Mike Gillespie gets the last word
by Paragon SC on May 27, 2009 1:00 PM PDT
in USC Baseball
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PrintA bemusing if not quick story in the OCR's USC Blog
Despite dogged Register columnist Randy Youngman’s efforts, UC Irvine baseball coach Mike Gillespie still won’t disparage his former boss, USC athletic director Mike Garrett.
Gillespie did, however, continue to refer to USC generically as “the place I used to coach.” He also said this about Garrett when Youngman asked if Gillespie thought the AD enjoyed watching the NCAA selection show, which featured UCI as a No. 1 seed:
“I’m pretty sure he didn’t watch it, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know.”
Zing!
Garrett probably could not care less. That is just how he is.
But it is another example to many of us that Garrett is out of touch with what used to be a pretty solid baseball program. I understood why he let Gillespie go but I never understood why he hired Kreuter and the baseball team results over the past three years have shown why it was a mistake.
And Kreuter will be back next season...in case you are wondering that is part of the reason as to why I hardly cover USC Baseball. I see enough trauma during the day I don't need to witness any more in my free time.
It's like watching a trainwreck...
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Fire Mike Garrett
Garrett knows one thing: football (important, especially at USC). Everything other sport to him might as well be Mongolian sumo wrestling.
Mike Garrett’s resume pins on the success of the football program, which is due almost completely to the energy and talent of Pete Carroll. Remember, PC was Garrett’s fourth choice, after Barry Alvarez (before he was contacted), Mike Bellotti and Dennis Erickson (after being interviewed) declined, and only after Darryl Gross pitched Carroll to Garrett.
From what I hear Garrett strolls around the practice field and the locker room like he is solely responsible for the program’s success, imparting unheeded advice to players. I think’s it’s tolerated with because of PC belief that the players need to learn to deal with distractions and idiots, so Garrett’s value to the program is essentially as a learning moment.
I guess Garrett can take credit for the Galen Center (though I think Carson Palmer and Pete Carroll deserve just as much credit), but if so, he needs to take the blame for the baseball team descending into permanent mediocrity and for the implosion of the men’s basketball program. The other programs, volleyball and water polo, golf, tennis, women’s soccer succeed in spite of Garrett (due to tradition, location recruiting hot beds, or benign neglect) and not because of him.
Worst Garrett Decision?
I am not close to the situation, but I will say that SC suffered a period of mediocrity in athletics in the late 80s and 90s, and the sports programs have enjoyed tremendous success during Garrett’s tenure. But, the Gillespie/Kreuter decisions seem incomprehensible. Gillespie was royalty, or should have been, at SC. Great coach, strong program, clean program. SC baseball has a legacy as rich as SC football or Sucla basketball. So, I really don’t understand keeping Kreuter after such a mediocre performance under his reign. We would not stand for this performance in football, so why are we standing for it on the diamond? Even though the NCAA has royally screwed up the sport.
They gave Kreuter an extension midseason
Once he got that extension (2 years) you knew he’d be back for at least next year.
by Ryan Rosenblatt on May 27, 2009 9:41 PM PDT reply actions
Just look at his choice of transportation
Paul D. Kelley
by so.cal.native1952 on May 28, 2009 7:32 AM PDT reply actions
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