FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Spence]

I am not saying "he is from Mount, he has to be good." But both guys are young, energetic, fairly local and have decent pedigree's. They would have the ability to draw from a football rich area.
They both played for and coached under the best D3 coach.  Both are very good men of high moral standards. Old enough to have experience, young enough to have drive.
I don't know if either even applied, but if they did, they are worth a look.
Being from Mount doesn't gaurantee you will be a good coach, just that you know one.

I just don't think either one is close to being ready to lead a program, let alone one that needs the care and feeding of one like Marietta.

[Goal Line Stand]

Question for the Mt Union guys......How do you see Mount looking this coming year and what are your chances of getting back to the top?

In all honesty, I expect nothing less than a Semi-Final appearance.  With a return trip to Salem, VA at 50/50 odds.   Which is better odds than any other D3 team.  Whose odds would be better? 

WWW?  Not even close.  They needed 3 cracks at it and the stars to align to get their first.

Not good to under-estimate the Hawks,  would have thought that lesson would have been learned.  What you call, "the stars aligning," I call a solid butt whipping.  Granted, they are losing some serious talent but that was the mantra that was being said after the 06 season.  I hear some great recruits and transfers will be pouring into Whitewater after playing for three titles and winning one.  Afterall, isn't that how a dynasty is built?  Win a lot and they start coming to you?  Like MUC has been doing for years, the Warhawks will be reloading, not rebuilding.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Just a few years ago MTU was only good because of the transfers they got and put down for that (although for the most part untrue).  Now fans are touting that they are getting transfers to reload.

[Spence]

I would love to see Matt Campbell or Stan Watson at Marietta.  Matt has more coaching experience, but don't know if he would come "back down" to D3.

Exactly the kind of "hey, he's from Mount, he has to be good" hire I don't want to see. Neither of these two are NEARLY as experienced as the guys I named, neither is ready to be a successful head coach and I imagine they'd be the first to agree.

I don't think a young guy that went to Bowling Green a year ago is coming back to D-III that soon, nor should he.

And yet your slobbering all over another Mount guy, Jim Zebrowski, who showed up at Whitewater when the table was set for any fool who showed up. Instead of throwing money away on Z, who doesn't seem to like staying in one place very much, why not spend the money and the time on an up and comer who has something to prove. Or Not.
Please, go hire another coach with no local loyalties and watch him get bored with Marietta in two years.

BTW If memory serves correctly, there was a guy named Larry Kehres who spent a year, maybe two at Bowling Green as an assistant, got his degree and left for the Non-D1 world.

See that's just it. Zebrowski's done so much more than that. He was a very successful head coach in a lower-rated D-III conference, putting together a great record at Lakeland before going to UW-Whitewater. He was also good as an OC at Millikin before that when they were putting up piles of points. He's been on a D-I staff. He was a HS head coach in Ohio and went to Mount, so it's not like he's without ties to Ohio. Plus his degree is in math, which i like. Good with numbers, analyzing problems and mapping out solutions, that sort of thing.

Compare to kids in their 20s who have never even been coordinators at any level. It's utterly laughable. That you think those people should be candidates at Marietta shows the difference between how you and I see the two programs in terms of their potential. I hope my view is more descriptive of Hiser and the College's vision.

To me Zebrowski would be the best of both worlds; Ohio background, with experiences in both the OAC and WIAC, has been a head coach in D-III, has won a national championship and beaten his alma mater in so doing (any other Mount Union guys actually turned the tables on uncle Larry?). Only thing that's not obvious in his bio is how he works with people, but his success on the field tells me that he's probably pretty good at that too.

Don Schaly said of Brian Brewer that for of all his great qualities, the best thing about him is that he went somewhere else and got some experience outside of Marietta. I think the same is true about Zebrowski, only even more true; he's not just "a Mount Union guy" anymore. Hasn't been for a while.

I don't know if he's under consideration or not, but I think he should be and Marietta would be DAMNED lucky to get him.

Oh, by the way, Larry Kehres was 15 years removed from graduation before he got the head job at Mount Union. It's not like he did what coach Schaly did (in a different time and place) and got the job right after he graduated school.

[Small but Slow]

UWW has to replace a Gagliardi Award winner, who I believe was the difference in the game.  We've heard the "reload" claims from numerous challengers over the years (Rowan, Bridgewater, UW-LaCrosse, St. Johns) yet none have been able to compete as consistently at the highest level with MUC.  The young MUC coaching staff probably learned a great deal from the loss to UWW.  My opinion is that the experience of that loss will benefit the young coordinators greatly.  I'm not downplaying UWW, and hope to see them back in Salem again, but it's not an easy task.

[Spence]

I am not saying "he is from Mount, he has to be good." But both guys are young, energetic, fairly local and have decent pedigree's. They would have the ability to draw from a football rich area.
They both played for and coached under the best D3 coach.  Both are very good men of high moral standards. Old enough to have experience, young enough to have drive.
I don't know if either even applied, but if they did, they are worth a look.
Being from Mount doesn't gaurantee you will be a good coach, just that you know one.

They're not old enough at all. We're talking kids in their 20s that have never even been coordinators.

The only guy directly under the Mount Union tree that I'd really have much of an opinion on as far as the the MC job is Wojtowicz.

Too bad Matsakis' timing went as it did, or he could have possibly been a candidate for the Marietta job.

[jaypeter]

All this talk about next season and something finally clicked about this season and why I was yet another reason Mount lost in the Stagg.  Not only does MUC have a losing streak now when I attend their games (Rowan in the Semi's and UWW this year) but as a fan of the Giants who lost Super Bowl XXXV, Mount Union didn't have a chance in Stagg Bowl XXXV.  Thank goodness the Purple Raiders didn't have it handed to them quite as badly as the Ravens gave it to the Giants.  At least the Giants won this year...maybe 2008 will be Mount's year again.

I'd -K myself if I could.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

They're not old enough at all. We're talking kids in their 20s that have never even been coordinators.

Stan Watson has been the DC at E&H since he arrived there.  Matt Campbell may not have hat the title OC at MTU before going to Bowling Green but LK gave him the play calling duties for a year at least.

[Small but Slow]

I agree that the MUC coordinators can use a bit more seasoning, which only comes through a variety of experiences.  For the most part, the Raiders hadn't received much of a challenge the past two seasons, therefore, the young staff didn't know how to react when presented a stiff challenge as they were in this year's Stagg Bowl.  I feel pretty confident that if MUC and UWW played that game again there would be some notable differences in the MUC game plan.  Not saying the outcome would be different, but the approach to the game would be.

[Goal Line Stand]

UWW has to replace a Gagliardi Award winner, who I believe was the difference in the game.  We've heard the "reload" claims from numerous challengers over the years (Rowan, Bridgewater, UW-LaCrosse, St. Johns) yet none have been able to compete as consistently at the highest level with MUC.  The young MUC coaching staff probably learned a great deal from the loss to UWW.  My opinion is that the experience of that loss will benefit the young coordinators greatly.  I'm not downplaying UWW, and hope to see them back in Salem again, but it's not an easy task.

Very valid points but UWW has already proven that they reload with three consecutive trips to the Stagg unlike the teams you mentioned.  Something that has only been accomplished by a few teams in the Stagg's history, MUC being one of them, of course.  Don't get me wrong, not comparing UWW's success of the last 3 years to what MUC has done the last decade or so but I don't think it deserved a comment like this:

WWW?  Not even close.  They needed 3 cracks at it and the stars to align to get their first.

[Goal Line Stand]

I agree that the MUC coordinators can use a bit more seasoning, which only comes through a variety of experiences.  For the most part, the Raiders hadn't received much of a challenge the past two seasons, therefore, the young staff didn't know how to react when presented a stiff challenge as they were in this year's Stagg Bowl.  I feel pretty confident that if MUC and UWW played that game again there would be some notable differences in the MUC game plan.  Not saying the outcome would be different, but the approach to the game would be.

I agree with this as well.  A big dose of humility will do wonders for the MUC fans, players and staff.    8)

[JK]

Since we're discussing hscoach's comments about challengers for MUC next year:

I'm not sure Capital should be so easily dismissed in conference because of "the coaching change."  If they had hired anyone other than Bickel, then maybe.  But promoting from within, one would think they will look quite similar as they did under Collins, even with a new OC.  Like I said in earlier posts, Matsakis has some experience with the spread having been at Wyoming and definitely at Texas Tech.

Plus, with Assman coming back, Evan Blake back at WR, D. Alexander possibly getting another year (has anyone heard if he has?  I know they were trying), Matt Merritt and Ty Parks both back at TB with a year of seasoning, and several very solid defensive players back, I think Cap ought to challenge for the playoffs again this year, and could challenge MUC in conference.

Sure, they lose some solid, all-OAC caliber players on both lines, but Collins didn't exactly leave the cupboard bare in Bexley.  There are some good looking players ready to step into those vacated positions.  Sure, the new offense (even if SIMILAR, it will be a NEW offense) IS a big unknown.  But I don't think it is enough to discount Cap this coming season.

[jaypeter]

Since we're discussing hscoach's comments about challengers for MUC next year:

I'm not sure Capital should be so easily dismissed in conference because of "the coaching change."  If they had hired anyone other than Bickel, then maybe.  But promoting from within, one would think they will look quite similar as they did under Collins, even with a new OC.  Like I said in earlier posts, Matsakis has some experience with the spread having been at Wyoming and definitely at Texas Tech.

You always have to be careful looking at past to predict the future, but Capital having a new coach is not necessarily a bad thing.  Mount Union has been having trouble in recent history with new Head Coaches.

jaypeter

[Spence]

Since we're discussing hscoach's comments about challengers for MUC next year:

I'm not sure Capital should be so easily dismissed in conference because of "the coaching change."  If they had hired anyone other than Bickel, then maybe.  But promoting from within, one would think they will look quite similar as they did under Collins, even with a new OC.  Like I said in earlier posts, Matsakis has some experience with the spread having been at Wyoming and definitely at Texas Tech.

Really interested to see how this works out. Too bad Waverly's Trevor Walls is greyshirting at New Mexico State (for another pass offense guru, Hal Mumme); I imagine he would have been a perfect fit for new-look Capital.

[Small but Slow]

While it would seem a state sponsored Wisconsin school would have a tremendous advantage over a private Ohio school to achieve dynasty status, I believe, the cut throat competitive nature of their conference makes it difficult.  
In Ohio football talent filters first through the top level DI teams, (remember Cincinnati is now a member of a BCS conference), then the MAC, I-AA, before trickling down to a wide variety of NAIA and D3 programs.  There are not as many in state choices available to Wisconsin athletes and the cost of the D3 programs in Wisconsin is not as great.
It is difficult, though, to make it through that conference unscathed.  The level playing field and equality of talent creates a challenge for teams to survive and even make it to the playoffs healthy enough to truly compete.  No disrespect to the OAC, but the competition is not nearly as demanding and brutal week in and week out.