Billy Jones Fired

[asu66]

Well, I pretty much called this one a couple of weeks ago; only I thought the announcement--if it was coming--would have been made after a confab season review last Monday. I missed it by a week and a day.

Here's the bottom line for BillyJ and DougG to discuss in their post-season review. Like next Monday. Appalachian has had 12 head baseball coaches since the program's start in 1955. Those 12 coaches have a combined winning percentage of .507. That WP includes the four-season record of Billy Jones--to date (5.19.2016).

Coach Jones, to date, has a winning percentage of .389 on a combined four-season record of 83-130. By any measure, he's red-lined our program into a downward tailspin. A three-game sweep of Longwood to close the season on an up-note would be nice, but would do little for his WP or to brighten his future as the HC at App State. Truly, his days are numbered. He might get one more season or Gillin might decide to make a change and get the program going in a more positive direction now. It should be an interesting weekend.

This is not good publicity for the athletic department, but I feel pretty strongly that DGillin made the right decision. He decided that it was unlikely that Jones could stop the bleeding and get the train turned around. Gillin's cutting App's losses and setting a new and more positive direction for Mountaineer Baseball. I support the decision 100%.

I hope the new head coach will consider keeping our "new" pitching coach, Justin Aspergren. Our pitching improved noticeably after this guy came in from California after the season started. He's got a lot of good experience behind him. Might be a good move to try to keep him for another season.

[appfanjj]

To anyone who says we can't get quality players to come to App, we came close to making a super regional just several years ago. Plenty of quality on that team and several others in that time frame. Those were years when you went to Columbia, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Clemson, etc. and expected to win. It's all about the coach. I Went to the App - Wake game in Charlotte and most of our players were from small NC high schools in small towns. That's probably not going to make you competitive. Not dissing the players, just saying we need to be able to recruit on a bigger footprint. I think we can become a good baseball program again with the right coach in place.

[Appersrule]

Jack Leggett - Former Clemson coach should also be considered.

[Blackandgold]

To anyone who says we can't get quality players to come to App, we came close to making a super regional just several years ago. Plenty of quality on that team and several others in that time frame. Those were years when you went to Columbia, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Clemson, etc. and expected to win. It's all about the coach. I Went to the App - Wake game in Charlotte and most of our players were from small NC high schools in small towns. That's probably not going to make you competitive. Not dissing the players, just saying we need to be able to recruit on a bigger footprint. I think we can become a good baseball program again with the right coach in place.

A large majority of Pollard's kids were from nc. Half country boys, and half city boys. City, country... Doesn't matter. Nc is talent rich in baseball. Pollard was a magician in getting them to app.

2012 had 3 pitchers drafted. All 3 from small towns in WNC.

The right coach will get the good kids from nc back to app.

[AppinVA]

To anyone who says we can't get quality players to come to App, we came close to making a super regional just several years ago. Plenty of quality on that team and several others in that time frame. Those were years when you went to Columbia, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Clemson, etc. and expected to win. It's all about the coach. I Went to the App - Wake game in Charlotte and most of our players were from small NC high schools in small towns. That's probably not going to make you competitive. Not dissing the players, just saying we need to be able to recruit on a bigger footprint. I think we can become a good baseball program again with the right coach in place.

That's a broad brush, but I'll counter with one, myself. Most of the better baseball players I've known were country boys that wanted to do nothing but play "bawl".

[JTApps1]

I would like to see us go after someone with head coaching experience. Pollard had a good resume in D2 at Pfeiffer which meant he had a lot of contacts in the state. Lets find a good young coach thats had to make all of the in game decisions needed to win games.

[moehler]

Leggett would be an interesting choice, knows the area as former coach at WCU, and he did a great job at Clemson for a long time. I just wonder if he has any energy left to rebuild our program.

[MDaniels84]

If we want to go D2 route again for a coach, Jim Gant at Catawba is in his 40's and has a record of over 675 wins vs 320 losses .

[Rekdiver]

Now that we've stepped up in competition by joining the SunBelt (vs SoCon) if I'm a good coach I want to see what the commitment is to baseball. Part of my job security is the support (financial and moral) from the AD not just a bigger salary that I'm making elsewhere.

[bigdaddyg]

I don't think we have to go after a "big name". Other than a very small number of people, does anyone really know "big names"? I think the beauty of baseball is that really good players go to smaller schools and can go from those schools to the majors. Those schools can have really smart baseball guys. I agree with a few others. We strung together some really good seasons in the SOCON with obvious talent. We came really close to a Super Regional. We were just shy on pitching to advance. I think a lot of folks would be happy with a competitive Sunbelt team that can win 30-40 games per year and can challenge for a CWS bid regularly. I am around tons of baseball in the eastern part of the state and I agree, NC is loaded with talent year after year.

On a side note I am curious. How much in the way of scholarship money does App give out for baseball? I have heard that in general there isn't much $ for baseball as compared to football and basketball. I'm sure that the larger programs are different of course but how does App stack up?

[asu66]

If we want to go D2 route again for a coach, Jim Gant at Catawba is in his 40's and has a record of over 675 wins vs 320 losses .

Jim Gantt would be an excellent finalist to go with two or three other crackerjack choices. He has a .664 winning percentage as head coach at Catawba and former manager of the Rowan County American Legion team.

There are problems in trying to lure him away. I checked him out with some of my family and friends back home in Salisbury. He's never worked anywhere but at Catawba. Even when he was working with the always highly successful Rowan Legion post nine, his team was playing right outside his office at Catawba's Newman Park. This is a fellow who grew up in Newton-Conover and got recruited to Catawba. He played there for four years; was named to the baseball staff upon graduation and worked seven yeas as an assistant before being named head coach 20 years ago. He was named to the American Legion Hall of Fame a few years back and to the Catawba Athletics HOF last year.

Gantt's wife is a former HC of the Catawba Field Hockey program and presently serves as an assistant coach with Catawba Softball--handling pitchers plus strength and conditioning. She's also the managing owner of a private performance gym in Salisbury. She has an earned MA in Exercise Science from ASU. She is a former Catawba Female Athlete of the Year and was an all-conference player in two sports.

The Gantts have one child, a daughter, who is still in grade school.

This still young couple would be mighty hard to lure away from Salisbury. I could, however, easily imagine a bright future for both of them at ASU. Right this minute, both seem to be happily married to each other, to Catawba and to Rowan County.

Jim Gantt... http://gocatawbaindians.com/profile.asp?playerID=1

Adrian Gantt... http://www.salisburyep.com/staff

Perhaps if this info could find its way to our search committee, they'd put Gantt on their shopping list. It would need to be passed along by someone who knows them pretty well--I mean J.Reeder and T.Heustess. I really don't know them.

[Blackandgold]

I don't think we have to go after a "big name". Other than a very small number of people, does anyone really know "big names"? I think the beauty of baseball is that really good players go to smaller schools and can go from those schools to the majors. Those schools can have really smart baseball guys. I agree with a few others. We strung together some really good seasons in the SOCON with obvious talent. We came really close to a Super Regional. We were just shy on pitching to advance. I think a lot of folks would be happy with a competitive Sunbelt team that can win 30-40 games per year and can challenge for a CWS bid regularly. I am around tons of baseball in the eastern part of the state and I agree, NC is loaded with talent year after year.

On a side note I am curious. How much in the way of scholarship money does App give out for baseball? I have heard that in general there isn't much $ for baseball as compared to football and basketball. I'm sure that the larger programs are different of course but how does App stack up?

Larger programs aren't different than app.

Fully funded d-1 schools get 11.7 scholarships. That includes usc, Clemson, nc state, app, western etc.

Baseball players in general are getting screwed on schollys compared to football and basketball.

I hope baseball one day goes to 25 schollys

[Blackandgold]

I don't think we have to go after a "big name". Other than a very small number of people, does anyone really know "big names"? I think the beauty of baseball is that really good players go to smaller schools and can go from those schools to the majors. Those schools can have really smart baseball guys. I agree with a few others. We strung together some really good seasons in the SOCON with obvious talent. We came really close to a Super Regional. We were just shy on pitching to advance. I think a lot of folks would be happy with a competitive Sunbelt team that can win 30-40 games per year and can challenge for a CWS bid regularly. I am around tons of baseball in the eastern part of the state and I agree, NC is loaded with talent year after year.

On a side note I am curious. How much in the way of scholarship money does App give out for baseball? I have heard that in general there isn't much $ for baseball as compared to football and basketball. I'm sure that the larger programs are different of course but how does App stack up?

Larger programs aren't different than app.

Fully funded d-1 schools get 11.7 scholarships. That includes usc, Clemson, nc state, app, western etc.

That's why public universities usually has the best teams. They can offer 50% to a middle class kid, and his family can make it work. Seems the majority of really solid baseball players are middle class. Most parents can afford 6k a year.

Baseball players in general are getting screwed on schollys compared to football and basketball.

I hope baseball one day goes to 25 schollys

[JTApps1]

I don't think we have to go after a "big name". Other than a very small number of people, does anyone really know "big names"? I think the beauty of baseball is that really good players go to smaller schools and can go from those schools to the majors. Those schools can have really smart baseball guys. I agree with a few others. We strung together some really good seasons in the SOCON with obvious talent. We came really close to a Super Regional. We were just shy on pitching to advance. I think a lot of folks would be happy with a competitive Sunbelt team that can win 30-40 games per year and can challenge for a CWS bid regularly. I am around tons of baseball in the eastern part of the state and I agree, NC is loaded with talent year after year.

On a side note I am curious. How much in the way of scholarship money does App give out for baseball? I have heard that in general there isn't much $ for baseball as compared to football and basketball. I'm sure that the larger programs are different of course but how does App stack up?

Larger programs aren't different than app.

Fully funded d-1 schools get 11.7 scholarships. That includes usc, Clemson, nc state, app, western etc.

Baseball players in general are getting screwed on schollys compared to football and basketball.

I hope baseball one day goes to 25 schollys

Correct, and I'm pretty sure we fund the max allowed. This is why college baseball has some many teams that can compete each year.

[Blackandgold]

I don't think we have to go after a "big name". Other than a very small number of people, does anyone really know "big names"? I think the beauty of baseball is that really good players go to smaller schools and can go from those schools to the majors. Those schools can have really smart baseball guys. I agree with a few others. We strung together some really good seasons in the SOCON with obvious talent. We came really close to a Super Regional. We were just shy on pitching to advance. I think a lot of folks would be happy with a competitive Sunbelt team that can win 30-40 games per year and can challenge for a CWS bid regularly. I am around tons of baseball in the eastern part of the state and I agree, NC is loaded with talent year after year.

On a side note I am curious. How much in the way of scholarship money does App give out for baseball? I have heard that in general there isn't much $ for baseball as compared to football and basketball. I'm sure that the larger programs are different of course but how does App stack up?

Larger programs aren't different than app.

Fully funded d-1 schools get 11.7 scholarships. That includes usc, Clemson, nc state, app, western etc.

Baseball players in general are getting screwed on schollys compared to football and basketball.

I hope baseball one day goes to 25 schollys

Correct, and I'm pretty sure we fund the max allowed. This is why college baseball has some many teams that can compete each year.

Correct. App is fully funded. Would be nice to get the travel roster all on tuition, room and board and meals. Like the other sports do.

[Saint3333]

I hope baseball one day goes to 25 schollys

From a scholar athlete perspective I agree, but that will only further widen the gap between the ACC, SEC, PAC 12, and everyone else from a competitive perspective.

[huskie3]

I hope Rusty Stroupe (APP '84) HC @ Gardner-Webb is on the list. He has over 700 wins in his 14 seasons there.

[App91]

To anyone who says we can't get quality players to come to App, we came close to making a super regional just several years ago. Plenty of quality on that team and several others in that time frame. Those were years when you went to Columbia, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Clemson, etc. and expected to win. It's all about the coach. I Went to the App - Wake game in Charlotte and most of our players were from small NC high schools in small towns. That's probably not going to make you competitive. Not dissing the players, just saying we need to be able to recruit on a bigger footprint. I think we can become a good baseball program again with the right coach in place.

A large majority of Pollard's kids were from nc. Half country boys, and half city boys. City, country... Doesn't matter. Nc is talent rich in baseball. Pollard was a magician in getting them to app.

2012 had 3 pitchers drafted. All 3 from small towns in WNC.

The right coach will get the good kids from nc back to app.

Just take a look at the last couple of years of the Dirtbags roster. Lots of in state talent going to other schools and we get very little.

[AppDawg]

To anyone who says we can't get quality players to come to App, we came close to making a super regional just several years ago. Plenty of quality on that team and several others in that time frame. Those were years when you went to Columbia, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Clemson, etc. and expected to win. It's all about the coach. I Went to the App - Wake game in Charlotte and most of our players were from small NC high schools in small towns. That's probably not going to make you competitive. Not dissing the players, just saying we need to be able to recruit on a bigger footprint. I think we can become a good baseball program again with the right coach in place.

A large majority of Pollard's kids were from nc. Half country boys, and half city boys. City, country... Doesn't matter. Nc is talent rich in baseball. Pollard was a magician in getting them to app.

2012 had 3 pitchers drafted. All 3 from small towns in WNC.

The right coach will get the good kids from nc back to app.

Just take a look at the last couple of years of the Dirtbags roster. Lots of in state talent going to other schools and we get very little.

Is because BJ did not recruit the state of North Carolina. He came from out West and also is affiliated with USA baseball. He attempted to recruit nationally, while overlooking many great players in our own state.

[Blackandgold]

I hope baseball one day goes to 25 schollys

From a scholar athlete perspective I agree, but that will only further widen the gap between the ACC, SEC, PAC 12, and everyone else from a competitive perspective.

How so? Maybe you're looking at it from an angle I haven't thought about.

If everyone went from 11.7 to 25. Seems like distribution of talent would stay the same to me.