GigEm200$ said:

---

Bell is in his 50's....on a run of big 12 titles...seems to have an immediate 3-4 yr window of legit college cup runs

I can't envision him leaving for a rebuild when he's on the doorstep of winning at the highest level

---

You're probably right. And he turned down FSU, so I'm not sure why he'd be likely to say yes to us. But one can hope.

If it's a Big 12 poach, I would be horribly disappointed with Higgenbotham, Stone, or Lenard. So I guess that leaves Nate Lie as perhaps the best Big 12 option? Not exactly proven, but he seems promising.

Again, A&M is the highest-paying job in the country with G's salary. If we pay, anyone we hire gets a raise, including Bell

any nuggets? anything?

Offside said:

---

GigEm200$ said:

---

Bell is in his 50's....on a run of big 12 titles...seems to have an immediate 3-4 yr window of legit college cup runs

I can't envision him leaving for a rebuild when he's on the doorstep of winning at the highest level

---

You're probably right. And he turned down FSU, so I'm not sure why he'd be likely to say yes to us. But one can hope.

If it's a Big 12 poach, I would be horribly disappointed with Higgenbotham, Stone, or Lenard. So I guess that leaves Nate Lie as perhaps the best Big 12 option? Not exactly proven, but he seems promising.

---

Serious question - Why the disappointment with Lenard? Lack of post season success and overall experience?

85AustinAg said:

---

Offside said:

---

GigEm200$ said:

---

Bell is in his 50's....on a run of big 12 titles...seems to have an immediate 3-4 yr window of legit college cup runs

I can't envision him leaving for a rebuild when he's on the doorstep of winning at the highest level

---

You're probably right. And he turned down FSU, so I'm not sure why he'd be likely to say yes to us. But one can hope.

If it's a Big 12 poach, I would be horribly disappointed with Higgenbotham, Stone, or Lenard. So I guess that leaves Nate Lie as perhaps the best Big 12 option? Not exactly proven, but he seems promising.

---

Serious question - Why the disappointment with Lenard? Lack of post season success and overall experience?

---

Cuz she's not a "big" name.

I'd be pleased with her. She's got a fantastic track record and plays an attractive style of soccer and she recruits very well FOR HER SYSTEM. We all know that's important after the last 7 years of G just gathering players from wherever and watching them play aimlessly while blaming them for not knowing what to do.

Sorry I meant to direct that to Offside. I appreciate your perspective though, so thanks!

Lie and Lenard have both done nice jobs with their teams this year. Both would attempt to bring a more appealing brand of soccer to college station.

The Big 12 in general this year was more senior laden than several other conferences so it wouldn't surprise me if a B12 coach was thinking this might be the right time to look elsewhere. Many of them will be rebuilding (or loading up on transfers) next year.

Stone is 60
LIe is 48/49
Higgenbotham 50
Lenard 46
Bell 56

we gonna need a bigger boat

Church 68 yrs young formerly at Duke is who I want. Take both their football coaches

85AustinAg said:

---

Sorry I meant to direct that to Offside. I appreciate your perspective though, so thanks!

---

Jessexy makes some fair points. My hesitation is just a very limited track record of D1 success or recruiting the YNT-types you need to make College Cups.

She has done quite well at DBU and Baylor, but if FSU/Stanfor/Virginia jobs opened up she wouldn't be really considered and I I suppose I am hoping for the level of coach that is would be widely considered top 10 in the country.

Maybe she eventually reaches such a level, but it's by no means inevitable, or even probable.

what we know abouts Manny Martins- Utah State

Positivelyag512 said:

---

Church 68 yrs young formerly at Duke is who I want. Take both their football coaches

---

Wouldn't mind that hire. But if we are hiring someone either not currently coaching, or no longer with a team in the tournament, I feel like the announcement would've already happened (or would get announced today/tomorrow if they lost in the 1st round). I doubt they would wait to announce given the opening of the portal today.

Aggies2026 said:

---

Positivelyag512 said:

---

Church 68 yrs young formerly at Duke is who I want. Take both their football coaches

---

Wouldn't mind that hire. But if we are hiring someone either not currently coaching, or no longer with a team in the tournament, I feel like the announcement would've already happened (or would get announced today/tomorrow if they lost in the 1st round). I doubt they would wait to announce given the opening of the portal today.

---

Church was a good coach but had many inherent advantages at Duke yet still won 0 ACC Tourney Championships, 0 National Championships and made it to maybe three college cups in his 20+ years at Duke.

Find the soccer version of Morrison or Ford

BQ_90 said:

---

Find the soccer version of Morrison or Ford

---

Or Chadwell, Weaver, etc

Whoever is making the decisions on a new coach really needs to consider how that coach not only fits into A&M culture but knows how to connect with players. If you can't inspire a player/team, doesn't matter how good your players or style of soccer is. Too many coaches out there that know soccer, but can't get it done. You hear stories about how inspiring Anson Dorrance is/was. Praying for decision makers to put more weight on culture first, style second.

For 9 players to leave in the portal after the announcement of Phil Stevenson retiring…seems suspicious. Like maybe he was the coach the team was inspired by

Assistants from big programs have won 2 of the last three National Titles (in their first year as head coach). Pensky won the one in between and he did ok at Tennessee but nothing great. Maybe looking at the assistant coach of known quantities is a better way to go? Before the run of the last three years, you have to go back to McAlpine at USC and Cromwell at UCLA to find non-established coaches from big time programs who have won it. Cromwell was fairly successful at UCF and I think McAlpine went from assistant to HC somewhere else for maybe a year before USC. I think both of them won the title in the 2nd or 3rd year. The good news is things can change quickly if you find the right person.

Howdy143 said:

---

Whoever is making the decisions on a new coach really needs to consider how that coach not only fits into A&M culture but knows how to connect with players. If you can't inspire a player/team, doesn't matter how good your players or style of soccer is. Too many coaches out there that know soccer, but can't get it done. You hear stories about how inspiring Anson Dorrance is/was. Praying for decision makers to put more weight on culture first, style second.

---

It's easy to be inspiring when you have the 4 best players at every position in the country on your roster. Anson Dorrance's job was easy until other schools were able to recruit similarly to UNC.

Combining the idea of a coach who understands school culture of fans and donors, and understands how to inspire the minds of players. Look at Mike Elko. Was an assistant coach, then head coach at another school, now back. Have talked with some football player parents. They seemed to be excited about Elko prior to him starting back at A&M. They liked his approach to culture and team. And now look at him. 6 year extended contract

Culture matters, especially at a school like A&M. Phil was a huge advocate for those 9 girls as well as the hundreds he coached before. They lost their confidant when Phil was let go. Always needs to be someone on the staff who can play that role.

Howdy143 said:

---

For 9 players to leave in the portal after the announcement of Phil Stevenson retiring…seems suspicious. Like maybe he was the coach the team was inspired by

---

He was one of the main complaints they had.

Who are the top candidates at this time?

HeyAbbott said:

---

Who are the top candidates at this time?

---

Bell is the clear #1
Baylor coach # 2
LSU coach #3

Thanks

I'm a little confused by what your reply was intended to mean. Was him being let go their main complaint or are you saying they left because of him, hence why he was let go…..just asking.

If Mookie is correct then I would think that the Baylor coach would much more fit all of the intangibles that drive long-term success and specifically, A&M culture. The more I have heard about Bell, the more I feel like he might not be the best fit here, but who knows. I do know that Trev has at least tried to find coaches that have the best combo of likely success AND long term culture fit.

Still an outside chance that Strader makes the cut??? He really did impress this year with the task he was setup with (defense) and he is, as previously mentioned, very impressive to listen to. I've seen him run some sessions in different environments and definitely punches above the weight of his resume. Just throwing it out there.

On the subject of assistants, it's always the case that some of the top coaches in the country are currently assistants and if the right person vouches for them, top opportunities have always presented themselves …..

Phil Stephenson was such a valuable assistant, he was probably picked up immediately when he hit the market last year. If nine players left because his contract was not renewed, he had a lot of juice. Who hired him or maybe he took the season off waiting for the highest bidder.

It's a shame we don't have the new coach in place to go after transfers. Some really surprising players in the portal right now. 1st all SEC players and other potential game changers who won't be there for long.

AggiesFight said:

---

It's a shame we don't have the new coach in place to go after transfers. Some really surprising players in the portal right now. 1st all SEC players and other potential game changers who won't be there for long.

---

If you hire somebody right now, they won't be a part of an NCAA tournament playing team. Getting the right coach is always more important.

AggiesFight said:

---

It's a shame we don't have the new coach in place to go after transfers. Some really surprising players in the portal right now. 1st all SEC players and other potential game changers who won't be there for long.

---

The right coach will bring the athletes he/she wants with him/her. Once they depart their program, the current program players and recruits will have a chance to move. Correct?

Correct. After a new coach is hired at a school I believe the athletes have a 30 day window to decide if they want to transfer.

aggiesccr99 said:

---

If Mookie is correct then I would think that the Baylor coach would much more fit all of the intangibles that drive long-term success and specifically, A&M culture. The more I have heard about Bell, the more I feel like he might not be the best fit here, but who knows. I do know that Trev has at least tried to find coaches that have the best combo of likely success AND long term culture fit.

Still an outside chance that Strader makes the cut??? He really did impress this year with the task he was setup with (defense) and he is, as previously mentioned, very impressive to listen to. I've seen him run some sessions in different environments and definitely punches above the weight of his resume. Just throwing it out there.

On the subject of assistants, it's always the case that some of the top coaches in the country are currently assistants and if the right person vouches for them, top opportunities have always presented themselves …..

---

If Trev hires Strader, it's a budget move and won't move the program forward. He had a hand in bringing in this group of transfers, who are great people, but aren't SEC caliber based on the conference performance. Heck we lost Yolinsky after he joined. Need someone who can recruit & retain top talent.

aggiedrjdub said:

---

AggiesFight said:

---

It's a shame we don't have the new coach in place to go after transfers. Some really surprising players in the portal right now. 1st all SEC players and other potential game changers who won't be there for long.

---

The right coach will bring the athletes he/she wants with him/her. Once they depart their program, the current program players and recruits will have a chance to move. Correct?

---

The new coach can certainly bring players from their current school, but my comment was really just related to how many top players are currently in the portal and will be snapped up quickly. Some really surprising players to me. We will likely miss out on them due to timing, which is unfortunate. I wish the transfer window opened just a week or so later.

Some of these players are already in the crosshairs of our prospective new coach just at their old program.