I agree with this. Not the kind of pitching we've had previously performance-wise. I'm not qualified to speculate on why that is. Hitting and base-running seem improved from last year. Fielding is not horrible but nothing special, either. (Basing this on conference-only stats, BTW.) We sure seem (this year) to be on a downward trajectory, though. What is the board's level of confidence that Pierce can improve this? Mine is low right now.
Van Horn is a great coach, i have a ton of respect for the guy but he's coaching at his alma mater, he's a Razorback through and through, he's not leaving.
Arkansas has always had some level of inferiority complex, especially re: TEXAS. Their fans I suspect may HATE UT more than aggy. Ask any of our fans that EVER visited FayettNam.
I have and do business in XNA. It is a little Houston, wanting to stay true to its roots, but full of outsiders. My experience over the last decade and a half is that the "t-shirt fans" are still awful, but the rest fall into these categories: 1) Outsiders that have moved in to work for WalMart 2) Students (over 50% from Texas) that couldn't get into Texas or aTm, wanted to get away from home, couldn't afford the $90,000 a year at SMU or TCU, and liked the chances with an Arkansas degree better than one from Ole Miss
I personally know three families who's kids were high achievers and could have gone to Texas or A&M but got such incredible financial packages to head to Arky that they decided to head up there just in the last 24 months. Arkansas is improving dramatically its programs particularly in engineering and has aggressively come into the DFW market and is pushing in state tuition and large scholarship packages to cherry pick high achieving students and also draw the next level of kids too who might otherwise have stayed in state. I will also say that the NW Arkansas/Ozarks area is one of the prettiest areas in the country with a crap ton of Walmart money building nice museums, parks and amenities such that you wouldn't even recognize the Fayetteville/Bentonville of 30 years ago.
I looked back at Pierce's 8 years since he arrived and so far out of the 14 coaches in Texas history he ranks 8th in winning percentage which is not stellar. His overall winning rate is .648. One of our all time greats, Augie, record at Texas ranks 7th at .658. I can't explain what I see in this abomination of a season, but I've been a defender of him in the past and I'm asking for the chopping block this year because it's sooooooo bad. Looking at the bigger picture though he's been pretty good except for the 2019 season which was absolutely awful too. However we started the 2020 season 14-3 before covid cancelled that season so maybe next year we'll have a rebound? Does he not know how to work the NIL and portal situation like Dabo? Has he lost his touch or is he just having a bad year? I don't know, but I think I'll pause on the get rid of Pierce talks until the end of the season.
He's been snake bit by his strategy of getting transfers who have a high level of talent, but were injured at some point. He bet they would recover and be really good again. Some aren't playing at all this year. Some are playing, but not very well. Santos Mercer that tall guy from Duke who quit baseball entirely Howard etc.
Witt is not a transfer, but he is a formerly outstanding pitcher who was injured and has never recovered such that we have not seen him on the mound in several weeks.
