FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[TEH]

Many of you post your comments on here and have no insight into what actually went on.  We may never know all of what went on but people can show some respect.  Stan prepared for the interview and went in knowing he was competing for a position that he has been told for the last 16 years would be his.  Despite many offers of more money and better opportunities Stan felt a loyalty to UWW and wanted to stay to raise his family there.  He has a great love for the school and the football program he has been such a huge part of.
college66qbfan there was no insider leaking information, in any situation it is impossible for word not to spread.  Some of us, as his family, heard the news because you all seam to forget that there is a real person and real family that has been greatly and forever effected.
As far as Stan's ego getting the best of him, consider this, since the decision has become known coaches from all over the state have been calling him, vowing not to send their kids to UWW to play for a program that would betray one of their own, and Stan has assured them that UWW is an outstanding program and they should still their players to Whitewater.  He has also taken time to meet with players who are hurt and confussed and encouraged them to stick with UWW for the long haul.  How is that for putting your ego aside and taking the high road?
As far as the comments regarding this being a sad time for Warhawk football and the comment that "no one died" for one family something did die.  16 years of Saturdays in the stands in Whitewater, road trips around the state of WI,  and most recently around the country. Amid all of the posting and rumors please remember that this is someones passion and career. And this is one families father, husband, brother, and uncle.

[UWPSUPERFAN77]

Change is always difficult! Try to focus on the positives or you will keep going around in circles of questions. try and remember all people for the good things they have done! Work for the good with whatever life brings you! When giving advise, be gentle! May 2007 be a good year for UWW and the WIAC! Have a safe and Happy New Year and God Bless all of you!

[kbh]

I do not believe most of us, those with more knowledge about what happened than most of you, are bashing LL.  He will undoubtedly be a great coach.  But, the truth will come out in all of this.  Say, think, believe what you want, but Mr. AD did not make this decision based on what is best for UW-W.  He is a gutless farce, born again, at that.

[Pat Coleman]

Brett Favre's postgame interview on NBC. Hard to watch this and think he's going to come back next season.

http://video.nbcsports.com/player/?id=53489

[kestrel]

By any objective measure, Stan Z should be the next UWW football coach.  If I'm wrong, then look at his lengthy 16-year track record  and ask, What did he do during that time that disqualifies him from assuming the top job?

It's pretty clear the decision came down to mismatched personalities and a clash of egoes.  My point comes from history:  Eisenhower hated Patton's arrogance and egomania, but he put up with it because he saw  Patton was a leader, aggressive, inspirational, and tough, which he had demonstrated time after time.  Was Ike right? And, did either of them ever amount to anything?

Having said my piece, I admit I'm not a UWW fan and I'm hopeful the foremost workaholic on the Warhawk staff will be employed elsewhere next year.

[pg04]

Brett Favre's postgame interview on NBC. Hard to watch this and think he's going to come back next season.

http://video.nbcsports.com/player/?id=53489

Yeah, like Madden put it...when there are tears like that, it doesn't look like a man who's coming back.  But who knows these days.

[HScoach]

From the outisde looking in, I find these discussions interesting to say the least.  I don't know a thing about the guy WWW has hired, or the guy you're pissed about, but have faith in the program as a whole.  It's been reported that Berezowitz didn't hand pick his successor, but I find it hard to believe he didn't have any influence on the selection.  Even if it was an informal blessing of the selection.  If the new guy was a bad hire, don't you think Berezowitz would have made it known to the administration?  And don't you think the admin would have taken into account what their most successful coach and ambassador thinks?

I understand it's hard to embrace when a fan favorite is not promoted or leaves, but give the new guy a chance.  It's not like they hired a complete outsider with no track record.  Based on what's been posted here, the new HC has a resume every bit as good as Z's.  And he might be a better fit with the administration which plays a HUGE role in the success of a program.  If the coach doesn't have the support of the college adminstration, specifically the president, then he's going to have a tough time succeeding.   

Mount fans went thru these same grumblings 2 years ago when Don Montgomery left to take the HC job at Emory & Henry.  Monty was their longtime D-coordinator, recruiting coordinator and heir apparent to LK's throne.  And he was a huge fan and player favorite.  Kehres is a very private and hard man to get close too, but Monty was the likeable "big brother" figure to the players and therefore it was a huge blow to everyone when Monty left.  We had an entire off season of "the MUC program is dead without Monty" and "they'll never recruit well without Monty" and "they'll never win another title without Monty's great defenses", etc. etc, etc.

Now 2 years later, Mount is in a better position than before.  The defense is much better than it was under Montgomery with a young Vince Kehres calling the shots.  The recruiting is better than ever with MUC getting more playmakers from out of state than Monty ever brought in thanks to the young assistants reaching out.  And the team attitude is just fine, even without "big brother" around. 

So don't hang the new guy before he even steps onto campus.

[eagle_defender]

I know you can't measure a coaches value to a team based on statistics, but I thought I'd throw this out there.  I do believe that "Z" has been the O-coordinator for a while.  Here is how his offense has done the last few years:

2006 - 1st in total offense in the WIAC
2005 - 1st
2004 - 7th
2003 - 8th
2002 - 5th
2001 - 3rd
2000 - 4th
1999 - 7th
1998 - 1st

That's an average of 4th over a 9 year period.  Like I said, this does not make him a good or bad coach, I just thought outsiders may find it interesting when considering the argument of who "should have been" the coach.

[chmarx]

I've been involved in many hires at UW-La Crosse over the years.  There are always trade offs when comparing strong candidates.  You guys need to show a little confidence in the administration at UWW.  Or is the school so poorly run, generally, that such confidence is unjustified?

As far as those throwing around accusations that a wealthy supporter dictated the decision, you are libelling people by posting them here unless you can prove them in a court.  Be careful.

[BoBo]

hscoach - For the record, this is about the second or third time someone from Mount has brought up your very comments in the drama unfolding in Whitewater regarding the selection of a highly qualified and former Warhawk Lance Leipold as Head Coach.  But, frankly speaking, they are still very unrelated situations if you ask me.
To the WW faithful pressing the issue for Z, they have responded the way they have because their guy, who they say is as qualified as anybody, was "promised" the head coaching postion.  However, he didn't get annointed when the job opened.  Granted, the majority of WW fans have agreed Z has done a lot for the WW program getting to the level it has the past two years.  But how one gets "promised" the head coaching position at a public university (under a strict hiring procedure) and by whom is something no one has offered to explain with any conviction.
But this is where things get juicy.
The one reason most of these same fans agree on that Z didn't get selected is that he rubbed some administration people the wrong way.  And this being vital because their argument has implied the personality, character, experience and loyality of the AD is somewhat connected by indicating among other things that the AD was intimidated by Z and doesn't know the intricacies of coaching football to make a wise decision about the day to day operation of a football program.  Furthermore, they have even gone on record as saying a key WW financial supporter has helped the AD make his decision (as I have read, buying a college football team). I would think many of the comments came in the passion of the moment, but since no one has recinded their comments, I have to think these people actually believe what they have written.  Anyway, I think you will agree the WW coaching hire and the coaching departure at Mount a few years ago really have no meaning in the same discussion.
From your account and what I read from others, it sounds like the Mount coach left on his own accord (not like he was promised anything), in good standing by all, to become HC at another school. He may have been all-everything at Mount, too.  But leaving because you have aspirations to become a head coach (knowing your boss, in the position you covet may never leave) is very different than what is going on at WW.
I do see one similarity.  The remaining coaches, like at Mount, must operate at a higher standard because like Mount, they are going to have to prove to the so called experts (i.e. the players/alums/parents etc) that the sum of the parts is bigger than just one guy.

[beenhit2hard]

hs coach,,,Mount won 7 Staggs with Monty as the D coach,,so do not sell him too short. I agree that this years D was very good,,the scheme is very agressive,,but Monty's D was good too. The Jason Hall led D of the mid 90's was a great D

[HScoach]

bobo:  My point wasn't that the situation was exactly the same and MUC did fine.  My point was that the general public and ex-players don't always know how things are going to turn out or who the right guy really is before hand.  Give the new guy a chance before you piss on his birthday cake.

[warhawkexpress28]

Just want to throw some things out for you to chew on... 1st I would like to say that I was recruited by and played 4 years on Z's O and would back him all the way, but with that being said, how can all these "fans" say that LL is the wrong choice..  From what I remember from 98-03, as a player I heard alot of "fans" calling for Z's job cause of his play calling, also anyone that has been around the program knows that Z and Borland always didnt see eye to eye, so if Z would have been hired would that have meant Borland would have left, he has turned that D into something special since he took over... 

I feel for Z and hope him the best in what ever he does from here on out... Also I would like to add that if Dink just cleared his stuff out good ridins, I never liked him as a coach or person and he has been rideing Z's coat tales for the last 6 years..

[CaptainKurt]

With respect to high school recruiting, I can't tell all of you how many high school coaches are in love with Coach Zweifel's personality, his scheme, and a million other things that he brings to the plate.  Coaches straight up sent a lot of players to Whitewater, not just to play for Whitewater, but to play for Coach Zweifel.  The hiring of Leipold will make it interesting with what will happen with recruiting for the 2007 season. 


A bigger question that remains is "What will happen to Coach Borland, Coach Simpson, and Coach Hoagie as a result of this hiring?"

Can anyone offer information on these guys and if  they will be back next year?

[oldpurple]

No decisions have been made on any coaches even Z since the choice of coach is not announced until tomorrow.