FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

Pat, I'm certain that is how he meant it. 

[KitchenSink]

THE JANESVILLE GAZETTE has three articles:
(I'll C&P them here - they have a registration dealio that all can probably live without)

Leipold takes over hot seat

(Published Thursday, January 4, 2007 11:18:40 AM CST)


By John Barry
Gazette staff

WHITEWATER-In the end, the decision to recommend Lance Leipold as UW-Whitewater's next head football coach came down to Warhawk athletic director Paul Plinske.

Not the Search and Screen Committee, a five-person selection board made up of UW-Whitewater faculty members, whose main objective was to reduce the initial candidates down to four finalists.

Not former coach Bob Berezowitz, who had nothing to do with the selection process.

The call was Plinski's, and he stood by it following Wednesday's press conference.

"What appealed to me most about Lance was that he could see the big picture," Plinske said. "He has the capacity to interact with people. He can take the nuts and bolts of football, funnel and challenge the student/athletes on toward excellence immediately and long into the future.


Former UW-Whitewater quarterback and assistant coach Lance Leipold will guide the Warhawk program after being introduced as the new head coach.
Al Hoch/Gazette Staff

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"There wasn't anything specific about Lance that set him apart from the other finalists. I just felt Lance best met the needs of the current program and the long-term needs of the program and where we are going."

Plinske's recommendation of Leipold to UW-Whitewater chancellor Martha Saunders stunned many of those close to the program. Offensive coordinator Stan Zweifel, Berezowitz's right-hand man for 16 years, appeared to be the logical successor and was the other finalist.

Despite a strong recommendation from a number of current players for Zweifel to get the job, Plinske stayed with his gut feeling in recommending Leipold.

Plinske said that, despite personal differences between himself and Zweifel, he considered them to be good friends.

"I felt I had a great relationship with Stan," Plinske said. "We talked about that during the interview process.

"Even though our personalities were different, we both felt the partnership could work.

"But in the end, we had to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision based on the best interests of our program."

Leipold's formal introduction Wednesday morning as only the third head coach for Warhawk football in the last 50 years was one of the worst kept secrets in Wisconsin sports history. Plinske offered Leipold the job last Thursday and informed Zweifel of the decision Friday morning. Various media sources announced the hiring over the weekend, leaving Wednesday's press conference a mere formality.

A gag order from Saunders went into affect immediately after the decision, although word leaked out quickly that Leipold was the choice and not Zweifel.

"We were given strong orders to stand down and not give out any information," Plinske said. "We were told to wait until this day and to let the process run its course."

UW-Whitewater men's basketball coach and Janesville native Pat Miller was one of the five members of the Search and Screen Committee. He said the committee not only whittled the initial field down to four, but it also gave Plinske a detailed list of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the four finalists.

However, Miller was quick to add that the committee never endorsed any of the four finalists.

"There's a lot more that goes into this hiring than just coaching football," Miller said. "Coaching basketball is half of my job because of my teaching duties. It's the same for the football coach.

"I can tell you that I've been involved in other searches like this, and the process for Lance's hiring was a very good one," Miller said. "I have mixed feeling because I know and respect Stan very much. He would've been an excellent choice, but I really believe Lance will do a good job as well.

"It was a tough call, but one that I think Paul and Chancellor Saunders are very comfortable with."

Probably no one felt more torn by the decision to hire Leipold over Zweifel than Berezowitz. He considers both to be a part of his extended family.

"It's a very difficult day for me," Berezowitz said after the press conference. "First of all, I'm no longer the football coach at UW-Whitewater.

"Second of all, you had two super candidates to choose from-two people that had been loyal, both on the current staff and the other side.

"I'm glad I didn't have to make the decision, but I would've been loyal to either one because I'm so close to both."

Berezowitz leaves with a 158-73-5 record for 22 years, making him the second all-time winningest coach in school history. His teams won eight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and appeared in the NCAA Division III national championship game the last two years.

Berezowitz's last thought on the entire hiring process was that he truly believes the program is in good hands.

Paul Plinske, for one, thinks the former coach is right.

[KitchenSink]

JANESVILLE GAZETTE #2:

New coach out to head off a new year's revolution

(Published Thursday, January 4, 2007 11:18:42 AM CST)


By John Barry
Gazette staff

WHITEWATER-As excited as Lance Leipold is about taking over the UW-Whitewater football program, he realizes the enormous amount of pressure that comes with it.

Leipold, 42, will inherit a program that finished 28-2 the last two seasons, including back-to-back runner-up finishes in the NCAA Division III Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

He also will need to mend fences with a team that expected long-time offensive coordinator Stan Zweifel to be named Bob Berezowitz's successor as head coach.

Leipold welcomes the opportunity and challenge.

"This is home,'' the former Warhawk quarterback said. "This is a place where I have a lot of fond memories, a place where I was able to obtain my bachelor's and my master's degree, and a place where I was able to begin my coaching career.

"I look forward to holding up, carrying on and increasing the Warhawk tradition," Leipold said. "After today, the focus does not need to be on Lance Leipold. This about Warhawk football, Warhawk athletics and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater."

Leipold also dismissed any talk of coming into the program as the team's second choice.

"I wasn't my wife's first choice, either," Leipold said in jest. "It's the familiarity and trust that those players have built up (with Stan). I'm anxious to talk with each and every one of them because I know there's disappointment.

"It's a matter of building trust and moving forward."

Two current Warhawk standouts said the team has too much talent coming back to dwell on who was or who wasn't named head coach.

Justin Beaver, who led Division III in rushing in 2005, said talking to Leipold on Wednesday erased a lot of doubts about the new coach.

"I was really disappointed at first that coach 'Z' didn't get the job, especially last week when I found out," Beaver said. "But after talking to coach Leipold today, I'm even more excited to get back to working hard in the weight room and getting after it.

"I've done a complete 180 about this whole thing. He brings a lot to the table and has some great ideas about where this program is headed," Beaver said.

"It's going to be up to the seniors next year to keep a good, positive attitude and be the leaders on this team."

A.J. Raebel, an All-WIAC first-team linebacker, hopes Beaver is right but thinks there may be some rough terrain ahead before Leipold is accepted by all of the Warhawks. Raebel chose not to sign a petition formed by a couple players that called for the administration to name Zweifel as the head man.

Raebel hopes there are no major turnovers within the program, but he knows that may be unavoidable.

"I would assume the athletic director chose what he felt was the most appropriate coach," Raebel said. "That being said, I don't want to see any coaching changes among the current staff.

"There are going to be some guys that are resistant to change, and you may see a couple leave Whitewater," Raebel said. "Hopefully, everyone sees this as a change for the better and handles it with grace. Unfortunately, I'm not so sure that's going to happen."

Leipold has the final say in the matter and hopes to retain the services of Zweifel, defensive coordinator Brian Borland, and academic advisor Chris Simpson, along with the rest of the current Warhawk staff. Zweifel has been unavailable for comment on the entire matter, but Borland hopes to be remain on the staff.

Borland directed a Warhawk defense that ranked in the top 10 nationally in a number of categories and has known Leipold since the second grade. Leipold went to school in Jefferson, Borland in Fort Atkinson, and they got to know each other at a basketball camp.

Although Borland would not speculate on whether Zweifel will remain on staff, he believes the team will make the transition quickly and without much fanfare.

"The players on this team are not Stan's players or my players or Lance's players," Borland said. "They're UW-Whitewater football players. As a student/athlete, I hope you don't decide to play football, or any sport, for that matter, because of the head coach.

"It's a matter of giving Lance a chance and coming together for a common cause," Borland said. "I've been around the players long enough to know that moving forward is the most important thing right now. I expect the same thing from them."

Meanwhile, Leipold expects great things to continue in UW-Whitewater football.

"My goal is to be the third best football program in the state, year in and year out,'' he said. "One plays on Sunday afternoon in Lambeau, one plays at Camp Randall, and the third plays in Perkins Stadium.''

[KitchenSink]

JANESVILLE GAZETTE #3:

Coach set to hit recruiting trail

(Published Thursday, January 4, 2007 11:18:41 AM CST)


By John Barry
Gazette staff

WHITEWATER-The biggest obstacle facing UW-Whitewater football coach Lance Leipold is making up for lost time on the recruiting trail.

Two straight appearances in the NCAA Division III Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, including national television coverage on ESPN, should help.

"It starts right away. As soon as this press conference is over," Leipold said of cranking up the Warhawk recruiting machine. "We're located in a great situation as far as this state goes and recruiting.

"My recruiting philosophy has always been that you don't turn down an opportunity. If that means broadening our scope to find the best skill players, then that's what we'll do."

The Warhawks lose 16 starters from a team that was 28-2 the last two seasons and went unbeaten in winning back-to-back WIAC championships. Among the losses are D3football.com Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kleppe and two-time WIAC Player of the Year Justin Jacobs, a record-setting quarterback.

Defensive coordinator Brian Borland, who directed one of the nation's top defensive units, said the Warhawks' coaching search could definitely have an impact on recruiting. He is expected to retain his defensive coordinating duties and knows the Warhawks need to get faster to compete with the likes of Mount Union, the Stagg Bowl winner nine of the last 14 seasons.

"We're behind the eight ball, no doubt about it," Borland said of the late recruiting push. "But hopefully, each student/athlete can look at what this university has to offer and the level of success that this program reached the last two years.

"It's no secret that speed is something everybody wants more of,'' he said. "I would love to see a 6-foot-4, 245-pound linebacker walk through the door, but guys like that have a lot more avenues to go through before they end up here."

Leipold made some inroads in the state during a December recruiting visit while still on staff at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, but he knows that the next month will be critical if the Warhawks are to re-stock a depleted fund. Now that he's officially been named the coach, he can begin to woo prospective student/athletes.

"I've been involved in transitions like this before," Leipold said. "I've prepared a long time for this opportunity, and I don't think Whitewater is too tough of a sell.

"Recruiting at the Division III level is a little different because of the admissions standards, but it's still a very important part of the job."

[janesvilleflash]

Lost in the shuffle here has been this years seniors. You guys had one heck of a run.  As a fan, I'd like to thank you guys for the last 4 years. It's really been fun to watch!

[Sakman 1111]

Kitchen Sink thanks for the articles. We have all settled down now in our group and I agree with 96 that it is time to move on and get past the fact that Z is not the head coach.....and believe me in our household that is not easy to accept......LL appears to be doing well with his interviews with players and I hope they all continue to play at UWW especially our favorite the Oline members. I believe from what is being said after this many of the football players will not have a lot of trust in Plinske and he will become another administrator you just have to put up with. Certainly we wish the new coach well but our most heartfelt wishes go out to Z. and we know that wherever he winds up he will be successful ........This is my last comment on this subject there is just too much crap about this whole affair that needs to be put to rest and not to be continually brought up on post patterns.....so I am done on this subject.....

[CaptainKurt]

Pat, I'm certain that is how he meant it. 

I stand corrected.  Sorry for my misinterpretation.

[Sakman 1111]

Anyone who is a department manager and drives a Dodge Stratus is allowed an occasional misinterpretation......

[janesvilleflash]

That's DIVISION manager.

[screwdriver007]

Okay after much deliberation. I think e would all agree that the case of the UW-Whitewater football coaching hiring is closed.
I move to envolk a order stating no more talking about this, as i is done and overwith.
All in favor of this motion reply with an I and GO WARHAWKS vote.

[janesvilleflash]

Done.

[Breeze46]

Agreed, and also for the idea of getting back to the important issues.  The most important being the scholar-athletes that have given fans such a wonderful run in the last two years.  We should all be thankfull for their efforts and devotion to the Warhawk tradition.

The true supporters will encourage all players to look forward to next year and work to keep the momentum all the way to the Stagg bowl in "07!!!

[CaptainKurt]

I'm wondering what the offense is going to look like.  I'm going to make the assumption right now that Lance will be calling plays.  I'd like to see some film on UN-Omaha and how they operate.

[badgerwarhawk]

I don't know what it might look like Capt' but last year his offense rushed the ball 529 times of a total 693 plays or just over 75% of the time.  The team had two 1,000 yard rushers and another with just shy of 500 yards.

[CaptainKurt]

Well what do you do when you return a 1st-Team All-Solar System RB and 4 offensive starters on a offensive line that took their team to the Stagg Bowl?  That's right....play action pass all day long baby!!!!

Despite the new challenges that the Warhawks have, I'm looking forward to them winning the WIAC again in 2007.