Monday, August 6, 2007

ECU Spins Firing


Ricky Stokes is out at ECU.
I grew up watching him play and he was a blast to watch. But he's just never been able to cut it as coach.

My one Ricky Stokes memory. I'm in Hartford, CT watching the Big East/ACC Challenge. Double-header with Wake and State playing someone I've long since forgotten. I somehow walked into seats literally on the row behind the State/Wake bench. This was the first year that the number of timeouts changed, maybe from 5, down to 4 for TV games. Wake is in a tight game, down a couple late. Wake calls their 4th timeout. As they break the huddle, I think to myself, I sure hope they remember only 4 timeouts. As Stokes walks back to his seat as the players head to the floor, we make eye contact. I literally could have said, in a normal voice "Ricky, no timeouts left". I didn't say it. Sure as hell, a few moments later wake has the ball and they call a fricken timeout. They have no timeouts, they get a technical, and go on to lose the game. Aside from the normal fan crap of, if I watch in this chair, eat a banana before the game, wear this shirt, watch it live, or whatever State will win, this was probably the one time that I really could have had an effect on the outcome of a college basketball game, and I didn't do it.

OK, enough about me.

Ricky was fired today, but Terry Holland is a loyal guy. Check out he Spin of this headline

Stokes takes new job with ECU hoops

Greenville, NC (Sports Network) - East Carolina men's basketball coach Ricky Stokes has decided to take a new position as associate athletic director for basketball. Full Story...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

DG was talking about this during his show this afternoon. His feeling was that there has got to be something more to the story. He was saying that if Holland was going to remove Stokes from the bench because of the team’s dismal performance, he probably would have done it in April.

Ken White said...

Does make you wonder. He had only 2 years, and kind of cleaned house the first year I think.

Anonymous said...

His brother Bobby was pretty good as well.