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RE: Turmoil at SIU

BlueDawg — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:02:20 GMT

Just saw that Tanya Bauer was hired as an assistant at SIU. She just spent the last year as the head coach at University of Minnesota Duluth. Linda Sayavahnchan (sp?) was a grad assistant for her.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Grandpa — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:11:35 GMT

I thought this was an interesting choice of words in announcing their upcoming basketball camp:

Girls Basketball Saluki Slam Team Camp

June 7 - 8, 2008

Aparently there was a news conference. Dana seemed to think the press should take some of the blame. "Because of your articles, we're going to have to talk about this for the next two years," Eikenberg is quoted as saying. "The more we communicate and talk about it, the more we'll have to defend ourselves." (Full Story)

RE: Turmoil at SIU

BlueDawg — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:33:44 GMT

With only 5 players returning they are going to have to load up on Juco's just to field a team. Even then, this whole fiasco has to hurt recruiting for at least the next several years. Why would anyone who knows how to use google ever consider SIU? You can sell kids on coming to rebuild a program if you are in your first couple of years (if there are signs of life), how does that sell work in the 6th, 7th or 8th year?

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Grandpa — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:37:58 GMT

"Five players have requested to transfer... We found isolated instances of feedback provided to student-athletes that was not constructive."

Why does the term "waterboarding" keep popping into my head?

Dana said "It's my job to bring our team together, and I fully intend to do that. I have heard the concerns raised by this year's team and will make every effort to resolve those issues for next year."

I guess I really do believe that, if for no other reason than to save her career and the possibility of moving on to a higher level in the future. But what is the cost to SIU? It remains to be seen how long it will take the school to recruit and build a team that will improve lagging attendance and overall respect for the program.

On the other hand, I really don't see that this situation will have any significant effect on the men's program. People tend to think of each sport as an entity in itself. A poor record in men's basketball during Nebraska's great football years certainly didn't effect the overwhelming popularity of the football program. Respect for the AD will probably decline, but then AD's aren't usually the most popular people on campus anyway. The only other outside effect I could see would be to women's college basketball in general. Moms and dads who are aware of this situation will be asking more pointed questions of prospective coaches before they decide if they want to put their daughters through what is required to be a successful athlete in an increasingly competitive environment.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Mecha_Bulldog — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:19:04 GMT

I should've checked the SIU site sooner. Whaddya know? They made a quiet Friday announcement and will let everything blow over. I imagine another announcement saying the team is holding open tryouts to fill out the roster will come soon.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Mecha_Bulldog — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:01:44 GMT

Saluki fans deserve what they get.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Mecha_Bulldog — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:52:24 GMT

"We'll just make a press release about it."

Translated: I don't want to bother with the time and expense of changing coaches, so we'll just make a quiet announcement and let everything blow over.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Grandpa — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:36:48 GMT

After enduring claims of verbal abuse from her former players, SIU women's basketball coach Dana Eikenberg could soon learn what her future holds at SIU. Athletic Director Mario Moccia said he hopes to make a decision about Eikenberg's tenure by Sunday. He said he plans to divulge for the first time specifics of his internal review of the women's basketball program. "A press conference probably won't be necessary," Moccia said. "We'll just make a press release about it."

(Full Story)

RE: Turmoil at SIU

DUBulldog — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:23:45 GMT

Mecha_Bulldog (4/6/2008)

[quote]That's not something you want to see appear in your recruiting area.

Just as an FYI, Galesburg is more than 300 miles from Carbondale, so I'm not sure if it's prime recruiting area for them.

I am surprised that SIU hasn't made a decision yet, especially with the spring signing period just a little over a week away.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Mecha_Bulldog — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:51:01 GMT

The former Galesburg High School all-stater knew it would be tough competing for playing time on an NCAA Division I team. What she didn’t expect, though, was the hell it would be to endure a season under Salukis head coach Dana Eikenberg.

That's not something you want to see appear in your recruiting area.

Since SIU has taken this long to make a decision, I'm guessing they're waiting for things to calm down and then they'll say they're going to keep her. Maybe they'll put her on probation, give her zero tolerance, make her take sensitivity training, or whatever. After taking this long to act, it seems their administration doesn't want to bother making a change.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Grandpa — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:16:11 GMT

Still waiting word on what action the school may take. There may be something released tomorrow.

In the meantime, read this article about Saline from her home town paper last Wednesday. I sort of doubt it, but I hope she gets her year of eligibility back.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

cgdcreek — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:56:15 GMT

It's really something after the great run they had in the Valley last year. Maybe the ugly stuff can make a winner once in a while, for the short-term, but as you all say ... it's gotta be more about building up young people for the long-term, beyond sports and beyond college. "Tone" from the AD and the university surely matters.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Lisa Gardner — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:30:23 GMT

The most interesting part of the articles that I've seen so far on this problem and the investigation is that no where does the AD or the coach come out and say "we have to do what is best for the players -- current and future" or, something like "the goal of our program is to help our student athletes become better people through sports".

If I were a relative of one of the players on that team, I would be really upset about these allegations.

I have heard some stories about coaches who apparently swear at their players and put them down to the point that their self-esteem is gone, and they get away with it because they win more than they lose. It's sad to see. I think you can win without doing that. Van Chancellor talks a lot about building his LSU players up and helping them to have more confidence -- especially Sylvia Fowles. It seems to me that he's onto something there.

Even if the DE stays at SIU, it will be tough going forward with so few veteran players and so many leaving, as others have pointed out.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

cgdcreek — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:58:07 GMT

This sounds really ugly.

There's that word "fun" again. Ya gotta have that element in there. Believe it!
Klayton Korver is my gold standard for it now ... he worked his guts out AND he had a blast this year. Surely a coach can understand that striving for both elements is ideal.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Grandpa — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:27:32 GMT

Eikenberg on the defensive

RE: Turmoil at SIU

PiPhi1997 — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:39:14 GMT

Wow. I can't even come up with something to say in response. Yikes.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

BlueDawg — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:01:05 GMT

The other side of this is that having all of this public pretty much wrecks SIU's program. They are down to 7 returning players now and the rumors have 2 more asking to be released from their scholarships. Having this public also pretty much shuts down recruiting. Seems to me the only kids you'll have a shot at recruiting are ones with 'issues'. Granted, their wasn't much of a program to wreck, but this sets the them back to just about zero.

If only the reports published in the paper are true (and it seems to me several folks could face legal issues if they are not), I'd guess the coaches job is on the line. You could also make a case for firing the AD, IMO. Seems he was more than just asleep at the switch.

RE: Turmoil at SIU

Lisa Gardner — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 11:22:00 GMT

These allegations are interesting, especially in light of the fact that Dana Eikenberg played at Penn State under Rene Portland. Here is a story that mentions allegations of player abuse by Portland. http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/1997/12/12-09-97tdc/12-09-97d03-009.asp Portland coached until 2007, and did leave PSU a month or so after the university settled a court suit with a former player of hers. The allegations against Portland were more specific, but it does make you wonder just how often these kinds of things do occur, and whether there is a connection between programs.

Turmoil at SIU

Mecha_Bulldog — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:52:16 GMT

http://www.salukitalk.net/st/viewtopic.php?t=20789&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

It looks like a lot of one-sided stories and rumors at this point. If half the stuff is true, it's an embarrassment to SIU and women's basketball in general. SIU could be looking for a new coach very soon.