Jason Capel... should he stay or should he go?

[Maddog1956]

Hello I'm new to the list and not a big ASU Bball fan (don't know if they have any at this point), but thought I'd make a few comments.

I don't know Mr. Capel at all but it does seem like he's been there long enough to get some players and teach them to play. Looking at the stat's for the past years it doesn't look like he inherited a bad team and made them better it looks like he took a fair/good team and made them worst.

2013 12-15
2012 13-18
2011 16-15
2010 24-13
2009 13-18
2007 18-13

I know stat's don't show everything, but for whatever reason I don't see improvement.
I was at WCU for the App game and I never seen a team play so bad! And come on only 47 points against ECU? The coach is responsible for the players good and bad.

Also do need to even mention "the worst foul shot ever"? Every one can say, that could happen to anyone, but it does make you doubt his recruiting. Last I looked about 11 million people that watched the video. Yeah it's only about pride, but pride is what gets people to the game. I've heard AppStates name on ESPN twice, one for the win at M and the other is when they showed the foul heard around the world.

Should he stay? From the looks of it things are going downhill, if we have another 13-18 (or worst) season who can they recruit the next year and who could we replace him with. Remember who he recruits this year will affect us for several more.

Terms of the contract are important I wouldn't go broke over it, but I wouldn't lose players or another coach over it either.

I know there isn't any guaranty, but a coach lives by his wins and he doesn't have many.

BTW, love the forum!

[Appalachman]

I too am torn, but the best rationale I have seen for another year for Capel is the FBS decision. If a decision comes quick, then this year is the time Capel has good recruits coming, especially for the performance that has been produced under his reign. Are we going to be able to hire a better coach, possibly have larger athletic budget and more to pay a b-ball coach if and when we are invited to move up? I think so, if we wait a year and it probably won't be a pretty one - the job may be more desirable from a double comp stand point (compensation and competition) to coaching canidates. The sunbelt is no power basketball conference but is a litte ahead of the socon. The MAC and even CAA are also better in the RPI.

[AppinVA]

It's time.

[goapps93]

Take this for what it's worth.

Coach K's first 3 years at Duke* - 17-13
10-17
11-17
38-47


Capel's first 3 years at APP - 16-15
13-18
12-15**
42-48
*Coach K had winning overall record at Army
**season in progress


Though not completely comparative there's not too big a difference. I'm not saying Capel is the next Coach K but I think some of us do have way high expectations. I agree with the earlier post that Capel needs to bring in an experienced, competent assistant. I'm not sure we need to give up on his yet. I would love to see us doing better but who knows what he may turn into. Having said that I would not be terribly upset if he was replaced either. Either way I think it'll be better next year but that could be hindered with a coaching change. We're not a good position right now either way. I think I'd rather see us ride the Capel colt another year and see what he grows into.

[Appersrule]

This thread is a joke. This should not be a serious question. This league is the worst in division 1 basketball and with the name recognition of App State and our facilities we should not be this bad. Everyone is giving the SoCon as a basketball league too much credit. Outside Davidson & CofC, im not sure anyone in our league could win the SAC.

Capel has to go at the end of this season or next year will be an even bigger joke than this one. We might have an ok recruiting class, but if you can't develop them or put them in situations to win, whats the point.

[appgrouch]

Take this for what it's worth.

Coach K's first 3 years at Duke* - 17-13
10-17
11-17
38-47


Capel's first 3 years at APP - 16-15
13-18
12-15**
32-48
*Coach K had winning overall record at Army
**season in progress


Though not completely comparative there's not too big a difference.

K spent one season under Bob Knight @ Indiana
then 5 seasons at Army (Alma Matter) 73-59 and a NIT Birth
and was a Team USA assistant in 1979

Capel 1 season as assist to Buzz Peterson .

[ASU2416]

Completely being a word I will not say on here but 16, 13, and 12 adds up to 32? I get your point and you have to look at appgrouch's points, too. Can't give those points and say there isn't much of a difference. There is a difference, a big difference that IMO is Capel's biggest problem. Experience.

I'm too torn over the issue, but I will say this. I will support Appalachian State basketball all my life. I will support Jason Capel as our University's head basketball coach, and if a decision is made to replace him, I will support that too. As a student I have zero impact on the process anyway, but I will support whatever decision is made. However, at this point I wish we wouldn't talk about it as we are. People are unhappy and there is certainly a right to be. Let's still support this team through the final weeks. I hope to see people in the Holmes Center the 2nd half of next week to support the Apps and honor our two Seniors.

[Goapps15]

Another point to be made. Capel really only has a handful of players who bust their behinds for him. They are Healy, Baskin, Obacha, etc. We come out after Baskin's 3/4 court heave to tie the game at the half, and turn the ball over 4 times in a row en route to a 10-0 Citadel run. Mike Neal in particular looked disinterested at times, especially during this run. If you cannot come out hair on fire after something like that happening in your favor then I do not know what will make you.

It is very concerning that the guys just do not have the fire for the game and heart throughout the roster. It is not all a coaching problem but they certainly will catch the brunt of the blame for this. We will finish #6 or #7 maybe win a game in the tourney and get knocked out early again.

[Maddog1956]

I do think Experience and Record is important and currently he doesn't seem to have either. Not saying he can't become a good coach and that one day we wouldn't wish we had him back, but on the other hand there is nothing to say that he wouldn't leave at just the point he becomes good.

I'm not sure about this about plucking coaches without experience and thinking "Oh they should make a great head coach". A head coach is someone that has a record of winning (and not as a player). They take teams and make them better not worst. They have a record of recruiting good players. They already of connections with schools they recruit from.

I see nothing in Capel record that seem to indicate that he was or will be a good coach other then he was an assistant coach. Assistant coaches are usually good at something (hopefully) but it may be scheduling, paperwork, shooting skills, defense, etc but not making great teams.

I would much rather find a coach with a winning record that wants to move, even if he is from a small college. Kind of what uncw did with Peterson. He was a proven winner at App and they hired him.

This whole thing really has me second guessing Cobb's abilities. The way he fumbled Coach Moore retirement, the FBS/CUSA issue, hiring a head coach that just happened to be there, and providing almost no communications on anything, show just a lack of effort/knowledge, etc.

[MAD Doctor]

Let the facts be submitted to a candid world:

1. 22 point home loss to High Point
2. 35 point home loss to Davidson
3. Late season home loss to the Citadel, likely the worst D1 team in the country.
4. Another loss to Western, highlighted on ESPN and you tube for the foul shot heard round the world.
5. Blown out by the Campbell Camels

This is the 2012-13 body of work thus far. Thank God for Montreat, Milligan, Presbyterian, and MPTCW (or whoever that was). Yes, we split with a few conference teams, but look at their overall records.

It wasn't that long ago I remember driving up to Davidson to see APPs tailgating and a loud group of mountaineer fans taking over the gym in the final seconds chanting ASU after beating the Wildcats AND Stef Curry. Compare that with today, and you see how far we have fallen under Capel.

I also support ASU Basketball, and that is why I say "It's time."

[Gonzo]

Let the facts be submitted to a candid world:

1. 22 point home loss to High Point
2. 35 point home loss to Davidson
3. Late season home loss to the Citadel, likely the worst D1 team in the country.
4. Another loss to Western, highlighted on ESPN and you tube for the foul shot heard round the world.
5. Blown out by the Campbell Camels

This is the 2012-13 body of work thus far. Thank God for Montreat, Milligan, Presbyterian, and MPTCW (or whoever that was). Yes, we split with a few conference teams, but look at their overall records.

It wasn't that long ago I remember driving up to Davidson to see APPs tailgating and a loud group of mountaineer fans taking over the gym in the final seconds chanting ASU after beating the Wildcats AND Stef Curry. Compare that with today, and you see how far we have fallen under Capel.

I also support ASU Basketball, and that is why I say "It's time."

6. Almost ten different games when we blew large leads at the end.
7. Consistently laking any sort of set play or offensive strategy.
8. Consistently laking any sort of set play or defensive strategy.
9. The utter inability to break a full court press, game after game, after game.

[GlassOnion]

The embarrassment is enough to warrant a change IMO. I feel like if no change is made, its pretty much making the statement that we dont care about basketball.

[skjellyfetti]

Anyone know how much the buyout would be?

[firemoose]

What happened to me today is indicative of how bad this has gotten.

I had to go to the a doctor in Winston Salem (Baptist) for my knee today. I wore an App sweatshirt. Before I could hobble my way from the parking deck to the office the questions and comments started. I received several talking about our good recruiting class and our great football program. But I also had many comments about our basketball program. I was asked about the free throw, asked about why we can't put people in the stands, and three people said we should be ashamed to lose a game to the Citadel, one of the worst programs in the country. People asked me what I thought App was going to do. And the worse part was I had no answer. The only thing I could think to say was that we've messed up (screwed up) with regards to our basketball program for many years now and we are paying a steep price for those collective screwups.

I started thinking about it and there are too many to list. Mistakes have been made by this administration and they go back through several more AD's. If you take a close look at our history it's taken years to get to this point and, save the FBS move up giving us a fresh starting point, it could take us years to bring it back around. Considering, for most universities, that men's basketball is second only to football in importance, or the other way around for some but still the top two, we sure haven't done very much to treat it that way. We are now at the point that something major has to be done instead of having the luxury to make some smaller changes to bring the program back up. What are we going to do? Who the hell knows. But the fact is that Appalachian State Men's Basketball is an embarrassment and it's going to take some major effort to correct it. Whether we do or not remains to be seen.

[T-Dog]

Anyone know how much the buyout would be?

150K after this season ends.

http://chancellor.appstate.edu/sites/ch ... inutes.pdf

[hapapp]

I would much rather find a coach with a winning record that wants to move, even if he is from a small college. Kind of what uncw did with Peterson. He was a proven winner at App and they hired him.

How did that work out for them?

[Maddog1956]

I think it worked fairly good for them considering where they were.

Benny Moss 41-74
Brooks Lee 2-8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNC_Wilmin ... basketball

[Seattleapp]

Why are we even discussing this? I want someone to give me a real reason as to why we should keep Capel for another year besides the pathetic feeling sorry for him excuse. Look, either we want to win or not. Capel has no business being a head coach on this level at this stage of his career. We have not gotten better as a team in either year he's been coaching. This nonsense that an incoming class will suddenly make him a good coach is laughable. We get crushed by Davidson. Ok they are a better team, but then we lose at home to a 6 win team at home when the wins matter the most. So what does that make us?

[asu24]

It's so sad for APP players and fans to be in this situation. Maybe Capel and Cobb should both go. Ray Charles could see what a stupid dumb ass hire this was. We are not progressing or building the program. We are just sitting here spinning our wheels. The whole situation is unbelievable and is so stupid, stupid, stupid.

[hapapp]

I think it worked fairly good for them considering where they were.

Benny Moss 41-74
Brooks Lee 2-8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNC_Wilmin ... basketball

His record is worse than Capel's. They have finished 7th and 8th in conference play. They are currently 8th in conference play and BP is now 20 games under .500 since he arrived at UNCW.