[The Rock]

http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm? ... 85&TeamID=

Royer Resigns as Liberty's Baseball Coach

Head Baseball Coach Matt Royer has resigned from his position.

June 8, 2007
Lynchburg, Va.

Liberty University Director of Athletics Jeff Barber has announced that Matt Royer has resigned from his position as head baseball coach. A national search for a new head baseball coach will commence immediately.

Royer recently finished his fifth year at the helm of the Flames’ baseball program, posting a 36-25 record and a third-place finish in Big South Conference play with a 14-7 mark. During Royer’s five-year tenure, the Flames posted a 153-132 overall record and a 57-55 in Big South action.

Royer began his association with the baseball program during the late 70s as a three-year middle infielder for the Flames from 1977-79. He graduated from the school in 1980 with a degree in physical education.

[SuperJon]

I hate you. I wanted to post it. I copied the thing, and edited it like Sly wanted to, then I saw you posted it. All that work for nothing.

[PAmedic]

God bless him and good luck to him.

I only met him once- at a Flames Club luncheon- but he seemed a standup guy and clearly cared about his team and LU baseball.

best wishes, Coach- thanks for a good season!

[Chris Lang]

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... 5293&path=

More tomorrow, including Royer reax.

[PAmedic]

Barber said in the last couple of days he decided the program needed to go in a different direction. He would not elaborate when asked if Royer was forced to resign.
“We evaluated the program last year, and we talked again this year,” Barber said. “We both agreed that we needed a change in direction. He felt like he wanted to resign.

odd

[PAmedic]

“We want to win this conference and we want to go the College World Series,” Barber said. “We want to find the right coaching staff to allow us to get there.”

and just what is the time frame on THAT one?

not that I don't support the idea

[Stevewalt]

let the speculation begin

[PAmedic]

like: "how fast can a plane carrying a former MLB-er leave a minor league town and land in Lynchburg?"

[prototype]

Is it really about more than wins and loses? Because Matt was a standup guy that was succesful in his field. Is it about loyalty, because not sure if there are qualified LU alums out there ready to take on LU Baseball for the same salary as Matt and with no lights or support. Is it about Politics, becuase a few children on the team weren't getting there way.

What is this about? A step backwards for a successful program for what reason? Let's get rid of every coach at LU and go for big names with no head coaching experience, i.e. - go pull the folder for Mel Hankinson when you get a chance.

I will always be supportive of LU, I will go to the games, I will cheer for all the sports teams, I will cheer for the next baseball coach, but I will never forgot the blatten disregard for people that has been displayed recently at LU. We are supposed to be different.

If I was Rocco, I would start making peace with those players and parents, because we know who runs athletics at LU.

[prototype]

“We want to win this conference and we want to go the College World Series,” Barber said. “We want to find the right coaching staff to allow us to get there.”

and just what is the time frame on THAT one?

not that I don't support the idea

I'm not sure how much closer we can get. I forget that we played a weak team in the championship - CCU was horrible, they were only 6th in the RPI.

2nd.3rd.2nd?
2 Championship Games in a row?

[Libertine]

Is it really about more than wins and loses? Because Matt was a standup guy that was succesful in his field. Is it about loyalty, because not sure if there are qualified LU alums out there ready to take on LU Baseball for the same salary as Matt and with no lights or support. Is it about Politics, becuase a few children on the team weren't getting there way.

What is this about? A step backwards for a successful program for what reason? Let's get rid of every coach at LU and go for big names with no head coaching experience, i.e. - go pull the folder for Mel Hankinson when you get a chance.

I will always be supportive of LU, I will go to the games, I will cheer for all the sports teams, I will cheer for the next baseball coach, but I will never forgot the blatten disregard for people that has been displayed recently at LU. We are supposed to be different.

If I was Rocco, I would start making peace with those players and parents, because we know who runs athletics at LU.

This post seems familiar somehow. Like I've read it before but somewhere else...

[PAmedic]

I seem to recall reading that.... somewhere....



no, I see your points. You can never please EVERYONE, for sure.

hoping that everyone in the AD office is on the same page here; do whatever needs to be done to develop a tradition of consistently winning conf titles and moving on from there.

there really needs to be a lot of progress in other areas as well, esp the facilities- I'm assuming the change here is meant to facilitate those upgrades as well.

following the course of football/MBB.

***OF COURSE, LIB POSTED 30 SECONDS BEFORE ME AND MADE MY SMART COMMENT LOOK RIDICULOUS***

[Libertine]

We need an evil laughter emoticon.

[TruthSlayer11]

That thread was closed, and probably smartly so, but if you wish to continue the discussion here then fine.

...Is it about Politics, becuase a few children on the team weren't getting there way...

Yes, but when those "few children" make up 95% of your team thats when it becomes a problem. It used to be that only the upper class man would speak up, now it's everyone.

[prototype]

Hold my own closed the last thread and I think it has relevance here. Sorry:)

[Hold My Own]

Hold my own closed the last thread and I think it has relevance here. Sorry:)

I closed it b/c I didnt want things to get out of hand, I was hoping it wouldnt carry over but you killed me on that! Oh well just keep it clean folks and keep in mind a man with a family just lost his job.

[prototype]

...there really needs to be a lot of progress in other areas as well, esp the facilities- I'm assuming the change here is meant to facilitate those upgrades as well.

following the course of football/MBB.

That's exactly opposite what is happening. If Royer was retianed and given a contract, I know for a fact that one person was going to step up and provide money for stadium improvents, and possibly build a new stadium.

[Knucklehead]

So how long will it take to round up Tomlin and get him here? The Patomic Nationals are home through Sunday and then at Winston Salem Tue.

[PAmedic]

we're definitely going to have the "pro" and "con" camps on this one, just like RD and MBB

but I'm glad that the AD is putting ALL programs on notice, equally, that LU will no longer be satisfied to be middle of the pack

somewhere- Rock Royer is proud.

must add, again, that I respect Coach Royer and the job that he did with our program- and wish him nothing but the best .

[PAmedic]

So how long will it take to round up Tomlin and get him here? The Patomic Nationals are home through Sunday and then at Winston Salem Tue.

we certainly have our share of former major leaguers to pick from , the question is- are they good COACHES?

[shudder] see: Isaiah Thomas [/shudder]

[TruthSlayer11]

we're definitely going to have the "pro" and "con" camps on this one, just like RD and MBB

but I'm glad that the AD is putting ALL programs on notice, equally, that LU will no longer be satisfied to be middle of the pack

somewhere- Rock Royer is proud.

must add, again, that I respect Coach Royer and the job that he did with our program- and wish him nothing but the best .

It's not a matter of Pro and Cons or even "who's camp are you in" grab a random player and ask them how they feel! It's as simple as that.

[prototype]

I wasn't trying to go aroung you Hold my own. Just wanted to make sure that our side is heard too.

[PAmedic]

I hope we get a decent discourse on where everyone thinks we go from here.

I'm betting, though, that I come back later and find 8 pages of brawling followed by a locked thread, and 2 new oddly similar threads continuing the battle

[Hold My Own]

I wasn't trying to go aroung you Hold my own. Just wanted to make sure that our side is heard too.

Oh I know man, I guess it is going to happen either way....and thats what we dont want medic!

[prototype]

Are you a player Truth?

If you are, you know they had their opportunities to voice there concerns to Royer directly. If they didn't like him - that's fine, it's the fact they weren't men enough to bring it directly to him.

You're numbers are wrong - like it or not - they are. Have you ever met Coach K? The guys a prick, but players respect him - because he is the coach. There is no way the team hated him as much as you say - they would have stopped playing for him and that didn't happen and players wouldn't come back.

Have you ever even met Matt Royer?