There is no real justification for keeping him (and hasn’t been for a few years) other than not wanting to invest in the program at all. Even then, you could likely do better for the same cost.
3 Likes
The program has done to me what the Texans under O’Brien did. They put such a bland, mediocre product on the field which led to me losing all interest in not only the team but the entire sport. If you would’ve told me that I’d go a handful of seasons without even going to a game I’d tell you you’re full of #%*@. Hell, I don’t even care to watch us on ESPN+.
2 Likes
From what I’ve heard and I won’t say from who, Whitt also despises Sampson and the basketball program. If he can’t find some inspiration from the best coach UH has had in years or appreciate what the basketball program has done for the University, it tells me everything I need to know about Whitt. He’s unhappy that there are expectations for our programs and would prefer to just scathe by. This guy should’ve been long gone, but he just keeps dragging our program through the mud. Hopefully Eddie has a plan to get us back to being a proud program again, under new leadership.
6 Likes
Not to sidetrack but I was told that Coach Sampson helped nail down an extension for another successful UH coach that was almost as good as gone because the previous AD was giving the runaround.
Volleyball coach??
If that’s true, then he has a terrible attitude on top of being a terrible head coach. His job security has to have an expiration date, right?
1 Like
I’ll just say you’re warm.
IMO, the new model that works for the big SEC powerhouse programs wont work for UH baseball. Raiding the portal for one year service time of random guys from all over the country does not build a cohesive unit for a local team. Our roster of ~42 comes from over a dozen different states and 3 different countries, while only six guys hail from the local Houston area. I don’t see any Katy, Woodlands, Cy Fair or Spring guys on the roster. Doesnt those areas make up one of, if not the largest, hotbeds of baseball talent in the country?
How do you build a consistent winner and recruiting pipeline? Go recruit the local powerhouse select organizations and have at least 40%-60% of your roster come from the greater Houston area and not 10-15%.
The players are literally in our backyard and were chasing guys down via the portal from all over the country. Makes no sense. Pollard will set me straight and tell me how Im wrong though.
1 Like
If you have read anything I’ve said then you know I would actually agree with you….
Nothing wrong with bringing in a few good position players and a few pitchers from the portal each year……but you are 100% correct about where the bulk of the players should come from….
But I’ve said 100 times when you burn those bridges with the top showcase coaches and you ignore talent playing right on YOUR OWN field!
You aren’t getting ANY of those kids….
Which is why as you pointed out the roster is hodge podged from all over….scraping from wherever you can……and as we know, outside of cherry picking top talent from the portal , it’s the lazy route to take.
This trend is not new….where have you been the last five years?it has gotten progressively worse.
And tell me how many guys we have taken as freshman and actually developed them into better players.
1 Like
Climie is from Katy - played at 7 Lakes. Ekness was from the Woodlands. We’ve had a smattering and declining number of area kids over the last 10 years or so.
But almost anyone local is coming back here after initially passing on the program. The reason runs the program. He used to be almost totally reliant on the Banditos for local kids, but even that pipeline is busted.
2 Likes
The halted game from 3/12 has resumed. Leading 9-6 when game was shutdown and it resumed today and SHSU immediatley scored 5 runs in the first inning of play. Down 11-9 currently.
Anyways, back on point. The roster is a mystery every year of new faces with most just happy to get scooped out of the portal and continue their career. UH coaches used to be spotted at local high school games and Baseball USA fields watching kids. How do we recruit now, watching twitter videos?
1 Like
I wonder if he really despises Sampson. Parking spaces? Resources?
He should have to park at the zoo.
The portal is going to be the way UH gets their program back to the level it needs to be. I know a lot of you want to go after the Houston kids, which I understand, but the problem is that the kids are not going to stay in the program for 3-4 years like they used to. If they aren’t playing then they are going to leave. That is why the portal is so necessary in today’s game.
The thing about the issue with Whitting not liking Sampson is not as odd as you might think. Sampson can be difficult to get along with. With that said, Whitting should look at Sampson as a coach to emulate. He is someone that turned not a lot to a top tier program in the country. Try to make that happen within your program, too. Obviously, that hadn’t come close to happening.
1 Like
Not sure if it will work but it might be worth a try to email Eddie Nunez and voice our displeasure with the baseball program. I have already sent him an email. I will post his email below.
directorofathletics@uh.edu
1 Like
The disbursement of resources.
1 Like
I’ve never been more wrong about a coach as I was about Whitting. I remember talking to him at one of those summer ‘meet the coaches’ events and thinking the program was in good hands. Pfffft.
2 Likes
You need to build a base with freshman and develop them….they aren’t all taking off after one good year.
And a new coach that has not burned all their bridges in the area can recruit those kids.
I’m on the ground level with mid and high level D-1 kids.
I know most of the top showcase coaches in the area….all it takes is a good coach that is honest, humble and willing to put in the work to re-establish the ability to get some of these kids.
Baseball recruiting can snowball very quickly if you get a couple of the top kids in the area.
I’m not going to write a thesis here because I know it’s boring to most.
But you don’t build a program solely out of portal guys.
2 Likes
We really shouldn’t need to do anything. Nunez has access to the same info we have. RPI ranks of 112/102/78/233 the last four seasons. No regional appearances since 2018. That the only success under Whitting can be attributed to Frank Anderson.
I’d feel a lot better about the guy if he’d have hired a new head coach for this season.
6 Likes
I asked about baseball and was told they really don’t care about it.