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Hearers of the Word



Stansbury Set to Retire; Press Conference Today
by bradlocke
 Inside Mississippi State Sports
Mar 15, 2012 | 2790 views | 10 10 comments | 9 9 recommendations | email to a friend | print | permalink

Mississippi State men's basketball coach Rick Stansbury is working with the university on a retirement package, BulldawgJunction.com is reporting. A source tells me that this is Stansbury's decision.

A press conference will be held at 1 p.m. today with Stansbury and athletics director Scott Stricklin at the Bryan Building. The public is invited to attend. This is as close as we'll get to an official confirmation for right now.

Stansbury has been head coach at MSU for 14 seasons, compiling a record of 293-166. He's the winningest coach in school history and led State to six NCAA tournament appearances, never advancing past the second round. The Bulldogs also made five NIT appearances. The most recent NIT bid was this year, when MSU lost to UMass in the first round on Tuesday, 101-96 in double-overtime.

MSU finished the season 21-12, well below expectations for a squad that had two players – Dee Bost and Arnett Moultrie – earn first-team All-SEC honors. Fan dissatisfaction has been very evident.

Stricklin has rebuffed all attempts this week to talk about Stansbury's job status.

Stansbury has been at State a total of 22 years, serving as an assistant from 1990-98 under Richard Williams.

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bigknocker
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March 15, 2012
I don't think it was a hasty decision. The AD decided it was time for a change. The program might suffer a little, but you never know. There are zillion examples of good (Bama's Gottfried to Anthony Grant) and bad (Sherrill to Croom)in coaching changes. One of the marque college basketball teams, Indiana, was at a low point in 2006. They hired Oklahoma's Kelvin Sampson and that was a horrible and embarrassing hire. Indiana then hired Tom Crean from Marquette. Four years and he's got them ranked and in the NCAA tournament. You just never know how its going to unfold, but as an AD, you try to make the best decision/hire to boost your program in the positive direction. The last 3 years definitely were not in the positive direction. I wish RS & family the best. Maybe he will do like Gottfried and be a tv commentator for a year or two then coach a team back to the NCAA's (Gottfried with N.C.State)
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kcvmsu85
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March 15, 2012
I am an 85 graduate of MSU. I was there during the Bob Boyd years. I feel that there are fans of MSU Basketball that have been spoiled by the success of Coach Williams and Coach Stansbury. I am concerned that we are making a hasty decision and am afraid we are headed towards worse days. And dnorcross, I disagree that he lost the team.
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dnorcross
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March 15, 2012
What was so disrespectful about what I said? It was all facts. Six NCAAs, never getting past the 2nd round, 3 NIT first round losses in a row. How many players have transferred under his tenure? A fight in the stands in hawaii last year? The Renardo Sidney debacle? I'm sure he's a good guy, but he lost the program. MSU basketball teams have underachieved with Rick as the coach - all that talent this year and a first round NIT loss? What's gonna change at his next job? I respect that he took the blame, and is moving on. After today, I'm moving past the Stansbury era, and I look forward to supporting our next coach.
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antsgomarchng
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March 15, 2012
I think its safe to say almost everyone liked RS as a person. He was a nice guy, a family man and had a lot of class. But coaching is a business and you have to perform. The last 4-5 years, the performance has not been there. In those 5 yrs, 13 players have left (transferred/quit/let go), internal problems within the locker room, etc. Letting a good friend go is never an easy task, and I'm sure it was very emotional for Stricklin and Stansbury. As someone posted earlier, "I love you like a brother, but I have a business to run." Coaches know what the risks are in their profession and this was one of them. The bulldog nation wishes RS the best and I too believe that this change was needed, not only for MSU, but for RS too.
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antsgomarchng
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March 15, 2012
meant to type 20 wins, not 20 seasons

Look at Andy Kennedy @ UM, He's been there 6 years and has had multiple seasons of 20 WINS,

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rriffe
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March 15, 2012
@dnorcross

What a classless horses behind you are. You don't deserve to be a Mississippi State fan. Do everyone a favor and go pull for the black bears. It is time for a change but Rick does not deserve to be disrespected by the likes of you no matter how the last year has gone.
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antsgomarchng
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March 15, 2012
If you are somewhere for 14 years, you better be on top of wins in school history or close to it. His teams did not progress as they should have. Talent was wasted on the floor, discipline was a problem. Look at Andy Kennedy @ UM, He's been there 6 years and has had multiple seasons of 20 seasons, but has never been to the NCAA tournament. I'm sure he will be back another year (they have a lot of good talent returning)but his seat is probably getting warm. Bama needed a change and fired Gottfried and hired Anthony Grant. Grant got them to the NCAA's. Gottfried stayed out of coaching for a year or two and then lead N.C. St. to the NCAA's. It was time for a change in Starkville. Stans was getting stale and his team's performances proved it. Stans needed this change as much as MSU did.
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dnorcross
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March 15, 2012
If another team wants to hire Stans and go to the NIT every year, then more power to them. I don't care if we're a .500 basketball team next year, at least we don't have to watch a Sweet 16 team implode and turn into a NIT first round loser.
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luckenbac
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March 15, 2012
If next year is bad year in basketball and another not so good year in football and baseball then Sticklin needs to be held accountable for his decisions. Basketball will now probably be bad for next two or three years and then that coach will be fired. Several other schools will be all over Stansbury and be able to pay him the same he is making now or more.
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goodp
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March 15, 2012
Brad, you did a good job of leading the charge for this change in coaches. you were out making news instead of reporting it. You had really better step your game up now or the fans will be calling for a new beat reporter/ news maker. The new coach you( i'm sure you will have input) choose since you are leading this charge had better be a winner. He was only the winningest coach in school history!!!!!!!!!!!!
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