Well, I tell ya, Auburn sure did shock a lot of folks last weekend when they up and fired their women’s tennis coach, Caroline Lilley. Now, mind you, they had a pretty good season goin’, and this came right outta nowhere. I reckon it was Sunday when the athletic director, John Cohen, dropped the news like a ton of bricks. The Auburn team was doin’ fine, ranked No. 14, and all of a sudden, poof, no more coach.
Now, this here move left a lotta people scratchin’ their heads. Folks around Auburn couldn’t quite figure out what happened, ‘cause everything was lookin’ peachy for the team. The women’s team was even headin’ into the ITA Indoor Championships, all fired up. But still, they up and fired Caroline like she was a sack of potatoes just dropped off the back of a truck.
So, what do they do? Well, Auburn wasn’t about to leave the girls without no one to lead ’em. They went ahead and made Lester Cook, the men’s tennis assistant, the new interim coach for the women’s team. It sure was a sudden change, but they had to do somethin’ quick. Now, I ain’t sayin’ Lester’s a bad guy, but it seems to me that when things are goin’ fine, you don’t just go switchin’ things up for no good reason. Kinda like when you got a good crop in the field, and then decide to go plant somethin’ else. Don’t make much sense, does it?
Word round town was that Caroline Lilley wasn’t exactly the easiest person to work with. Some folks sayin’ she was a bit high-strung, real rude-like, and not so friendly with others. Now, I don’t know much about all that, but it sure sounds like folks had a hard time gettin’ along with her. I reckon if you don’t treat people right, sooner or later, it’ll catch up with ya.
Seems like folks at Auburn didn’t have much patience for that kinda thing. And, as for Lester Cook, well, we’ll have to see how he handles things now that he’s at the helm. He’s been around the men’s team, so maybe he knows what he’s doin’. But still, it don’t feel right changin’ up leadership like that in the middle of a season, especially when everything was goin’ smooth.
But let’s not forget, Auburn’s been through this kind of thing before. Just last year, they let go of Bryan Harsin, the football coach, after some troubles on the field. Seems like Auburn doesn’t mind making bold moves, even if they leave folks askin’ questions. It’s like they’re always lookin’ for a quick fix, but sometimes, that don’t always pan out the way you think it will.
Now, whether this was the right call or not, I reckon time will tell. Maybe Lester Cook will turn out to be just what the women’s team needs to get ’em back on track, or maybe they’ll end up wishin’ they stuck with Caroline a little longer. Only time will tell, but it sure is a mighty big shake-up for such a successful season.
Tags: Auburn tennis, Caroline Lilley, Lester Cook, Auburn women’s tennis, ITA Indoor Championships, Auburn University, college tennis coaching changes, John Cohen, sports news, Auburn athletics
