Bob West: Steve Roccaforte on shaky ground as LU head coach

[Guest coachacola]

[quote]So is it time for the eighth LU basketball coach since 1986? Fan sentiment appears to be leaning heavily in that direction, and it’s my guess Roc’s internal support at Lamar has seriously eroded. But, since [b]he’s the highest paid coach in the SLC at $135,000 per year, and there are two years left on his contract[/b], it’s doubtful Lamar can afford a $270,000 buyout.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Roc will be coaching the Cardinals next season. Two years ago he turned down a really attractive offer to join Buzz Williams’ staff at Marquette. He rejected more money to stay put because he loved being head coach at Lamar, was coming off a conference co-championship and had a solid core of returning players.[/quote]

I'm surprised he makes that much.  I bet he'll be here next year unless he gets a nice job offer to be an assistant somewhere and makes a deal with LU.

http://panews.com/sportsbobwest/x1745488515/Steve-Roccaforte-on-shaky-ground-as-LU-head-coach

[Lazeek]

Highest paid coach in the conference and he can't even make the SLC tournament!!!!!!  What a joke!!!!!

[TradinUp BH]

I think it's time for a change. Two years in a row you don't make the SLC tourny, that's horrible. He's had four years to improve the program, and I don't see any improvement. Actually it appears it's declining. Atleast we have a decent baseball team and football is coming. I like coach Roc, but it's time to go.

[HoopInsider_Cooper]

[font=Courier]Football will be bad as well. [/font]

[TradinUp BH]

[quote name="HoopInsider_Cooper" post="774312" timestamp="1268199316"]
[font=Courier]Football will be bad as well. [/font]
[/quote]

Your probably right, but I'm trying to stay positive and hopefully they'll do decent. I don't think you can say the basketball program is even doing decent.

[KFDM COOP]

They certainly have recruited some great talent!

[shorttexas1]

Football will be bad because it is its first year... Basketball never left the school!  Football will be decent and better than some think in about 3 years... But basketball really doesn't have an excuse.

[sleepy]

[quote name="shorttexas1" post="774363" timestamp="1268225743"]
Football will be bad because it is its first year... Basketball never left the school!  Football will be decent and better than some think in about 3 years... But basketball really doesn't have an excuse.
[/quote]

Exactly.  You cannot compare basketball to football right now.  Just not apples to apples.

[BLUEDOVE3]

[quote name="KFDM COOP" post="774345" timestamp="1268221257"]
They certainly have recruited some great talent!
[/quote]Oh,  you meant football! My bad!

[BLUEDOVE3]

Wow! I see Roc's die-hard supporters on the forum are wavering. It was just a matter of time.

[NorthoftheBorder]

I knew that Bob couldn't stay in hiding forever on the Roccoforte issue.  This is going to be a tough call for Tubbs.  I say wtih all the work to be done on getting football off the ground in its inaugural season, he gets another year to right the ship.  I just hope that LU can upgrade all the programs and really make a splash with foorball.  In reading this board over the last few years it is obvious we all have our own agendas and opinions about the programs and Lamar.  Hopefully, the products put on the playing fields/surfaces will make us all proud and give us something to rally around.

[BLUEDOVE3]

Roc could bail out, take his money and become someone's assistant coach. It's the most logical and safe thing thing to do. And if he leaves, will that show his lack of confidence in his recruiting and coaching abilities in the SLC?

[badndn]

[quote name="BLUEDOVE3" post="774455" timestamp="1268235925"]
Roc could bail out, [b]take his money and become someone's assistant coach[/b]. It's the most logical and safe thing thing to do. And if he leaves, will that show his lack of confidence in his recruiting and coaching abilities in the SLC?
[/quote]
If Roc bails he is owed "ZERO", Natta, Zilch!
I think he may realize that this team will not be a contender next year (could be a couple of years before they are and he doesn't have a couple of years) and that if the right offer comes along the time to jump would be now rather than wait till next year when the opportunities may be limited.

[TradinUp BH]

You know the same could be said about Gilligan. The baseball team hasn't been to NCAA postseason in a while.

[lu cards]

i forsee tubbs letting roc stay another year.if roc gets a good assistant job he may bail but i think he'll stay and try to make it work.i do know roc has a love for lamar and doesnt want to leave on these terms.im still hope he can make it happen because he would stay if he were to be successful.

[LemonGello]

I want Roc to stay as coach, but many fans on this board need to realize a few things.  The head coaching job at LU has been a revolving door for far too long.  The only way to begin some sort of consistency in the program is to stick with a coach for a prolonged period of time.  In order to have a coach like this, it must be someone who acually wants to be here for the long haul.  That is Coach Roc, a LU grad and Golden Triangle native.
Another review:  Tubbs did not win here on his return; Deane reached the tournament, but thankfully because of a conference tournament victory with a losing regular season record.  No tournament appearences before Deane dating back to Pat Foster.  Roc has had the best season here two years ago in many seasons. 
Frankly, if we keep changing coaches at the rate we have been doing, we're never going to develop consistency.  The last two seasons have been injury plagued.  A healthy Nabors, a healthy Ashton Hall (who never played) may have made a big difference with the other guys in the lineup.  That's the nature of the game.  Remember as well that LU will be in the Eastern Division next season. That's likely a conference tournament appearence regardless of who the coach is next season.  On paper, it will look good even though the East is hands down the weaker division (a good thing for LU).
If you take a look at any school or professional team in any sport, those who hire a coach and stick with him through thick and thin are the most successful because of the consistency that gets developed. 

[westendfirst]

[quote name="HoopInsider_Cooper" post="774312" timestamp="1268199316"]
[font=Courier]Football will be bad as well. [/font]
[/quote]

Well that's an intelligent comment.  Duh, really?  I thought we'd win the national championship the first year back after 21 years without a program.

[westendfirst]

[quote name="LemonGello" post="775048" timestamp="1268312495"]
I want Roc to stay as coach, but many fans on this board need to realize a few things.  The head coaching job at LU has been a revolving door for far too long.  The only way to begin some sort of consistency in the program is to stick with a coach for a prolonged period of time.  In order to have a coach like this, it must be someone who acually wants to be here for the long haul.  That is Coach Roc, a LU grad and Golden Triangle native.
Another review:  Tubbs did not win here on his return; Deane reached the tournament, but thankfully because of a conference tournament victory with a losing regular season record.  No tournament appearences before Deane dating back to Pat Foster.  Roc has had the best season here two years ago in many seasons. 
Frankly, if we keep changing coaches at the rate we have been doing, we're never going to develop consistency.  The last two seasons have been injury plagued.  A healthy Nabors, a healthy Ashton Hall (who never played) may have made a big difference with the other guys in the lineup.  That's the nature of the game.  Remember as well that LU will be in the Eastern Division next season. That's likely a conference tournament appearence regardless of who the coach is next season.  On paper, it will look good even though the East is hands down the weaker division (a good thing for LU).
If you take a look at any school or professional team in any sport, those who hire a coach and stick with him through thick and thin are the most successful because of the consistency that gets developed.   
[/quote]

I understand what you are saying but the bottom line is winning.  Please name some coaches that finished with losing records and out of their own conference tournament that a school has stuck with?  And if you can find any of those names, how has their program fared?

[LemonGello]

The point is to build a program.  Coach Roc had a very successful season two seasons that ended on a crushing note in the tournament.  The last two seasons have been injury plagued, and it would have been difficult for anybody to win. This is, at best, a mid-level program.  It takes more than three or four seasons to build a consistent program on this level.  If Roc is sent packing, how many seasons do you give his replacement?  If he has a similar record after three or four seasons under similar circumstances, should he be canned?  Does the school just continue a revolving door every four years if just minimal success is achieved?  My point: you can't build a program with that kind of mentality.

[sleepy]

[quote name="LemonGello" post="775138" timestamp="1268322552"]
The point is to build a program.  Coach Roc had a very successful season two seasons that ended on a crushing note in the tournament.  The last two seasons have been injury plagued, and it would have been difficult for anybody to win. This is, at best, a mid-level program.  It takes more than three or four seasons to build a consistent program on this level.  If Roc is sent packing, how many seasons do you give his replacement?  If he has a similar record after three or four seasons under similar circumstances, should he be canned?  Does the school just continue a revolving door every four years if just minimal success is achieved?  My point: you can't build a program with that kind of mentality.
[/quote]

I don't disagree with your post as far as giving a coach time.  I just don't think Roc is the guy. Just my opinion though.

[BLUEDOVE3]

[quote name="LemonGello" post="775138" timestamp="1268322552"]
The point is to build a program.  Coach Roc had a very successful season two seasons that ended on a crushing note in the tournament.  The last two seasons have been injury plagued, and it would have been difficult for anybody to win. This is, at best, a mid-level program.  It takes more than three or four seasons to build a consistent program on this level.  If Roc is sent packing, how many seasons do you give his replacement?  If he has a similar record after three or four seasons under similar circumstances, should he be canned?  Does the school just continue a revolving door every four years if just minimal success is achieved?  My point: you can't build a program with that kind of mentality.
[/quote]I have no problem with Roc coaching. It's the team on the floor I have a problem with and it's the coaching staff's responsibility to put out a good product (i.e. recruiting talent). Here lies the problem. We all know the best talent will go to big D1 schools. But is Lamar getting the best players with mid-level talent? I don't think so! These players are signing with other mid-level colleges.

[sleepy]

[quote name="BLUEDOVE3" post="775148" timestamp="1268323073"]
[quote author=LemonGello link=topic=67139.msg775138#msg775138 date=1268322552]
The point is to build a program.  Coach Roc had a very successful season two seasons that ended on a crushing note in the tournament.  The last two seasons have been injury plagued, and it would have been difficult for anybody to win. This is, at best, a mid-level program.  It takes more than three or four seasons to build a consistent program on this level.  If Roc is sent packing, how many seasons do you give his replacement?  If he has a similar record after three or four seasons under similar circumstances, should he be canned?  Does the school just continue a revolving door every four years if just minimal success is achieved?  My point: you can't build a program with that kind of mentality.
[/quote]I have no problem with Roc coaching. It's the team on the floor I have a problem with and it's the coaching staff's responsibility to put out a good product (i.e. recruiting talent). Here lies the problem. We all know the best talent will go to big D1 schools. But is Lamar getting the best players with mid-level talent? I don't think so! These players are signing with other mid-level colleges.
[/quote]

You are dead on with the players dove.  I mean the kid from memorial going to UTA should NEVER happen.  As far as coaching I disagree.  Don't think he is that great and never have.

[LemonGello]

Recruiting is a crap shoot.  Most of us as fans have seen some coaches recruit very well and then run into a drought.  It's easy to bring the best guys in at the big time programs, but down here at this level you are tested.  I can tell you that the guys from this last class are excellent athletes.  If you watch Milk Harris practice, you'd understand what I mean by "great athlete".  The refinement is needed, but if it happens next season will be a vast improvement.

[LemonGello]

I don't know if LU was recruiting the PG from Memorial, but I know Shaq and his dad, and I know that he wanted to attend college away from home.

[BLUEDOVE3]

[quote name="LemonGello" post="775160" timestamp="1268323676"]
Recruiting is a crap shoot.  Most of us as fans have seen some coaches recruit very well and then run into a drought.  It's easy to bring the best guys in at the big time programs, but down here at this level you are tested.  I can tell you that the guys from this last class are excellent athletes.  If you watch Milk Harris practice, you'd understand what I mean by "great athlete".  The refinement is needed, but if it happens next season will be a vast improvement.
[/quote]"Practice?" God, I hope your not a coach @ LU. I've known practice 'stars" all my life. Do everything in practice and look like superstars. As soon as the bright lights are turned on..................you figure it out! The guy has been there long enough to have a quality class year in and out.