FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[seinfeld]

KC,

The schedules have already been set through 2007, I believe. Check out the NCAC Web site. I don't know what years they use for the power ratings. Why we can't have a round robin like the OAC, I don't understand. Let's at least get to 8 conference games a year.

Wabash folks, any thoughts on your new president (I guess it's probably too soon to form much of a judgement)? Good, bad or indifferent for sports? Very interesting that he comes from an all-female school. Talk about similar and different all at the same time.

[smedindy]

Next season is the last season for those particular power ratings.

The schedule is set for 2006 and 2007, based on power ratings from 2001 and 2002, I believe. Wabash was #1 in power rating, while Oberlin was #5 (!!).

In fact, 2008 and 2009 are set as well, based on the 2003 and 2004 seasons, as Hiram misses both Wooster and Gheny in those years.

I can see why there's not a total round robin, as it limits non-conference competition (and that would have meant Wabash would have its schedule totally locked in), but now with the NCAA / UAA agreement that point is moot. Wabash HAS a locked in schedule!)

As for the new president - I think many of the candidates were a bit overwhelemd by the size of the football stadium (one admitted so) - yet the new president has lived in Indiana, and of course is very close to Notre Dame, so he should have an inkling about athletics and the culture of a school.

[DarkSide-D]

Seinfeld,

I don't know if you have seen this, but woo is losing their president as well after next year.

http://www.wooster.edu/news/0506/HalesAnnouncesPlans.php

I posted this on the bball pages, but they were too busy PMS-ing over some negative comments from a woo fan to a witt fan.  As if that should surprise people that Wooster and Witt people don't exactly like eachother!!

[wooscot]

I'm sad to see Dr. Hales go.  He was a great President and a genuine person.  Whoever fills that role will have huge shoes to fill.  I'm curious to see if Wooster's "national search" will result in somebody from outside Wooster.  Remember, Hales was an assistant dean at Wooster before becoming president. 

[smedindy]

I would bet a dollar to a donut that Wooster would conduct a national search. It's the just the way things are done now.

[wooscot]

Well, they are conducting a national search, but they say that everytime somebody leaves the administration.  Now, don't get me wrong, its not a bad thing to hire in-house and in fact, I think that is often the best way to go.  I just think its funny to advertise the process as a "national search" when you already know your best candidates are already at Wooster.  When Barnes left, a national search was conducted, when the old AD left, a national search was conducted, and over the years, when some of the old assistant deans left, a national search was conducted and often times an in-house hire was made, espeically in the Athletic Department.

I just think its funny the way the process is advertised, as I'm sure a national search will be conducted - whatever that means - but ultimately, that billing is just a way to make the college, any college for that matter, seem like a big national draw.  Wooster does draw a lot of out of state kids, over half I believe, and while I believe Wooster's acadmics and overall school environment is on par with the Oberlins and Amhersts of the world, the national perception just is not there yet.  Hence, a "national search" just seems to be a way to trumpet prestige, that the school is so selective it has the ability to scour the country in search of the best candidate.  I don't know, but something about the "national search" label just seems fake to me.

[Pat Coleman]

Programming note

Saturday's men's basketball game between No. 1 Wittenberg and No. 2 Wooster will be broadcast live by D3hoopsNet on Broadcastmonsters.com.

Pat Coleman and Lenny Reich will be on the call. Pregame show at 7:15 p.m. ET.

[smedindy]

Wooscot - An AD search is much different than a presidential search. Evan a Dean's search. Trust me, we've just been there! I would bet that Wooster will employ a national search organization like Wabash did (and Augsburg as well).

The three finalists at Wabash were from Hamilton, Whitman and St. Mary's (IN), so i t definitely got the word out to candidates throughout the nation.

[DarkSide-D]

I have absolutely no clue how Woo would pick a new president.  But in my simple world, I think it would depend on the direction the selection board wanted to take.  If they like the direnction of the school, they will probably pick in house in an attempt to try to keep things running.  But if they want to shift gears, so to speak, they would probably wanna pick outside of woo.

I believe Wooster's acadmics and overall school environment is on par with the Oberlins and Amhersts of the world, the national perception just is not there yet.

Wooscot,

I think the perception is almost there.  Let's remember that Wooster's IS was recently ranked second in the nation (behind Princeton) as best capstone to a college career.

[smedindy]

Well, everyone likes the way Wabash is running, and they went outside. You've got to have the best person in place for the job, and that entails a national search.

The national perception of the NCAC isn't there - even though they are on par with the Amhersts, etc. "East Coast Bias" 

[seinfeld]

I'm not saying anything the Wooster coaching staff doesn't already know, but they have to come up with some way to convince Marty Bidwell to play football next year. You can tell from watching him on the basketball court his great athletic ability. He was apparently offered a football scholarship at Cincinnati, so obviously he would be an immediate impact player. Would look great at outside linebacker ...

Along these same lines, it seems like Wooster rarely has guys play two sports, even though they have had plenty of players over the years that could. Just this year alone you see Jimmy Savage playing basketball for Allegheny, and Russell and Huff playing for Wabash (although I see they aren't on the team anymore). I think part of it, at least at Wooster, is that coaches seem to make out-of-season practice so important, that guys don't want to miss it for the risk of hurting their playing status.

[smedindy]

Russell went to run indoor track.

[Li'l Giant]

Smeds:

so what happened to Huff?

[BashBacker#16]

LilGiant,

Huff needed surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.  He could have waited until after hoops season and been cleared to throw in the Summer or have it now and be ready late Spring.  Pretty big decision and hopefully a sign that he is ready to be the guy next year.  The surgery took place and I believe it went well.

BB16

[BashBacker#16]

Seinfeld,

The same goes for Wabash with multi-sport guys.  Its become pretty rare unless they are extremely talented - like Michael Russell with football & track.

Off season conditioning his a huge commitment, especially with Spring ball (now) and a trip to Panama in May.