Tag: UTEP Basketball

in going winless against Div 1 teams this season? By the way, if Senter believes his statement about the current coaches auditioning for the job, I would hope that last night’s showing(or lack thereof) would be enough for him to say, “Next!” The mess of what is happening on the hardwood is just as much his as it is Floyd’s.

Having seen enough in the games played this season, I have seen enough to say that there is no way in Hell that the current coaching staff should even be in the expanded list of possible replacements.  As a matter of fact, if Senter allows the season to proceed as a train off of the rails I will have started with a complete loss of respect for him and his hire.  The season is old enough to get rid of the coaches and young enough to find someone to take over instead of allowing it to continue for the next few months.

There is losing and there is humiliating losses that indicate that the team has no business being on the same floor as the opponent.  So far, it has been apparent that the UTEP Miners basketball team perhaps might be competitive in a division about three levels below where we are.  Let’s be brutally honest.  UTEP Basketball IS the anchor around the necks of the rest of Conference USA.  While we talk about moving up from the crappy C-USA to the MWC, the teams that unshackled themselves from us once already because we couldn’t compete, the teams in C-USA you can bet are already holding secret meetings somewhere figuring out how to get away from the losers.

I started attending classes at UTEP in 1982 and in all of that time, this is the worst it has ever been.  The term “dumpster fire” has been used a lot in the past few years.  Well, our dumpster fire of Athletics at UTEP rivals the A&M Aggie bonfires of old.    UTEP fans have had decades to condition themselves for the humiliation and wonder at our ability to find new ways to show the world how bad we can be, and yet nothing could prepare a fan for the level of bad we have become.  Right now, I see Senter running toward a fire extinguisher when there should be fire trucks coming from surrounding cities to help put out the inferno.  Changes?  Those people who look like Smurfs are Miners fans that have been holding their breath.  The only change in have seen in 35 years is UTEP Athletics steady decline with a couple of accidental winning moments along the way.  If I sound pessimistic it is because I tried.  I am.  I hope the basketball players are getting good grades, at least.

UTEP’s new Athletic Director eliminated some of the questions many may have had about the next head coach of football. There won’t be a big name trying to catch a little lightning in a bottle one last time.  The school isn’t going to spend a bunch of money on a big name.  They are looking for a good man on the way up.  He needs to run a high scoring offense.  And the search is well underway.  I will say today so that I can be the first, that if the head coach at James Madison gets the job it will be all of the proof that any one even leaning toward conspiracies point out that the entire process is a sham.  Funny how he may just fit to a “T” what we are looking for.  So, all of you out there wanting to get an inkling about who could be on the short list, the process of elimination just made your work much easier.

Dr. Natalicio chimed in on doing more with less than anyone else, so the salary will be right about where it is.  More importantly, Dr. Natalicio just told you all you need to ever know about her feelings toward UTEP Athletics.  Small budget, and figure it out.  Be creative.  UTEP Athletics are a part of the educational mission of the school.  Any success UTEP Football finds will be purely up to the athletic department.  I have known Principals at schools just like her.  Athletics, afterschool athletics were just there.  It had to be done.  Kind of a waste of money truth be told, was their attitude.  That has been her attitude and it will never change.  She has been an incredible president of an educational institution.  But, any success the teams have is a bonus as far as she is concerned, and of little consequence if they fail.

By the way, while UTEP looks for coaches, coaches look at UTEP, too.  So as you do your own looking, keep in mind that the coach hired knows that the leader of the school doesn’t really give a rat’s ass about his passion.

As for basketball, this is supposed to be a tryout.  What that means is that there is a lot of shit hitting the fan, so on that basketball thing, I will get to that later.  Is there a signing period and recruiting to be done from now until March?  Of course.  So, as of this minute, Jim’s busy.  Keep doing your jobs.  But, just between you and me, if Jim Senter is an up and coming guy, he is going to want to pick his own guy, and the basketball coaches know that too.  It is what they do for a living.  They know the way things work.  Bottom line, basketball this season is whatever it happens to be.  The AD has given up on it.  We will work on that shit when we get a chance.

Will anything change?  Sure, the names.  If you are a fan of UTEP athletics the only name change that matters is Natalicio.   Until that, athletics at UTEP are the red-headed step-child.  Of course you eat at the same table as the rest of the family.  But, Nat’s trying to get Tier ! status not Cartel Membership.  How many of you out there really think Dr. Natalicio gives a shit about which conference we are in except if she could save money on transportation she would have more to spend NOT on athletics.  Such a waste of money.  I think she is a great president and I love UTEP for the education it gave me and the opportunities it provided.  But, I have been around long enough to know that this is how it is at UTEP.  Us sports fans really are pretty meaningless as for as UTEP is concerned.  It hurts, but that is the truth.  We got our degrees from a school that just doesn’t care about athletics.  It could be worse.  Not for a college football fan.  Nope, we are the worst.  By the way, I don’t have any hope that things would change even if she retired.  We’ve got what we get.  We don’t compete in sports at UTEP.  We hope.  We wring our hands.  We bitch about things that other people don’t have to bitch about.  We have expectations and celebrate what others can’t imagine(this season we are celebrating home grown good students at UTEP).  We have gotten used to being UTEP.