FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[old wabash]

not much talk for a Bell week...

[Little Giant 89]

I have great confidence in the long term success that Jake Gilbert will bring to the Wabash program but I am damn near terrified at the result that is going to come out of Blackstock today.

[CollegeGolf18]

I think the game is going to go 1 or 2 ways.

Depauw blowout (most likely)
Wabash keeps it close on the back of a few big plays and their defense (unlikely)

I hope for a win but I'm expecting something like 49-7...and while not okay, that's okay.

[wabashcpa]

Ok, a little cause for optimism going into halftime...

[Whitecarrera]

You have to appreciate how the ISC logo covers the dot!

[wabashcpa]

Well, that optimism lasted until the second half started...

[Whitecarrera]

I think one of our problems is that we don't have enough guys wearing tights on only one leg.

[wabashcpa]

Congrats to DePauw, 10-0 is a hell of a season.  Do some damage in the playoffs.

Interesting that we will have a game next weekend in Canton.  I like the idea.  Curious to see how many players (seniors) opt out of playing.  Sounds like it's Jake's game to run.

[Crawford]

Congratulations to Kenyon for their nice season and to Depauw as champions, represent the NCAC well.

[Li'l Giant]

Bummed, though unsurprised, by the outcome today. The defense really did a good job for as long as they could, but they were on the field a long time. Whatever Dietz said at halftime must have been a doozy.

I'll raise a TWR to the end of the Don Morel era error.

[LG67]

Li'l Giant:  Ditto

[sigma one]

If it's true that Don Morel will hand over the coaching reins to Jake Gilbert if the team decides to play in the bowl game this year, then his coaching career at Wabash is concluded.   I'm not going to assert that Morel's coaching record was as good as Creighton's or Morel's, I want to say that he did a good job of coaching the LG's  since 2016 (61-20/.753).  Don played a more challenging OOC schedule than either of his two predecessors.  His OOC losses included North Central (twice), Butler, and this year to UW Platteville, a playoff team.  True enough, he lost 5X to DPU, who are as strong as they have ever been the last three years--conference champion each year, and better than I can recall since they entered the conference.  He lost 3X to Denison, a team that has been vastly improved over the last 8 or so years.  He lost 3X to Witt--in a game that ranks second in importance to DPU. I'm not going to speculate whether Raeburn's or Creighton's teams would have lost some of those games--a fool's errand.
   Did Morel match the success that came between 2000-2015; of course not.  Those glory years for Wabash football were the best run in he history of the team.  (Creighon had a 6-4 record the year after going to the final 8 in the playoffs, and was 7-3 the next year.)
    All in all, though Morel did not matched either Raeburn's or Creighton's winning percentage, he still won 75% of he games he coached, arguably against stronger in conference and OOC opponents than the two coaches who proceeded him.
    I am among those who have been disappointed with recent results, but putting it all in perspective Don did a pretty good job--just not quite as good as Raeburn or Creigton.  What does the future hold?  Will Gilbert improve on recent years?  I hope so. But as John Carroll enters the NCAC next fall and Washington U. the following year, the conference will be much improved. And with DPU's success under Deitz they can be expected to remain strong.  Add to that Denison's rise, and even with Witt's falling off (will that continue?) and the future will be a major challenge.
      The biggest questions in everyone's mind is perhaps whether Don was less successful than he should have been with Liam Thompson leading the team and whether on the defensive side the team could have been stronger. We will never know the answers to these questions.  One could say that he wasted a couple of years during Liam's time--but this is again speculation.  Now, I'm done.  I've known Jake Gilbert for over 25 years and am cautiously encouraged about his appointment (including his contacts with the best high school programs in Indiana). I'm sure though the next few years will be even harder to manage than has previously been the case.   
       

[Li'l Giant]

If it's true that Don Morel will hand over the coaching reins to Jake Gilbert if the team decides to play in the bowl game this year, then his coaching career at Wabash is concluded.  I'm not going to assert that Morel's coaching record was as good as Creighton's or Morel's, I want to say that he did a good job of coaching the LG's  since 2016 (61-20/.753).  Don played a more challenging OOC schedule than either of his two predecessors.  His OOC losses included North Central (twice), Butler, and this year to UW Platteville, a playoff team.  True enough, he lost 5X to DPU, who are as strong as they have ever been the last three years--conference champion each year, and better than I can recall since they entered the conference.  He lost 3X to Denison, a team that has been vastly improved over the last 8 or so years.  He lost 3X to Witt--in a game that ranks second in importance to DPU. I'm not going to speculate whether Raeburn's or Creighton's teams would have lost some of those games--a fool's errand.
  Did Morel match the success that came between 2000-2015; of course not.  Those glory years for Wabash football were the best run in he history of the team.  (Creighon had a 6-4 record the year after going to the final 8 in the playoffs, and was 7-3 the next year.)
    All in all, though Morel did not matched either Raeburn's or Creighton's winning percentage, he still won 75% of he games he coached, arguably against stronger in conference and OOC opponents than the two coaches who proceeded him.
    I am among those who have been disappointed with recent results, but putting it all in perspective Don did a pretty good job--just not quite as good as Raeburn or Creigton.  What does the future hold?  Will Gilbert improve on recent years?  I hope so. But as John Carroll enters the NCAC next fall and Washington U. the following year, the conference will be much improved. And with DPU's success under Deitz they can be expected to remain strong.  Add to that Denison's rise, and even with Witt's falling off (will that continue?) and the future will be a major challenge.
      The biggest questions in everyone's mind is perhaps whether Don was less successful than he should have been with Liam Thompson leading the team and whether on the defensive side the team could have been stronger. We will never know the answers to these questions.  One could say that he wasted a couple of years during Liam's time--but this is again speculation.  Now, I'm done.  I've known Jake Gilbert for over 25 years and am cautiously encouraged about his appointment (including his contacts with the best high school programs in Indiana). I'm sure though the next few years will be even harder to manage than has previously been the case.   
     

I think this is all true and well-said. Especially about elevating the non-con games. That's a good distinction. The issue isn't that DM didn't do "a good job". We just went from great to good.

The 5 losses to DPU are pretty bad. And it might have been 6 if the 2 pointer at the end of the 17 game was ruled short, as DPU fans argued it should have at the time. CC and ER went a combined 12-3. That kind of disparity is never going to sit well with the fans.

And I think the biggest knock is the Liam Thompson years. To have only a single one-and-done trip to the playoffs with the best QB in a generation, and possibly ever, is bordering on malpractice. But we were told that good enough is good enough. CC and ER showed they could guide the team to a run to the quarters. I can't believe anyone would honestly say that they believed DM was capable of that.

I'm excited for Jake Gilbert's tenure, although, the league is going to be a lot tougher with DPU as good as they are and adding JCU and WashU. I have no doubt that he has someone in mind who will be a significant upgrade as an OC and play-caller. And the defense was much improved after only one season.

The past is the past and I'm excited for next season and beyond. WAF.

[Whitecarrera]

"Those glory years for Wabash football were the best run in the history of the team."

You might have a few Navarro/Parrish fans who disagree with that comment.

But all in all, very well said.

[sigma one]

Yes , I forgot about those teams/coaches.  They were special.  I might/should have said the best long-term success or the best extended success, which would have been more accurate.  Thanks for correcting me, WC.