FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[BashBacker#16]

This next round of athletics facility upgrades are going to rock!  That has to factor in as well.  Have heard field turf is on its way...I believe for '09.  Hollett Little Giant Stadium can use the upgrades too which has been discussed...hoping for 2 scoreboards (each end) - much more modern, press box, and the turf.

So Coach Raeburn is going from 1,300 seats (Coe) to 5,000 (Wabash).

Smeds - good question on CJ Gum but he missed most of the season due to injury...not sure on that.

[smedindy]

I kind of find it interesting to look at when you wonder if all of these Mount Union grads are trying to position themselves as the heir apparent to the job when Larry Kehres retires.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Either they will try to be Kehres' successor, or build the successor team to Mt. Union.

[DPU3619]

While I understand your point, Keith, just look at the last five or six years for Coe and Wabash respectively. 

Coe's best year was in 2005.  A 9-1 regular season with a first round loss to Concordia-Moorhead.  Wabash's best year was obviously last year with the run to the round of eight, but they also went 11-1 in 2005 and 12-1 in 2002. 

I mean heck, not only do you inherit a program farther along the one you were at, but you also play Witt and Gheny instead of Central and Wartburg. All of those reasons have to be bigtime positives for making such a move.

[bashbrother]

I'll throw out my two cents.

1. Location, Location, Location  - I think this was probably huge.  The NCAC is primarily an Ohio based conference.

2.  Alumni/Fan Support - All you have to do is look at the average home attendance for the Little Giants to see a real example of this.   

3.  Winning tradition -  Short term - He is inheriting a team that made it to the Elite 8 and has a ton of starters returning.  Long Term - IMO, at the end of the day, Wabash is in a better spot from a recruiting stand point.   Coach R could be able to recruit players from his network of Ohio contacts.   Using this network to get kids to go all the way to Iowa probably didn't pan out to well, if at all.

4.  Applebees in C-Ville cooks up a mean sirloin.

Bottom line,  It is somewhat rare in D3 to find a school that has as much student/fan passion and administration support for their football program.  Coe is an excellent institution, but I suspect, just a little far away from his roots.

[wally_wabash]

I don't know how realistic it is to think that Coach Raeburn is going to all of a sudden get Wabash plugged in to Ohio for prospective student-athletes.  A quick glance at last season's roster at Coe shows me that there wasn't a single player at Coe from the Buckeye State.  Ohio is so saturated with small colleges that there are teams inside of Ohio who can't recruit in Ohio (you need look no farther than the bottom of our yearly standings to find some of these teams). 

I'm anxious to see who Coach Raeburn brings in for his staff.  By my count, he's got two positions to fill...hopefully those positions get filled very soon. 

[bashbrother]

I said "Could" Wally  ...I have know idea if he will.

My point was, he has a better chance in Central Indiana then he did at Coe.

[wabashcpa]

By my count, he's got two positions to fill...hopefully those positions get filled very soon. 

Football coach and baseball coach??? 

[wabashcpa]

I mean heck, not only do you inherit a program farther along the one you were at, but you also play Witt and Gheny instead of Central and Wartburg. All of those reasons have to be bigtime positives for making such a move.

The only thing better would be Centre and Sewanee, huh, Wes?

[smedindy]

Actually, I bet he'd flip to face Rhodes, Austin and Colorado College (oh, and the new Birmingham Southern).

[DPU3619]

I don't get it.  I didn't say OWU and Denison.  Witt and Gheny are probably the two best in your conference, no?  And what does the SCAC have to do with anything, anyway?

EDIT: I was just plan wrong.  It's Oberlin.  Not Gheny.  Sorry for the mistake.  And to further the point, I didn't mean that as a pot shot at your schedule.  Heck, I'd rather play just about any schedule in the midwest aside from an IIAC schedule or a OAC schedule.  Central and Wartburg are good, man. 

[wabndy]

The DePauw-Wabash rivalry is a special thing to be a part of, but Coe-Cornell isn't a bad rivalry either.

From: http://www.coe.edu/athletics/football/stats/COE-COR.HTM
        Cornell College Rams (2-8,0-8) vs. Coe College Kohawks (7-3,5-3)
Date: Nov 10, 2007  Site: Cedar Rapids, Iowa    Stadium: Clark Field
Attendance: 3318

Keith.  Please repeat after me.  DePauw is not Randolph-Macon.  Wabash is not Hampden-Sydney.  DePauw is not Randolph-Macon.  Wabash is not Hampden-Sydney.  DePauw is not. . ..   

Disclaimer: yes Keith - your questions are legit.  Glad to have you back up in Monon-land any time.

[smedindy]

Heck, I'd rather play just about any schedule in the midwest aside from an IIAC schedule or a OAC schedule.  Central and Wartburg are good, man. 

I'd also rather not play a WIAC, MIAC or CCIW schedule, really. But it does make you better to play those tough games.

In the West, Coe would probably have to play a WIAC or MIAC team in round one or two of the playoffs (just because the NCAA loves to avoid flights). At Wabash, perhaps they can avoid a matchup against the big boys until the round of 8.

[wabco]

Have been hanging back ... seeing what others' "takes" are.

Here is what I think we have:

1) New respected and qualified coach who ...while he may not yet understand the Wabash Tradition and the Wabash Man and what WABASH ALWAYS FIGHTS (his learning curve will be essentially verticle) ... has an appreciation for tradition as a part of his makeup and an understanding of  self made specialness.

2)  Wabash has a full cupboard.  Check the roster of returning playing at the end of the year 1st stringers and combine with the injured 1 st string returns.  O-line and D-line essentially full of this combined 1st string.  Backfield all back.  Tight end back.  LBs - while not a returning Adi there yet - with the playing returners and injured returners you will have an Adi by committee (this is perhaps even better).  Rest of D except for corners return solid.

3) Need to find replacement for graduating receivers ... but they are there in house ... just not yet household names.  They will be.  Corners.  Yes Virginia 2 outstanding corners would be nice.  I suspect they are there on the team as talented back up QBs or the like.
 
4)  The present need: to recruit Frosh and settle his staff.  Existing Assistants (who are well qualified) have been holding the line ... recruiting as a full compliment is starting a little late ... but the best ones are traditionally not corralled till a month from now +.  I assume Reaburn knows this.  He needs to get his assistants (2) added and get out there and recruit.  Tell his story and start toe Reaburn era.  Our present Assistants know what we need.  A little film and some interviews with team members provide good info.  So ... get out and recruit Frosh.  We do not need piles of them, as is a traditional D III approach.  We need a few good men.  I will be interested to see his lead and efforts in succeeding on this front. 

I believe Reaburn walks into the favorite spot for a conference champ repeat repeat repeat repeat. I also believe the Dannies will go down in C-ville before 11,000 to 12,000 fans (who start getting ready as early as the prior Thursday now ... yes Virginia or is it Keith ... no Cornell or Hampton Sydney here).  Finally, I believe Eabash should have the experience and tested talent (if the injury bug does not terribly in Weaton-esk fashion invade) to make a very fine run - again - into the playoffs.

I am ready for fall.  Bring that first game ... Wash U, Chicago and the Case conference schools.  Bring on Witt, OWU (whom I have as great a respect for as Witt), Gheny (ditto), and Woo (who will be there).  Great and fun games.  Good schools.  Good rivals.  Finally ... spit on the Dannies ... except for their women of course ... of which my wife is one.  Should be a fun year.

[wabndy]

This next round of athletics facility upgrades are going to rock!  That has to factor in as well.  Have heard field turf is on its way...I believe for '09.  Hollett Little Giant Stadium can use the upgrades too which has been discussed...hoping for 2 scoreboards (each end) - much more modern, press box, and the turf.

What is the word on this?  New (gasp) capital campaign coming?  Is there any information available to the masses on this? 

FYI - Jim Amidon's post about Raeburn is up: http://www2.wabash.edu/blog/goodtogreat/
Keith - Amidon's blog may further answer your question about a why a good choach would want to leave Coe for Wabash:
At Coe, though, Coach Raeburn was limited in terms of resources to recruit players, yet he still won almost 70 percent of his games in eight seasons in Cedar Rapids. Because he had only two full-time assistants, Coach Raeburn brought in about 35 freshmen each year. In contrast, Wabash typically attracts about 55-60 new recruits.

[Pat Coleman]

Actually, I bet he'd flip to face Rhodes, Austin and Colorado College (oh, and the new Birmingham Southern).

Maybe for a year or two but I think by 2010 Birmingham-Southern would be in the NCAC top four.