Not all.  Some local kids would want to stay at home and be a part of rebuilding the program to national promience...but MOST would go.  And it takes $$$$ to build a BIGTIME program.  Lamar has more than most in the Southland Conference...but their salaries and budget can't compare with any in the Big 12, Mountain West or Conference USA.  I'm sure Tidwell took a paycut to come to Lamar.

[Guest summittfan]

baseball 25.......what are you thinking???  you are so near sidied when it comes to hiring Ancelot and recruiting local players.  First of all, your comment about not every being as good as N. Carolina, or Tenn., etc....HELLO!  Isn't that what Division 1 teams are striving for???  Have you forgotten that Lamatr was once IN that elite 8???  I, for one, want to see Lamar big time.  Making the tournament is the first step but we shouldn't just be satisfied with that.  You can not realistically believe you can take a bunch of local talent and make the tournament.  While there are some good players in this area, you could not put a team together to compete at that level.  Thank God Billy did the hiring!!!

[Guest Kelly Football]

Maybe not but the need to recruit more locally. If and when they get football you can't sit here and tell me there's not enough local kids to play football at Lamar and be a good team. BS!! From 1A to 5A in SE Texas there are kids that are good and don't get to play anywhere after High school. There are plenty of kids LOCALLY that would make a good Lamar football team.

[Guest summittfan]

who is talking a football?  We are talking about the new Lamar Women's basketball coach.  I would LOVE to see some local players on the roster, and I believe that will happen.  I just don't think you can use the majority of your scholarships for local players and expect to compete on that level.  And I agree with hoops2000, who says they would even go to Lamar?  I believe Tidwell is going to make this program appealing to our local kids.  Success breads success.  Give him some time.  I believe his intention, as would be any good coach, is to mesh local talent with good players, regardless where they are from.  The man knows recruiting.  If there is a local player that he feels can get him where the program needs to go, he will recruit them.  Coach Ancelot would do the same.  she is a good coach.  she knows talent. I can't help but think that she would not be filling her roster with local players and expect to compete with the BIG DOGS!

[Guest baseball25]

Did i say they need to use all there money to get local kids no i did not say that.............i said they need to pursue the local players you don't need to fork out alot of money to get the local players around here they already will be living and eating at home so that saves lamar money right there...all i'm saying is you got atleast 10 girls around this area that could help lamar out and if you get 5 of those girls thats a big help....I know you got to get players from other states thats common sense but you got 1 girl on the roster from last years team from this area that is horrrrible......I am not saying make the whole roster southeast texas that would be dumb but damn go get the players around this area.....

[whsalum]

After Coach Tidwell get's his club together he has educate the fans.It's clear you don't have a clue.10 local girls make a good high school team,not a D1 contender.