Leatherneck Nation

It’s time, that’s all I’ll say. 

Time for what? No need to be ambiguous. 

Shut down the program?
Drop to NAIA?
Close the school?

There is only one way to look at it IMHO.  You take one practice at a time, one game at a time, one possession at a time and strive to do your best each and every time. 
 

Western_101 wrote: Sat Jan 24, 2026 6:05 am Time for what? No need to be ambiguous. 

Shut down the program?
Drop to NAIA?
Close the school?

 

Coaching change. 

My opinion will probably be very unpopular, but I'm not sure just a coaching change would help. 

For as long as I can remember, Western has been a "football school" (and I go way back). If other teams did well, that was fine, but football seems to have had the emphasis for eons.

 Basketball always seemed to be one that was there, but not highly supported. Not sure why that has been, but it has always appeared that way to me.

IF basketball is to become more than an "also ran", I think we need to step up everything. Granted, transfers have been as devastating to basketball as they have to football; but it doesn't make sense to expect to have a completely new team and expect them to be able to read each other like teams that have played together more than practice and whatever part of the season you're in.

I think this program needs to start from the ground up. Start building a team with freshmen and do what you can to keep them around for all 4 years. I said it before, and I'll say it again - find out how JD finds and keeps his players, and do the best you can to follow that plan.

In this case, I don't think bringing in portal players is working very well. Just my thoughts.

JD's success story began by establishing a solid pipeline from a premier AAU program in Wisconsin (Lakers) where he found the likes of Luke and Higginbotham and several others.  He had a lot of sucess from that route which pretty much put him on the map for future recruiting.  HIs program sells itself now.

I don't know if the boys AAU programs around the country are at that level.  For one, I dont think they are as numerous and my gut says that most of kids in those programs are going to the bigger programs in better conferences.

Update: after some internet research it appears that there are more boys AAU programs around the country.  So maybe Wisconsin is a special case.  For one, we know they have only 4 D1 college programs in the state and a lot more D2 and lower.  So enticing those AAU girls to come to D1 Macomb may be an easy sell for them when they know the coach is good.
 
 

It’s time for a new athletic director. 

Not one good hire. Jury still out on Davis for football. 

The only thing this athletic program had to hang onto was being in the MVC and Summit. 





 

vatusay wrote: Sat Jan 24, 2026 6:15 pm It’s time for a new athletic director. 

Not one good hire. Jury still out on Davis for football. 

The only thing this athletic program had to hang onto was being in the MVC and Summit. 





 

 

I agree with this. 

Current OVC Standings:
Tennessee-Martin  7-2
Tennessee State  7-3
Morehead State  7-3
Little Rock  6-3
SIU-Edwardsville  6-4
Lindenwood  6-4
Southeast Missouri State  6-4
Eastern Illinois  5-5
Southern Indiana  2-8
Tennessee Tech  2-8
Western  0-10

4EverPurple&Gold wrote: Sat Jan 24, 2026 9:41 am

Western_101 wrote: Sat Jan 24, 2026 6:05 am Time for what? No need to be ambiguous. 

Shut down the program?
Drop to NAIA?
Close the school?


 

Coaching change. 

 

Yes, I knew what you were alluding to 4EPG. I wouldn't want an opportunity to be hyperbolic to be squandered.