FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Engine99]

Just a quick note of corrections:
1. Walker did lose his 2006 debut (for some reason I pictured Coach Nick in that game).
2. I completely endorse slinging mud, but only at Wallies.  All mud slinging of Coach Walker and obscene speculation should be put on hold until the complete story surfaces.

[zed07]

So much for the understated tone of the Coach Walker dialogue.  I really didn't see much mud being slung, but you may have just notched things up a bit.

[Engine99]

So much for the understated tone of the Coach Walker dialogue.  I really didn't see much mud being slung, but you may have just notched things up a bit.

There are some implications that he resigned in disgrace, but all of it has come from Wallies so far.  To be fair, a few Wallies have acknowledge that the truth is still missing form the news but others speculate the resignation to be the result of inappropriate behavior.  Surprised CNN isn't all over this one    Maybe someone can tip off the BBC?

[Breckenridgebear]

Having played with Walker, and knowing how the administration at DePauw treats its athletic programs as second class, I can say that whatever Walker's reason for leaving, it must have been a good one. Even with Walker being in a position to be the head coach for the next 30 years, when the supposed story as to his departure does come out, we may never know what truly caused him to leave.

That being said, I still think DePauw is in a fantastic position to take the SCAC and stick it to Da Bash again this year, no matter who is head coach. With the number of returning starters, a strong second team, and a team coming off a huge season and butt kicking in the Bell game, I think Long inherited a great program.

[Duster72]

Thanks for adding to the intelligent and balanced conversation, guys.  

[wally_wabash]

So much for the understated tone of the Coach Walker dialogue.  I really didn't see much mud being slung, but you may have just notched things up a bit.

There are some implications that he resigned in disgrace, but all of it has come from Wallies so far.  To be fair, a few Wallies have acknowledge that the truth is still missing form the news but others speculate the resignation to be the result of inappropriate behavior.  Surprised CNN isn't all over this one    Maybe someone can tip off the BBC?

Frankly, I think most of the Wabash posters here have been traveling the high road on this whole situation.  This "resignation" is as big a shock to the Wabash community as it is to DePauw.  As much of a challenge as he was proving to be for the Little Giants, I think he was good for the rivalry.  I'm definitely not speaking for all of the Wabash fans here, but my sense is that there are a good deal out there that feel similarly. 

As for speculation...what else do you think is going to happen here?  Why does a coach "resign" (and in most situations like this, we need to take that word "resign" with a grain of salt) a week before camp starts on what could quite possibly be one of the best seasons in school history?  Abrupt and ill-timed "resignations" generally happen for three reasons: upward career movement, health concerns, and conduct.  These three things obviously don't capture all situations, but they do capture most of them.  I don't think Walker's health is in question.  I can't find anything at all that tells me that he's taken a new gig somewhere else, which leaves open the distinct possibility of some kind of conduct violation.  And of those three things the one that resignee and university both would most like to keep quiet would be conduct.  And it's also unfair to say that it's just Wabash folks postulating that some sort of conduct policy was violated...any reasonable person (which can occasionally include the DePauw community) looking at the timing of this and the way this has gone down since Friday would not rule out some sort of conduct violation.  Bringing up the possibility isn't mud slinging...it's reasonable conjecture, even if the subject matter has the potential to be unsettling. 

All of that having been said, I don't think it's a conduct thing.  I think it's something else.  We still need more pieces to have a really good idea though. 

[BashDad]

The voice of reason.

What's this "something else" on your mind?

[Engine99]

Wally Wabash, I agree with much of your post.  Under his guidance, the DPU football program improved and made some great rivalry games.  However, I'm not ruling out illness as the cause.  I don't think the notion that either he or a family member could be struggling with health is beyond the realm of possibility.  I'll admit it's unlikely, but it does make sense.

[wallybel]

Jake Martin, a Wally has been named the interim baseball coach at Depauw. Best of luck to Jake, lets hope he wins every game but four each season!!!

http://depauw.edu/ath/news.asp?id=23877

[wally_wabash]

Jake Martin, a Wally has been named the interim baseball coach at Depauw. Best of luck to Jake, lets hope he wins every game but four each season!!!

http://depauw.edu/ath/news.asp?id=23877

I saw this and it made me lightheaded.  It's like crossing the streams...I don't quite know how to process this.   

[BashDad]

However, I'm not ruling out illness as the cause.  I don't think the notion that either he or a family member could be struggling with health is beyond the realm of possibility.  I'll admit it's unlikely, but it does make sense.

Respectively, I disagree.

In a situation like that, you call a meeting with your players and staff, you cry, you talk about the responsibility of family, how life throws a nasty curve and you say farewell. good luck. i'll be watching.

and then you take a season off.

you don't quit. let alone quit both positions without anyone knowing the reason. It's not as if Long, when asked, was like "Coach is really going through it right now and out of respect for him and his family, I'd rather not get into it-- but, you know, the best thing we can do is move forward, play for him, and wish him the best."

No. He was blind sided, like everyone else.

"It was a huge shock," Long said. "Matt has done a great job at DePauw and he's a good friend of mine."

[Engine99]

BashDad, I usually only visit this forum around Monon-time (the most wonderful time of the year) and decided to register once I learned of Walker's resignation so I'm not sure if you have thrown out your theory.  If you think illness is unlikely, do you believe the reason to be conduct, opportunity, or some other possibilty? 

[wabco]

Engine 99

I will speak s-l-o-w-l-y for you.  Occam's Razor.
1)  no to health ... see BashDad's easy common sense analysis
2)  no to another opportunity ... if this were the case, regardless of how unhappy DePauw may be about his leaving; he is leaving and would not be pushed into silence as to his coaches, players, and the general public (leaving his team in uncertainty ... and some turmoil one week before the parctices start ... the team he recruited over the last 3 years)
3)  What is left ... conduct (personal or violation of College or other applicable [NCAA] rules).  Fits with quit without notice.  Fits with no information fournished to coaches or team.  Fits with DePauw nailed down tight.  Fits with no discussion/information from his family. Fits with where in the world is Waldo.6 days and all quiet on Southern front.

Regardless of past success, no 

[Li'l Giant]

There are a lot of examples of coaches taking leaves of absence related their health or that of a family member. The coach from Loyola Marymount last season, Coach Hoeppner at IU, Lute Olson when his wife passed. When things like that have happened in the past you get some announcement that indicates a leave or a resignation and some mention of an "undisclosed health reason" that leaves it vague enough to be respectful to the family. Then the university and athletic department rally around that coach and his family. 

The situation with Coach Walker doesn't look like that at all. To be honest, it looks like a hit. I commented earlier about the thing where Stalin would erase from the history books those he eliminated. That's how this feels. It feels like DPU wacked him and then has tried to pretend he didn't exist to begin with.

I readily admit I have no way of proving that, or even any evidence of that. It's just how it appears based on how the University has reacted.

If, and I do mean "if", Coach Walker left DPU involuntarily, then I don't blame him for not wanting to talk about it. As someone who has been fired from a job before it certainly doesn't feel good. And that was a crappy job I got fired from. It wasn't my dream job.

I know I could be dead wrong, have been before, and will again, but it just doesn't pass the smell test.

[bashbrother]

I agree with Wally;

As I read through the last couple of days of posts, I see only one post from a poster that crossed the line and was somewhat reckless speculation.

I, like most of us, have kept all the bits and pieces of conjecture off the board.

If it ends up being conduct, well none of us are immune from making mistakes, it is just that some mistakes have bigger consequences.   I know this pretty well.

The viral qualities of speculation are pretty amazing. (Cave, this is your opening  )

Seriously, I bet the other NCAC posters are looking for a new home..... if news doesn't come out fast, this Topic may need its own thread.   

Players report next week.