Fire volleyball coach and hire

[smazza]

No it just shows that unlike a lot of fans, I care about all sports, not just football or basketball.  USF should not be struggling like this in vball.   We hired an inexperienced coach who is in over her head.

BTW - Interesting that hankins is at ut, I didn't know that.

It also shows that you didn't understand recent history of the program.  I'd have to say that improving the program from a 15% winning record to a 44% winning record in one season is pretty commendable.

most usf fans are very patient and dont mind waiting 5 years or more for real success

bullman3-i am with you but we are in the minority.

[smazza]

OK, like every other sport at usf, lets give the coach another year.  Several will say next year at this time when we are 14-15, that we improved and should keep the coach.  We should give a coach 3 years max to put out a winner.  Some will argue what Coach Fernadez has done, and if we had of fired him right away, look what might not have happened, but womens bball was a perrenial LOSER.  Of course it look a little longer, but the vball team was a winner for so many years, so a regression can't be tolerated.  

i admire your tenacity and perserverance

you must remember this is usf not uf,fsu or miami

[Apis Bull]

Why can't you guys understand?  We went from a 15% winning percentage to a 44% winning percentage.

Real, long term, success takes time (i.e. Jose Fernandez, Greg Schiano).

[bullman3]

I know about the success of UL's program.  They have always had a strong team.  In fact back in the early to mid 90's we were battling with them for conference titles.  Great game atmosphere.  I included UL in the long list of 0-3 shutouts we have had, including uf, who is always a top 10 team.  

I care about every sport and when we miss a conference tourny, and have had 3 losing seasons in a row under the same coach, I have to start questioning the ability of the coach and the school's expectations of that coach.

If we want to ever become a dominant player in the world of college athletics and want people around the country to call us usf, not sfu or u of southern florida, then we need to demand more from our coaches and get rid of the ones who cant produce wins.  Mediocrity and acceptance of such average teams will keep us from becoming nationally recognized.

[vballfan]

After my comments during the summer regarding Lessinger and the volleyball program were met with criticism from members of this forum, I’ve purposely kept quiet during the fall season. I thought now might be a good opportunity to express some of my thoughts as the season is quickly coming to a close. To satisfy anyone who may argue that my knowledge of USF’s volleyball program is inadequate to make appreciable observations, I have been to 95% of the team’s home games since the 1995 season.

After watching the team play this season, I have to commend Lessinger and her staff for a much better season.  The team’s level of play has improved in all facets of the game compared to last year’s team.  Following the results of this season, I think Lessinger has earned the chance to stick with the program for at least another two or three years.

However, I’m not sure if the apparent turnaround is as dramatic as their new record might suggest. First of all, I think it’s important that people understand that finishing 8th in the Big East in volleyball is nowhere near the same achievement as finishing 8th in the Big East in men’s or women’s basketball. In terms of volleyball, the Big East is one of the weaker conferences in the nation, currently ranked 13th according to the latest RPI conference poll. This year, the Big East is unlikely to receive more than two bids to the 64-team NCAA tournament. Although our Big East record has improved significantly from 1-13 to 7-7 this year, I believe that this is partly due to the fact that the conference is weaker as a whole this year (last year, the Big East was ranked 11th according to the RPI conference poll). I think the most objective way to assess the volleyball team’s improvement is to compare the team’s RPI ranking over recent years. Below is history of USF’s RPI ranking over the past decade that I obtained from the RichKern online collegiate volleyball database. I was surprised to see that our current RPI ranking is only 179, just 6 spots better than our final rank from last year. I attribute this minimal increase to the overall decline in the ranking of the Big East, as well as our relatively weak non-conference schedule. The only three wins we have against teams ranked above us are Seton Hall (141), North Florida (159), and Villanova (161). In contrast, we have losses to UCF (225), Sam Houston St. (220), Wright State (175), and Arkansas State (121).

As our RPI ranking from 1995 to 2002 illustrates, our volleyball program has fallen quite a long way from where it used to be at one point. It’s really unfortunate that it had to plummet by such an extent. I do think that Lessinger is slowly getting this program back on track. Judging from our minimal gains in the RPI poll, it’s clearly going to be a long ride, which I guess I have come to accept. It’s going to be tough for any coach to bring a team from the bottom of the RPI poll back to the NCAA tournament. It’s just frustrating that the fall had to occur in the first place.  I won't turn this thread into a tirade on the reasons behind this, but I blame this mostly on USF's unfair firing of Perri Hankins (she had even turned down several high profile head coaching positions at Big10 and Big12 schools during her tenure at USF, but her lawsuit with the school following her mysterious firing ultimately damaged her career to the extent the she was forced to take coaching jobs at FIT, VCU, and now UTampa) as well as Nancy Mueller's incompetence- take a look at her pitiful record at UIC now. Can you believe that our final RPI ranking was as high as #14 just four seasons ago?????

Now that Lessinger has managed to pull us up to the middle tier of volleyball teams in the Big East, I have a feeling that the jump to the upper tier of the conference will be much harder and will require much more effort. Next year’s recruiting class looks solid, but I don’t know if we have any real impact freshmen coming in. We are lacking a go-to outside attacker of the Michelle Collier breed that can carry us to the next level, and I think Lessinger's best chance is to recruit internationally to find a solution to this.

Final RPI ranking history for USF volleyball

Season RPI rank  Coach         Comments

1995     40          Hankins        NCAA tourney berth

1996     20         Hankins        NCAA tourney berth

1997     34          Hankins        NCAA tourney berth

1998     34          Hankins        NCAA tourney berth, Michelle Collier's first year playing on team, Hankins mysteriously fired after season

1999    135         Mueller         Collier out for season with ACL injury (notice the turnaround)

2000     26          Mueller         NCAA tourney berth, Collier playing again (amazing what one player can do)

2001     33          Mueller        

2002     14          Mueller         NCAA tourney berth, Collier's final season

2003    128         Mueller         No more Collier, Mueller quickly leaves after season, demoting herself to Illinois-Chicago

2004    192        Lessinger

2005    185         Lessinger

2006    179        Lessinger     Current RPI ranking as of Nov. 6th 2006

[tampajo]

The University never said why her contract wasn't renewed, but her time at usf was the most successful years the vball team has ever had.  Conference championships, huge crowds, ncaa appearances etc.  

Sorry Jamie, I forgot 12-15 is a welcomed record with the AD.  Mentality like that is why usf isnt winning more games in several programs.  

Big improvement over last year, I hope so.  But if you are ok with a losing record, and we lost to some pretty sorry teams (1-3 Arkansas State,and sam houston state, and shutout 0-3 to UCF, cincy, ul, uf, pitt, nd, sju, tx tech, ga tech and uconn and losses to wright state and towson-tell me where that is-), then that's your proragative, but I would like to see better results, and if a guy across town is winning games, and actually interviewed for our job, then I have to wonder about the decision making abilities of those in charge of hiring the coach.  When we keep missing the conference tournys, then I have to wonder why changes aren't being made.  

I guess if we improve to 15-15 next year that would be ok with you.  

Hey, that's the logic everyone has been espousing around here re: basketball.  Must be in the USF Handbook, I guess. I aspired higher, but what the hell do I know?

[USFCollin]

Someone who makes a lucid argument, even if it is wrong, deserves a response.

Nancy went to Chicago because that's where her family is from.  Sometimes it is that simple.  In Olympic sports, when the salary difference isn't measured by seven figures, it's often easier to move for reasons like family and location (see Lelo Prado).  

We HAVE a go-to outside attacker, Marcela Gurgel.  And every team has figured out that's the only true weapon we really have.  She needs some help!  Opponents are sending fans from their regional campuses to block her.  Student managers block her.  On the road, popcorn vendors are taking away the line.  It's insane.  The problem is we don't have a consistent middle or opposite (Fabris I think is just beat to hell with various injuries, she got 38 balls on Saturday with 10 errors to hit .000, and that's just not like her).  We need to be able to mix it up on offense to take the pressure off her.  She can use a little more vertical herself, and I think some off-season conditioning will improve that.  But she's got a monster arm you can't coach, and a great attitude as well.

The bigger problem is we can't block bigger teams.  Great digs are awesome, but forcing teams to respect the block is the only way we can improve.  If you have two hitters in the front row who have average arms and are over 6 feet, you're going to kill us if you can pass and set.  We need height that can touch high and read the game effectively.  Alli Arborgast will get better.  Nakia Williams is vastly improved, and she'll need to get even better.  Jarka Havlickova will need to get in there and take some space away.  The recruits will need to jump in there right away and start blocking.  You need height that can get up and not only stuff balls, but force them to the angles your back row is positioned.  The problem this team had is that if they gave a free ball, any opponent with a good #1 hitter could tee off on them.  Other teams O1's were putting up monster stats against us all year... and that is the hole that needs to be addressed more than any other.  

Against Villanova, we looked outstanding, and I was raving about us on the Press Pass broadcast.  But they were a team like us... not tremendous height, passes well, plays good defense.  And we blew them out of the gym.  Now we need to continue to do those defensive things, and add the ability to block at the net.  Bigger teams are going to kill us until we can match them big for big.  

From 1-13 to 7-7 (and let's face it, unless your playing for an NCAA seed, league play is what really matters) is one helluva improvement.  And I remember you VBallfan from before the season, and I said don't discount this team before they take the court.  Turns out I was right on that one.  And now I'm saying don't worry about the offense, worry about the D.  Next year, we block, we win.  

Congrats to Coach Catanach and the Spartans, as I went to their game against Rollins this year and he was honored for his 700th win.  He's got a team that could beat many D-1 teams, but we've got a coach, and a great one at that.  And as long as we continue to improve as we did this year, what else can you ask for?  

[USFCollin]

But either way, at least people are talking about volleyball, and that is always a good thing.  I fully expect everyone who's chimed in here to do so again when I put the call up for players in the team golf tournament next year!

[bullman3]

That drop in rpi is embarassing.

[bullman3]

Yet, tolerated because it is 6 pts higher then last year.