FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[formerd3db]

EMU has hired Chris Creighton (formerly the coach at Wabash, before moving to D1 FCS Drake) as HFC.  I'm not sure anyone can be a winner at EMU, but Creighton certainly seems to be a good candidate to try.  He's won big everywhere he has coached: 32-9 at Ottawa (Kan) U (NAIA), 63-15 at Wabash, and 47-19 at Drake.

Good luck to Coach Creighton - you'll need all the luck you can get!

I wish him well also.  It might be a slight shock to him in that the attendance at Drake was better than Eastern Michigan this year for the most part.  I also wonder how many of the current staff he will keep i.e. will Stan Parrish and former U of Michigan RB Mike Hart stay on?

[formerd3db]

MIAA Commisioner David Neilson announces his retirement:

http://www.miaa.org/landing/index

Dave Neilson is a great man/great gentleman and was a great commissioner.  I always enjoyed talking with him-he was always very cordial and made you feel welcome and appreciated as a fan, supporter, former player, and even staff person from whatever college you/we were, etc.  As can also be seen from his bio, he was a great student-athlete at Albion as well in his own day.  At any rate, he will be missed as our commissioner.  His vision and leadership was great for the MIAA.  Best wishes to him for the next chapter in his life.

We'll also welcome the next commissioner, whoever, he/she is when chosen.

[Mr. Ypsi]

EMU has hired Chris Creighton (formerly the coach at Wabash, before moving to D1 FCS Drake) as HFC.  I'm not sure anyone can be a winner at EMU, but Creighton certainly seems to be a good candidate to try.  He's won big everywhere he has coached: 32-9 at Ottawa (Kan) U (NAIA), 63-15 at Wabash, and 47-19 at Drake.

Good luck to Coach Creighton - you'll need all the luck you can get!

I wish him well also.  It might be a slight shock to him in that the attendance at Drake was better than Eastern Michigan this year for the most part.  I also wonder how many of the current staff he will keep i.e. will Stan Parrish and former U of Michigan RB Mike Hart stay on?

It wouldn't surprise me if some MIAA teams had higher attendance than EMU!   It must be a bit embarrassing that even people with free tickets don't show up.  (My younger son is now attending EMU; he has gone to a couple of games, but even he - a rabid football fan - has mostly stopped attending.)

The official announcement is not until tomorrow(?); I haven't heard anything about assistant coaches (not even speculation).

[sac]

rumored Mike Hart applied for the HC job, unlikely he stays on.

I don't know who was in charge of EMU's scheduling but they play at Florida and Michigan State next year.  At LSU the following year.

[sac]

[formerd3db]

Hilarious, sac! +k for the true levity!  However, I'm sure that no one will be surprised if he did bolt to Texas.

[formerd3db]

EMU has hired Chris Creighton (formerly the coach at Wabash, before moving to D1 FCS Drake) as HFC.  I'm not sure anyone can be a winner at EMU, but Creighton certainly seems to be a good candidate to try.  He's won big everywhere he has coached: 32-9 at Ottawa (Kan) U (NAIA), 63-15 at Wabash, and 47-19 at Drake.

Good luck to Coach Creighton - you'll need all the luck you can get!

I wish him well also.  It might be a slight shock to him in that the attendance at Drake was better than Eastern Michigan this year for the most part.  I also wonder how many of the current staff he will keep i.e. will Stan Parrish and former U of Michigan RB Mike Hart stay on?

It wouldn't surprise me if some MIAA teams had higher attendance than EMU!   It must be a bit embarrassing that even people with free tickets don't show up.  (My younger son is now attending EMU; he has gone to a couple of games, but even he - a rabid football fan - has mostly stopped attending.)

The official announcement is not until tomorrow(?); I haven't heard anything about assistant coaches (not even speculation).

Well, Mr. Ypsi, that is essentially true.  Sad, but true.  Here is the breakdown:

Eastern Michigan
Home game attendance:                                  Away games:  @Penn State  92,863
Howard University  7668                                                       @Rutgers       47,604
Ball State              5402                                                       @Buffalo        23,602
Ohio U.                 3257                                                       @Army          36,006
Western Mich.       2177                                                       @N. Illinois     20,185
Bowling Green      1751                                                       @Toledo         17,492
                   AVG. 2395                                                       @Central Mich  5214

in comparison...

Hope College
Home game attendance                      Away games:  high attendance  @ Olivet 3785
Millikin                4110                                                                      @ Trine  3243
Wis. Luth            1484*
Adrian                2006
Kalamazoo         1465
Albion                2314*
                 AVG. 2276
*(I know the attendance was at least double the figure for the WLC game and in the low 3,000 for Albion because I personally counted there! )
   
Trine University
Home game attendance                                Away game high attendance; @ Albion 4164
Elmhurst            4894
Concordia (Wis)  3887
Kalamazoo         5368*        *one of the largest crowds for Kazoo as the latter usually played in front of <1,000 at their home stadium)
Adrian               2390
Hope                3243
                AVG 3956


I would also say that even though Hope had a better season this year at 7-3, still, the home attendance was down for some reason as compared to what Hope usually has in a good year.  In great years, they've had in the high 3,000's and 4,000's, although also don't forget in Trine's 3 year run that Trine had high 4,000's and 5,000's regular attendance.  I didn't add up/average the home attendance for the other MIAA schools for this year, however, with the exception of Alma and Kalamazoo, I believe that most of the MIAA schools had close to what Eastern Michigan had for home games.  Without checking for sure, I also think that some of the other DIII schools like Wabash, North Central, Illinois Wesleyan UW-W, had more at home for most of their games than Eastern did (I'm pretty sure that Wabash did).

So, as you say, Creighton has a tough challenge at Eastern Michigan.  However, I hope he does well and wish him all the best.  Since he did well at FCS non-scholarship Drake including with pretty good attendance there for Pioneer League (and also as well in comparison of attendance as some of the other FCS schools and some of the DIII schools that had some higher attendance), if he can get that enthusiasm at Eastern, that would be a welcome sign.  I would additionally mention that the attendance for the Eastern Michigan/Central Michigan game as noted above is pathetic and that was at Central Michigan.  Heck, the top MIAA games got nearly as much and the Trine/Kalamazoo game topped that even! 

And finally, as sac mentioned that Mike Hart apparently wanted the job at Eastern, I agree that most likely he is probably not staying. It will be interesting to see where he ends up. 

[miaafan4life]

per footballscoop.com
Alma College (D-III - MI): Sources tell us that offensive coordinator / offensive line coach Nate Cochran will not return next season.

[Raider 68]

To all the MIAA posters, I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Heathy NewYear!

[Raider 68]

Wishing all the MIAA posters and their families a Happy and Healthy New Year! 

[formerd3db]

I posted this over on the CCIW board, however, thought I would post it here as well (and also, in part, because our board has been "dead" much more than the other boards and we could use some "stimulus" here, although that didn't seem to work for the nation Perhaps it will help here, however. Oops! )...


I'm not sure how many of you have been following the hearings on the union organizing bid that some Northwestern University players are trying to pull (no doubt many of you are).  However, I had to laugh at the statement that former outgoing (graduating) QB Kain Colter made in his testimony yesterday that he couldn't take the pre-med curriculum due to his not having enough time to do so because of his football activities!  What a joke and the most lame excuse.  There are plenty of examples of players at his school and the DI level (not to forget mentioning all those football players who do it at DIII and some at DII) who make the time and "make the grade" in pre-med and go on medical school while participating in football all four years.  He seems to forget it is a matter of "time management", which it seems he chose to concentrate merely on his football activities.  Or perhaps he just didn't have what it takes to "cut it" in pre-med, although since he is obviously graduating from Northwestern, that tells me the former premise is really the answer.  You make your own choices and live with the consequences.

Also, I don't know where most of you stand on this issue, however, I'll just offer my own opinion here.  I am not in favor of this union bid, yet if it is allowed, then the players should be made to pay taxes and that taken out of their pay, just like everyone else is mandated to do.  It is interesting because we haven't heard one word at all about that aspect during these hearings-at least it has not been reported on in the media (although the latter doesn't surprise me).  Obviously, we'll have to wait and see how this hearing turns out, although if it is ruled in favor, I think there will be even more of a mess to deal with in college football.   Anyway, what are some of your thoughts anyone? 

[Uncle Rico]

If the curriculum that you choose conflicts with your football, then you have to decide which one will take you further in life.  For 99% of the players I suspect focusing on the educational side is the best long term decision.  If playing football prevents you from taking pre-med classes, then so be it.  No one is holding a gun to your head making you play football.  If the demands of playing DI football cut in to your educational prospects, then don't play DI football.  Or find a school that is more accommodating of your educational goals while still allowing you to play football. 
 

[Mr. Ypsi]

If the curriculum that you choose conflicts with your football, then you have to decide which one will take you further in life.  For 99% of the players I suspect focusing on the educational side is the best long term decision.  If playing football prevents you from taking pre-med classes, then so be it.  No one is holding a gun to your head making you play football.  If the demands of playing DI football cut in to your educational prospects, then don't play DI football.  Or find a school that is more accommodating of your educational goals while still allowing you to play football. 

For students not poor enough to get loads of need-based financial aid, but not rich enough to avoid huge student debt, there may well be a financial 'gun to your head' to continue football. 

On the other hand, a pre-med curriculum is NOT a necessity for attending med school - many simply major in biology or combine chemistry and biology.  Some even major in something they find interesting which is totally unrelated, as long as they have sufficient background to get admitted.

Within reason, I think coaches need to be more flexible.  A player missing all or part of one practice a week due to a class is not the end of the world.  There ARE examples (not many) of players who followed an NFL career with a career in medicine.

[Uncle Rico]

I am probably a little naive when it comes to how athletic scholarships work, but I would think that if you are good enough to get an athletic scholarship at a DI school, AND you are also concerned about receiving a quality education, you can make that known at the time of recruitment so that it is understood from the beginning that you intend to get an education along with playing football.  If a coach does not feel you will be dedicated enough for football, I suspect you will be able to find a school that will be more willing to work with you.

[Uncle Rico]

I also agree with you 100% Mr Ypsi about coaches needing to be flexible, in spite of all the pressure they have to win.  I think the pressures vary depending on the goals of the university and that can ultimately drive the culture on campus.  You hear more about winning percentages than graduating percentages, although there are exceptions.