Cohen should have pulled double duty in 2017

[bulldogcountry1]

No one will ever convince me that Cann was ever Cohen's top choice. Given the piss poor timing, Cohen didn't want to pull a standing head coach in November, so he gave the keys to the top assistant on his list. He settled. He should have done right by the school and baseball program and nutted it out through to the end of the season when the timing was better and he could hire who he wanted. After all, there were only about 24 healthy players to deal with, anyway.

At the time, there was only a week left in fall ball, anyway. There wasn't a lot going on elsewhere that needed the AD hat. We probably wouldn't have done as well last year, but we sure as heck would be much better off now.

Hindsight is great, but the IB shouldn't have been so eager to bail on his coaching duties. I know things were happening fast, but we really botched things up by not being patient, like he realized he should do this year.

 

[RiverCityDawg]

So are you saying that Cann was going to fail even without the off field issues or are you saying Cohen should have anticipated the off field issues? It has to be one of the two if you are saying it was botched.

I agree with you if there were any red flags in Cann's history to suggest that this could happen, otherwise I'm not willing to say it was botched. Considering the circumstances, the job Cann did with last year's team was one of the best I've ever seen. Small sample size to judge either way in my opinion, so it comes down to should Cohen have known this could/would happen.

 

[5049]

Stop being dumb. Cohen could have just promoted Henderson as interim at that time. He saw an opportunity to get an up-and-comer and took it

He wanted to hire Cannizaro from the beginning, and that was part of his plan that he presented to Keenum

I don't know that anybody could see coming, the sexting. I mean here's a guy with two kids and another on the way, and seemingly focused on career, and got taken down by the same thing that gets most men that have made something of themselves

 

[patdog]

Agree. Cannizaro was Cohen's man. If he'd wanted to hire someone else, he would have promoted Henderson as interim and made the hire in June. He just missed on the hire. Not sure how he would have been able to anticipate what was going to happen.

 

[BoDawg.sixpack]

I'm going to go one step further down the rabbit hole

Cohen anticipates the on-the-field issues before the season starts...he sees mediocrity staring him the face. Cohen plays the off-the-field issues card to change the narrative from "I might've hired the wrong guy" to "The guy I hired would've been the right guy had he not made a mistake". Now he has a scapegoat and can start a new coaching search dangling our new ballpark for the next hire.

 

[Go Budaw]

Considering the circumstances, the job Henderson and Brent Rooker did with last year's team was one of the best I've ever seen. Small sample size to judge either way in my opinion, so it comes down to should Cohen have known this could/would happen.

Fixed it for you

 

[Philly Dawg]

He took a risk on Cannizaro thinking that he'd be a great recruiter and could have some more experienced coaches on his staff. I'm sure he wasn't expecting this type of situation to arise. It's not just that Cannizaro had an affair, which was bad enough. He let it affect his work in a very visible way, which is frankly absurdly idiotic.

 

[5049]

Cohen anticipates the on-the-field issues before the season starts...he sees mediocrity staring him the face. Cohen plays the off-the-field issues card to change the narrative from "I might've hired the wrong guy" to "The guy I hired would've been the right guy had he not made a mistake". Now he has a scapegoat and can start a new coaching search dangling our new ballpark for the next hire.

Obviously you have not looked at our next couple recruiting classes

Again, please stop being dumb, Cannizaro has all the ability you need to be a great coach

If there was any mediocrity coming this year, Cohen can look in the mirror

 

[EngDawg]

I thought this was going to be by dawg61

 

[Todd4State]

Actually, Cann was Cohen's second choice. The first one might be our coach next year but we'll see.

Not that it's a big deal- Cann did well his first year and he has good baseball knowledge but he lacks maturity and self-control.

I don't know that Cohen coming back as our coach this year would be in the best interests for MSU. I think with Cohen being a former baseball coach himself he might be concerned how it would look to potential candidates if he took back over again because I think he's very conscious about meddling or micromanaging the baseball program. And that could drive candidates away that are on the outside that don't know our situation.

In hindsight part of me wishes we would have just promoted Henderson to interim last year and done a proper search last offseason but at the same time we went to a SR so maybe it's a wash.

 

[patdog]

You went too far down that rabbit hole. Trust me, the off field issues really were that bad. Not what I've read on message board. What I've heard from someone who was there.

 

[Go Budaw]

You went too far down that rabbit hole. Trust me, the off field issues really were that bad. Not what I've read on message board. What I've heard from someone who was there.

I’ll second this.

Cann was always going to fail. Always. Even if he never sniffed the forbidden fruit, his personality type (which was only fueled by his meteoric rise through the coaching ranks) made him spectacularly unfit for being the head coach of a major program over the long term. In fact, the affair was almost a blessing in disguise because it gave Cohen an out that he otherwise would have had to wait 3-4 terrible seasons to get in order to make a change. (Please note that I am not literally saying anything good ever comes from an affair....just speaking strictly in terms of the long term effect on the baseball program).

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Let's hope Cohen makes the right hire this time or MSU will be a bottom tier SEC baseball program for years....we succeeded in the past because not many schools gave a rat's *ss about baseball.... now with SEC money, new ballparks will be the norm and we will be continously going against schools with Lottery scholarships, Hope scholarships and Vandy's private financial assistance for players...

 

[HumpDawgy]

I always thought that is what he would do. He had Henderson then to help run the team if he got pulled away for any AD duties, but I thought you would still see him in the dugout. He has definitely been hands off since he took the job which I assume has helped with established coaches being interested in the job.

 

[FlotownDawg]

Hindsight is a great thing isn’t it. Up until the opening day of the season, everyone on here was creaming their pants to Cann, his workout videos, his HORSE games with Blair, and his spiked shoulder pads. Now, all of a sudden he was never going to be a great coach because of his personality? The same personality everybody loved last season and during recruiting? Cann did a great job last year. I think he would’ve continued to be successful if he didn’t let his personal life get in the way. But unfortunately, some things Cohen never could have seen coming happened and he had to go. Now we get a chance to hire a proven head coach, so it may work out in the long run. Fingers crossed. But let’s not act like we knew Cann was going to fail because we didn’t.

 

[AssEndDawg]

Bull ****.... Cohen took a shot at a young guy with potential, the guy just wasn't ready for the big time and he let his pecker get in the way. Some people just don't appreciate an amazing opportunity when one comes along. Not Cohen's fault that it didn't work out, but you can bet he sticks with a more proven coach for the next few hires.

 

[patdog]

Exactly. In hindsight, yes, we know that Cannizaro has some deep personality, psychological and character issues that would have come out sooner or later. But at the time Cohen hired him, and through opening day, we didn't know that (obviously the team and probably Cohen started realizing something was wrong last fall). I've caught a lot of heat on this site for being critical of Cohen, but I don't see how you can blame him for this. It LOOKED like a very good hire. Just didn't turn out that way.

 

[5049]

In hindsight, yes, we know that Cannizaro has some deep personality, psychological and character issues that would have come out sooner or later.

Is this what we call it in this PC modern era? Seems to me like the guy just fell for the hot woman, never heard that story before. I'm guessing all of you probably would have been the stronger person, because you all know what it's like to be a 37 year old SEC baseball coach coming off a super regional in their first year

But yeah, let's just label him some warped maniacal freak, that's accurate

 

[patdog]

I think most of us could manage to keep from sexting her for 3 hours 56 times a year (plus postseason games). If you're that obsessed, you've got some pretty serious mental issues going on.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

So much FAIL. When he was focused, Cann was one hell of a coach. No one could have predicted he was a stereotypical dumb jock who couldn't keep it in his pants. If he stayed focused on baseball, we'd be in a much better position right now. It isn't Cohen's fault that Cann was a dumbass off the diamond.

Now we'll go make another fantastic hire. Hopefully an elite sitting HC, although I really liked the profile of a young coach with MLB connections. Regardless, I trust Cohen to make a hire that will take us forward.

 

[thekimmer]

Hindsight is a great thing isn’t it. Up until the opening day of the season, everyone on here was creaming their pants to Cann, his workout videos, his HORSE games with Blair, and his spiked shoulder pads. Now, all of a sudden he was never going to be a great coach because of his personality? The same personality everybody loved last season and during recruiting? Cann did a great job last year. I think he would’ve continued to be successful if he didn’t let his personal life get in the way. But unfortunately, some things Cohen never could have seen coming happened and he had to go. Now we get a chance to hire a proven head coach, so it may work out in the long run. Fingers crossed. But let’s not act like we knew Cann was going to fail because we didn’t.

I agree with everything you said except for those utterly ridiculous shoulder pads. The primary point being until that fateful weekend, cann was overwhelmingly popular among the fans and even got a lot of love in the media. And it was deserved because for whatever the circumstances the team had a good season, maybe even a great season considering the pitching staff, culminating in a super on his watch.

Obviously there was stuff going on months prior to his dismissal but there was no buzz about anything amiss until just before the ax fell. Heck, I don't think Schaefer was aware of anything otherwise he would have never had him giving his team locker room pep talks or his daughter making videos with him.

 

[maroonmania]

Let's hope Cohen makes the right hire this time or MSU will be a bottom tier SEC baseball program for years....we succeeded in the past because not many schools gave a rat's *ss about baseball.... now with SEC money, new ballparks will be the norm and we will be continously going against schools with Lottery scholarships, Hope scholarships and Vandy's private financial assistance for players...

Yes, but at least we will be a bottom tier SEC baseball program with a really nice stadium.

 

[Go Budaw]

I think most of us could manage to keep from sexting her for 3 hours 56 times a year (plus postseason games). If you're that obsessed, you've got some pretty serious mental issues going on.

That and the dude straight up didn’t give a **** even in fall practice. He was completely disengaged from this team 6 freaking months ago, and Cohen was made aware of that by the players. THAT is the main reason he got fired. And nobody can say that he just switched off his “give a ****” when he started the affair because he was the same way last spring....very hands off and heavily reliant on the assistants to maintain some level of continuity during the first season with practice regimens, workouts, etc. He did a great job of being a positive energy guy that kept things loose in the dugout. And honestly, that is what probably what we needed him to be last year. But, when the time came for him to stamp his culture on the program (which was last fall), he failed miserably.

There is a reason why Kevin O’Sullivan, John Cohen, Paul Maineri, and Tim Corbin don’t do goofy stuff like throwing bats on the ground to warm them up, get in 3 point shooting contests on twitter, and post endless workout videos. They know the game isn’t about them and that they aren’t the players friend. That type of fun, relatable stuff can work in the short term (see Orgeron, Ed). But, it will always burn you in the long run if you don’t grow up and you overestimate your own role in success. That was Cann’s downfall. That was why he got fired. And his overinflated sense of importance is why he thought he could have the affair, lie about it (twice), and get away with it. Again, the affair and how he handled it was just a symptom of a much bigger problem.....not the end all be all reason why he was fired.