sports5

(December 21, 2009) Blue Raiders topple Eagles New Orleans Bowl 2009: MTSU 42, USM 32. USM led 14-0 early and then faded. That is a metaphor for USM.

(January 5, 2010) The EuStachy Code Another Look at Larry Eustachy's Destruction of USM Basketball Nearing the mid-point of sixth season as head men's basketball coach at the University of Southern Mississippi, Larry Eustachy's career USM record is a much-to-be-desired 84 wins and 84 losses. The fact that about 20 of these 84 wins have come against William Carey, Spring Hill, Loyola-New Orleans, Dillard-New Orleans, Belhaven, Reinhardt and Blue Mountain means that Eustachy's USM record shrinks by 20%-25% on the wins side when accounted for properly.

(March 15, 2010) breaking news . . . USM Athletics Continues to Drain USM’s Coffers HATTIESBURG – After the 65 teams for the 2010 NCAA men’s basketball championship were announced on 14-Mar-2010, the 32 teams participating in the 2010 NIT were revealed. Next, the 16 participants in the new CBI were made public. Finally, the 16 invitees for the CollegeInsider.com post season tournament (CIT) were named, and Larry Eustachy’s USM Eagles were among this group. While some USM athletics supporters are happy with this news, many in the USM family recognize this situation as a potentially major financial drain on the institution during one of the most trying financial periods in the institution’s history.

(March 18, 2010) breaking news . . . Eustachy Flops in First Round of CIT HATTIESBURG – Larry Eustachy’s USM Eagles were just soundly defeated by the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in round one of the 2010 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). The Eagles fell to the Bulldogs 57-66 on Thursday 18-Mar-10 in Ruston, LA. In the process, Eustachy’s 2009-10 campaign ends at 20-14, making his record over the past two seasons a disappointing 35-31, with the better part of 10 of those 35 wins coming against NAIA competition (e.g., William Carey University).

(April 12, 2010) Why LE? Many USM sports fans are wondering why USM president Martha Saunders is hanging on to men’s basketball coach Larry Eustachy (LE). After six years on the job, LE’s record is 95 wins against 94 losses, for a win percentage of 50.3. Only this season, 2009-10, has LE’s crew made the postseason, and that came via an invitation (possibly paid for) to the underwhelming CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).

(April 12, 2010) GH Chatter USM’s baseball team is now 16-14 on the season, having been defeated three times in a row by the University of Central Florida just this past weekend. As it looks now, the team will be staying home for the postseason. It is understandable, then, that Eagle Nation is now starting to get restless about the athletics situation. The old standby, hopeful comment of USM fans – “At least we’ve got baseball season . . .” – has been falling apart at the seams since famed baseball head coach Corky Palmer stepped down after last year’s College World Series appearance. If USM president Martha Saunders thinks governing the institution is difficult now, just wait until this debacle further develops.