[Cider Jim]

Thanks, Randy:

(1) for beating UVa when you were an interim head coach
(2) for winning one Big South Conference championship
(3) for hiring quality assistant coaches and recruiting some major talent
(4) for encouraging LB to stay for all 4 years
(5) for being a Christian gentleman as well as a coach

I, for one, would not be disappointed if you returned, but we also know that JB has to do what he feels is right for the program. We all know that you are in the final year of your contract: whatever the outcome, best wishes in 2007-08.

(Flame Fans, please don't use this thread to bash RD).

[Sly Fox]

I agree that whether you think the time has come for a change or not, Coach D deserves some respect for his service to the university and for his accomplishments on the mountain.

[Hold My Own]

those are some great great moments in there cider...thanks for lifting me up today!

[Stevev]

I think that Coach Dunton held his own in the Big South with the exception of last year's team. But since the Big south is rated so low I tend to look past that achievement. I just wish his team's performance outside the conference was more substantial.

[LUconn]

Thanks coach. I didn't always agree with your X's and O's but you are a recruiting machine. I have nothing but love for the man who brought us The all-time BSC scoring leader and 1 of our only 2 championships.

[jcmanson]

Thank you Coach for the Big South Championship, for bringing Larry here. You will be missed, and appreciated for time to come.

[Ed Dantes]

I put this in the other one, before I realized that there was a tribute thread:

Dunton played a significant part in the two greatest moments in LU b'ball history, as an assistant coach in 1994 and as head skipper in 2004 when those teams won the championship. In 2002, he took over the worst program in the nation.

That will be his legacy... that, and he brought in Larry Blair, the Big South's leading scorer. RD helped lay down the tracks, it's up to someone else now to drive the train.

Hats off to Randy Dunton; we wish him the best with whatever he's going to do (there are probably a few D-I schools looking for an assistant coach, I bet. He'd be a good fit).

And, I would like to add, that Dunton kept this year's team together when it seemed as if they were all going to give up midway through. But, they fought back and earned a three seed when we all thought that they were going to buckle over.


Dunton's contribution can only be fully measured by knowing what the program was like before he took over... In 2003, after Dunton's first season back, I said "If anyone doubts that Coach Dunton is the man, then you obviously haven't been paying attention the last few years".

Now that the Dunton era is over, I stand by my words.

[jcmanson]

Ed your post sent chills down my spine. Very well stated.

[PAmedic]

Nicely done. In retrospect- I think thats a very fair assessment.

I'm assuming that was the Bloody Mary's or Mimosa's talking

[BJWilliams]

02-03 was my first year on the mountain...I went to games but never really got into them...But I can still remember where I was the day LU won that Big South title in 2004...I listened to the entire first half on the road to Powhatan, VA heading to an indoor drumline competition. When we lost the radio feed, my friend James would get updates from the game on his cell phone. I had my mom record the game so I could watch it later. I lost the tape (although the video quality wasn't that great so I wouldn't be able to replicate it even if I DID have it), but I still get chills when I see the cover of the Champion Sports section the very next week and seeing that picture of thousands of students on the floor of the Vines Center celebrating...Coach Dunton brought us that moment...and that will stay with me even after I leave LU. That and getting to know him over the course of the season thanks to the tip he got on Ryan Barbosa. He will be missed but I wanted to give a big salute to him for what he did bring us.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

Obviously, All of Coach D's Accomplishments have been listed... but i would like to say that i respect him, as a coach, as a christian, and as a friend... He is a great man and has been a mentor to me and I dont know what to do now , but thanks for everything Coach...







"Smart-Work is better than Hard-Work... Like Dont Try to Chop a Tree down with a hammer"- Coach D

[bigsmooth]

cider jim put it well. thanks coach for all you have done for liberty basketball. you will always be a part of the family!

[BJWilliams]

One thing I failed to mention is that Coach was actually trying to get me a job at an ESPN Radio affiliate that is starting up in the area. Not many people I know of have afforded that opportunity

[Purple Haize]

It was never boring

[krh44]

Thanks for the memories & best of luck. I remember after we beat UVa when Dutton was interm. We had no depth on the team we had to pull some of the football players but after the game Dutton was so poised during the interview. We were the first instate opponent to beat UVa in CHville in 30 years and Dutton acted like we just beat Longwood.


http://virginiasports.cstv.com/sports/m ... 99817.html


Funniest thing he said.
One day in practice - I believe Jeremy Day (tall clunsy center) was dribbling up the court and Dutton stooped the play and yelled " Day was the last team you were the Point Guard ON? "

[timhoughton]

yes cider jim stated it well.

Thank you Coach.

[Hold My Own]

I'm in the other thread and just thought about this....5 years ago we were praying that only 1 or 2 players on the whole team would stay around...now we're worried that a few might leave....that alone reminds us of how much better the state of the program is then when he got it....we may lose Brew and a top ranked 7 footer, and we pray that nobody else jet's...it's a little different mindset

[Cider Jim]

Randy, your win against UVa cost Jeff Jones his job, but we are all glad you beat the Cavs in C-ville.

[gabelow]

I dont doubt that Randy could have improved the state of the men's basketball program over the next few years. He has a good core of returning players next year, as well as the fact that he is a good recruiter. He has left a solid foundation for the incoming coach, and we have to thank him for that. To me, the downfall of Dunton began the day when David Dees announced he was leaving. I dont care what he demands DD had, whether or not he wanted a scholarship for his brother, you gotta get that kid to stay. Add him into the mix, and our team becomes dangerous. Plus we had like three walk ons that year, you mean to tell me he couldn't get a scholarship?

[paradox]

Gabe:

I'm not so sure that that whole Dees thing came down to his brother, but that was indeed a dark day when Dees left, nonetheless.

I hate to see Randy go.

All we can do is wish RD well, and hope that we get a good man to replace him.

[bigsmooth]

remember this is a dunton tribute thread guys. let's bring it back to that discussion.

[paradox]

He took over an LU program that was ranked dead last in the nation, and in his second season he led the Flames to a 45-point romp in the conference tourney final and an automatic berth in the NCAA's.

RD built it back up again, and he leaves his successor with a very solid core that will be promed for another run at the NCAA"s

In my view, he was the driving force behind the scenes that elevated the LU basketball program back in the 90's.

This was always Randy's dream job. He is an LU man, through and through.

Randy's still young in coaching terms. I wish him the best with his future success.

[Hold My Own]

boy I'd hate to see what everyone will say if our new coach doesnt go 2, 1, 2 in his first 3 years...the koolade drinkers may turn into haters!!! LoL

[paradox]

Most of this debate boils down to the young versus the not so young.

The older guys have seen some winning and plenty of losing, so they exercise great patience when it comes to burying the coach.

The young guys see one losing season and immediately want someone new who can instantly turn it around. You know, someone who can do what Dunton did. But they don't want him because he kicks chairs and throws his jacket on the floor. Plus he has the audacity to persuade some underachieving players to leave the program so that he can improve his team.

The "haters" will graduate and go away and will probally never be heard from again.

The "drinkers" are optimists by nature and will support the new coach win or lose. They'll give him plenty of room to succeed as they did with Dunton.

Be sure of this, win or lose, LU will inherit a new generation of angry young idealists who will turn into "haters" the first time that the new coach loosens his tie, makes a mistake, has a losing season, or a disgruntled ex-player remains on campus and slanders him.

[SuperJon]

I don't want to get into it in this thread, but the students disliked Coach D for more than just his record. You've laughed at me before when I said that Coach D had lost the students, but it's the truth.