FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[formerd3db]

ACRULZ:

I thought that DAWG indicated that the position Deere was appointed to and accepted was to be a full-time job and that he was leaving his previous regular non-coaching job.  DAWG can clarify that for us and the other questions you had.  I agree with you that it will be interesting to see if they keep the same defense or change it.  There are advantages/disadvantages for doing it either way, of course.

[ADAWGISADAWG4LIFE]

ACRULZ:

Deere was appointed to a full time 12 month position.  He has wanted to get into coaching full time and this has provided the perfect opportunity.  He is leaving his job as an electrician and will be starting on July 9th.  I would imagine with more time to tinker with the defense that there will be some changes.  I have heard rumblings of a 3-5 defense this year, but Adrian did run some of that last year so it would probably be an expanded package as opposed to something new, other than that I would look to see the 4-4 that Deere had there previously to continue.

formerd3db:

I agree Brooks should have at least 5 years, this isnt DI and even they should be granted that much.  I think he has some great ideas and brings alot of dedication and enthusiasm to the college.  I dont think that K would ever drop the program either but if recruiting numbers were to dip lower and do so for more than a year or two it would be hard to continue, that is my only concern.  You hit the nail on the head as the attitude needs to change, from the admin on down and then true change can occur.  I remember when Kzoo was a tough game in the league and was a threat every week, as recently as 3 years ago, i hope they begin to make their way back down that path and that it leads to winning seasons and contention for the MIAA championship, the stronger the weakest link in this league the better off it will be.(note I am not implying K is the weak link)

[formerd3db]

Hey guys.  We've finally hit "Page 90"!   Let's see if we can try to hit 100 before the pre-season camps start.  Good to see some fb discussion returning now, although it is still summer (only July 1st) and some people still have some vacation time left.  Yet, the pre-season camps will be here before we know it, and I'm sure that will seem even more so for the players (at least I remember it did for me "way back when" ).

[formerd3db]

DAWG:

I agree with your assesment and opinion on that.  Anyway, hope you are doing well.  Let me know if you are going to be at the Hope/Adrian game this year and perhaps we can visit.


bulldogalum:
BTW, where are you? I assume you are studying hard right now - or at least you should be   Yet, hope you get some vacation time this month or next.  Same goes for you at the Hope/Adrian game this year if we can both attend it. 

[blb]

Not to beat a dead horse, but rather to sum up:

Kazoo athletics, perhaps football most of all, has been suffering from institutional neglect for some time. Whether this is intentional, as ACRULZ stated, because the administration and trustees fear a strong all-round athletic program would damage the school's academic reputation, or as DAWG4 wrote, they simply don't care is open to question. Either way, the result has been the same.

I remember when then-AD Rolla Anderson, former 'K' football coach, spoke to one of my grad classes on athletic administration. He said, "You can't be good at everything, so why try?"

We will have to wait and see if the college will make the necessary committment, especially financially, to give Hornet student-athletes and coaches a chance to compete on a more level playing field.

As for Coach Brooks, I agree he should get at least another two to four years to build his own program. Of course, if things don't change with the college's philosophy of athletics, he may get frustrated and leave on his own by then. 

[ACRULZ]

Thanks for the clarification DAWG!

[ADAWGISADAWG4LIFE]

blb:

Its a sad sad thing to hear a president say something like that about any aspect of a college.  The last thing and administration needs is a leader with a defeatist attitude.  I strongly hope that the college does make the right choice in funding the football program as well as other programs.  I know they have invested an incredible amount in tennis and it has paid off, I can only imagine that they would like to see such success in other sports as well. 

formerd3db:

I am planning on attending the Adrian Hope game this year, Im hoping that I wont be in my current job still which has me working second shift on thursday - sunday which would be troublesome.   I would like to find a nice 9-5 with weekends off and be able to attend the Adrian home games as well as to make it to some other MIAA games and get a better feel for the league.  I would love to attend an Hope vs. Albion game as I have never had the experience, but think it would be a blast.  As it is now one of my buddies is attempting to lure me to Florida to teach as he may be getting a head coaching job but I do not know that I am ready for a move to Florida yet. 

[formerd3db]

DAWG and blb: 
Thanks for the follow-up.

DAWG:
I will contact you "off-line" on the personal messages board to share some teaching info with you.

formerd3db

[ACRULZ]

When are most teams reporting to camp this year?

[D306]

ACRulz


I am not sure of the exact date but it is the second week of August.

That is the earlist players can be in dorms and official practices start.

I know "captains practices" and 7-7 is already going all summer.

[blb]

Not 100 per cent certain of this but I believe Kalamazoo players report Labor Day weekend. Their first game isn't until Sept. 15, one to two weeks after rest of MIAA ('K' only plays nine again this year).

On paper, the Hornets could win three if they can beat Bluffton at home, Tri-State and Wisconsin Lutheran on the road. If not, it could be a long year. They will be hard-pressed to beat any of the "traditional" league schools.

Valparaiso, against whom 'K' has not had much success, is the opener (home) and other non-league game.

[formerd3db]

Hope reports Monday August 13th when athletic physicals will be administered to them and the other fall sports.  NCAA rules require that pre-season practices do not start any earlier than 3 weeks prior to one's first game.  Hope's first game was moved to Labor Day weekend Saturday when DePauw cancelled out of its contract for the originally scheduled Sept 16th weekend game, due to Colorado College coming into their conference and need to schedule them.  Thus, Hope added Wis-RF, however, the only available date was Labor Day weekend, which gives Hope a "bye" weekend in Sept.

Hope has opened the season on Labor Day weekend on occasion in the past as did Albion last year.  As a sidenote, some of you might be interested to know that Hope has classes on Labor Day Monday if you can believe it!  They've done that the past several years, although didn't when I went there "way back when"!  Still, we stayed on campus because we always had a Labor Day Monday afternoon practice (had Saturday after the final intersquad/team scrimmage off until Monday afternoon).  Anyway, regardless of when pre-season practices begin for the teams, it always seems to be the hottest and most humid week of the month!      

[formerd3db]

BTW, I wish each of you a safe and enjoyable 4th of July holiday today.  Seems a bit strange having it in the middle of the week as compared to a "long holiday" weekend, but still nice to have the day to enjoy I'm sure most of you would agree.

[Pat Coleman]

The first day of practice is a somewhat complicated formula that includes not only the day of the first game but also the school's first day of classes.

[blb]

This has always been another hurdle for Kazoo football to overcome. The college typically starts the fall quarter on the third Monday of September (Sept. 24 this year).

So the Hornets normally get one week of two-a-day practices before their first game week, or one to two weeks less developmental time than most of their MIAA brethren. Some years, freshmen have played three football games before attending their first class!

Additional obstacles have been players in summer quarter (usually SIP) missing practice time, and the college is reticent to pay (sound familiar?) for more pre-season time (housing and meals) when the calendar, schedule,  and stars align just right.