2018 Softball
- Thread starter LinusPF
- Start date
Nice fight today by the Hawks. Doocy threw a great game. I don't really understand Looper's line up choices. Thompson needs to be in the game.
Hoping to hear the announcement that her contract is not going to be renewed soon. Time for a change.
Go Hawks.
Hoping to hear the announcement that her contract is not going to be renewed soon. Time for a change.
Go Hawks.
On the Iowa SB Twitter feed there is a vid of Bogar making a diving catch of a blooper behind 3B that saved a run.
Guessing that Thompson's generally shaky defense kept her out of the lineup, and Libby's slightly better SLG% kept her out of the DP. But yeah if Thompson could clean up her D she should definitely be in.
Be interesting to see how things shake out with the underclassmen and recruits in the likely event that the contract isn't renewed. Should Doocy decide to transfer (and there are plenty of schools that would take her) we could actually be worse than in any of Looper's seasons.
Guessing that Thompson's generally shaky defense kept her out of the lineup, and Libby's slightly better SLG% kept her out of the DP. But yeah if Thompson could clean up her D she should definitely be in.
Be interesting to see how things shake out with the underclassmen and recruits in the likely event that the contract isn't renewed. Should Doocy decide to transfer (and there are plenty of schools that would take her) we could actually be worse than in any of Looper's seasons.
Ibarra's slightly better defense (if that) doesn't warrant her playing (.151 average) before Thompson (.286). I think Looper has a soft spot for Ibarra or Thompson finds her way into the doghouse. There's no other explanation I can think of.
Congrats to Drake for making Regionals. Too bad they have to go to Oregon and play the #1 overall seed.
5 Big 10 teams? Wisconsin instead of Illinois? 9 SEC schools in the top 16? 13 SEC teams overall? Every year I question the selections more than any other committee.
Nothing would make me happier than to see the SEC flop.
5 Big 10 teams? Wisconsin instead of Illinois? 9 SEC schools in the top 16? 13 SEC teams overall? Every year I question the selections more than any other committee.
Nothing would make me happier than to see the SEC flop.
Pitching staff practically single-handedly got us 12 wins over NCAA teams! Ten for Doocy and two for Shaw. In those 12 wins they shutout the opponent three times, gave up one earned run five times, two earned runs once and three earned runs once. Imagine what this team would have accomplished with just an average BA.
New head coach (crossing my fingers) has very strong pitching for at least the next two years. Hopefully that'll entice some good candidates.
New head coach (crossing my fingers) has very strong pitching for at least the next two years. Hopefully that'll entice some good candidates.
Hello all,
I am definitely not a softball fan but I do love the hawks. I read something the other day that I thought was a fairly abrasive comment about how winning a game in the b10 shouldn't save the coaches job. Again, I hadn't paid any attention to Iowa SB but I started to.look into it. Long story short, it seems we are due for a new coach. Is this expected to be an internal promotion or new blood from outside the program? Coming from a football background one of the things we hear about the transition from HF to KF was "the cupboard was bare" however that doesnt seem to be the case with the softball team. Tia.
I am definitely not a softball fan but I do love the hawks. I read something the other day that I thought was a fairly abrasive comment about how winning a game in the b10 shouldn't save the coaches job. Again, I hadn't paid any attention to Iowa SB but I started to.look into it. Long story short, it seems we are due for a new coach. Is this expected to be an internal promotion or new blood from outside the program? Coming from a football background one of the things we hear about the transition from HF to KF was "the cupboard was bare" however that doesnt seem to be the case with the softball team. Tia.
Wasnt Drunk - Looper has been at Iowa 8 years and her contract ends this year. By all accounts her contract will not be renewed. The new coach would need to come from the outside. Her top assistant has been her the entire 8 years and is not head coach material. The other assistant is a former Hawk and in her first year. It seems a long shot she would get promoted as she doesn't have the wealth of experience.
As LinusPF mentioned Iowa has two good pitchers that won 12 games verses NCAA teams (verses 13 losses), but we've never had good offenses under Looper. There seems to be some offense talent returning with Bogar, Thompson, Rozier, Schneider, Libby and Cantu. My hope is with a better offense coach we'll see a jump in some of their batting averages.
My "it'll never happen but you can always dream hire" would be Patrick Murphy at Alabama who is an eastern Iowa native. My more realistic hope is former Iowa Assistant and current Drake coach Rich Calvert. Drake is 42-10 and in the NCAA tournament this season.
Thanks for the feedback. Hope they get it sorted out. Softball is kinda like Olympic curling for me, I dont pay attention to it but if the team has "usa" or "iowa" on the Jersey and are doing well I will tune in. Thanks again and I hope for all you softball fanatics we make a good hire and you guys get to watch the program blow up.
No need for an announcement. Her paychecks will just stop showing up after the contract runs out.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Asked Barta about the status of softball coach Marla Looper, whose contract is up at the end of June: “(The season) is now complete and here I am (in Chicago) for the next couple of days, so no chance to evaluate in a complete format. But we’ll get there."</p>— MarkEmmert (@MarkEmmert) <a href="">May 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
Did the end of the season come as a surprise to Barta? Is he so disciplined that he only thinks about one thing at a time? If he does not have a plan at this point, he is hopeless! I understand he is good at raising money and he may not want to talk about the subject at this time... however, his comment if taken at face value is reflective of incompetence! (Not a fan and venting...)
Yes. The Deputy AD is probably the person to make the final decision.
https://hawkeyesports.com/staff.aspx?staff=542
Pretty easy to read between the lines here. This isn't a statement from an AD intending to keep a coach.
Amazing after 12 years as the Iowa A.D, some people still don't understand how the man works.
He is not going to tip his hand--especially to a member of the press--with regard to administrative issues. Particularly now, after last summer's trial.
I have no clue who Iowa may be looking at, but the Ill Chic coach has been successful and has B1G ties. https://uicflames.com/coaches.aspx?rc=819&path=softball
Eastern Kentucky coach doesn't appear to have Iowa ties, but SMJ is on her staff. Maybe all of them would come. http://www.ekusports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=898&path=softball
Eastern Kentucky coach doesn't appear to have Iowa ties, but SMJ is on her staff. Maybe all of them would come. http://www.ekusports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=898&path=softball
Spent years successfully recruiting Iowa on Missouri's behalf --
http://www.ksuowls.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1286&path=softball
http://www.ksuowls.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1286&path=softball
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Pete would be a HR hire but I expect him to become MU's next coach.
https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2018/5/16/looper-resigns-as-iowas-head-softball-coach.aspx
It's official. Coach Looper has resigned.
It's official. Coach Looper has resigned.
They already have her name off the website. Asst. coaches are still there.
Coach Looper was not ready to be a head coach. The early coaching mistakes she made were completely unacceptable for a P5 conference team.She did learn along the way and her coaching of teams had definitely improved over past years.
I wish her the best.
Coach Looper was not ready to be a head coach. The early coaching mistakes she made were completely unacceptable for a P5 conference team.She did learn along the way and her coaching of teams had definitely improved over past years.
I wish her the best.
Probably the best way to go out. With her history with Cat Osterman and this year's success with Doocy, I'd think her services as pitching coach would be in demand. I also wish her well. Apart from the scarcity of W's, it seemed to be a well-run program in other respects. There is currently a thread on Ultimate College Softball about off-field issues at Maryland, and was also one about Mich State a few years ago. I'm happy we have not had that drama here (since the Blevins incident).
More of the standard "a national search has begun" language on the website. Hope Barta remembers that he found Heller and Shymansky not too far from Iowa City
More of the standard "a national search has begun" language on the website. Hope Barta remembers that he found Heller and Shymansky not too far from Iowa City
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[QUOTE="...........not too far from Iowa City”[/QUOTE]
Too bad Bob Ligouri wasn’t 20 years younger and female. He is exactly what Iowa needs IMO and would get it done with Iowa girls as it’s base. Guy can flat out coach, teach, and win.
Just saw his 22yr record is around 900-200. I don’t care what level....that’s getting it done.
Too bad Bob Ligouri wasn’t 20 years younger and female. He is exactly what Iowa needs IMO and would get it done with Iowa girls as it’s base. Guy can flat out coach, teach, and win.
Just saw his 22yr record is around 900-200. I don’t care what level....that’s getting it done.
Credential wise Looper was a good hire, but she knew nothing about softball in Iowa or softball in the Midwest. She thought she could be successful by using only Texas and California girls.By the time she figured out that wasn't the case it was too late.
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with getting players from California, but obviously the majority of the players should be from Iowa and the surrounding states
Doesn't appear to have any reason to come to the Midwest, but would be a good get.
http://broncosports.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/cindy_ball_919898.html
http://broncosports.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/cindy_ball_919898.html
Mike would be a great get for the Hawks if they would dare hire a male!
http://www.cwu.edu/mike-larabee-hired-new-head-softball-coach
http://www.cwu.edu/mike-larabee-hired-new-head-softball-coach
I'm a fan from the Blevins years who hasn't been back much with Looper in there. How can you NOT look at Calvert? He became the first MVC coach to lose just one conference game at 24-1. They lost their ace too, and still had the pitcher of the year. Seems a no-brainer.
Drake got their ace (Newman) back this season, but they also have a freshman from Davenport whose ERA was just a bit over Newman's, and who is 2-0 in the NCAA tournament so far. Newman pitched against Oregon and was good early but the Duck bats eventually chased her. Announcers said that Calvert told them that Newman has been about 80% this season and can't pitch consecutive days, but still has an ERA under 1.00. She's a junior and will be back. I'd guess it would take a lot to lure Calvert back to Hawkeye country.
Depends on whether he's happy being a big fish in a little pond taking an MVC salary.
