DPU 3619, I hoped you joined me in celebrating the announcement that Bottoms is retiring. Word is already out that this WILL NOT be an internal hire as many feel changes need to be made. This is the first domino to fall. Expect Jimmy to be next, he is not exactly popular on campus or with the alums/trustees. Cotton will not want to go through change and retire.

If the powers that be do it right (replacing those just mentioned), DPU Football may finally reach it's potential.

 In case anyone is keeping tabs, DPU has finally posted it's opening. For them this has happened in record time, it only took 3 weeks. Football has just completed 2 weeks (half the practices) of spring ball without an O-Line Coach and an Offensive Coordinator. Now lets see how long it takes to seal the deal and what kind of hire they get, assuming they were waiting and carefully evaluating the field of candidates. Sorry Frank.

DPU-3619

I appreciate your passionate response. You actually are on to something but maybe not realize it. Your last response was professional so I will try to do the same. I tried to read your response objectively, try to do the same to mine.

How does a school with nearly a 1/2 billion dollar endowment, a great academic reputation and great facilities not dominate athletically at the D3 level? I agree with you, IT IS NOT THE PLAYERS!

The last two (yes two) head coaches left saying the program is disfunctional and underachieving. Why?

You need to look no further than an office environment that has dress down Friday-every day! Because the school recruits itself, because they will win 7 games a year just by showing up, people have become complacent.  Why? The administration allows it to happen and even cultivates it.  Why? Because change is not always welcome (Rogers-gate).  Getting better will require a level of discomfort that nobody is willing to endure.  Getting better will require accountability and maybe confrontation. This is not the landscape at DPU, which explains the relationship between AD & VP. When something is wrong it is easier to turn a blind eye than address it. The latter mentioned do not have the knowledge or the backbone to do so.

A couple of coachisms that are applicable-'The only thing that is constant is change', 'If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always had', 'The definition of insanity is to do the same thing twice yet expect different results.'

So to answer your question how can I blame the administration... This is how.

Dear know-it-all student announcer,

Resorting to name calling and whining is typical of you. Once again you are wrong, my dislike is for the administration not the program, coaches or players.  Your alma mater has some bad people running the show (for now) and the football program deserves better.

I'm tired of your blind loyalty. I've had enough of the juvenile rhetoric. I think I'll go in the backyard and throw footballs to my kids as they run the route tree.

DPU 3619.........Hiring promptly was never an issue on this board.  Hiring the baseball coach was. HFC is a good guy but he can't do both. While DPU is throwing routes to receivers running routes on the passing tree, the SCAC (and Bash) are refining technique and their systems. Remember..'the little things'.

From your position of vast experience, could you tell us idiots if you think the the talent pool for coaches is getting better or worse as time goes on? Also, the last head coach was hired two months prior to spring ball which is plenty of time to prepare. Tick..Tick..Tick...Tick...Tick..Tick..Tick...Tick...Tick....

Kit Cartwright has been gone for 2 weeks and they have known for 3 weeks. Still no job posting. The DPU administration could cost the football team yet ANOTHER spring. Tick...Tick....Tick...Tick...Tick...Tick...Tick...Tick....Tick...Tick...Tick...

DPU 3619

Your assumption that your alma mater will move 'swift' to replace the OC position may be incorrect. Your fearless leader Jimmy inacted a hiring process last year that includes; posting the position publically, having a search committee review all applicants, personally reviewing the applicants himself (to be assured everyone is doing their job) and bringing numerous candidates on campus for an interview. That process took 7 weeks last year. If history repeats itself, another spring will be waisted. Sure they can go out there some fundamental things and condition. However, good teams use this time to install their systems so they spend time on execution in the fall.

You also mention 'the little things matter', I agree. This is the problem you and DPU fail to see. When you have a head coach who also coaches baseball the little things will suffer. When you take 7 weeks to hire coaches, the little things will suffer. When you are recruiting with less than a full staff, the little things will suffer.

You and other alums need to stop making excuses and demand some changes. This should be a premier D3 football program and it is not. Start asking yourselves 'Why not'?

Inqbscout- My comments come from a wealth of experience and I respectfully disagree. The best D3 recruiters treat the top D3 kids like they are D1 prospects......that means going the extra mile......you reap what you sow. If you recruit like they are all the same you will get average players and have an average program... In my opinion.

Inqbscout & dpu3619 there is a reason few others (maybe none) don't ask the same person to be the head coach for both football and baseball-RECRUITING. The time spent practicing, playing, traveling etc takes away from valuable time recruiting. Do you think you could work all day, practice or play a game that same day then go home and make recruiting calls till 10pm at night? Don't think you can just turn over recruiting to the assistants either because top recruits want to hear from the HFC. Top recruits require numerous visits to the high school, sporting events and home visits-this is not something assistants can do alone.

The recent campus controversy may seem funny to the incoming guys but their tuition paying parents may not agree. The parents of the next class of pretty girls at this 'Liberal' Arts campus may also take issue.  Due to academic standards and cost DPU has alienated themselves in Indiana. This controversy will just add to their problems.

Big news out of Greencastle.....DePauw Offensive Coordinator Kit Cartwright is leaving. To date the Tigers have had 4 different head coaches in 4 years, 4 different offensive coordinators in 4 years, 3 different defensive coordinators in the last 3 years and too many assistant coaching changes to mention.

Add to these problems, the current head coach is also trying to coach baseball and DePauw is getting a black eye in the national spotlight (I am sure you have heard the news already). Coaches are leaving, recruiting is suffering and what once was a competitive program is declining.

I am interested to hear your opinions on what is happening at DePauw.