FB: American Rivers Conference

[sjusection105]

Hopefully coaching supply meets demand

• D3 Football Coaching Carousell
• Hamline hires Chad Rogosheske
• St. Olaf's Olszewski Flees Rat Hole
• Best College in America Seeks New Coach
• Fasching, Grant and Ramler Top Johnnie Finalists

Any updates on the Luther coaching search???

That's 7 words 

I'll do better next time...

You got any coaching updates???

Potential candidates interview in January

According to ESPN Radio 1500KSTP in the Twin Ciities, today, Kurt Ramler who was a finalist for the St. John's job could be "in the mix" for the Luther job. I have no idea where they get their information.For the record, they were wrong about who would succeed John Gagliardi at SJU.
If Kurt does get the job, you can count on an up-tempo offense and creative play calling. He was the MIAC Coach of the Year in 2008 while at Carleton College.

Happy New Year.

And it appears they are wrong again:

Source Decorah Newspaper:1/3/2013 9:58:00 AM

Luther interviewing two candidates for head football coach

Two candidates for the Luther College head football coaching position are on campus for interviews this week.

An open forum for Rick Ponx, defensive coordinator at North Central College, was held Wednesday afternoon.

An open forum with Joe Beschorner, offensive coordinator at Simpson College, is 2:30-3:30 p.m. today, Thursday, Jan. 3, in Regents Center Room 224.

Head Coach Mike Durnin resigned in November after coaching the Norse for five years.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

I wonder the last time that Luther hired a football head coach who was a head coach at his previous job before coming to Decorah?  Perhaps the 1920s?  

We've seen the school hire a top assistant from a good program at the time (see Pole from Concordia-Morehead, Durnin from UW-L).  What concerns me is that history could be repeating itself where someone wants to be a head coach at a good school, but takes the job knowing that the school is not as into winning on the field in some sports as they should be.

Luther's best football coach from the 1950s-1970s was a former Hawk if I remember correctly.  Maybe Tim Dwight or Bob Sanders could take over the program.  That might help the recruiting.

Besides who gets hired, I want to see how many changes are being made to the football staff and football budget.  I also would like to see the schedule change until the roster is stable and clearly above 100 players like the Hefty days.  The fact of the matter is that Luther Football has lacked enough good players, enough resources, and enough good coaches for several years now.

Part of hiring a head coach from perhaps a smaller school is that the men's basketball program seems to be on better footing the past few years.  I know the head coach is a Wartburg grad, but he was a head coach in Nebraska.  Perhaps the real key to success in men's hoops has been Tyler W. and his skills and 6-9 frame, but the Norse have been fun to watch.

[Old Dutch]

Wow, four days without a post.  More boring here than this national "championship" game.  Sorry ND fans, I was hoping for a contest too, but this is terrible.  Lets starts a poll, if we had the +1 system for one more championship game, who would take on the Tide?  I would love to see Oregon in that one, although I think Stanford may be interesting even if not type next best team.

[doolittledog]

Wow, four days without a post.  More boring here than this national "championship" game.  Sorry ND fans, I was hoping for a contest too, but this is terrible.  Lets starts a poll, if we had the +1 system for one more championship game, who would take on the Tide?  I would love to see Oregon in that one, although I think Stanford may be interesting even if not type next best team.

I like the +1 idea, but I think I would take it 1 step further and have a +2.  I would also make the last game of the regular season be the Saturday after Thanksgiving...conference championship games the 1st Saturday of December, the 4 Bowl games pitting the winners from the 8 BCS conferences on New Years Day.  That way we still get our traditional bowls and get them ON New Years day.  One week later the 4 winners of those bowls will play 2 games on the campus' of the 2 highest seeds.  1 week later there is a championship game played wherever...probably Jerry's world in Dallas. 

That way you basically have a 16 team playoff.  8 conferences with 16 teams each is 128 schools...actually bigger than the 120 we have in FBS right now.  Win your 8 team division to get to your conference title game gives each school a 1 in 8 chance to make the dance.  Your conference title game is the 1st weekend in December so there is only a 3 week intermission from the conference title game to when the New Years Bowls/Playoffs start instead of the 30-40 day layoffs we sometimes see now.  There can still be a whole mess of lesser bowl games from Dec. 15th - Dec. 31st so other fan bases can celebrate a nice season with a trip from the cold north to sunnier climates around Christmas time.  We get a short build up with a big New Years day of the top 8 schools facing each other in familiar Bowl games on New Years.  Then the added bonus of maybe actually seeing southern teams having to travel north and play in our back yards the next weekend before the grand finale another week later for the whole marbles.  You get a bit of a playoff while still having the traditions of the bowl games that way.

As for Old Dutch and who I would like to see play?  It would be fun to see Oregon and their fun and gun offense take on Alabama and their traditional off tackle smash mouth offense. 

[Bird Dog]

Wow, four days without a post.  More boring here than this national "championship" game.  Sorry ND fans, I was hoping for a contest too, but this is terrible.  Lets starts a poll, if we had the +1 system for one more championship game, who would take on the Tide?  I would love to see Oregon in that one, although I think Stanford may be interesting even if not type next best team.

Stanford had trouble handling Wisconsin's smash mouth football.  Alabama's smash mouth and finesse game would dominate.  I would like to have seen undefeated Ohio State play undefeated Notre Dame, that way two teams that didn't deserve to play in the championship game could have fought it out and the Big Ten could have won a national championship.

[CaliRamRL6]

Ohio State is free to play in the post season next year, correct?

[badgerwarhawk]

Yes, their penalty was one year.

[Willie University]

Just found out today that the Spartans have added former Luther HC Mike Durnin to their coaching staff. I've always respected him from the outside looking in and it will be great to add his experience and FB knowledge to the coaching staff.

GO SPARTANS!!
Willie U

[doolittledog]

Just found out today that the Spartans have added former Luther HC Mike Durnin to their coaching staff. I've always respected him from the outside looking in and it will be great to add his experience and FB knowledge to the coaching staff.

GO SPARTANS!!
Willie U

Hmm

[Willie University]

Just found out today that the Spartans have added former Luther HC Mike Durnin to their coaching staff. I've always respected him from the outside looking in and it will be great to add his experience and FB knowledge to the coaching staff.

GO SPARTANS!!
Willie U

Hmm

Coach Durnin and coach Z are long time friends and he also coached UD defensive coordinator Mike Schmidt and worked along side with TE coach Mick Myamoto at Lacrosse. I am very excited to have him on the Spartan staff. For what anyone may think about his success or lack there of at Luther has less to do with him, his character, his experience, or football knowledge and more to do with Luther's lack of a commitment to football IMHO.

And in case you were worried, Coach Z is not going anywhere. I am sure he has a few more conference titles in his plans......

Willie U

[doolittledog]

Just found out today that the Spartans have added former Luther HC Mike Durnin to their coaching staff. I've always respected him from the outside looking in and it will be great to add his experience and FB knowledge to the coaching staff.

GO SPARTANS!!
Willie U

Hmm

Coach Durnin and coach Z are long time friends and he also coached UD defensive coordinator Mike Schmidt and worked along side with TE coach Mick Myamoto at Lacrosse. I am very excited to have him on the Spartan staff. For what anyone may think about his success or lack there of at Luther has less to do with him, his character, his experience, or football knowledge and more to do with Luther's lack of a commitment to football IMHO.

And in case you were worried, Coach Z is not going anywhere. I am sure he has a few more conference titles in his plans......

Willie U

What will Durnin be coaching at UD???  I wasn't thinking Mike Schmidt had left, and knew Durnin had been a D-coorinator before so was curious where he would fit in at UD. 

[Willie University]

Just found out today that the Spartans have added former Luther HC Mike Durnin to their coaching staff. I've always respected him from the outside looking in and it will be great to add his experience and FB knowledge to the coaching staff.

GO SPARTANS!!
Willie U

Hmm

Coach Durnin and coach Z are long time friends and he also coached UD defensive coordinator Mike Schmidt and worked along side with TE coach Mick Myamoto at Lacrosse. I am very excited to have him on the Spartan staff. For what anyone may think about his success or lack there of at Luther has less to do with him, his character, his experience, or football knowledge and more to do with Luther's lack of a commitment to football IMHO.

And in case you were worried, Coach Z is not going anywhere. I am sure he has a few more conference titles in his plans......

Willie U

What will Durnin be coaching at UD???  I wasn't thinking Mike Schmidt had left, and knew Durnin had been a D-coorinator before so was curious where he would fit in at UD.

I don't know specifics but I believe his title is Asst Head Coach and he will be coaching LB's or DB's?? Coach Schmidt is still the D-Coordinator.

[DutchFan2004]

That is very interesting with UD coaching staff.  They must not have to worry about payroll at all.  That is a good place to be.  Congrats to UD

[doolittledog]

 
I wouldn't be surprised to see Durnin roaming the sidelines of another IIAC school along with an old WIAC buddy.

Sincerely yours,
5 Words or More

5WOL can see the future

[Gray Fox]

I know you don't know me on this board, but I got some "inside information" today on the Luther job.
The word was that the last guy could coach ok, but couldn't recruit well enough in getting kids to come there.  Lots of small college competition for the kids in the four states they usually recruit.

FYI - there are more than enough players here in Texas if you can get some kind of pipeline going.  Also many in California if you can get D3 on the radar.