SHSU basketball: Marlin's move is right move for career

The day all Bearkat basketball fans knew would eventually come finally arrived Friday.

After 12 seasons in Huntsville, coach Bob Marlin’s tenure at Sam Houston State has come to an end. Marlin announced his resignation, and will be introduced next week as the new head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette.

I know, I know; it’s not the sexiest program in America, and certainly doesn’t have the name recognition of Auburn, Houston or UTEP — all programs Marlin’s name was connected to in the past week as the annual college-coaching carousel started to turn. At first glance, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. The Sun Belt Conference is, like the Southland, a mid-major conference, and Marlin’s most recent SHSU squad was as good, if not better, than every team in the Sun Belt this season.

As difficult as it may be to swallow, the truth is this does constitute a step forward in Marlin’s career. It was the right opportunity at the right time, and was a smart decision. Under the circumstances, it was a move he had to make.

First, and always important when anyone looks at changing jobs, is the paycheck. A significant five-figure raise can’t be brushed aside as a non-factor.

Part of it comes down to the reality of college basketball coaching. You have to make a move when the opportunity presents itself. Marlin was a hot commodity, having won his third SLC championship and taking SHSU to the NCAA Tournament for the second time. Auburn and Houston interviewed Marlin, and UTEP was interested (if you believe the internet rumors). Other programs called as well, but the first school that was smart enough to step up and offer Marlin an opportunity to advance his career was Louisiana-Lafayette.

History played a role in the decision. Marlin watched one of his mentors, Mike Vining — the only coach with more career wins in the SLC — miss his window of opportunity while coaching Louisiana-Monroe. Universally recognized in college basketball circles as a great coach, Vining didn’t leave Monroe early in his career when he had the chance, and unfortunately he got stuck.

While everyone associated with SHSU basketball is excited about next season, there is no guarantee the Bearkats will win the SLC again. As good as Marlin was over the last decade, it still took seven years to put all the pieces together again and return to the NCAA Tournament.

History also shows the Southland Conference hasn’t been fertile ground for young coaches. The SLC could more accurately be described as a coaching wasteland where dreams and careers go to die. In the past 15 years (since I started following the SLC) prior to Marlin’s move, Ron Everhart was the only head coach to move his career forward, parlaying back-to-back SLC titles in 2001-02 into a job with Northeastern (he’s now at Duquesne). Former Southeastern Louisiana coach Billy Kennedy took advantage of his 2005 tournament championship, but the best offer he got was as an assistant coach at Miami (he’s now at Murray State and led the 13th-seeded Racers to a first-round win over fourth-seeded Vanderbilt last week). Ronnie Arrow decided his best bet, after taking Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to the Big Dance in 2007, was to go back to his old job at South Alabama — in the Sun Belt.

So what makes coaching in the Sun Belt different? In the past three years, three coaches — Buzz Williams (New Orleans), Darrin Horn (Western Kentucky) and John Pelphrey (South Alabama) — have moved directly from their job at a Sun Belt program to schools in the country’s premiere conferences (Williams at Marquette, Horn at South Carolina and Pelphrey at Arkansas).

If Marlin can do in Lafayette what he’s done in Huntsville, the opportunity to coach at college basketball’s highest level with come. There’s no guarantee it will happen, but staying too much longer at SHSU might have assured that it never would.

The bitter taste Bearkat fans cant quite shake right now should not be considered a knock on Louisiana-Lafayette. When we say, “Why them? Why there?,” it’s that part in us that selfishly was hoping a higher-profile program would steal Marlin away and solidify our belief that we had been holding onto the best-kept secret in college basketball for the past decade. Congratulations to the Ragin’ Cajuns. You have a fantastic head coach, probably one better than you deserve. That’s a credit to your athletic department and administration for aiming high and recognizing one of the best in the business.

And for those of us who know him, we were hoping Marlin would get his shot on the big stage now. Instead, we will wait. If Marlin’s history is any indication, his time will come.

BEARKAT FOOTBALL: This time, Williams got his man

So here we are, standing in almost the same place Sam Houston State stood five years ago. It feels all too familiar and somewhat uncomfortable.

In December 2004, Todd Whitten’s name was the first to come out in SHSU’s search to replace the retiring Ron Randleman as the next Bearkat head football coach. We were promised it was not a “done deal.” A thorough nationwide search was held, some excellent candidates came forward, yet in the end Whitten was still determined to be the best choice.

Upon further review, the call on the field has been reversed.

Four weeks ago, Willie Fritz was one of the first names to pop up on the radar to replace Whitten. Again, there was a detailed search. Once again, some potentially exciting candidates were in the mix, yet the job has again been given to a moderately successful Division II head coach with ties to the SHSU program.

I know I’m not the only one who was thinking, “here we go again.”

I have to admit I wasn’t bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm when I learned Fritz had been named SHSU’s next football coach. I partially blame myself. It’s so easy to see the untapped potential of a new face or think about what a veteran coach with success at the FBS level might be able to do at the helm of a FCS program.

I partially blame Turner Gill. Five years ago, Gill was the hot name with no head coaching experience on his resume that was almost too good to resist. The Bearkats passed and went with Whitten. Since then, Gill has seen his career skyrocket, culminating in his recent appointment as the head coach at Kansas. Is it possible that SHSU has once again overlooked the next big thing?

I partially blame Whitten, because on paper Fritz looks a lot like SHSU’s former head coach. Despite an impressive 97-47 overall record in 13 seasons at Division II Central Missouri University, Fritz has only one conference championship, one playoff appearance and a whole lot of middle-of-the-pack conference finishes to show for his work.

The biggest knock on Whitten was his inability to win big games and beat the best teams in the Southland Conference. Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State are Division II titans and conference foes Fritz faced every year. The Mules were 5-21 against those two teams during Fritz’s tenure.

That explains the sinking feeling in my stomach.

I’ve been assured that Willy Fritz is not another Todd Whitten (keep saying it until it sinks in — Fritz is not Whitten… Fritz is not Whitten… Fritz is not Whitten…), but on paper, that’s a tough argument to sell.

Time will tell if the right decision was made. Fritz will have every opportunity to succeed as SHSU’s next head coach, and despite my initial concerns, I believe he will.

The biggest reason I believe Fritz will be successful is because Bobby Williams believes in him.

Williams does an excellent job of maintaining his poise in carrying out his executive duties as SHSU’s athletics director. But underneath the calm, cool, collected demeanor is the soul of a football coach. He hates losing, can’t sleep following defeats and, unlike the coaches who have to move on to the next game, losing eats at him for days.

Five years ago, Williams went against his instinct — the same gut feeling that moved him to hire an unknown basketball coach named Bob Marlin over the wishes of the selection committee. He hired the committee’s pick (Whitten) over his personal preference (Fritz).

It is a mistake he wasn’t going to make again.

This time, Williams was not looking to hire a coach he thought might have the ability to help SHSU to reach its full potential. He wasn’t after someone that he hoped could possibly place the Bearkats permanently in the national FCS picture. This time, Williams hired the guy he believes at his core will win at a championship level for years to come.

This time, Williams got his man, and that’s good enough for me.

BEARKAT HOOPS: Digesting the disappointment of another empty postseason

After simmering for 24 hours, I found myself parked in front of the TV tonight watching hoops with my laptop in hand and decided to see if I could make any sense of the latest postseason disappointment. I'm not sure what I learned from what I'm about to present, but it helped pass the time.

Here's what I think I now know:
• SHSU has been better than just about every team in the SLC postseason since 2000 with the exception of NW State.
• We're 1-3 in the past 3 seasons, and I think that leaves a bad taste in my mouth, the "what have you done for me lately" factor.
• Tournament play is as much about luck as it is skill; the track record of every team in the SLC supports that evidence. Even NW State for all of its impressive success has seen its season end in disappointment 8 of the past 10 years.
• All things considered, I'd damn proud to be a SHSU graduate, I still believe BM & Co. have the best program in the SLC and I'm excited about what the future holds.

Chew on this for a while, digest it and please flush when you are finished...

SLC TOURNAMENT STATISTICS (since 1999-2000 season)

SLC Tournament appearances
9 — SHSU, UTA
8 — UTSA
7 — SFA, McNeese, NW St., Texas St.
6 — SE La., Lamar
5 — UL-Monroe%
3 — Nicholls St.
2 — A&M-CC#
% — Not a member of the SLC after 2005
# — SLC member since 2007


SLC Tournament Games Played & Record (listed in order of most games played)
NW State (19) 14-5 (6 finals appearances — 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008; 2 titles — 2001, 2006)
SHSU (16) 8-8 (2 finals appearances — 2003, 2006; 1 title — 2003)
SFA (13) 7-6* (2 finals appearances)
UTSA (13) 7-6* (1 finals appearance; 1 title — 2004)
Lamar (12) 7-5 (1 finals appearance; 1 title — 2000)
McNeese (12) 6-6 (2 finals appearances — 2001, 2002; 1 title — 2002)
UTA (12) 4-8 (1 finals appearance; 1 title — 2008)
SE La. (9) 4-5 (1 finals appearance; 1 title — 2005)
Tx. St. (9) 2-7
UL-M (6) 1-5 (1 finals appearance — 2002)
A&M-CC (5) 4-1 (1 finals appearance; 1 title — 2007)
Nicholls St.(4) 1-3

* — will play Sunday in 2009 title game

Some other random facts about SHSU in the tournament…
• Record at Johnson Coliseum — 7-0
• Record at Road/Neutral site — 1-8
• Avg. margin of victory: 5.25 pts (7 wins by 6 points or less; 4 wins by 3 points or less; 1 win by 10+ points 88-70 vs. McNeese in 2005)
• Avg. margin of defeat: 11 pts (skewed by 32-points loss to SFA in 2004; 3 losses by 6 pts or less)
• 7 consecutive tournament appearances (tied most w/ UTA)
• Top 3 seed 7 times; No. 4 in 2001; lowest seed was No. 5 in 2004
• Record as favorite (higher seed) 8-4
• Record as underdog (lower seed) 0-4
• Kats are 4-0 in overtime games
• Kats are 1-4 in last 5 games

SHSU results by seed
No. 1 (2001, 2003): 3-1
No. 2 (2006, 2007) 2-2
No. 3 (2005, 2008, 2009): 2-3
No. 4 (2002): 1-1
No. 5 (2004): 0-1

SHSU results vs. opponent seed
vs. No. 1: 0-2 (L 99-82 vs. McNeese 2001 semis; L 85-87 NW St. 2006 finals)
vs. No. 2: 1-1 (W 69-66 OT vs. SFA 2003 final; L 71-62 @ SLU 2005 semis)
vs. No. 3: 1-0 (W 78-72 vs. SFA 2006 semis)
vs. No. 4: 1-1 (W 64-58 vs. McNeese 2003 semis; L 85-53 @ SFA 2004 1st round)
vs. No. 5: 1-1 (L 70-64 NW St. 2000 semis; W 103-98 2OT vs. UTA 2001 1st round)
vs. No. 6: 2-1 (W 88-70 vs. McNeese 2005 1st round; W 64-62 OT vs. McNeese 2008 1st round; L 83-74 vs. UTSA 2009 1st round)
vs. No. 7: 1-2 (W 86-64 2OT vs. UTA 2006 1st round; L 99-98 vs. Lamar 2007 1st round; L 72-66 vs. UTA 2008 semis)
vs. No. 8: 1-0 (49-48 vs. Nicholls in 2000 1st round)


SHSU result vs. opponent
vs. McNeese: 3-1
vs. UTA: 2-1
vs. SFA: 2-1
vs. Nicholls St.: 1-0
vs. NW State: 0-2
vs. UTSA: 0-1
vs. Lamar: 0-1
vs. SLU: 0-1

BEARKAT FOOTBALL: Is Whitten the right man for the job?

The fourth season of the Todd Whitten era at Sam Houston State came to a bitterly disappointing end Saturday evening. At the same time, it was a fitting end.

The 2008 season was a microcosm of Whitten’s tenure at SHSU.

— A potentially explosive offense that looked unstoppable depending upon the week, and sometimes from series to series within a game.

— A bend-but-don’t-break defense that too often snapped when it mattered most.

— An ultraconservative special teams strategy that gave up more game-changing plays than it ever tried to produce.

— An inability to win the big game, whether it was an outstanding effort that came up just short (Central Arkansas) or a disheartening no-show performance (McNeese State).

Whitten’s overall record at SHSU is 20-22, with a 13-13 mark in the SLC. Nine of those 13 conference losses and five of the wins have been by 8 points or less, including four setbacks this season. Those close calls show that more often than not, the Bearkats have fielded a competitive team under Whitten. But they also show a disturbing ability to be not quite good enough.

I’m not a statistics or polling expert, but I understand the concept of using statistical samples to prognosticate long-term trends and anticipated results. After four seasons under Whitten’s leadership, SHSU is a sub-.500 program. The Bearkats have consistently failed to beat the top programs in the Southland Conference, and have lost numerous games to teams they shouldn’t — most recently two home losses in overtime to finish the season, including a blown 21-point lead that allowed Texas State to celebrate a conference championship on the Bowers Stadium turf.

Based on those results, we have a more focused picture of what probably lies ahead for SHSU should Whitten remain the head coach. The Bearkats will continue to be a middle-of-the-pack SLC program. There’s little evidence to suggest SHSU will close the gap currently held by traditional power McNeese State and impressive newcomer Central Arkansas. We can expect a team that has some winning seasons mixed with some losing seasons depending upon the outcome of regular nail-biters against the rest of the SLC, and possibly an occasional season where everything falls into place and the Bearkats make some noise on the national landscape.

The decision to fire a head coach is never cut and dried. SHSU director of athletics Bobby Williams has numerous factors to consider. Some of them, such as on-field results are out in the open for all to see and draw their own conclusions, but many more involve issues that Joe Public will never know or fully understand.

The decision will not be easy, but the choices are clear.

If you think Whitten is capable of improving and building SHSU into a program that regularly competes for the SLC championship and national playoff appearances, keep him.

If you don't believe Whitten is the right man to lead SHSU’s program to the next level, it’s time to let him go.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Gundy's rant finally makes sense

Winning a national championship might not be enough to help Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy ever live down the, “I’m a man! I’m 40!” post-game rant he famously delivered a little more than one year ago.

But after watching his now 8th-ranked Cowboys travel to Missouri and knock off the then No. 3 Tigers last weekend, it all makes sense. What Gundy knew then, and college football fans across the country are learning this season, is OSU has a super-talented quarterback in Zac Robinson.

Personnel decisions are always tough, and the Cowboys had a quarterback controversy last season. The talented but erratic upperclassman was Bobby Reid. The young, unproven, potential superstar was Robinson.

Gundy made his choice, and today it’s obvious he made the right call. What made it so difficult, though, was that Reid was by all accounts, and in his coach’s opinion, the epitome of a student athlete. He was role model to his teammates in the classroom, graduating in less than four years. He never once found himself on the wrong side of the law. He was polite and well spoken.

Reid was also a good quarterback, but Robinson was better.

Imagine how difficult it must have been for Gundy to take the ball away from a young man he considered the most prized, high-profile recruit of his tenure in Stillwater. The decision had nothing to do with Reid, and everything to do with Robinson. It all finally made sense to me Saturday night after watching Robinson pass for 215 yards and rush for another 34, leading the Cowboys to a 28-23 victory over Mizzou.

Consider all of the above factors, and put yourself in Gundy’s shoes one year ago when he learned that a local newspaper columnist wrote a story insinuating that Reid was bench for being a sissy momma’s boy.

Reid was benched because Robinson was better and that’s all there was to it. It wasn’t an easy decision, but in hindsight, it was the right one.

During his tirade, Gundy described Reid as a kid who had “done everything right,” but that point, and almost everything else of substance he said, was overlooked because of how he said it. I’m sure, or at least I hope, that if Gundy had it to do all over again, his post-game reaction would have been handled in a more professional manner.

If Gundy and the Cowboys can continue winning, football fans will have plenty of good memories to replace a one-minute sound bite. And hopefully Gundy will become known as a good, 41-year-old coach.

BEARKAT FOOTBALL: Not-so-special kickoffs killed the Kats

If you are reading this column, it means the sun did come up Sunday morning. Despite the anguish and pure anger expressed by many over the past 24 hours, the “Chicken Little” syndrome appears to be wearing off as it becomes clear that the sky, in fact, is not falling.

Saturday night’s 48-46 loss at Central Arkansas was bitterly disappointing, but it was just one loss. In the same way that a victory over the Bears would have assured the Kats of nothing, the loss did not seal the season’s fate. In fact, with McNeese State’s surprising home loss to Texas State, the Southland Conference race is wide open now that all eight teams have played a game.

Adding to the frustration of the UCA setback was the wasted effort of an offense that complied more than 500 yards. The Kats are really, really good on offense — maybe the most balanced and potent team SHSU has put together in recent memory. Turnovers and other self-inflicted miscues have been the biggest obstacles the Kats have faced this season. With the remaining schedule, Rhett Bomar, James Aston, Justin Wells and the rest of SHSU’s playmakers should be able to score at least 35 points a game against every SLC opponent.

And none of that will matter if the Kats can’t stop the other team. Yes, SHSU’s defense gave up a lot of points against UCA. Yes, we again watched a third-and-long turn into a 60-yard touchdown (happened twice against Kansas, and proved to be the game-winner for the Bears).

But there is a bigger problem. Coaches and commentators love to say that in order to win in football a team must be good in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams.

Right now, SHSU’s special teams have not been very special. The glaring weakness that could drag this season down with it is kickoff coverage.

I don’t have a seat inside the coaches meetings, the film room or the practice field, so I don’t know where the problem starts. Is it the kicker? Is it the coverage? Is it the coaching? I don’t have an answer.

What I do know is the Bearkats are not very good at covering kickoffs. UCA’s average starting field position Saturday night was its own 46-yard line. That statistic is slightly skewed by two first-quarter fumbles deep in SHSU territory, but coach Todd Whitten and his staff were so worried about a big return they decided their best option was to kick it high and short — around the 30 — and yield a short return, or simply kick it out of bounds. Either way, UCA was starting most of its drives within a few feet of the 40-yard line.

SHSU’s defense could not be expected to contain an offense as potent as UCA’s when quarterback Nathan Brown had a short field to work with on every drive. UCA coach Clint Conque said before and after the game that he thought the kicking game would be the difference when his team faced the Kats.

He was right, and it’s safe to assume that every other coach in the SLC knows the same thing.

Saturday night, both teams scored six touchdowns and kicked two field goals, yet SHSU finished with 160 more yards on offense. Why? Because the Kats had to drive the ball 20 yards further (on average) for each of it’s eight scoring drives due to starting field position.

SHSU knew this coming week would be huge, but it’s even bigger now that both the Bearkats and Cowboys will be facing the threat of a 0-2 start in the SLC. For the first time this season, the Kats must deal with some on-field adversity and come through in a must-win situation.

Hopefully the players and coaches have the competitive spirit, drive and determination to make the necessary changes, improve their performance and get the job done rather than give up on the season as some of its most vocal “supporters” seemed to have done since Saturday night.

BEARKAT FOOTBALL: It’s not all about Bomar

The 2001 season was special for Sam Houston State, and it started on a steamy, wet night in Monroe, La. The Bearkats were opening the season against Louisiana-Monroe — a former Southland Conference rival that made the move to Division I-A — and it was a game SHSU knew it could win.

Early in the third quarter with the Kats leading, quarterback Josh McCown was moments away from taking the field. McCown had transferred to SHSU after three less-than-stellar seasons at SMU. His skills were obvious, and with a talented roster around him, the feeling within the program as the season started was one of great optimism.

But winning was going to take more than McCown. Everyone on the team would have to give their best if the Kats wanted to reach their stated goal of making the national playoffs.

And I mean everyone.

As McCown paced the sideline, he noticed one of the team managers doing his part to help the team by keeping the game balls dry. With a towel in his hand, the young man wiped off a ball, but it wasn’t good enough. McCown grabbed the towel and proceeded to show the manager what needed to be done.

“You have to get these balls dry,” McCown barked while showing the manager how to use every ounce of his muscle to rub the moisture out of the ball, not simply wipe it off the surface. “Your job is just as important as everyone else on this team,” McCown said, pointing a finger sternly toward the manager’s chest.

Fast forward seven seasons, and SHSU has another talented transfer quarterback running the show for a team that again carries playoff expectations.

Rhett Bomar is every bit as good a McCown and 2004 quarterback Dustin Long. He might be better. Before suffering a season ending knee injury in 2007, Bomar passed for 2,209 yards, rushed for 406 and accounted for 17 touchdowns in less than nine full games. Any concerns as to whether or not he has fully recovered were answered last week when he led the Bearkats to seven first-half touchdowns in a 58-14 win over East Central Oklahoma.

In Bomar, SHSU has a quarterback that is capable of leading the Kats back to the playoffs, but he can’t be expected to do it alone. If the 2008 season is going to be special, it’s going to take outstanding effort from the entire team.

A quarterback is only as good as the offensive line that protects him and the wide receivers that catch his throws. And no matter how many touchdowns and field goals the offense produces, it doesn’t matter if the defense can’t hold the opponent to fewer points.

Bomar will continue to be the focus of fans and opposing coaching staffs every week because he’s a household name, he’s an amazing talent and he plays the highest-profile position on the field.

The difference between a good season and a great season in 2008 will not be the performance of Bomar. The “X” factor is everyone else on the team.

Team managers — that means you, too.