Poll: Should DP Be Fired?

[Five Two]

If Edwards "is probably the most unhappy person on the planet right now", I doubt that it's just about the men's basketball program. He's losing a terrific lacrosse coach who's leaving after the season to be director of athletics at the Garrison Forest School; the women's basketball team is 8-16 (2-9 A10); and the women's volleyball team completed its 9th consecutive season with a losing overall record.

I think its more than that. The last time a Mason team was in the NCAAs:

Men's Basketball- 2011
Baseball- 2014
Men's soccer- 2013
Men's volleyball- 2016
Women's Basketball- never
Lacrosse- never
Women's soccer- 1997
Softball- never
Women's volleyball- 2009

Somebody check me on these

 

[GMUgemini]

I think its more than that. The last time a Mason team was in the NCAAs:

Men's Basketball- 2011
Baseball- 2014
Men's soccer- 2013
Men's volleyball- 2016
Women's Basketball- never
Lacrosse- never
Women's soccer- 1997
Softball- never
Women's volleyball- 2009

Somebody check me on these

Id put an asterisk on men’s volleyball because only 7 teams make the field and they’ve been nationally competitive most years, including this one, but unless they win the conference tournament they aren’t making that tournament.

 

[Pablo]

I think its more than that. The last time a Mason team was in the NCAAs:

Men's Basketball- 2011
Baseball- 2014
Men's soccer- 2013
Men's volleyball- 2016
Women's Basketball- never
Lacrosse- never
Women's soccer- 1997
Softball- never
Women's volleyball- 2009

Somebody check me on these

Let's give Edwards credit for hiring a Penn State assistant as the men's volleyball coach. When the school joined the A10, I thought that Mason would be the William and Mary of the A10 (i.e., highly successful in sports other than basketball). But, other than track and field and men's volleyball (which is not an A10 sport), this has not been the case.

 

[Patriot8]

For those of you that are closer to the department/more in the know, how would you grade Edwards as a fundraiser overall? Has there been a significant bump during his tenure? For Patriot Club members that live in the area, have you noticed anything that has changed over the past few years? Does he get credit for the practice facility and locker room upgrades, or are those things that were eventually going to happen anyway?

 

[GMUgemini]

For those of you that are closer to the department/more in the know, how would you grade Edwards as a fundraiser overall? Has there been a significant bump during his tenure? For Patriot Club members that live in the area, have you noticed anything that has changed over the past few years? Does he get credit for the practice facility and locker room upgrades, or are those things that were eventually going to happen anyway?

It’s hard to really say because we got a bump moving into the A10 the year before he got here.

2017 was our best year in terms of licensing fees (all-time high), and donations (all-time high). But last seasons disappointment and this seasons free fall looks like the numbers are probably going to be lower for the second year in a row.

 

[mkaufman1]

For those of you that are closer to the department/more in the know, how would you grade Edwards as a fundraiser overall? Has there been a significant bump during his tenure? For Patriot Club members that live in the area, have you noticed anything that has changed over the past few years? Does he get credit for the practice facility and locker room upgrades, or are those things that were eventually going to happen anyway?

I can’t speak to fundraising specifically (although I think the numbers have improved), but I do think he knocked out a lot of the things that we all complained about for years such as the practice facility, video board, or lights in EagleBank. I think more is coming with the practice facility (although I’m not sure what). The locker room was his thing. He also has the first pitch dinner which is specific to fundraising for baseball which is new so I’m sure their numbers have improved as well.

 

[gmujim92]

Just signing the naming rights deal for the arena was a huge step in the right direction. $6.6M over 10 years might be pocket change for other schools but it’s a nice influx of new revenue for us.

And as Matt said, he is directly responsible for facility upgrades that NEVER would have happened under the Merten/TOC “brain trust.”

 

[FreeGunston12]

Id put an asterisk on men’s volleyball because only 7 teams make the field and they’ve been nationally competitive most years, including this one, but unless they win the conference tournament they aren’t making that tournament.

I wouldn't. There are what, 23 division 1 teams? A total of around 50 division 1 & 2 teams? I know we love to prop up our men's volleyball team as some underappreciated gem, but they have little competition.

 

[Pablo]

I wouldn't. There are what, 23 division 1 teams? A total of around 50 division 1 & 2 teams? I know we love to prop up our men's volleyball team as some underappreciated gem, but they have little competition.

There are 45 D-I/II men's volleyball schools competing for just 7 NCAA tourney bids: consisting of the 5 automatic bids (for the conference champions) and 2 at-large bids.

 

[FreeGunston12]

There are 45 D-I/II men's volleyball schools competing for just 7 NCAA tourney bids: consisting of the 5 automatic bids (for the conference champions) and 2 at-large bids.

Exactly. And if you look at our conference (EIVA), there are 7 other teams, 1 of which is D2. There are only 3 real recognizable schools in the EIVA, Penn St, Harvard, and Princeton.

I'm not all too familiar with Men's volleyball, but it seems we are sort of underwhelming despite constant narrative to the contrary.

 

[GMUgemini]

Exactly. And if you look at our conference (EIVA), there are 7 other teams, 1 of which is D2. There are only 3 real recognizable schools in the EIVA, Penn St, Harvard, and Princeton.

I'm not all too familiar with Men's volleyball, but it seems we are sort of underwhelming despite constant narrative to the contrary.

Penn State is a national power though.

Take a look at last season, for example, we went 17-9 and 10-4 in conference, lost to Penn State in the finals in 5 sets. I think if we had a .771 win percentage in basketball we’d call that a successful season.

 

[Pablo]

Penn State is a national power though.

Take a look at last season, for example, we went 17-9 and 10-4 in conference, lost to Penn State in the finals in 5 sets. I think if we had a .771 win percentage in basketball we’d call that a successful season.

Thanks for giving props to my alma mater. However, last year Penn State defeated Mason in the semis. Princeton defeated Penn State in 5 sets in the finals for its first EIVA title in 21 years.

 

[GMUgemini]

Thanks for giving props to my alma mater. However, last year Penn State defeated Mason in the semis. Princeton defeated Penn State in 5 sets in the finals for its first EIVA title in 21 years.

My dad is an alum and tried to get me to go there, but being from Miami the furthest north I was willing to go was Fairfax.

Sorry, thought we made the finals.

If anyone is curious, since 2000, there have been only three times Penn State hasn't won the EIVA championship: 2019: Princeton; 2018: Harvard; and 2016: George Mason. Since 1971, Penn State has won 32 EIVA championships. Penn State last won the NCAA championship in 2008. They went 30-1 that year. They were also in the championship finals in 2010.

So, yeah, winning that championship is a huge deal.

Also, it's pretty cool that we get to play big schools like Penn State, UCLA, USC, Stanford, and OSU every year. And to deep dive even further, like a win against Loyola-Chicago might not seem like a big deal, but Loyola-Chicago won back to back national championships in 2015 and 2016; and Lewis College was the national runner-up in 2016. So, yeah, these guys compete nationally against some really dominant schools.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

I don't know, I'm going to have to hear more about how if the volleyball team is kinda good or only pretty good to decide about Paulsen.

 

[FreeGunston12]

I don't know, I'm going to have to hear more about how if the volleyball team is kinda good or only pretty good to decide about Paulsen.

I am curious how the infamous Jollay feels on Dave Paulsen.

 

[FreeGunston12]

I don't know, I'm going to have to hear more about how if the volleyball team is kinda good or only pretty good to decide about Paulsen.

If he had Mason ranked as the #101st best team in basketball (the percentile equivalent to our current #13 ranking in volleyball), how successful would you consider him?

 

[GMUgemini]

If he had Mason ranked as the #101st best team in basketball (the percentile equivalent to our current #13 ranking in volleyball), how successful would you consider him?

More successful than our current ranking, that's for sure. I actually said before the season that we need to be pushing that top 100 barrier at the very least. Right now: 171 in Kenpom (and sinking), 177 NET (and sinking).

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

I am curious how the infamous Jollay feels on Dave Paulsen.

I don't think he has done a particularly good job but then I'm in no hurry to fire him and don't really care if we keep him around the next year or two. My Gen X apathy is at 1994 levels right now.

I have hope for this recruiting class but couldn't care less who we recruit for 2021 because if 2020 flops or is even just mediocre we might as well execute a total rebuild.

My two cents. Also super-stoked we're beating schools like Lewis and Loyola in volleyball.

 

[GMUgemini]

We lost to Lewis, sorry to say, Jolly.

 

[patriot2000]

If he had Mason ranked as the #101st best team in basketball (the percentile equivalent to our current #13 ranking in volleyball), how successful would you consider him?

I'm not sure the comparison is fair. Just because there is less quantity does not mean there is less quality. There are currently 100+ division 1 basketball teams that are BAD in a given year. Are you sure that there is an equal percentage of bad volleyball teams? Maybe, with the rarity of sponsoring competitve men's volleyball, most of the schools involved are putting a fairly equal investment into it and there is more parity? Again, I don't know. But earlier this season our basketball team was ranked around #101. Is our #13 volleyball team significantly better positioned than our #101 basketball teams? Well, our volleyball team competes against the BEST in their sport and wins or competes. Does our basketball team?