🏀 Wendell Hudson

[Bo]

I'm putting this here since it's the Basketball Forum and it doesn't specify "Men's"

Why is Wendell Hudson still the Women's B'Ball coach?

I know he's a former player, was the first black athelete at Alabama, and was in the AD, but his teams suck.

I can remember when we were at least competitive and would go to the Tourney pretty regular.

Is it just because no one cares?

 

[psychojoe]

I am hoping that our new AD will address this issue. I certainly appreciate the many contributions Wendell has made to the U of A, but he has had five years now and his teams seem to always be evaluated as "next year we will be better". Bo, I think you and I are on the same page. We want our school to be well represented in whatever area we choose to compete.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

I touched on this on my thread about "the next AD..." I think Bo is right on all of it. It was a very, very poor hire to begin with though. God Bless Mal Moore, but it was just a lazy hire. Hopefully in the next few weeks as Battle sits down and reviews the coaches, Wendall won't make the cut. The WBB program is all but dead at this point under Hudson's guidance (even though he inherited a crap situation). It needs a big time overhaul.

A lot of speculation around here is that Madonna Thompson wants the job real bad.

 

[bamaraider]

Need a new baseball coach and womens basketball coach....

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Need a new baseball coach and womens basketball coach....

I'm not ready to give up on Gaspard yet... I want to see how this season ends up, but that too was a poor/lazy hire by Coach Moore. Problem is, we are not going to be able to attract a top established coach because of the condition of our facilities. While there is a promise from the AD to upgrade The Joe, I personally just don't see how even the most extravagant of upgrades could put that dump any higher than the bottom 1/3 of SEC baseball facilities. We have the money, we have the land, there needs to be a new stadium constructed ASAP. That will help recruiting tremendously, which would obviously improve the on-field results. I'd like to see what Gaspard could do in that scenario .. but sadly, I think our baseball team is destined for years and years of mediocrity...

 

[bamaraider]

I'm not ready to give up on Gaspard yet... I want to see how this season ends up, but that too was a poor/lazy hire by Coach Moore. Problem is, we are not going to be able to attract a top established coach because of the condition of our facilities. While there is a promise from the AD to upgrade The Joe, I personally just don't see how even the most extravagant of upgrades could put that dump any higher than the bottom 1/3 of SEC baseball facilities. We have the money, we have the land, there needs to be a new stadium constructed ASAP. That will help recruiting tremendously, which would obviously improve the on-field results. I'd like to see what Gaspard could do in that scenario .. but sadly, I think our baseball team is destined for years and years of mediocrity...

Stadium just got expanded didn't it? Wouldn't see a reason to get a new one. Alabama's baseball facilities are pretty nice IMO, not on the likes of Florida, LSU, and Arkansas, but pretty attractable.

I've given up on Mitch. He had a promising first two years, but be honest, that was just because of experience. Even when he made it, all he did was choke and get the s**t kicked out of him by Clemson. He has the talent, and a great all around player in Ben Moore, but seriously, I'm tired of the "we're young" excuse. The pitching is average at best, and if we face any team with a good 3-man rotation, we'll be shutout like nothing. We have to lead the nation for quickest 3 up and 3 downs and blown opportunities..I was listening to the UA vs SLU game yesterday and we had just gotten up to hit and they took a commercial break. I flip it for maybe 2 minutes and come back and Chris Stewart is saying "well time for Alabama's defense to step up big after that abysmal inning.."

:blah_1_many2:Anyways my rant it over now, I just think its time for Mitch and his train wreck coaching staff to go. UA used to be a solid baseball program and would contend for CWS, now we're lucky to make the CWS tournament...

 

[TheChief]

I was ready to move on with Gaspard last year. The team was fundamentally weak not to mention not very talented. I'm an impatient fan.

BUT

I've watched them three times this year (full games). They're not bad. Pitching looks better. They do things fundamentally that they weren't approaching last year. It's the little things (even as small as which foot to hit the bag when making a turn for two, catching mechanics, holding runners on and using a slide step). If I'm not mistaken they lead the league in runners caught stealing. I know they lead the SEC, and it's not entirely just the catcher doing his job. He's got help on the mound now. Their situational hitting is better. Their middle infield play is super. I can't complain too much this year. They'll make noise. I really think so. Take some time and watch them play. Their coaching appears to be fine this year.

 

[bamaraider]

Outfield play has been better. SS has been "ehh", like I said, not much help from pitching outside of Sullivan. I really like the freshman third baseman out of Spain Park, think he has progressed as the season goes on.

Main thing I am tired of seeing is no sacrificing and leaving runs on the field..Not being able to finish, and getting 3 outs too fast can really affect your pitcher as far as fatigue.

 

[TheChief]

College has sped up the game dramatically. It's almost a two hour affair now. Raider, there are lots of ways to hit situationally, sacrifices being one. Bama's hitting behind runners now. They're employing more hit and run, which if you think about it is like sacrificing with the possibility of greater rewards. The games I've seen - i.e. Auburn this lasts weekend, shortstop play was great. They had four double plays in the first five innings.

From what I've seen, and I'm not around the program on a daily basis by any means, but from what I've seen, a change of coaching in baseball would be irresponsible. I played in college, coached in high school, and I've been involved in every aspect of baseball including umpiring and broadcasting games. This team is on the right track.


Let's see what happens versus Arkansas. They're a good team, highly ranked, for real.

 

[bamaraider]

Well I'm look you and very impatient.

Oh well, maybe I'm overreacting as usual...I mean we did have a huge rule change that affected the batting, so that could be it :chargrined:

 

[TheChief]

They did hit two homeruns anyway last game. :icon_lol: I'm really looking forward to this one tonight on ESPNU.

 

[TheChief]

This thread sort of got off on baseball and not women's basketball. Sorry. I don't watch women's basketball.

 

[Bo]

To be totaly up front, I was on the fire Mitch Gaspard bandwagon last year. Now with that said, it does look like he is starting to get things turned around. So, I am now in the crowd with Porter and will wait to see how this season goes.

 

[TheChief]

Me too.

 

[bamaraider]

So yeah about Womens basketball.

 

[Bo]

So yeah about Womens basketball.

Time for Wendell to go. Or at least move back into the Admin Department.

 

[porkchop]

I touched on this on my thread about "the next AD..." I think Bo is right on all of it. It was a very, very poor hire to begin with though. God Bless Mal Moore, but it was just a lazy hire. Hopefully in the next few weeks as Battle sits down and reviews the coaches, Wendall won't make the cut. The WBB program is all but dead at this point under Hudson's guidance (even though he inherited a crap situation). It needs a big time overhaul.

A lot of speculation around here is that Madonna Thompson wants the job real bad.

Nail to head IMHO. Porter pretty much summed it up, as did Bo.

I was astounded. Or maybe, shocked, is the better word when Hudson was hired. I know Hudson took over a bad situation, but this has "Mike Shula hire" written all over it. It was a bad hire and the guy has done ZERO to turn things around. I wish that were not the case, but it is. We really need a new coach to elevate the program.

You know the really sad part of all of this? How did it all fall apart to begin with? Moody did a lot of great work at Alabama in the 80's and 90's and even got BAMA to the point of being one of the elite in the nation. Then....BOOM! It just all came to a crashing end. Not sure if Moody got lazy? If everyone else just got really good? Combination of both, or what? It's incredible.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Stadium just got expanded didn't it? Wouldn't see a reason to get a new one. Alabama's baseball facilities are pretty nice IMO, not on the likes of Florida, LSU, and Arkansas, but pretty attractable.

The only thing they have done in recent memory is renovate the clubhouse and add some aluminum bleachers and update the scoreboard. I was talking to someone the other day who has a son on the staff, and he was saying that the biggest obstacles in recruiting right now are the HOPE scholarships that several other schools (states) offer and the current state of our facilities. The HOPE thing we can't control, the facilities thing we can. The stadium/facilities are a dump by SEC standards.

 

[TheChief]

Really great pitching by Arkansas last night. They are as good as advertised and didn't even use their ace reliever. It's no wonder the Hog staff lead the nation in almost all major pitching categories. The game is funny though. Need to win the next two to get the series win.

 

[bamaraider]

The only thing they have done in recent memory is renovate the clubhouse and add some aluminum bleachers and update the scoreboard. I was talking to someone the other day who has a son on the staff, and he was saying that the biggest obstacles in recruiting right now are the HOPE scholarships that several other schools (states) offer and the current state of our facilities. The HOPE thing we can't control, the facilities thing we can. The stadium/facilities are a dump by SEC standards.

Did not know that. Hopefully Bill Battles fixes that. One thing we also can control is fan support. Other than the fact that it was drizzling, fans need to show up.