FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[1_For_27]

Well put kart!!

You are right in saying that augie is the only team with some guts to try and play some WIAC teams, however they did play UWP who is a bottom feeder among the league. 

The only success that I could see the CCIW having with a WIAC team is maybe a Elmhurst  vs. UWRF matchup, or an Augie vs. a UWO, or a UWEC of late.  The reason that these teams don't play WIAC teams is because they want to try and put some padding into thier schedule just like every other school in the country. 

[bulk19]

From the UWEC Blugold athletics website, regarding the head coach vacancy:

"The search and screen Committee has tabbed Lakeland College head coach Jim Zebrowski, Marietta College head coach Todd Glaser, University of Nebraska-Omaha associate head coach Lance Leipold and University of North Dakota associate head coach Chris Mussman as finalists. Those four will be on campus next week for interviews with the search and screen committee, team members, athletics staff and university administrators."

[BuckyC]

do any of you guys know anything or have any thoughts about Leipold or Mussman??? I like Glaser and Zebrowki ......just don't know much the other 2 is all.

[bulk19]

Here's info on Mussman and Leipold, as per the Blugolds' website:

"Mussman has coached seven seasons at the University of North Dakota after eight seasons at Minnesota State-Mankato. He has been the offensive coordinator for the past five years at UND and the associate head coach the past two seasons. He followed a similar pattern at Mankato, leaving as the associate head coach. Mussman was a four-year letterwinner at Iowa State, serving as a 1990 team captain for the Cyclones. During his stint at North Dakota, the Fighting Sioux won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2001 and have won 10 or more games in four of the last five years."

"Leipold, a native of Jefferson, Wisconsin, is currently the associate head coach at Nebraska-Omaha. He has had two stints at UNO sandwiched around a three-year term at the University of Nebraska where he was the football administrative assistant for the Cornhuskers. He was a record-setting quarterback at UW-Whitewater for Bob Berezowitz, then spent time as an assistant coach there before joining the UW-Madison staff as a graduate assistant for four years including Barry Alvarez' first Rose Bowl team. He joined the staff at UNO in 1994 until leaving for Nebraska in 2001. In 19 years of coaching, Leipold has been associated with nine conference championship teams and 10 post-season teams."

[fishguy]

Zebrowski at Lakeland is awesome. I follow that league a bit and have friends at Lakeland, and they say he's really made going to football games an event again at Lakeland. Also, his family (he is married with two young kids) is around campus all the time, so they are very visible and people really like them. I think his wife might work on campus also.

He won that first year or so with the talent that had under-acheived under the previous head coach. At a bigger school with better facilities and the ability to recruit better players, the sky is the limit for what he can do. I'm sure the Marietta guy would be the favorite with his EC ties, but Zebrowski would do very, very well at UWEC - it would just be a matter of time before they would be a player on the national level.

[79jaybird]

Elmhurst- 10 minutes west of Chicago
North Park- Chicago
North Central  30 minutes West/SW of Chicago
Wheaton 45 mintues west of Chicago
Carthage 50 minutes west of Chicago

5/8 of the conference are within a short drive of the Chicago area  and Chicago to the WIAC schools isn't "that" far away.
New coaches at NC-Thorne and EC-Journell have the attitudes "Let's play the best competition so we can see what we will experience in conf."  Meaning IMO, I don't think they are afraid to schedule a game with a WIAC school.
As soon as Journell came to Elmhurst, he scheduled a srimmage with Oshkosh.  I hope the scrimmage is converted into a non conf. game soon.
For many years, Augie was in a class by itself when it came to football.  Their program was dominant and most of their conf. games were lopsided.  This is why they would play very strong non conf. games and win most of them.  I give Augie a lot of credit for not scheduling cream puffs in the early going.
Some potential matchups I could see happening
UW Platteville vs. Augie  Elm/Car/NC
UW River Falls vs Elm/Car/NC
UW SP vs. Augie/ Wheaton
UW EC vs. IWU/Car/NC
UW Superior  well any CCIW team
UW Stout vs. Augie/Car

IMO, would rather see WIAC opponents than Illini/Badger or Midwest Conf. opponents.
IMO I  think a close loss to a WIAC school holds more weight than a lopsided win against a cream puff.

[voice]

79jaybird,

Great thoughts on CCIW schools (the vast majority) who don't have any interest in playing WIAC teams as non-conference opponents.  Hopefully your reasoning will filter down to the minds of CCIW coaches, and more importantly, athletic directors. 

I am puzzled that your "potential" CCIW-WIAC matchups doesn't include Whitewater which is the closest WIAC school geographically to most schools in the CCIW.

[CaptainKurt]

Maybe it's time that UWW starts looking outside of D-III for games.  Do any of the poster's that have a guy on the inside that knows if this has started to take place yet or it there is any news on the schedule in general? 

[Sakman 1111]

UWW appears to have a full schedule for next year but it still isn't official. Non-Conference games appear to be Lakeland the opener----Trinity International 9/30----and Mary Hardin Baylor in Texas the last weekend of October.

[79jaybird]

Voice you're right, I completely forgot UW Whitewater which is not far from Carthage/EC/NC/Wheaton
When I called the UWW 2nd round & Nat'l Semifinal  I think it took me 2 hours door to door. So Carthage-- UWW 1 hour  EC/NC/Wheaton--UWW 2.5-3    would be just like these 4 schools going to Augie, IWU, or Millikin.
The finger points to the CCIW Coaches and/or AD's lack of "eagerness" to play the WIAC.   Hopefully this changes in the years to come. 
I think you have 2 great confs. with a load of talent that should play each other more often.

[79jaybird]

Elmhurst has Chicago for 4 more years, Benedictine ( which I would love to see dropped!) for at least 2 more years  and at least 2 ( home/home) with Olivet College.
I think Wheaton is going to have an opening in 2008, and ( I will have to check) but NC also has an opening coming up.
If I were a voter, I would vote to have more WIAC/CCIW matchups.

[voice]

79jaybird,

Amen brother!

[KennethK]

UWW appears to have a full schedule for next year but it still isn't official. Non-Conference games appear to be Lakeland the opener----Trinity International 9/30----and Mary Hardin Baylor in Texas the last weekend of October.

Shouldn't Lakeland and Trinity be gimmes for the Hawks with MHB providing some good competition.  Which WIAC teams have the best shot at knocking off WW in 06?

[Sakman 1111]

Don't know anything about Trinity International but have watched UWW play Lakeland twice. Last year actually it was 14-12 in the second quarter and a pretty good game. Then we scored 59 points in a row. Next year everybody in the WIAC will be after the Warhawks and even though I believe The Warhawks will be better on paper I won't be surprised that we lose one in conference.....but I will be there hoping that doesn't come true......

[fishguy]

The UWEC interviews were this week - any news? Is there a favorite? Will they announce the new coach next week?