What Were They Thinking?

[NightHawk78]

Just when I thought we had heard the last about ol' Chadwick, the SDSWA decided to do this:

Chad Lavin, South Dakota Basketball

After 26 seasons and 425 career wins as a head coach, Chad Lavin has encountered his share of challenges. Yet, it was Lavin's work last season that earned him the distinction as the College Women's Coach of the Year, as voted by the South Dakota Sportswriters Association. (read more if you are suffering from insomnia or sheer boredom)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT


22-9 last season? Well, that's about four more wins and four fewer losses for the season (and around 15 more wins for Chadwick's career total) because SDSU and NDSU were no longer on the schedule...

Palileo should have been selected for leading the VB team to the dance...

[filbert]

Re: What Were They Thinking?

I guess it's against the rules to have "College women's team" and "College women's coach" be from the same school. Can't have that, I suppose.

You're right, the:

FIRST EVER IN THE HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA APPEARANCE OF A COLLEGE TEAM IN THE NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT. IN ANY SPORT.

THE FIRST EVER.

IN HISTORY.

EVER.

Maybe that might have merited some kind of recognition by the all-wise and knowledgeable AP sportswriters in South Dakota, of whom I assume that there are more than one.

To the AP: That aforementioned FIRST EVER team would be the SDSU women's volleyball team. They played in an actual, real, NCAA Division I post-season tournament this year. You might have missed it, being professional journalist(s) covering the latest events at Sioux Falls Christian or Roosevelt or Dell Rapids or some silly Sioux Falls minor-league or small-college team, or something similarly meaningful and significant to South Dakota Athletics.

It is true that SDSU's volleyball team got beat in the NCAA Division I Tournament in the first round by Nebraska. Not the one in Omaha, or the one in Kearney. The one in Lincoln. The one that was the defending NCAA Division I women's volleyball champions. I think they call themselves the "Cornhuskers" or something equally ridiculous. I understand that they have a football team, too.

Maybe the crack AP reporters/voters could get to work on researching that.

I won't hold my breath.

[propar80]

Re: What Were They Thinking?

Classic case of South Dakota being WAY to "nice" and "equitable". God forbid the Sports Writers of SD ruffle anyone's feathers by giving another award to SDSU women's athletics.
Coach Palileo was the obvious choice and AJ was right there also.


Giving that award to Lavin just makes the award itself meaningless, IMHO.

What SDSU Women's Basketball and Volleyball did for South Dakota in 2007 is something that is so far out of Lavin's reach, he wouldn't even attempt to contemplate it...and as his retirement shows, isn't too interested in trying.

Go Jacks!!

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: What Were They Thinking?

There is no logical way to defend their decision to make Lavin the COY over Palileo or Johnston. The only two things that came to mind to me were:

1. Johnston's one day break from SDSU may have hurt him.
2. When the ballots were being filled out the voters were thinking that they needed to give something to someone other than SDSU and since Lavin is retiring and they are probably going to suck in transition that this would be a nice pat on the back for an exceptionally mediocre career.

Palileo is the one that really deserved the honor in my opinion. A regular season D-1 conference championship, a post-season conference championship, and taking the first SDSU team in any sport to the NCAA Division 1 Championship Tournament. Andrew, you got hosed on that one!

Oh, well! Hats of to Chadwick! When the going gets tough, he bails! USD is really going to miss Lavin's class and charisma after he is gone! ROTFLMAO!!!!

SUPERBUNNY

[91jack]

Re: What Were They Thinking?

"since Lavin is retiring..."
I think that is all that needs to be said. There is no other way that he would or should of got it. I don't know why but they must feel they owe him for coaching there that long.
I don't understand some of these awards. The voters seem to use their hearts instead of their heads. I guess when you leave it up to somebody's opinion, things like this happen. It would be interesting hearing some of the voters try to defend their vote(on second thought maybe not).

[rational thought]

Re: What Were They Thinking?

I think he retired because he would have been forced to recruit players, rather than rely on transfers from D-I schools....which requires a lot of time, effort, and personality

[BTownJack]

Re: What Were They Thinking?

I think he retired because he would have been forced to recruit players, rather than rely on transfers from D-I schools....which requires a lot of time, effort, and personality

Great 2nd post...rep points for that one!