Story on Rabs
- Thread starter ducati
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http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12636370/former-utep-coach-jason-rabedeaux-death-remains-mystery
This post was edited on 4/7 6:56 PM by El Paso Chihuahuas
This post was edited on 4/7 6:56 PM by El Paso Chihuahuas
Talk about something slapping you in the face...That was a very moving story. So much potential...so much pain...so much sadness...Wow.
Amazing read. I got to know Coach Rab and his family while he was here. I worked at the Westside YMCA. I coached his kids Beau and Cole in Developmental Basketball, Roller Hockey, and T-Ball. I taught swim lessons. Went to a Diablos game with him. The guy was the sun, and everyone wanted to be in his light. He just radiated energy. He would talk to whoever, wherever. His wife was/is gorgeous. Stephanie Rabedeaux was super nice. When he was here, they tore up the old Don Haskins Center floor and UTEP was selling of pieces. Coach gave me a 1 foot square of the floor that he and Don Haskins signed so that I could auction off to raise money at the YMCA. He had a real passion for baseball. He would talk baseball to anyone for as long as you would listen. They loved El Paso. Its a shame it didn't work out cause I don't think he would have ever left. At the same job I got to know the Barbee family along with Coach Matlock's family. Barbee, alot less involved with his kids. Coach Barbee did go to his sons games, but didn't was cold and didn't say much to anyone. They felt like the university and the city didn't appreciate them. Mrs. Barbee was cool as hell. She was funny, she was insightful, she loved it here. But Jason was everything you thought he would be. By the time things started to breakdown here, he just wasn't around as much.
Barbee was not appreciated here, period. A lot was his doing, however he brought a conference championship, post season play (last NCAA appearance), some of the most exciting players since the mid to late 80's, and some NBA players and one European player who packs the house to watch his dunks and play (Culpepper, Caracter, Moultrie and Stone) and what he did he get? Crap! Why? All because he ran a fast paced dribble-drive offense that UTEP fans couldn't get used to.
I'm telling you, this UTEP basketball coaching job can be a pressure cooker for the not so great pay. Never satisfied fan base, institutional pressure, qualifying a recruit who doesn't take grades seriously, father figure (Haskins spoke often on how much he had to baby sit his players), a former has been basketball conference, etc...etc...
No wonder why some of UTEP greats drank like a fish. I would too! And in the end, that was Rab's demise.
No wonder why some of UTEP greats drank like a fish. I would too! And in the end, that was Rab's demise.
Not trying to say anything bad about Coach Barbee. Just pointing out the difference. Everytime I talked to coach Barbee, he was very focused, very driven, no nonsense. Not a bad guy, I just had nothing to talk to him about other than UTEP basketball. I enjoyed and appreciated his approach. Coach Madlock was the same way, although Coach Madlock's son is a stud basketball player. TJ Madlock and Drew Barbee were the same age and they were like best friends. But TJ is going to be special and his dad coaches him pretty hard.
Coach Rab was approachable, funny, goofy...he was your buddy the second you met him. Coach Rab would get all the kids together and have giant games of Simon Says. He could get everyone out in Simon Says, it was amazing. No one could win a game of Simon Says with Rab. He also played a game with the kids called rock garden. He had one side of the room yelling "Rock" and the other yelling "Garden." Then certain kids would run down the middle of the room avoiding dodgeballs. By the end of the day he had 4 kids hanging off each leg. No one asked him to play with Day Care kids, its just who he was.
Coach Rab was approachable, funny, goofy...he was your buddy the second you met him. Coach Rab would get all the kids together and have giant games of Simon Says. He could get everyone out in Simon Says, it was amazing. No one could win a game of Simon Says with Rab. He also played a game with the kids called rock garden. He had one side of the room yelling "Rock" and the other yelling "Garden." Then certain kids would run down the middle of the room avoiding dodgeballs. By the end of the day he had 4 kids hanging off each leg. No one asked him to play with Day Care kids, its just who he was.
Very nice words kickball. " he was the sun and everyone wanted to be in his light."
Thanks very much for the insight on him and Barbee.
Thanks very much for the insight on him and Barbee.
I getcha. I just thought he was good, onwards to becoming a great coach if he stayed. He was literally today's "Tom Sawyer" type of coach (please refer to Rush song "Tom Sawyer). He brought Calipari basketball to El Paso, but it appears most fans wanted none of it.
The last time we sold out the place was under Barbee. So I am not so sure El Paso was as sour on him as you all are making it out to be. He wasn't all that personable in public(although everythime I met him he was very nice). The biggest issue people had with Barbee is most thought he didn't have enough reverance for Haskins. But he did a great job here.
Rabs.... What a heartbreaking story. That team of his when Wolfram was a senior was fun to watch.
Rabs.... What a heartbreaking story. That team of his when Wolfram was a senior was fun to watch.
It's really sad how his life turned out. I wish he could have stayed longer, but he made a mistake and had to leave.
Ok, Barbee arrogant, Obama arrogant...I get it. What I don't get is my personal contact with Coach Barbee (and his beautiful wife) was spectacularly different then what you describe. He was always a gentleman, engaging and of good humor when I dealt with him professionally or when I ran into him all over town (L&J frequently). He personally bought tickets for fans using his own money during the CTI run and was all about winning over fans when he spoke to the various Service Organizations during his stay here. I loved Coach Haskins too but Coach Barbee didn't have to kiss my uh, ring to prove that he deserved to Coach the Miners.
How so? Not great pay? Please list any schools from worse-RPI conference than CUSA that have coaches making $600,000 a year.
How is the fan base never satisfied? A recent poll on here indicated that 85-90% of the posters did not want Tim Floyd fired and this was after 5 non-NCAA seasons. Seems like the majority is satisfied. What institutional pressure? Bob Stull gave him a 5 year extension after last season. No other D1 schools take risks on "iffy" recruits?
Its funny how people blame Barbee because he left the program "in a mess", but it was left in worse shape by Rab and then BG came in a fixed it in 2 years, meanwhile, we're still trying to rebuild Barbee's "mess" 5 years later. Barbee was the 3rd best coach ever here, behind Haskins and Gillispie and because he ran a up-tempo offense and didn't kiss enough butt, and probably because he was black , he doesn't get any credit. He's done a way better job than Floyd - hands down.
I don't think Barbee left this program in a mess at all. I've always said he turned over a program with a lot of good players and 4 scholarships to give. But I think Barbee was never going to be embraced because of Billy Gillispie and Doc Sadler. I think it had nothing to do with race. Gillispie was the young hot assistant, he took the first job offer and was off to A & M after just 2 years. El Paso loved Billy, still do. thousands showed at the airport for him. He broke our hearts. Then came Doc. the UTEP assistant who was a star at the JC level and took Omar and the Boys to the tourney. Two years later he leaves to Nebraska. Then come Tony, the next hot young assistant. From the moment he stepped on campus.....the fan base had already formed an opinion. 'Here comes the next guy to use us as a stepping stone.' Why get attached to the guy who is going to break your heart?
And I think it applies to Floyd. Why do people love Floyd? Because the assumption is that he's not going to hurt us and leave like those before. We don't want to lose our guy for another hot assistant that's going to leave.
And I think it applies to Floyd. Why do people love Floyd? Because the assumption is that he's not going to hurt us and leave like those before. We don't want to lose our guy for another hot assistant that's going to leave.
What a crock of cr**! Tony Barbee was a heck of a recruiter and a good coach - great? No. But he was a good young coach. Put the race card back in your pocket and cut the bull. He was nice one on one, but never connected with fan base here and it had zero to do with his race.
I thought maybe BCG or Sadler might hang around, never had any inkling that Barbee planned to stay any longer than he had to - not b/c of his race or b/c BCG and Sadler had left us prior.............just didn't seem like the effort/willingness was there to connect with EP or make it his long term home, possibly.............regarding Rab, very interesting read, thanks for sharing - we think we know the story until we learn more.
Barbee's team with Caracter, Moultrie, Stone et al. was one of the best teams in UTEP history. If we hadn't met up with Butler, who lost in the finals that year, we may have made the sweet 16.
He also did more outreach than Floyd or maybe everyone else. His coaches came to my house delivering pizzas and he himself went into bars in the Cincinatti area high fiving everyone and telling them how important their support was. Did the same thing before the CBI games as people were standing in line to buy tickets.
Barbee also went on the record at Auburn in his second year, probably not the best thing to say, be said if he'd known the recruiting situation he'd be in at Auburn, he would have stayed at UTEP.
He also did more outreach than Floyd or maybe everyone else. His coaches came to my house delivering pizzas and he himself went into bars in the Cincinatti area high fiving everyone and telling them how important their support was. Did the same thing before the CBI games as people were standing in line to buy tickets.
Barbee also went on the record at Auburn in his second year, probably not the best thing to say, be said if he'd known the recruiting situation he'd be in at Auburn, he would have stayed at UTEP.
