Oak Ridge's Bruce Lussier should resign

[OS91]

Tank Talk, I strongly disagree

 

The situation is far from whinning when the factor in the results of games, on and off field incidents involving players and coaches, the lack of support from the community, and long mainstays in the radio and media having problems/incidents communicating with the ORHS coaching staff.

 

OR is by far the the "elite" progrma of the area and can be considered one of the better programs in the southeatern United States. It should be held to the highest standards and if a coach doesnt get the results, their is discontent in the program not only from the lack of performance, but from off season and field incidents that are tearing the program and its fans then I would hope the administration would look into the situation. If administration gave Lussier one year, then he without question should be given that year, but if OR football program doesnt drastically improve this year and overcome the loss to AC, then I think a search should begin to restore the pride of OR.

[Beagleboy]

Good Post OS91. I think that outsiders could look at this and say that the Oak Ridge fans need to just shut up and let the kids play ball. What they don't know is that most of the kids playing have the same feelings towards Lussier. You really can't talk until you walk a mile in their shoes. It isn't all about the winning and the losing. Its the respect that he doesn't give to the players, parents, fans and even to his fellow Coaches.

Sure a coach can't play for them on Friday nights but Oak Ridge is not without talent this season. Not taking anything away from Anderson County because they played a fine game. Oak Ridge had more talent but the best team didn't win. Oh well, that happens sometimes. Not to Oak Ridge at home.

Oak Ridge has lost their last three games. You tell me when that has ever happened? Lussier doesn't know how to lead or communicate with young men. He is not a motivator and almost downplays getting hiped for a game because he thinks the kids will lose focus. If you have kids, you know at this level they feed off of their emotions. He feels it makes them think less clearly. He has taken the fun out of football for them. I don't feel that he should resign in the middle of the season but I do feel that at the end of the season he should call it quits. I hope the Cats go 14-1 the rest of the way out but I still think a change needs to take place just for the good of the program. Once you start a snowball rolling down a mountain, its hard to stop it and I think that is the case here. He will never win back the support of the fans, players and community. Maybe you outsiders can stop by sometime and talk with the football players and find out what is on their minds before you speak for them. I have one at my house and he starts but this is the way he feels about the situation.

[just1np]

There was a thread a while back about the goal posts being torn down at Oak Ridge. Supposedly by some guys that lived near-by.

Things like that don't attract good coaching candidates. Not to mention the behavior of other fans. It has been said on this site (in this thread even I think) that fans have tried to get a newspaper ad to get rid of the coach. If that is true then that is truly terrible. There is no way I would want a job in a program were people behaved like that.

It is time some of you guys wake up! Your behavior is making it WORSE! If you guys get what you want(Lussier/staff fired) then there are very few that are going to be interested in the position! Seriously, what coaches out there would be interested, knowing what has been taking place?

I am trying to level with you! YOU GUYS ARE EMBARASSING YOUR BELOVED PROGRAM! You guys went 6-4 last year! That isn't that bad! High expectations are great, but only if they are realistic. And if you guys want a guy's head after one sub-par year then the chances of getting someone better is slim. This isn't D-I college ball! You can't offer a huge contract to sweeten the deal! Plus you would be putting the ball back in the hands of the people that handed Lussier in the first place! If you don't like this choice, what makes you think you'll like the next?

 

Anyone who has half a brain realizes that all programs go through tough times (as far as win-loss). But the behavior of the fans makes it seem far more grave.

 

-If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

[TankTalk]

I would almost agree with you OS, except for one fact. The problems started as soon as the coach was given the job. Before the bad season last year, at least bad in the eyes of Oak Ridge fans. Grumbling started as soon as he was named coach, thus causing rifts in the program as a whole. I don't know this coach, never met him and have nothing to do with the situation. As an observer, this guy has been under extreme pressure from the very beginning. And I don't care how "elite" the program is, and I would argue with you about being on the most elite in the Southeast, you go through cycles.

[Edited by TankTalk on 9-1-02 1:23P]

[Beagleboy]

Good Post OS91. I think that outsiders could look at this and say that the Oak Ridge fans need to just shut up and let the kids play ball. What they don't know is that most of the kids playing have the same feelings towards Lussier. You really can't talk until you walk a mile in their shoes. It isn't all about the winning and the losing. Its the respect that he doesn't give to the players, parents, fans and even to his fellow Coaches.

Sure a coach can't play for them on Friday nights but Oak Ridge is not without talent this season. Not taking anything away from Anderson County because they played a fine game. Oak Ridge had more talent but the best team didn't win. Oh well, that happens sometimes. Not to Oak Ridge at home.

Oak Ridge has lost their last three games. You tell me when that has ever happened? Lussier doesn't know how to lead or communicate with young men. He is not a motivator and almost downplays getting hiped for a game because he thinks the kids will lose focus. If you have kids, you know at this level they feed off of their emotions. He feels it makes them think less clearly. He has taken the fun out of football for them. I don't feel that he should resign in the middle of the season but I do feel that at the end of the season he should call it quits. I hope the Cats go 14-1 the rest of the way out but I still think a change needs to take place just for the good of the program. Once you start a snowball rolling down a mountain, its hard to stop it and I think that is the case here. He will never win back the support of the fans, players and community. Maybe you outsiders can stop by sometime and talk with the football players and find out what is on their minds before you speak for them. I have one at my house and he starts but this is the way he feels about the situation.

[TankTalk]

BINGO! How would you expect to get a top-notch coach for your elite program with actions like this? When Lussier is eventually run out of town, who do you think you could get? And do you think you could get someone good enough to make everyone in Cat land happy?

 

Posted by just1np:

There was a thread a while back about the goal posts being torn down at Oak Ridge. Supposedly by some guys that lived near-by.

Things like that don't attract good coaching candidates. Not to mention the behavior of other fans. It has been said on this site (in this thread even I think) that fans have tried to get a newspaper ad to get rid of the coach. If that is true then that is truly terrible. There is no way I would want a job in a program were people behaved like that.

It is time some of you guys wake up! Your behavior is making it WORSE! If you guys get what you want(Lussier/staff fired) then there are very few that are going to be interested in the position! Seriously, what coaches out there would be interested, knowing what has been taking place?

I am trying to level with you! YOU GUYS ARE EMBARASSING YOUR BELOVED PROGRAM! You guys went 6-4 last year! That isn't that bad! High expectations are great, but only if they are realistic. And if you guys want a guy's head after one sub-par year then the chances of getting someone better is slim. This isn't D-I college ball! You can't offer a huge contract to sweeten the deal! Plus you would be putting the ball back in the hands of the people that handed Lussier in the first place! If you don't like this choice, what makes you think you'll like the next?

 

Anyone who has half a brain realizes that all programs go through tough times (as far as win-loss). But the behavior of the fans makes it seem far more grave.

 

-If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

[Beagleboy]

It is true he has been under a lot of pressure since he took the job and I think he knew coming in that with this job, comes the pressure. He has a way of turning what he says into personal attacks on his players. I don't know why but he does this. He is a negative guy by nature I guess. The interviewing of other choices never took place. It was decided by a nearly retired AD that didn't want to go through the process. Gary Rankin at Riverdale to name one wanted the job but his state championships were not good resume material I guess. The kids on this 2002 believe in themselves and will do what they can to win the remaining games but let me tell you they won't be having fun like other programs because of Bruce Lussier. Go Cats !!

[Guest bbinthehole]

OR is in a down mode not just in football. Just take a look around town.

 

As far as the coach is concerned, get over it! He is a good coach. You just don't like getting beat. Maybe Lussier will stoop so low like Kerr and recruit CC kids or whoever's kids and then they can win. Is that what you want ? Then some of the 99 players on OR team will not be able to even dress out, much less play.

 

OR will be back including football. It is a tough time, but OR has too many good people to let it get them down.

[ohreally]

just1np,

 

Please, let me help you get your facts straight.

 

There was never a newspaper ad that tried to get rid of the coach.

 

There was a newspaper ad that asked specific questions concerning incidents involving Oak Ridge football. Nowhere in the ad (which I have seen) was there a demand for the coach to leave. The newspaper refused to run the ad because they thought the questions about the football program were "too controversial".

 

I hope all the future coaches who consider Oak Ridge don't hear about the goal post incident. It would be terrible to find out that a couple of boys got drunk and did something stupid. I'm sure this has never happened anywhere else.

f9d

[simocleo]

ohreally, in your earlier post you said you were not going to make any more comments...and said good bye. I hope you did not mean that because your posts are insightful and always entertaining!

 

I must disagree to those who say BL should not resign at this point. I think it WOULD be a good example for everyone. BL doesn't really like coaching..he really doesn't like people as a whole. I think it would be the most honorable thing he has done in 4 years.

 

To those who think the coaching world will never be interested in Oak Ridge don't know squat.

You are wrong. Oak Ridge will get a FANTASTIC COACH....next.

[oskie]

With the exception of Corey Booker I thought Anderson County's players matched up quite well with the Oak Ridge players. I think that the best team did win friday night. Face it, Oak Ridge is in a down swing right now as far as talent goes. It happens everywhere, why can't it happen in your town? True, Oak Ridge made more mistakes than AC, but those fumbles and interception were the result of hard hits given out by AC players. The OR coaches don't kick extra points and they don't cover wide-outs on punt return. So ease up on them a little. AC has good coaches and good players. They will beat alot of people, and if you get behind Lussier and the OR football team, maybe they will put this behind them and win some games.

[just1np]

That doesn't clear that up to me.

Asked "specific" questions? Why run an article with questions? Questioning whom?

If there are questions that people feel need answering you go straight to the source. Not a newspaper.

If there was an attempt to do this, but to no avail, that doesn't make it right to turn it into a public debate.

I say this sounds like a lynch-mob. Plain and simple.

I don't claim to know the details of what has been going on. I know what I read on this board, though. And the behavior demonstrated by the fans is not appealing. In fact it kind of gives me a little satisfaction. Because I think you guys are actually making the situation worse. And the worse it gets, the longer it will be before we see Oak Ridge with any success.

So you all keep posting your anti-Lussier stuff. And the rest of us will read with delight.