FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wabndy]

As for not riding with the team- I remember hearing way back when that when Steve Alford was coaching basketball at Manchester, he rode in a seperate vehicle from the team bus- bobby knight style.  I bring it up just to suggest that it's not completely unheard of at the d3 level- albeit strange. I also feel pretty confident that Long did not get fired for his choice of transportation mode to away games.  As for football- I really get the sense that for the first time in the history of the rivalry- depauw and wabash are recruiting a completely different caliber of player. Whatever long's administrative failings- it looked pretty clear from the cheap seats that he was not matching wabash coaching and recruiting.

Wabash's post-Carlson coaching hires have sent a pretty clear message that the LGs want to be in the hunt for a national championship. I really hope the depauw administration gets serious about this picks up that gauntlet. The rivalry needs parity and the conference needs depth. Depauw better not quit.

[BashBacker#16]

http://www.thedepauw.com/sports/owen-defends-university-says-long-deserves-right-to-privacy-1.2905858

Wow.

[smedindy]

If they hire Lynch again, will anyone trust him to stay for more than a year?

The secret sauce is to hire a competent coach that will stay for a while, not a job hopper.

[wally_wabash]

What they really need to do is about a dozen more interviews where they tell everybody that they won't tell anybody anything.  Because that doesn't fuel speculation at all.  Dudes...if you can't talk about it, then stop talking about it.

Would they really recycle Bill Lynch?  Would Bill Lynch go back there given that every coach since him has been suspiciously fired at weird times?  Should they even be talking about potential hires before the end of the season?  Srnka is probably a lame duck there (maybe by his own choosing...run for your life Scott), but I don't think you're enabling him to succeed this year by talking about his replacement after he's been on the job for three days. 

[BashBacker#16]

Lynch would only be a stop gap and short term solution in my opinion.  He wouldn't be a guy to stay long term as I just don't see why he would want to go to DPU - why?  For where Coach Lynch is at in his career, I just can't see this being attractive for him.  He's obviously a big name with tremendous credibility but I also think it is pretty ballsy to even bring his name up.  Alums will like to hear that but I just don't think it is reality.  Would you term this "smoke & mirrors?" 

Wally - your comments are spot on bro.  They are speaking and NOT saying anything.  Speculation will continue...

I still say you cannot tell the masses that "it was not tied to wins and losses" when the decision follows a 52-14 drubbing!!!  In fact, DPU's last 3 games including last year's Bell game, shows a lopsided combined score of 132-31.  That is awful, flat out ugly.

[BashBacker#16]

Wes,

I respectfully disagree.  I agree that the IU job was very appealing to work with Coach Hoepner but I think there are/were other jobs he would have left for as well.  I think you are over estimating the attractiveness of the DPU job (especially now given the state of the program and the revolving door) - at least for Coach Lynch.  Whoever takes the job has a lot of work to do on all fronts.  Even Coach Lynch isn't going to take over and start winning league titles and earning playoff bids...  It's a big hill right now.

Just my 2 cents.

[wabco]

Wally ... it is better than the "on the job for three days".  Owen as new mouthpiece for Stevie Wonder is talking about replacing Srnka within minitues of his leaving the interview room.  Lets see:  Lynch comes and goes ... then gets a head job at I "by death" ... then gets fired ... then lands a quiet fundraising position with Butler ... which fundraising has gotten a lot easier after the success of its basketball teams.  THEN "across town" we have Dannyland run by a bunch of dysfunctionals who have run through 5 coaches in 9 hyears ... fired the last three (with suits/suit threats/pay to not sue packages) ... and lynch had a look inbto the rabbit hole and left (speaks well of Lynch's basic IQ).  Coming "back"?  My sense is that if he does ... he has left his good sense and good Butler "lilly pad" for the Dannyland Mr. Toads Wild Ride.

From reading the article BB16 found, it looks like Owen "convoluted speak" could qualify him as a successor for the job of Obama press secretary where down is up and administrations are always perfect and caring ... "respect Robbie's privacy" ... my bottom.  They have destroyed Robbie in his proifession and continue to do so ... now its not about wins and losses or how Robbie related to the players ... but something whicvh started last spring ....................... I think that was the script announcements which followed the Walker beheading.

Man, As The Stomach Turns" only gets better. Wait till existing players begin to do the "Hester" and drop off or even transfer.

[Li'l Giant]

There was one job in the world that Bill would have left for - at Indiana University with his best friend Terry Hoeppner.

A coach who had been only on D-I staffs his entire career is going to stick around at a D3 school for 15 years were it not for a "dream job" as a coordinator? Really? C'mon. Lynch had been out of football a couple of years when DPU hired him. It was a way to get back into the action. And it worked. If you believe otherwise, I got some land I need to talk to you about.

The best part of that article 16 posted was this quote:

The alums that I've heard from have overwhelming told me they want someone in this job with a DePauw connection of some kind, someone who understands the program and traditions and the legacy.

You had a guy like that from 2006 through 2008 and you jettisoned him too. And if that's the case, so much for a "national search". How national can a search really be if it never leaves the alumni directory?

[wallyworld12]

Interesting, interesting stuff indeed. For what it's worth, I believe that Lynch purchased a home in Putnam County that he kept at least through his tenure at IU. I know a lot of good people working at DePauw, including many of the names mentioned here. For the life of me I cannot figure out why they keep talking about it!!!

[Wabash Hokie]

If they hire Lynch again, will anyone trust him to stay for more than a year?

The secret sauce is to hire a competent coach that will stay for a while, not a job hopper.

There was one job in the world that Bill would have left for - at Indiana University with his best friend Terry Hoeppner. 

I understand you may not have known that specific detail, but that's a little bit reckless to throw "job hopper" around.

Have to agree with Wes on this one from a "job hopper" standpoint. While his Wikipeida page (see link below) is obviously written by a family member, the pattern is typical of a coach.  Additionally, he has made return trips to Butler (3x) and Ball State (2x) so returning to Depauw would actually be in pattern for him.  He is an obvious Indiana guy (born and raised in Indy) and has sought the vast majority of his professional opportunities within the state.  Would he return to the maelstrom that is Depauw right now?  If he is like most coaches (who tend to think highly of themselves), he may see himself as the white knight in this scenario and stay put for a while.  He is not on the "upswing" of his career, just like Tommy Mont.  He has had his shot at the big time and it bit him in the butt.  IMHO, I think he is just as likely a candidate (or more so) that anyone else out there right now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Lynch

[nike]

Wooster has played Witt tough recently and I look for Barnes and company to give them a battle.

Regarding DePauw, I find it amusing (for lack of a better word) that the two people directly over Long that the school is saying made the decision to let him go were both women.  I am not at all trying to be sexist or biased, I just never heard of a situation like this before. 
And I wonder how Long did with these admiinistrative duties the last several years he was coaching.  Or did he just start falling down on his off the field duties these last several months? 20-12 is not so bad.  But I am just a Wooster guy who knew of DePauw only because of Wabash. 
Hope Long lands on his feet and that he is not guilty of some unseemly activities, which one could certainly conclude from the initial and subsequent releases.
Less is usually best.

[BashDad]

Remind me: why is that "amusing (for lack of a better word)"?

[Li'l Giant]

Lynch liked D3 ball.  He never said this, but I think he was surprised how much he liked D3 ball.  That's just me speculating.  Now, as far as not speculating goes, he did truly believe he would be at DePauw for a long time.  That's something he said to my face.  He had a harder time than you think deciding to leave for Indiana.  I'm not making that up.  Believe it at your leisure.

Wes, I'm not trying to say you're lying . I, obviously, have no idea what he told you and have absolutely no reason to distrust your veracity.

But, if I were right about Coach Lynch that he was just using DPU to get a "better" job, he's not going to advertise it. Not to compare him with Todd Graham, but how many "dream jobs" are really out there? Nobody, with half a brain cell tells their employer or coworkers "I'm just here until something better comes along", even when it's true.

While that assertion seems hard to believe, especially given that he left after one year, I should not have imposed an aura of mendacity to the assertion, to you, or even Coach Lynch. Just because it is hard to believe doesn't mean it's a lie. And you're not a fool for believing it. That snark was out of line and I apologize for it.

[Wabash Hokie]

Remind me: why is that "amusing (for lack of a better word)"?

I read it as being similar to the phrase "were it no so tragic it would be funny".  I agree that there could be better words such as "interesting" (my preference) or "suspicious" or "odd".  However, Nike chose "amusing" and it may be amusing to him to ponder the fact that there may be something to the fact that the decision makers were female in what is normally a male dominated role.

[nike]

It just struck me as interesting that two women held the fate of the football coach in their hands.  I am not questioning abilities, just think that others had to be more involved than what has been said so far.  Amusing may not have been the best word.