FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[seventiesraider]

I realize Whitewater has an unreal stadium but last time I was there, they were still the middle of nowhere surrounded by----cornfields as well.

[BoBo]

WallyFS4,

Not 100% on the move from Lakeland to UW-W but would assume strength of conference was one factor and the location was tough - Sheboygan, WI surrounded by cornfields and less then impressive facilities.  My guess is that he sensed what Whitewater had returning and had a shot for a title run.  All pure speculation.

I realize Whitewater has an unreal stadium but last time I was there, they were still the middle of nowhere surrounded by----cornfields as well.

If I may, I would like to add my 2 cents to this conversation (and maybe bring closure to the debate), since I have a unique perspective on this issue (I was born in Sheboygan and grew up in Whitewater). I can state without a doubt that Whitewater is more surrounded by cornfields than Sheboygan (considering Sheboygan is on a Great Lake).  Sheboygan is now "more surrounded" by a rather large number of top-notch golf courses (PGA and US Open quality, even going to host the Ryder Cup in 2016 or 2020 I believe) and a 5 Star Resort (The American Club).  IMO the talent level between Lakeland and UWW is the difference between night and day (Coach Z found out the hard way). Don't get me wrong, Lakeland has a few nice players, but they simply could not match up to the up and down strenghth of the Warhawk roster. I would imagine Coach Z would not be one of the finalist for the Wabash HC position if he was still at Lakeland; the WW OC job has probably put him on the map.

[short]

Just got done looking at  the All-Time D3.com All-American team Wooster has 11 players meanwhile Wabash and Witt only have 9 TOGETHER (4 and 5)! Wooster has only beaten the two school a total of 3 time in the D3 life.  '03 '04 they beat Wabash and '04 they beat Witt.  How has this happened?  Is Wooster just not coached as will?  They have had much better talent, what gives?  This just prove what I already knew, Wooster is under achieving!!!

[BashDad]

  They have had much better talent, what gives? 

erroneous!

[wally_wabash]

Just got done looking at  the All-Time D3.com All-American team Wooster has 11 players meanwhile Wabash and Witt only have 9 TOGETHER (4 and 5)! Wooster has only beaten the two school a total of 3 time in the D3 life.  '03 '04 they beat Wabash and '04 they beat Witt.  How has this happened?  Is Wooster just not coached as will?  They have had much better talent, what gives?  This just prove what I already knew, Wooster is under achieving!!!

They've had some really good players for sure, but it takes more than one or two good players on a team to win championships.  I think the only time we looked at a Wooster team and said "wow...that team should win the NCAC" was in 2004.  And they did. 

[smedindy]

Just got done looking at  the All-Time D3.com All-American team Wooster has 11 players meanwhile Wabash and Witt only have 9 TOGETHER (4 and 5)! Wooster has only beaten the two school a total of 3 time in the D3 life.  '03 '04 they beat Wabash and '04 they beat Witt.  How has this happened?  Is Wooster just not coached as will?  They have had much better talent, what gives?  This just prove what I already knew, Wooster is under achieving!!!

Star power does not win football games...

[oldscot73]

short, 
Gonna be picky but Wooster beat Witt in 1997.

[short]

short, 
Gonna be picky but Wooster beat Witt in 1997.

1997 is not in the D3.com era, 1999-2007. 

Just got done looking at  the All-Time D3.com All-American team Wooster has 11 players meanwhile Wabash and Witt only have 9 TOGETHER (4 and 5)! Wooster has only beaten the two school a total of 3 time in the D3 life.  '03 '04 they beat Wabash and '04 they beat Witt.  How has this happened?  Is Wooster just not coached as will?  They have had much better talent, what gives?  This just prove what I already knew, Wooster is under achieving!!!

They've had some really good players for sure, but it takes more than one or two good players on a team to win championships.  I think the only time we looked at a Wooster team and said "wow...that team should win the NCAC" was in 2004.  And they did. 

I think that the 2006 Wooster team was the most talented team in the NCAC just look at the All-NCAC team, 8 players 1st or 2nd team just on Defense and another guy that was HM on Defense. Plus Shepherd and Shaffer and BIG Rick at Tackle.

[ADL70]

smeds-thanx for the suggestion.

[smedindy]

All NCAC performers aside, Wooster in 2006 didn't underachieve. They lost to the co-champs. Wabash had Huff, the receivers, a consistent line and an excellent team defense led by an All-American. Wittenberg is always strong. There were enough weak spots in Wooster's lineup to fall to Wabash and Witt. Mind you, by a total of 13 points.

[Pat Coleman]

What do you think of Jim Zebrowski's move?
It's a step up: 47.3%
It's a lateral move: 27.1%
It's a step down: 24.6%
862 votes

This was from last June, regarding the move from Lakeland to UWW.

[wally_wabash]

That question seems like it could be easily recycled if Z gets the Wabash job.   

[seventiesraider]

I know that Some of you asked what the MUC alumni felt concerning who we favored:

I cast my vote for Erik, he and his wife are great people which may not be totally fair because I've never met Coach Z

I may be mistaken but I think Erik is someway related to Larry Kehres, but at least they are both from the same tiny Ohio town of Diamond. His wife Liz is related to Dan Pugh of Mount Union fame and I had a chance to get to know her while taking education courses at Mount around 2000. They are both great people.

I am just more comfortable with a candidate who took his position, put down roots, built a program and became a part of the community. I just think the total package and the commitment that Erik brings is what you and most DIII programs are looking for.

[Mr. Ypsi]

FWIW (probably nothing, but I'm offering it free!), my impression, based on past job histories, would be the same as seventies.  With Zebrowski you would get a very talented coach, but who might well leave when an attractive offer from a 'higher' division comes along.  With Raeburn you would also get a very talented coach, but one who might find the idea of becoming a Gagliardi or a Kehres very attractive.

Just my unsolicited $.02.

[Flying Dutch]

Allow me to offer additional unsolicited input - although it might be worth less than $.02.

I normally follow basketball, but the Wabash football postings caught my attention.  I know nothing about either coaching candidate, but I am pretty sure moving from Lakeland to Whitewater as OC was a big move up for Zebrowski.

Lakeland has 836  US students (122 int'l) and only 19% scored above 24 on the ACT.   39% of the students are men.

Whitewater has great facilities, 9,400 students - 49% men - and 34% scored above 24 on the ACT.  Whitewater is in a "major" D3 conference and produces top flight programs.

Unless you have actually been to Lakeland you can not appreciate how small and isolated it is.

Check out the satellite view.

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=h&lat=43.8335&lon=-87.820459&mag=6&tt=Lakeland%20College%2C%20Plymouth%2C%20WI&tp=1&q1=howards%20grove%2C%20wi

Although the administration has made efforts to improve facilities, enrollment and academics over the past couple of decades, its facilities remain subpar and it really is surrounded by dairy farms and corn fields.  It is almost 15 miles to Sheboygan which is a pretty nice community.

However, its immediate neighborhood makes Greencastle look cosmopolitan.