Does anyone remember why Mizzou Athletic Director Mike Alden fired head football coach Larry Smith? Remember Smith leading the Tigers to their first winning season in over 10 years? He led them to two bowl games. He led them to their first bowl win in almost 20 years. And then he lost the Homecoming game in 2000 to Kansas. He was fired at the end of the season. Many felt like Alden used losing to KU as an excuse to fire Smith so that he could hire his own man, Gary Pinkel. Smith may have only won 26 games in his five years here, but his predecessor Bob Stull only managed 15 wins in five years. In fact, he won more games than the previous two coaches. Prior to coming to Missouri, Smith was the head coach of the USC Trojans and led them to a victory in the Rose Bowl. That's not a bad resume. Gary Pinkel has accumulated only 22 wins in his five years here. If MU wins against Colorado, K-State, Baylor, and a bowl opponent he will only manage to tie Larry Smith statistically. He has never won a bowl game, much less the Grandaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl. So, to be fair to Coach Smith and the Mizzou fans, if Gary Pinkel loses one more game this year he should be fired. Pinkel's teams have lost three straight years to archrival Kansas. That is enough of an excuse to get rid of him. The following link is to a story that sums up the MU-KU story nicely. http://http://www.810whb.com/scripts/archives/getStory.asp?article=11160 Its hard to find a less inventive offense than Gary Pinkel's. Yes, he has won against Nebraska twice, but if you watched those games you know that Brad Smith played two of the greatest games in Mizzou history to win those games. Little credit can go to Pinkel for calling "Quarterback Scramble" 50 times a game.
As far as basketball is concerned, this will be the 100th year of MU hoops. Let the celebration begin. It will be another nightmare year for Coach Snyder. He has a team of nobodys, lingering effects from being placed on NCAA probation for rules violations, and a knack for missing the NCAA Tournement. As soon as this season is over, he will be fired. Alden forced legendary coach Norm Stewart out in order to bring in his own man. That strategy just doesn't seem to be working for the athletic director. If the MU Board of Curators is interested in improving the althletic department while raising ticket prices, parking pass prices, and tuition every year, then they will have to make a radical change. Mike Alden will have to pack his bags while helping Pinkel and Snyder pack theirs, too. Winning isn't everything, but when it costs more each year to attend the University and watch Mizzou sports, AND the University is in the middle of a fund-raising initiative to raise ONE BILLION DOLLARS from private contributions to improve the school, is it too much to ask for a winning program with real leadership?
1 comment:
Nobody got a more raw deal than Norm. For all his warts he love MU basketball. Hell, he was, is, and always will be Mizzou basketball. His sometimes self-defeating defiance is typical of many Missourians that I know. Here's what we need: Fire the Q and bring back Kim Anderson. That will get the Tiggers Hoops headed in the right direction.
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