Lebo should be our coach next year!

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

As a former college basketball player myself (not at AU unfortunately) I can tell you that Lebo is a very good x's and o's coach.  The style of play every team has is dictated by the players it can get.  Look at Duke 3 years ago with no post players and without a good PG. (granted that was due to players going pro etc...).  Bottom line is you have to have the players.

Now before you all start with the he can't keep players etc... we have to also look at the issues that have faced him in recruiting, probation being the worst of all.  We have all seen extensive articles about these issues so I will not restate them here.  However, I will say that right now he has a great recruiting class lined up and if he were fired that may go with him.  ONE or TWO good recruiting classes is all you need in basketball to turn things around. 

His w/l percentage has been in line with most AU coaches and he has dealt with probation to boot.  He has EARNED two years in the new facility to see what he can do.

WAR EAGLE COACH LEBO!

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

I should also add that we had a record last year that was worthy of a NCAA birth, and if he would have gotten there nobody would be talking about firing him.  Also this season we have had a lead or been tied in the second half of every SEC game so far this year.  The only other SEC team to do that is Kentucky.  OK so what you say, well I say this shows that he can COACH, he can keep our team in the game but doesn't have the horses to finish the race.  The administration and the new stadium can cure that problem if they want to.  NO coach can win anywhere if he is handcuffed with the problems Coach Lebo has faced. 

[jcggolfnut 0]

AMEN!!!!

[AuburnEngineer 0]

His overall record is somewhere around 96-93 and his sec record is like 36-61.

It's completely pointless trying to say how hes a good coach.  Record speaks for itself.  Would we take this kind of record if it was football?  Just try to answer that question honestly

[guerra aguila 0]

AMEN!!!!

^^^ 

[CadillacCone 0]

Ppl were upset that we got rid of Tubs but we went out and got someone better. If Lebo gets fired, we'll go get someone better.

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

look at the previous records of all AU basketball coaches, his numbers are in the middle of that pack!  NOT far behind ELLIS who was cheating to get his numbers.  Add in the issues LEBO has had to deal with and his numbers are actually fairly impressive. 

Do not assume we can get someone better!  Coaches aren't dumb, AU is not a place for a young coach to come and launch his career to the next level, nor a place where coaches in their prime come to try and win a championship.  We have a good one in LEBO. 

[AuburnEngineer 0]

look at the previous records of all AU basketball coaches, his numbers are in the middle of that pack!  NOT far behind ELLIS who was cheating to get his numbers.  Add in the issues LEBO has had to deal with and his numbers are actually fairly impressive. 

Do not assume we can get someone better!  Coaches aren't dumb, AU is not a place for a young coach to come and launch his career to the next level, nor a place where coaches in their prime come to try and win a championship.  We have a good one in LEBO. 

So what your saying is that you are ok with AU basketball being mediocre? 

That makes me sad. Why don't want Auburn basketball to be given the best chance and not "Average by Auburn past standards" ?

[guerra aguila 0]

look at the previous records of all AU basketball coaches, his numbers are in the middle of that pack!  NOT far behind ELLIS who was cheating to get his numbers.  Add in the issues LEBO has had to deal with and his numbers are actually fairly impressive. 

Do not assume we can get someone better!  Coaches aren't dumb, AU is not a place for a young coach to come and launch his career to the next level, nor a place where coaches in their prime come to try and win a championship.  We have a good one in LEBO. 

umm wow so what your saying is that you are ok with AU basketball being mediocre? 

That is the most pathetic statement I have ever heard.  If you don't want Auburn basketball to be given the best chance and not "Average by Auburn past standards" Then get out

Janster... chill out man. They have opinions just like you do. Dont insult them again

[Jackson-Sullivan 0]

Everyone's opinions are welcome here.  You may not necessarily agree with them but you can still treat one another with some respect.  I must say there are great arguments on both sides of the keep/fire Lebo spectrum.  Keep it clean, fellas.  Thanks!

[jgforau 0]

Agree.  Someone gets it.

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

I believe you have missed my point, by me saying his record is average, in the light of past AU records, while fighting the effects of probation and other problems, I was attempting to show that I think LEBO is the coach that can take AU to a better place in the basketball world, once the obstacles he has been fighting are removed, ie probation over, new arena, administrations support and commitment to quality basketball etc...

As an alum and fan I love AU and want to see it's basketball program consistently challenging for the SEC title and competing in the NCAA tourney.

WAR EAGLE

[TigerPaw1 0]

I am honestly on the fence about it... I do think Lebo is a better coach than his record shows but I also think he is as bad as a recruiter as his record shows. He is able to compete against upper echelon teams but just as the original poster said he doesn't have the horses to finish which tells me he can coach but not recruit. Honestly I think he has earned a year in the new arena. Also I'm not sure who it u guys think will leave their job and come here? I love Auburn but we don't support basketball. Don't tell me ppl will come if we win because both guys and girls had outstanding season and besides the Tennessee games and the Baylor NIT game we had about the same crowd

[guerra aguila 0]

Lebo will coach the Auburn Tigers until hes Joe Paternos age 

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

A better team will pull in more interest.  Students will come to more games! I can tell you that I (living in Birmingham) am not going to a mid week game for our an AU team that isn't likely to make the tourney, but I would make more games if we were contenders in the SEC west, and bidding for the SEC championship and or an NCAA birth.

[AuburnTigers1 0]

If that SEC record "EARNED" him at least two years as you say, will you guys talk to JJ about hiring me when Lebo is gone? I'm sure the players can at least win a few to get close to that record for me. I'll take less than half what he makes every year too!

[fourthvision 0]

A better team will pull in more interest.  Students will come to more games! I can tell you that I (living in Birmingham) am not going to a mid week game for our an AU team that isn't likely to make the tourney, but I would make more games if we were contenders in the SEC west, and bidding for the SEC championship and or an NCAA birth.

not bashing but how many times has that happened since Lebo has been here?

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

I don't know how to say this any clearer than I have already said in earlier posts on this thread, but here goes nothing:

1.    His record is comparable to AU's past records

2.    He has dealt with issues (and or combinations of issues)  that no other AU coach has dealt with

3.    Despite this he has consistently put a team on the court that plays hard and usually has a chance to win

4.    Last year's team was good enough to make the tournament and had the most wins in AU history

5.    Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that he is actually a better coach than we have had before

6.    Probation is over and so are most of its lasting effects

7.    New arena is almost ready, and its construction has already helped him put together a very solid

        recruiting  class

8.    Therefore, I think it is logical to conclude that he is actually a good basketball coach that has AU pointed in

        the right direction and deserves the chance to open up the new arena and see if he can get us over the

        hump.   

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Things WILL NOT get any better if JL is back for "another year." In fact, there's a great chance will be worse then what we've been watching this year.

[fourthvision 0]

I feel that we had a more-than-capable team THIS YEAR to make the tourney as we had so many close calls but also some meltdowns

1. led tenn. by 11 on the road

2. led Vandy by 16 on the road

3. lost by 8 to UF after sending them to the line 20 more times than we shot fts

....along with close games like uk, we had a team capable of winning this year, instead we have almosts and what ifs. Like the saying goes if ifs and buts were candy and nuts....insert your own ending, but the point is it is no ones fault but the coach(see tubbs) when your team does not perform. The last couple years it was depth, now we have depth and now its talent or discipline or the gym isn't new.....c'mon thats crazy! I'm sayin what I believe others are too is that AU deserves better than mediocrity. The time to change the perception of AU basketball is now!!

P.S> not bashing, JMO

[InfernoOrangeSS 321]

4.     Last year's team was good enough to make the tournament and had the most wins in AU history

While we had a lot of wins last year, our RPI was not good enough to be considered for the NCAA Tournament.  A teams RPI is a gauge of how good wins and losses are.  It is there to lessen the effect of cream puff wins that a team schedules early in the season.  We had a lot of wins last year, but they were from an overly easy pre-SEC schedule, and the fact that the SEC was so horrible last year.  That translated into a low RPI rating that kept us from the NCAAs.  I just bring that up, because a lot of fans seem to think it was some evil plot to keep AU from the NCAAs.  It was not only right, but logical that we did not make the tourney last year.

Just thought I would bring that up.

[Tiger Growlin 0]

I'm gonna take a wait and see approach. If Lebo is my coach next year, I will accept it and support him. If someone else is the coach I will do the same. What the right answer is for our problems I don't know. But what I do know is that I love this program and only want the best for the university and its fans.

[kingofhill1 2]

I'm just asking out of curiosity. How many basketball coaches at Auburn have had winning records against SEC teams? Who were they?

[Ronald McDonald 0]

Lebo will coach the Auburn Tigers until hes Joe Paternos age 

:devil: :devil: :devil:

[Guest War Eagle 29]

As a former college basketball player myself (not at AU unfortunately) I can tell you that Lebo is a very good x's and o's coach.  The style of play every team has is dictated by the players it can get.  Look at Duke 3 years ago with no post players and without a good PG. (granted that was due to players going pro etc...).  Bottom line is you have to have the players.

Now before you all start with the he can't keep players etc... we have to also look at the issues that have faced him in recruiting, probation being the worst of all.  We have all seen extensive articles about these issues so I will not restate them here.  However, I will say that right now he has a great recruiting class lined up and if he were fired that may go with him.  ONE or TWO good recruiting classes is all you need in basketball to turn things around. 

His w/l percentage has been in line with most AU coaches and he has dealt with probation to boot.  He has EARNED two years in the new facility to see what he can do.

WAR EAGLE COACH LEBO!

Lebo has earned nothing. 

He needs to go NOW! If they don't can Lebo, Jacobs had better be looking up Tuberville's phone number in Lubbock so he can apologize. The time is right with a new arena to break in a coach who will actually take us forward, not backwards like CJL.