Baseball Lit has been relieved of duties
- Thread starter zappaa
- Start date
Excellent. Let’s het this one right as well Mr Hobbs!!
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Phew, it had to be done. This program needs a fresh start. Still trying to figure out why he was hired in the first place.
Some of the highest paid coaches are at schools in low tax states. Makes hiring that much harder at Rutgers. Low pay, high taxes.
Had to be done. Hobbs really does get it. Favorite certainly looks to be Cundari, but I'd like them to do a true national search like a real B1G program rather than just promoting from within once again. However I'm sure Hobbs hinted that Cundari may get the job when he hired him away from SHU two years ago
Don't know if you would ever be interested in coaching, Dale, but I think you would do a great job!
Where are you getting this? I sure as hell hope not. CLEAN HOUSE. And Hobbs did say that he will be conducting a “national search” so there’s no reason not to believe so
If the national search turns up coach like the new softball coach, Kristen Butler, we will be in good shape. We can't afford to just grab a retread, no offense to any current coach.
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It'll be Cundari. Or Duffy. Hobbs hand-picked those guys and he certainly can't have a new coach come in and overhaul the staff. No coach would ever have faith in Hobbs again.
Relieving Litt is no surprise. As much as I think he is a good gameday coach, they style of player he recruited was not up to par. When Indiana has numerous guys with the amount of home runs our entire roster had, it was time to look into how we want to do things.
We can’t recruit, we can’t pitch very well, we can’t hit, we don’t run the bases well, we’re not that great in the field either, so why on Earth would we keep any of the current staff? Also why bother to announce that you’re going to conduct a national search, and take the time and money to do so, if you’re just going to promote someone from within? Just make the announcement today so they can get things going. Makes no sense to me whatsoever.
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"Hobbs will conduct a national search for a new coach. But the Rutgers Athletics Director may not have to go very far to hire the 13th head coach in the program’s 149-year history.
Rutgers pitching coach Phil Cundari, who was appointed interim head coach, is expected to be a top candidate to replace Litterio. Cundari and Hobbs were previously together at Seton Hall and the Scarlet Knights’ pitching staff was the team’s strength for most of this season after a rough start
Cundari, a Cliffside Park native, has never been a head coach. Rutgers assistant coach Jim Duffy, a Newton native who previously served as the head coach at Manhattan, is another likely candidate.
Two other coaches with Rutgers ties who make sense as potential successors include Kean University head coach Neil Ioviero and Boston Red Sox Minor League outfield/base running coordinator Darren Fenster.
Ioviero, a Hazlet native who pitched for Rutgers in the early 1990s, has compiled a 691-297-2 (.698) record in 22 seasons, guiding the Union-based Division III program to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, six College World Series appearances and a National Championship in 2007.
Fenster was a standout Rutgers infielder in the late 1990s before serving as a top assistant under Hill for six seasons. A Middletown native, Fenster spent the past six years managing Minor League teams in the Red Sox organization.
"We are committed to hiring a head coach who will enhance the trajectory of the program, while also adhering to the strong values that exemplify Rutgers Baseball,'' Hobbs said.
."
https://www.nj.com/rutgers/2019/05/rutgers-baseball-coach-joe-litterio-will-not-return-in-2020.html
Rutgers pitching coach Phil Cundari, who was appointed interim head coach, is expected to be a top candidate to replace Litterio. Cundari and Hobbs were previously together at Seton Hall and the Scarlet Knights’ pitching staff was the team’s strength for most of this season after a rough start
Cundari, a Cliffside Park native, has never been a head coach. Rutgers assistant coach Jim Duffy, a Newton native who previously served as the head coach at Manhattan, is another likely candidate.
Two other coaches with Rutgers ties who make sense as potential successors include Kean University head coach Neil Ioviero and Boston Red Sox Minor League outfield/base running coordinator Darren Fenster.
Ioviero, a Hazlet native who pitched for Rutgers in the early 1990s, has compiled a 691-297-2 (.698) record in 22 seasons, guiding the Union-based Division III program to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, six College World Series appearances and a National Championship in 2007.
Fenster was a standout Rutgers infielder in the late 1990s before serving as a top assistant under Hill for six seasons. A Middletown native, Fenster spent the past six years managing Minor League teams in the Red Sox organization.
"We are committed to hiring a head coach who will enhance the trajectory of the program, while also adhering to the strong values that exemplify Rutgers Baseball,'' Hobbs said.
."
https://www.nj.com/rutgers/2019/05/rutgers-baseball-coach-joe-litterio-will-not-return-in-2020.html
I’d be an excellent volunteer coach, to old for the real thing
Hire either a) a proven winner as a HC or b) a hot commodity assistant from a successful program.
Careful with the “hot commodity” suggestion. The board will light you up until you are Ash :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
Cundari has done a very good job with the pitching staff. I recall people on here saying our pitching would suck because Heater left and I think we lost another pitcher. Instead Cundari ran out there 4 solid starters this year, the 3 weekend guys plus the midweek starter. Check their eras, especially their eras in big ten competition. Cundari can coach pitchers. Head coach, who knows. Meredith Civico(Long) was hired as assistant field hockey then promoted to head coach after Liz Tchou was fired.
Stating the obvious here but need to upgrade the facilities and recruiting. Starting SS for UNC is a freshman and from NJ (Berkeley Heights). Starting catcher is from NJ (Marlboro). DH who has been tearing up the ACC is a freshman from NY (Westchester County). I know it’s hard to compete with the southern schools for top NJ/NY talent (weather, facilities, reputation, winning) but have to find a way. If you can’t get all three of kids like these, at least get one of them. Lots of very good Div. I baseball players in NJ, NY, CT, Eastern PA, and MA. Have to find them and sell RU to them. Tough job but can be done with the right guy.
A coach and his staff really have to develop a relationship with reputable summer travel ball teams/coaches from all over, in addition to NJ HS coaches. He needs that network to hear about talent and get evaluations and target kids to go see and potentially recruit. It’s a small world. My son played on a good travel team here in MA. A lot of good players from 2014 on have been placed in good programs. We went to an RU tournament/showcase in 2015. The guy that runs the MA program never heard anything from the RU coaching staff. He’s had guys from Vandy, Florida, UNC, BC, Fordham, Army, Navy, UConn, Michigan, etc. contact him about players. Never a word from RU.
I thought Ioverio (sp) from Kean warranted consideration when Lit was hired. I see he is still at it there and has a pretty impressive record. In this day is that too big a jump? FH Sr. came from Montclair but not sure if the times have changed to preclude that. From a recruiting perspective you are probably still dealing with the same local coaches but perhaps about a different caliber of players. You would probably need to expand your recruiting reach but it seems to be all about showcases and other summer programs versus HS coaches these days.
I think Cundari was a coup for the program but we better have good reason to believe it makes sense to turn the keys over to him given what needs to be done to build this program back up.
I think Cundari was a coup for the program but we better have good reason to believe it makes sense to turn the keys over to him given what needs to be done to build this program back up.
It's a definite NO to Ioverio. You will never recruit another pitcher to this program with pro aspirations. The guys leaves kids in for 130 pitches a week. Who would ever advise a player to pitch for him?
Cundari is a former National Pitching Coach of the Year. Hobbs did not bring him over without guarantees of a long term position on the staff. So either he is HC or he helps select his boss.
In this and other posts you make many great points. We need to drop the focus on "recruit locally", though. Just get talented players. Focusing on the local recruits is putting the cart before the horse.
If 5 baseball teams from the Big 10 qualify for the NCAAs who have equal to or worse weather than we do, there is no reason RU shouldn't be able to do it. In softball, Minnesota made the world series. New practice facility was a major upgrade. Remaining facilities need major work.
This is a bit surprising:
Greg TufaroVerified account@GregTufaro
In failing to extend Litterio's contract, Hobbs set a precedent upon which all his coaches should now be measured, that being Big Ten performance, and in so doing essentially nullified his "strategic vision" http://bit.ly/2MfLmGm via @MyCentralJersey
"Rutgers Hall of Famer calls baseball coach Joe Litterio's ouster 'disgraceful'
https://www.mycentraljersey.com/sto...fires-baseball-coach-joe-litterio/1260848001/
Greg TufaroVerified account@GregTufaro
In failing to extend Litterio's contract, Hobbs set a precedent upon which all his coaches should now be measured, that being Big Ten performance, and in so doing essentially nullified his "strategic vision" http://bit.ly/2MfLmGm via @MyCentralJersey
"Rutgers Hall of Famer calls baseball coach Joe Litterio's ouster 'disgraceful'
https://www.mycentraljersey.com/sto...fires-baseball-coach-joe-litterio/1260848001/
There are at least three or four separate thoughts in that tweet and none of them make any sense at all.
The tweet you posted is from one person.
Anyway, when you actually go read the article, they say Litterio did everything but win. But then you look at the details and there are either no details (or no recent details), or else excuses for why the other parts of the supposed vision were not accomplished.
In sum:
1. "failing to extend." Yes, that's one way to put it. Another way is that the contract expired. The next one needed to be earned. The statement insinuates that Rutgers deprived the coach of some right he had to have a contract extended.
2. "set a precedent." No, he didn't. The precedent was set years ago already. Hobbs did the same thing with baseball that he has done with other sports. Improve or no extension. This was not set yesterday.
3. "Big Ten performance." Again, in no way new. Anyone who has seen any statements from Hobbs knows that he expects programs to be competitive in league.
4. "nullified his strategic vision." Probably the most crazy conclusion of all. The premise is that Litterio did everything but win. The article includes no support for most of the items it concludes the coach must have succeeded on.
Basically, pure click-bait.
I highly doubt Hobbs “guarenteed” him a damn thing that’s not in his contract. I’m starting to think that Cundari is a buddy of yours (which is fine, don’t get me wrong...).
With ZERO Disrespect meant to Doug, and his accomplishments while in school: went to school with Doug, we knew each other fairly decently back then, but it seems obvious that he is friends with Joe and simply picking a bone here IMHO. “Disgraceful “?? Really??” One only has to look at his head coaching track record, OTB, to realize that this comment is coming from someone TOO close to the situation.
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I tweeted Litterio’s record at Wagner to him, saying it’s not good enough. No response.
6 years, awful record, 1 tournament (S1/AAC). That is ALL anyone needs to know lol!
Not a buddy of mine. I have met him once or twice in baseball circles. Hobbs couldn't have pried him away from his alma mater without some guarantees. You do realize both Hobbs and Cundari come from SHU, right? He IS Hobbs' guy.
Thanks for the honesty, and Yes I do, but again WHY begin a national search for a new HC? WHY waste the time and energy instead of concentrating all that effort on woman’s lax?? Just promote and be done with it, right?
