re: Rate the SEC Baseball Coaches

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What delusions? Cohen restored order at a doormat powerhouse in SEC baseball. Simple as that.

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You still didn't answer my question but I'll address your concerns regarding your perceived inequities.

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Twice-to-triple the scholarship money -- for a degree worth a lot more money. I'd say the deck is pretty damn stacked in Corbin's favor.

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Corbin coaches at a better academic institution that costs a ton of money to attend. Due to the obvious disparity in cost of attendance at the respective schools, the 11.7 scholarships are not created equal. Need-based and academic support are not unique to Vanderbilt University.

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Otherwise, I'm sure you can explain to me why a Yastrzemski would drive from Massachusetts through MULTIPLE college baseball powerhouses -- with better facilities, better fan support, better history, more established coaches, etc -- to come play in Nashville.

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I do not know whether Yaz drove or flew, but I can assure you that after studying a map of the Interstate Highway system in the eastern United States, there are zero college baseball powerhouses along the route from Andover, Mass. to Nashville, Tenn.

I cannot say with certainty why Yaz chose Vanderbilt over other institutions of higher learning, but I can only postulate that it had something to do with the blend of high quality academics and athletics.

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You REALLY think people are going to consider him the best coach in the SEC -- when he's had two of the best regular season teams in SEC history choke their asses off and fail to reach Omaha from the #1 and #2 national seeds? Really? 1 trip to Omaha and 3 additional Super Regionals in 11 seasons. You really don't think Cohen makes 2 more supers in the next 6 years to match Corbin's run in the postseason?

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I never said Corbin was the best in the SEC. I only think he is among them.

While I do admire the work Cohen has done in his tenure in the SEC, his accomplishments do not equal or surpass those of other coaches in the conference, including, but not limited to: Paul Mainieri, Dave Van Horn, Kevin O'Sullivan, Dave Serrano, Rob Childress, Tim Corbin, and now Scott Stricklin and Sunny Galloway.

Should Miss. State win the CWS, Cohen will then be in elite company.

As for Vanderbilt's inability to reach the CWS in 2007 and 2013, I am just as appalled as you are.

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The hilarity of all this is that we're NOT EVEN CLOSE to peaked yet from a talent perspective. Hell, we've only got ONE CLASS on campus that was recruited after a winning season.

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Kudos.

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Corbin coaches at a better academic institution that costs a ton of money to attend. Due to the obvious disparity in cost of attendance at the respective schools, the 11.7 scholarships are not created equal. Need-based and academic support are not unique to Vanderbilt University.

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But it IS unique to private institutions in the amount of support one can get. Nevermind how valuable a Vanderbilt degree is in comparison to other degrees -- in the sport where a FAR higher percentage of prospective student-athletes care about such things.

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I do not know whether Yaz drove or flew, but I can assure you that after studying a map of the Interstate Highway system in the eastern United States, there are zero college baseball powerhouses along the route from Andover, Mass. to Nashville, Tenn.

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What do you call Charlottesville, VA -- Chapel Hill, NC -- Raleigh, NC -- and to a lesser extent Blacksburg, VA?

Nevermind that Columbia and Clemson, SC were 200 miles closer to home -- as were Louisville and Lexington, KY.

What were you selling that those schools didn't/can't? A better scholarship situation is the only legitimate answer. That's not to diminish the job that Corbin has done selling the program and getting the support structure in place. Just the reality of the situation.

The extent to which the Rant refuses to see the writing on the wall with Cohen is what is perplexing to me. Should he be considered elite based on past accomplishments? Probably one tier down. It's the future that's going to define the reality that MSU fans have mostly projected correctly all along. I know this team was recruited in the darkest moments of our illustrious baseball history -- were not "wanted" players for the most part -- and have shown tremendous heart, development, and ability to show up under the bright lights. They never quit -- never back down -- and always keep fighting.

This upcoming class is Cohen's first truly elite class at MSU -- and outside of the QB prospect will be untouched by MLB. It's about to become clear that we're "back" -- and we're here to stay.

I wish Kentucky still had Cohen.

Gary Henderson is a lousy excuse of a "coach".

You'll see soon enough. And we already guaranteed ourselves to be one of 4 teams left. Get it right.

The only coach that has an actual title in the SEC accomplished it on the back of a team that was -- at most -- half his players.

Would you seriously argue that Tanner wasn't elite until after he won his titles?

We're in Omaha without our 3 best starters -- and without our 3 best MLB arm talents(already on roster). Here's to your hope that we fade back into mediocrity though...

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Jefferson Davis

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Why don't you ask Skip about it next time you see him?

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You'll see soon enough

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Maybe we will, in any event you seem to be struggling with this concept of giving Cohen praise for shite that hasn't happened yet. Like I said, I'll wait until he earns it. The way State is playing right now, I wouldn't be surprised if that is a week away. But you've still got to wait that week, sorry.

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The only coach that has an actual title in the SEC accomplished it on the back of a team that was -- at most -- half his players.

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LOL, ok Bama fan. I thought we all agreed this was a pathetically stupid argument back with Miles and Saban?

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Would you seriously argue that Tanner wasn't elite until after he won his titles?

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He was a great coach w/o any hardware to show for it. Same thing that Cohen is right now. You aren't elite without hardware in my book. There's a lot of great coaches out there, Cohen among them, but "elite" is for those with trophies. I'd say that Cohen is the favorite to join the group in the next few days, but let's see how the games turn out first.

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Here's to your hope that we fade back into mediocrity though

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Not me, I'm pulling hard for State the rest of the week. I also enjoy when State is good, it makes for a great baseball rivalry. LSU certainly isn't threatened by you.

Here's to hoping that even half of your expectations for Cohen come true

Good lord....State hasn't won a conference title in over 20 years, getting closer to 30 actually.

They bag on Arkansas posters about basketball, but at least Arkansas has a national title in that sport.

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LOL, ok Bama fan. I thought we all agreed this was a pathetically stupid argument back with Miles and Saban?

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The point of my statement was this. I don't think Mainieri instills the mentality to win in Omaha -- and his players take on that personality. I think he inherited a team full of players with the right mentality -- but the wrong coaching -- and together they meshed well and capitalized on it in Omaha -- and he essentially made himself untouchable in the process.

I honestly don't have the same respect for "this" LSU regime when the bright lights come on. He simply reminds me in SO many ways of Polk -- while Cohen is a helluva lot more reminiscent of Skip of the two -- at least in his general approach to the game and the approach of his players with their backs against the wall. Mainieri is an excellent recruiter -- and excellent fundamental coach. I just think he lacks the little "it" factor that built the lore of LSU.

So, yes, I'm basically "butt hurt" about what happened from 1991 forward. I feel like that could have and should have been us -- and I'm hoping to begin rewriting that history starting on Friday...

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The point of my statement was this. I don't think Mainieri instills the mentality to win in Omaha -- and his players take on that personality. I think he inherited a team full of players with the right mentality -- but the wrong coaching -- and together they meshed well and capitalized on it in Omaha -- and he essentially made himself untouchable in the process.

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Reality would have to disagree. PM won it in his 3rd year - after missing the NCAAT altogether during his first year b/c the team was full of Smoke's garbage. PM kicked several guys off the team in order to get "his" players in there, and took his talented but inexperienced team to the CWS in '08. With some maturity, they won it the next year under his direction. That team didn't have the slightest remnant of the Smoke era on it, even if a few players recruited by Smoke remained. Our team did about what we expected last year, and this year was a big disappointment but let's not get carried away with legacies over it. We had a great team who played great all year, still made the CWS, and some of our top hitters had a 2-game slump and now we're watching from home. It's just that quick in this game.

The fact that so many people are pissed off at PM right now for only getting to the CWS is a testament to what we expect from him and our program.

He's the top coach in the conference at the Bama football and Kentucky basketball type of job.