FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[smedindy]

The D3football.com All Region teams are out.

Here's a link to the North Region:

http://static.psbin.com/8/3/dz8r5z6fgp9jgd/d3football-all-north-region-2012.pdf

Only three NCAC players (two from OWU and one from Oberlin) are first teamers. Seven NCAC players in all were named.

[formerd3db]

as a fan of the mac and ohio university I can say that there are three kinds of coaches there. Those that are good and will be hired away in 3 years or less(hazel), those that are bad and will be fired in 3 years or less(ianello)and those that are .500 coaches who will staty longer. The one exception being Frank Solich. Two reasons he hasn't left are his age and the d.u.i. Be gratefull when your programs have success you don't lose your coach as almost always happens in the mac. Oh by the way that is a complaint , if I was in Hazel's or a similar coach's situation I would do the same, most people would.

Good and legit points.  I would only disagree with you slightly on the very last one. I don't believe that it would be "most people", rather I think it would most likely be about 50-5 (admittedly, I do not have any statistics to back this up, rather this is just my "gut feeling"/personal thoughts on the same in general.  Again, as has been discussed, it all depends on a person's particular personal and family situation as well as their own goals.  We only hear about/see the names of those who make these moves - and, of course, much in part because they are on the "big stage"-however, there are many who are just the opposite and not much known about. As others of our colleagues here have said, I, too, do not begrudge anyone (i.e. any coach) would would make that decision to go and better themselves with "the $", however, again, $ is not everything and some people find they can enjoy life on a much lesser amount of "the green stuff".   Anyway, again, you have some good points.

BTW, in speaking about Ohio, despite his one mis-judgement as you mentioned, Solich has improved that program and brought it to a higher level of respectability.  I agree with you that most likely that will be his last stop, yet, in staying there, that will be a good finish to his coaching career (barring any horrendous reversal to losing seasons, of course).   

[ohiofan1954]

your point about why coach's would leave is  a good one. Afterall I forgot that it was mentioned wisconsin's coach had already turned down one sec job before  taking the arkansas posistion. There are other examples I can't recount right of the top of my head. I am sure Larry Keres(forgive my spelling on his name) has been offered other posistions. Come to think of it I can remember one other coach although not  his name. The coach at Wayne State took his team too the d2 finals last year and was the prime canidate at akron this time(he is a former player there). However he turned it down. One can speculate that he didn't want too start in d1 at that dumpster fire, whatever reason he stayed at Wayne State. We are very thankfull that Frank has stayed and the program has come so far in the last few years. This year was such a dissapointment with all the injuries and anyone watching from the Marshall game knew there were serious probleims that would be difficult to fix. One last thing if you ever want to know how important punting is , just watch the highlights of the ohio-bg game. That is what happens when you have to move people into posisitions overnight who wouldn't normally be there.

[formerd3db]

davepi2:

Thanks for the follow-up.  You again make some good points, too.  I admit I was glad to see Wayne State's coach stay last year as he has really improved that program.  I hope he stays for awhile, although I'm sure it was a difficult decision to turn down his alma mater where he played.  Yet, as you and others have said, it is a difficult decision (and a risk for sure) to try and put out "those dumpster fires" - what a great phrase!   I must confess, though, that I tend to pull for those type of underdog programs.  Anyway, I enjoyed and appreciate your opinions/perspective on this.

Sure is a whirlwind currently regarding the football coaching changes at all divisions, isn't it?  While there are always coaching changes right at the end of the season, I think this is the earliest I can recall this much activity happening for a long time.  Probably more to come in the next couple of weeks perhaps as well.

[ohiofan1954]

what is the coaching situation in the ncac? oac sure is seeing some changes, a couple of which it doesn't matter who coaches there it will be tough. Oh I finally remembered the name of wayne state's coach. It is Paul Winters. Also I would love to see akron do well. They now have the best facilities in ohio for college football and you have too like zippy.

[smedindy]

Right now DPU has an opening for a coach. I'd say that almost everyone else is secure in one way or another, unless the guy at Hiram decides its safer to sell insurance than endure another string of 0-10 or 1-9 seasons.

We've had a lot of discussion regarding Wooster, but it doesn't seem like the administration is ready to make a change from what the Wooster tea-leaf readers say.

[sigma one]

davepi2:  The coaching in the NCAC is actually fairly stable.  Without going into detail, here's how I characterize it. Allegheny--a coach who is seemingly there for the long haul (an alumnus) who produces competitive teams, though not the kinds of teams Allegheny had way back in the 90s, and whose teams rise up from time to time to end with a very good record.  Denison: relatively new coach whose teams are consistently in the middle tier and have not been able to break through to the top of the conference
DePauw:  here's where it gets problematic.  The New Tigers have been through a series of coaches recently and have gone from being a playoff team three years ago to 4-5 last yer and 2-8 this year after releasing their coach after two games.  They are now in a coaching search.  Their situation has been unstable and, quite frankly, puzzling, with some pointing to poor oversight from those who are in charge. Hiram--stuck at the bottom of the conference; new coach.  Time will tell.  Can the coach improve recruiting and thus results? Kenyon--new coach this year, leading to improvement after two straight 0-10 years.  This year's 6-4 record and threat of a conference championship (in a conference where teams don't all play one another and Kenyon excaped some of the perennial powers) has things looking up.  Can they sustain their play next year when the NCAC changes to a full head-to-head arrangement?  Oberlin--a long-term, excellent (in my view) head coach who makes the best of his situation at a place where recruiting numbers are small.  Ohio Wesleyan--new coach this year who immediately produced a 9-1 record, taking the players already in place and devising a system that made them successful.  After struggling for years, OWU appears to be poised for future success at or near the top.  Wabash--a coach who year after year produces a quality team that is always a threat to win the NCAC and advance a game or two in the playoffs. Wabash has not lost more than 2 games in a season since the coach arrived 5 years ago.  Wittenberg--a long-term, always-successful coach whose teams compete at the top of the league and advance to the playoffs.  NCAC playoff rep this year; advanced with a nice come-from-behind-win v. Heidelberg after falling behind early; testimony to their coaching and team spirit.  For years, Wab/Wit has been the game that more often than not determines the NCAC winner.  To my mind, Wit almost always has the best talent over all in the NCAC (some might say Wabash; some might say other teams that misuse their talent--but records don't lie). Wooster- fell to 2-8 this year, which some blame on the head coach.  He's been there a while and receives more comment on these pages than any other coach in the conference, particularly from a few disgruntled fans. 
     That's it from one fan.  Others will have their own analysis.



     That's it from me.  Others will cetainly have other takes. 

[ohiofan1954]

I was impressed with wittenberg's result against Heidelberg. I had seen the tigers against denison and  my impression then was that although they are good it was pretty sloppy play for that late in the season.  I had been to the JC-Heidelberg game two weeks before they played witt and heidelberg really looked strong that day. Great to see some of the programs that have been down doing well. I knew Oberlin had numbers problems so their success is really a nice surprise. Living in Columbus I see a lot of OWU sports(mostly lacrosse and basketball) and it is great to see them doing very well. They certainly seem to have made a commitment to the athletic program with the upgrades to the stadium(thank goodness, that place was worse then welcome stadium, nothing will ever be as bad as the rubber bowl though)the new swimmng complex and the coaching hire. Kenyon is a school I love to visit and have for years. I went too Mt.Vernon Nazarene myself so I have watched a lot of sports at Kenyon. It is great to see they had such a great year after the hard times in the past. Wabash certainly impressed me when I saw them play OWU and I guess it shows just how far Oberlin progressed this year with the result the following week. Denison will always be my favorite d3 school to visit and cheer for. Love the campus , love the folks there. Love to follow all their sports from football in the fall to lacrosse and baseball in the spring.  What I like most about d3 and the ncac in particular is that it is what college sports should be. Always enjoy going to any of the ncac campuses. Oh I forgot another favorite of mine. Wooster, what can I say I am Scotch(stewart). I try to make it once a year just too see the band. I always tell  people that is one of the two band shows you should catch if you have the chance(texas a&m being the other). Oh the best fans for supporting their team, easily wooster, doesn't matter what sport, marietta does a great job too but nothing in d3 I have seen matches Wooster. Marshall has the best fans and support I have seen overall. We are Marshall is a way of life in Huntington not just a slogan. Well sorry to ramble, great to see things are stable and so many programs are looking up. It is great for the league and d3.

[formerd3db]

Right now DPU has an opening for a coach. I'd say that almost everyone else is secure in one way or another, unless the guy at Hiram decides its safer to sell insurance than endure another string of 0-10 or 1-9 seasons.

We've had a lot of discussion regarding Wooster, but it doesn't seem like the administration is ready to make a change from what the Wooster tea-leaf readers say.

Some people don't remember that Randy Moore was Head Coach at Lake Forest, then Defensive Coordinator at Hope College, before he went to Ott before taking the Hiram job.  Anyway, as you and others have alluded to and discussed, it is a tough challenge at Hiram.  Yet, perhaps not impossible - if Olivet can do it in our league (and they have in the past despite their last 3 bad seasons), I think Hiram could as well ('Berg proved it and many said that about them, although admittedly, they went out and grabbed a great coach).  We'll see what happens.

[seinfeld]

I didn't mean to post a bunch of negative stuff on Schmitz and then disappear, it's that I don't have that much time to post, and the time I have had was devoted to research on the numbers.

It seems to me the discussion revolving around Schmitz specifically and Wooster football in general is two different topics.

No one is denying that it has Wooster has become more challenging academically than when Schmitz started at Wooster, and certainly more expensive. And during the last few years, the emphasis on attracting students from out of state has especially affected the football team, which, like most Div. III schools, relies on in-state talent to fill out most of its roster. With these limitations, I don't think anyone is expecting a return to 8-2, 9-1 and 10-0 season year in and year out. What I do think is realistic is to win between 6 and 7 games each season, and every three or four years make a run at the conference title in the way that OWU did this year. Considering the history of the program (although that is becoming more ancient history as the years go by) and facilities that you could argue are second to none in the conference, these are very realistic expectations.

Also adding a twist to this situation -- as only Schmitz can do -- is the fact that every year he openly talks about how great his recruiting is and how great and special this player and that player are. Take this year's class for example. As it says in this Ohio College Football release, Schmitz called it "the most talented class we've had in recent years. It will create tremendous competition and provide much-needed depth in our program." Coaches were openly talking about how they nearly landed every recruit they wanted. This all occurring with the supposed barriers to recruiting that we just talked about. A class of 44 players with tremendous talent.

-- Taylor Bowen - A really good defensive lineman from one of the best programs in Georgia - Cartersville High School
-- Patrick Boyle - Ranked as the 14th QB overall in the state of Ohio by Rivals.com
-- Adam Coppock - A multi-dimensional player who scored 46 touchdowns in high school.
-- Jake Himmeger - Leading tackler on one of the top Div. I teams in Ohio - Hilliard Davidson
-- Paul Kelbly - A first-team All-Ohio offensive lineman who Schmitz in one article described as his top recruit.
-- Jonathan Miller - A running back who would have gone Div. II if he didn't get hurt his senior year. Holds several records at Massillon Perry. Was called by Schmitz a faster version of Dustin Sheppard (already left the program)
-- Jonathan Nutt - Tight end that originally signed a letter of intent to play at Ohio Dominican. Described by Schmitz as similar to Cam Daniels. (already left the program)
-- Lenard Rivers - Described as the best cover corner he has ever recruited.
-- Michael Tozzi - 1st Team All-Ohio defensive end that is reminiscent of Andy Mizak

I guess in some way I'm building a small case for Schmitz, as he seems to have brought in some real talent. And while these guys were freshmen, if they were as good as Schmitz described, more results should have been made this year. But I look at it the opposite way. Now is the perfect time to make a change. There is more talent here than I think a lot of people recognize, and if the right coach is brought in with some new energy, there is a real possibility for an OWU like turnaround (maybe not 9-1, but similar type of competitiveness on the field).

But ultimately, this is a pointless argument to make about if the standards are too hard or not. They are not changing. And as we've seen with Denison, Oberlin and Kenyon, who have harder academic standards and cost more, you can be reasonably successful (certainly more successful than Wooster has been) within this framework.

What should not be lost in all of this is the fact that Schmitz, in 132 career games, has literally never "coached his team up." And by up, I mean to beat a team that they probably had less talent than. Not a single one. In the last two seasons alone, every NCAC team can make this claim with the exception of Hiram (you need to at least win a game first), Kenyon and Wittenberg. We know how Kenyon overachieved this season, albeit against a weak schedule, and Witt (along with Wabash) is usually always the best team on the field when they play. And at the end of the day, isn't that the mark of a good coach? Taking whatever talent you have and making them better? When has that ever happened with Schmitz as the head coach?

Wooster- fell to 2-8 this year, which some blame on the head coach.  He's been there a while and receives more comment on these pages than any other coach in the conference, particularly from a few disgruntled fans.

Sigma One,

You probably didn't intend to infer that only a few fans were disgruntled with Schmitz, only that a few have expressed so on the message board. I haven't done a scientific survey, obviously, but I'm familiar with enough people close to the program to know that it the feeling of disgruntlement is nearly universal. In fact, I doubt you could find almost anyone to say things aren't in pretty bad shape. From what I'm hearing, not even Schmitz is even trying to defend what is going on. If you polled players, parents, supports of the program, etc., I bet you'd end up with an average grade of Schmitz's performance in the D-range. I have obviously laid out the case for why I think Schmitz's time has come and gone at Wooster, but I would be curious to hear from someone who can build a case FOR HIM to remain. I mean, doesn't any job performance evaluation come down to building a case for your presence in that job? What would be the case for Schmitz?

[sigma one]

seinfeld:  Yes, I meant only that a few disgruntled fans post here.  You are close to Wooster and certainly aware of the feelings of Wooster fans.  I just read what is posted and observe Wooster from afar.  I will say that it always appears to me, and to some others I talk with, that Wooster should be better than the record indicates.  Maybe that's primarily based on the head coach's pre-season remarks every year. 

[wally_wabash]

DPU has narrowed it down to a final four.  Discuss. 

[smedindy]

Deja Vu all over again?

Actually, it'd be good for the league if Bell came on board. DPU needs help on offense and he can bring it. But I have faith in the New Tigers (to screw it up...) Sorry Wes...

[sigma one]

Solid final 4 at DPU.  Regardless of the final selection, maybe the most important thing is to hire a head coach who can understand what rules DPU is expecting them to abide by. 

[ScotsFan]

seinfeld, I honestly don't know if you've been a player or coach.  If you have, please feel free to express your own opinion on this.  However, as someone that spent plenty of time in Division III locker rooms...

Did we carry motivation and grudges into some games?  Of course.  Did it really make a difference in our gameplay on a particular day?  Not a chance!  You really think Oberlin's upset of Wooster in 2003 happened because of that non-incident in 2001, or Kenyon's upset in 2005 happened because they felt like Wooster ran up the score the year before?

You certainly can argue that Schmitz's poor coaching led to those losses against inferior teams, but the "insulting the opposition" from the previous year (while it may have motivated the opponents) is not the reason a team loses ANY game, it's poor coaching and/or play ON THAT DAY!

I would like you to ask the players from the 1969 University of Michigan football team if your assessment is completely true.  I'm sure OSU's 50-14 drubbing of Michigan the year before including watching Woody Hayes go for a successful 2-point conversion to rub salt in the wounds late in that game because he, "...couldn't go for 3."  didn't serve as any motivation for Michigan to then come out the following year and beat, what was said to be the greatest team in college football history...