Will Butch be retained after this season?

[PUB78 1,364]

I know this will not be a popular topic, but does Butch really deserve another season? This has been an absolutely disastrous and embarrassing SEC season, 3-20. This team can’t even win a SEC series at home against the lower tier.

 Butch is a great guy and well liked, but as a coach, he is at best mediocre . Does anyone on this board have any confidence that he can turn this program around get Auburn to the top ranks of the SEC? Or are you satisfied with Auburn baseball being average and below average most seasons with no SEC championships? I don’t have any confidence that he can .

Flame away!

[tigers23 672]

This wouldn't be accepted in year nine in any other sport. That is a fact 

[AURex 2,031]

Anywhere else? Nope! Auburn mediocrity? Not sure Auburn would axe him, because mediocre is good enough and hiring new coaches costs nickles.

EDIT -- I need to try to remember to slap a huge sarcasm emoticon on my exaggerated posts, because obviously it is not clear without pictures.

 

Edited yesterday at 01:52 PM by AURex

[AuburnNTexas 7,174]

As long as Alabama does not allow lottery money for scholarships it will be hard for any coach to get the talent to win consistently at Auburn. That plus NIL all going to football. Look what has happened to Pearl because of lack of NIL.

[Mikey 16,740]

Butch has had AU in two of the last four college world series. That's the final eight. That's better than Bruce Pearl has done. Pearl's team had a losing record in the '20/'21 season. Are y'all ready to fire Pearl?

The answer is a firm NO. Thompson's record at AU is far above mediocre. You don't get rid of an outstanding coach for one unfortunate season.

[AU_Canoe 232]

I think Butch stays and has backing. However, I would imagine with the cost of the VIP areas increasing in 2025 to include additional premium seating and throw into that mix TX and OU's entrance, which will amplify an already good baseball conference, the pressure will increase next year to have a team that will compete and sell those premium tickets. 

[arktiger1975 542]

A guy that works with me is a long-time MSU fan, and is friends with Ron Polk. He played in JUCO, and has coached high school baseball for over 40 years. He told me that if the MSU job came open, he wouldn't mind having Butch as an assistant, but would NOT want him as head coach. 

That being said, I think Butch will likely be back for next season. But after last years flameout at home in the regionals, combined with this season, he will be in a must win situation next year.

Edited May 5 by arktiger1975

[arktiger1975 542]

1 hour ago, AuburnNTexas said:

As long as Alabama does not allow lottery money for scholarships it will be hard for any coach to get the talent to win consistently at Auburn. That plus NIL all going to football. Look what has happened to Pearl because of lack of NIL.

The loss to Yale was certainly disappointing. But we finished a game out of 1st place in the SEC this year, won the SEC tournament, and are projected in the top 10 in the early polls for next season. So I would say Bruce is doing just fine.

[AuburnNTexas 7,174]

17 minutes ago, arktiger1975 said:

The loss to Yale was certainly disappointing. But we finished a game out of 1st place in the SEC this year, won the SEC tournament, and are projected in the top 10 in the early polls for next season. So I would say Bruce is doing just fine.

I agree Pearl is doing fine but more NIL would help basketball and baseball.

[Gowebb11 9,382]

Butch needs to stay but needs more NIL support to be more competitive. He also needs to get some headline HS pitchers.  Relying too much on JUCOs. They’re coming in with All American credentials but not adjusting to the SEC level of play in the 2 years they have. 
FWIW, the only sport we have, men’s or women’s that can sustain success is MBB with Bruce. 

[gr82be 14,472]

2 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

As long as Alabama does not allow lottery money for scholarships it will be hard for any coach to get the talent to win consistently at Auburn. 

👍. Wouldn’t you love to know the reason three supporters changed their vote three weeks later? 

[WarTiger 3,923]

17 hours ago, PUB78 said:

I know this will not be a popular topic, but does Butch really deserve another season? This has been an absolutely disastrous and embarrassing SEC season, 3-20. This team can’t even win a SEC series at home against the lower tier.

 Butch is a great guy and well liked, but as a coach, he is at best mediocre . Does anyone on this board have any confidence that he can turn this program around get Auburn to the top ranks of the SEC? Or are you satisfied with Auburn baseball being average and below average most seasons with no SEC championships? I don’t have any confidence that he can .

Flame away!

That's completely ridiculous.  mediocre doesn't get you to the world series TWICE.   YES, he absolutely deserves another season (several IMO)

[PUB78 1,364]

29 minutes ago, WarTiger said:

That's completely ridiculous.  mediocre doesn't get you to the world series TWICE.   YES, he absolutely deserves another season (several IMO)

So, how would you sum up a 99-133 SEC Record? Making the World Series was great, but a 1-4 record not so much.

No SEC Championships in the regular season or tournament in nine years either.

[Auburn761345163036 22]

Thompson should already have been fired!!

[SaltyTiger 7,864]

20 hours ago, AURex said:

Anywhere else? Nope! Auburn mediocrity? Not sure Auburn would axe him, because mediocre is good enough and hiring new coaches costs nickles.

 

First time on the baseball forum you. Seizing opportunity? Do you even how many outs in an inning.

 

[JuscAUse! 1,461]

15 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

First time on the baseball forum you. Seizing opportunity? Do you even how many outs in an inning.

 

He wants to fire everyone. In every sport. If you don't win the natty every year...."you're fired!".

[tigers23 672]

I definitely believe CBT will be back, but the staff needs to be completely gutted. Absolutely need a better S&C program

[AURex 2,031]

3 hours ago, JuscAUse! said:

He wants to fire everyone. In every sport. If you don't win the natty every year...."you're fired!".

I do NOT want to fire everyone in every sport. And I do not expect to win a natty every year.

What I do expect is *competitive* teams every season. Given the huge amounts of money Auburn brings in every single year, I have to ask where is it going and why are so many Auburn teams struggling to be even mediocre in SEC play?

And FYI, I played baseball, but instead competed in swimming. You got a problem with that?

 

[aubaseball 2,652]

19 minutes ago, AURex said:

I do NOT want to fire everyone in every sport. And I do not expect to win a natty every year.

What I do expect is *competitive* teams every season. Given the huge amounts of money Auburn brings in every single year, I have to ask where is it going and why are so many Auburn teams struggling to be even mediocre in SEC play?

And FYI, I played baseball, but instead competed in swimming. You got a problem with that?

 

It’s just a guess, but I’m not sure that you understand how revenue works.    Auburn gets a certain amount of money no matter how good or bad they are.   It makes up the majority of revenue coming into the athletic department.   Throw in the fact that Auburn is middle of the pack in the SEC in terms of revenue, Auburn is competing on par with all sports (generally).  Some years maybe worse but some maybe better.  
 

[TripleDegreeTiger 75]

4 hours ago, aubaseball said:

It’s just a guess, but I’m not sure that you understand how revenue works.    Auburn gets a certain amount of money no matter how good or bad they are.   It makes up the majority of revenue coming into the athletic department.   Throw in the fact that Auburn is middle of the pack in the SEC in terms of revenue, Auburn is competing on par with all sports (generally).  Some years maybe worse but some maybe better.  
 

He's trolling. Not getting the type of reactions he wants out of the Political forums and is hunting elsewhere.

[SaltyTiger 7,864]

10 hours ago, AURex said:

And FYI, I played baseball, but instead competed in swimming. You got a problem with that?

 

Further proof that excessive chlorine may cause strange behaviors.

[nurbis 575]

10 hours ago, AURex said:

What I do expect is *competitive* teams every season.

You are not going to get that in SEC baseball. The last two national champions are LSU and Ole Miss. They were national champions but did not win the SEC tournament or regular season the previous two years. They are currently sitting at 5th and 6th place in the West and 11th and 12th place overall. They are both battling just to make the SEC tournament. Ole Miss went 6-24 in conference last year after winning it all. 

In my opinion, no sport in any conference is tougher than SEC baseball from top to bottom. 

If we have a similar season next year, then I think you start considering a coaching change but this season, for now, is an outlier and should be treated that way until it isn't an outlier. 

 

 

[autigeremt 6,715]

Butch deserves a shot at redemption. End of story. 

[tigeraddikt 1,619]

Yes, he will be retained. It’s going to take a whole lot more than one disastrous in-conference campaign to cause John Cohen to fire one of his best friends in the world. That aside, CBT has built up enough credibility and goodwill at AU to withstand this sucka** season. I say all this not as my endorsement of retaining him, but as what the facts state.

[AuburnNTexas 7,174]

No lottery money for scholarships, not enough NIL,This is what you will get with any Auburn baseball coach.

I watched a few of our games we are just one really strong starter and a couple of bounces to being a solid middle of the pack SEC team. The old Gonzo would have made a huge difference.

We don't have enough depth because of what I mentioned above. One thing is even in the games we lost the effort was there.

What top coach would want to come to Auburn knowing his hands are tied when recruiting.

Edited May 6 by AuburnNTexas