FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[reality check]

LadyBear

Check your inbox. 

[Dr. Acula]

School was still on break and VK and the guys are grinding.  That shiny new trophy probably doesn't hurt the pitch.


Vince Kehres
‏@vkehres
BOOM!  The Raiders are off to a great recruiting start in the 330!  #MountUp @UMUFootball

[formerd3db]

Comparing D1 versus D3 is similar in my mind to comparing the NFL to D1.   Yes, it's all football but the rules of engagement are very different.  So who's better?   Nick Saban or Vince Lombardi?     

I'm as big a Mount homer as anyone, but I understand why D1 gets (and should get) the majority of the love and attention.  What I strongly dislike is that D3 gets absolutely zero attention.  Adding the clarification that Saban is the best coach in D1 is all I want to hear.   It's when they put it in terms all of college that makes me shake my head.

This was essentially my point in posting my initial response.

I agree with you with the minor exception that some people would disagree about Saban being the best coach in D1.  His OC Kiffen (who many people, including me, are no fans of) and his Special Teams Coordinator I believe were mainly responsible for winning that game aside from the Alabama players who made the plays.   While I believe that Alabama would highly likely beat Clemson 3 out of 4 times if they played again, Clemson could have easily won that game.  They just made one too many mistakes (big ones obviously), at the wrong time and simply beat themselves, IMO.

Anyway, good overall discussion you guys have had.

[Desertraider]

I don't karma snipe.  I'm an applause only guy these days.  I just think you grossly misrepresented how quality D-III rosters come together in a way that perpetuates the kind of mainstream D-III tropes that we all cringe at.  It isn't fair to give Larry Kehres credit for building an unstoppable dynasty with whatever happens to wash ashore, because that isn't how the game is played, even in D-III.  It IS fair to give him credit for locating, targeting, and landing kids that sustain the excellence.

Before I read any of the comments I want to apologize for bashing Wally. Was a bad day that kept getting worse and since I couldn't explode at work I exploded here. Mea culpa. Call me the anti-George (Seinfeld reference for ya young uns') "it's not you, it's me". Cheers Wally-

[emma17]

Comparing D1 versus D3 is similar in my mind to comparing the NFL to D1.   Yes, it's all football but the rules of engagement are very different.  So who's better?   Nick Saban or Vince Lombardi?     

I'm as big a Mount homer as anyone, but I understand why D1 gets (and should get) the majority of the love and attention.  What I strongly dislike is that D3 gets absolutely zero attention.  Adding the clarification that Saban is the best coach in D1 is all I want to hear.   It's when they put it in terms all of college that makes me shake my head.

This was essentially my point in posting my initial response.

I agree with you with the minor exception that some people would disagree about Saban being the best coach in D1.  His OC Kiffen (who many people, including me, are no fans of) and his Special Teams Coordinator I believe were mainly responsible for winning that game aside from the Alabama players who made the plays.   While I believe that Alabama would highly likely beat Clemson 3 out of 4 times if they played again, Clemson could have easily won that game.  They just made one too many mistakes (big ones obviously), at the wrong time and simply beat themselves, IMO.

Anyway, good overall discussion you guys have had.

But to what head coach wouldn't this same logic apply?
LK isn't the greatest coach because VK was running the defense.
Or
LL isn't a great coach because Brian Borland was running the defense.

As much as we want to dilute the credit, it was Saban that hired the OC and Special Teams coordinators - his job is to put all the pieces together, including methods of practice that reduce the potential of self inflicted mistakes- and Saban did it better than any other coach in D1.

[HScoach]

^ and most importantly the head coach is the one that has to roll the dice to call an onside kick  in the 4th quarter of a tie game.   And own the heat that comes if it hadn't worked and they lost.   The position coaches may do 90+% of the teaching, the coordinators may call 90+% of the plays, but the head coach is the one that owns it.   Both the good and the bad.

[formerd3db]

Of course, the head coach is the one who "owns it" regardless of the outcome.  We all know that.  Most of the time, what you say is true re: hc making the final decision, however, not always.  There are plenty of top head guys who, at times, will indeed leave such decisions to their coordinators because they trust them and delegate that responsibility, even though they know it is they are ultimately the guy who will get blasted if all goes wrong. 

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

The AFCA Convention was this week and the Coaches of the Year were announced for each Division.

Glen Caruso (UST) was named the DIII Coach of the Year (he was also in 2012 when MTU beat them in the Stagg the first time).

I know that Coach Caruso was deserving and don't want to take anything away from what they did this year, but I would have expected Coach VK to be named this year.  Especially after beating UWW so soundly and winning his first Stagg Bowl.

Thoughts?

[HScoach]

^  He can have it.   I'm sure Caruso enjoyed the limelight a lot more than VK would have......

[Dr. Acula]

I would have expected of any year this would have been the year for VK just because it was his first title.  2012 made total sense because GC broke through and got to Salem (plus it was opposite LK).  2015?  Not as much.  But as with any award like this there are several deserving guys including GC.  I have no issue with the choice.

[reality check]

Certainly deserving.  I'd imagine his last name will cause him to be "overlooked" at times without enough memory that his first name isn't Larry.  I don't know if I'm articulating that well but I tried.

[formerd3db]

^  He can have it.   I'm sure Caruso enjoyed the limelight a lot more than VK would have......

You seem to be a little vindictive there, HC.  We all know you have a dislike for Caruso as you have articulated before.  Why can't you just provide a simple congratulations rather than a watered down slight? 

I believe VK was a deserving candidate and did a great job this year, but congrats to Caruso on the award and guiding his team to the Stagg final game.

[joelmama]

^  He can have it.   I'm sure Caruso enjoyed the limelight a lot more than VK would have......

You seem to be a little vindictive there, HC.  We all know you have a dislike for Caruso as you have articulated before.  Why can't you just provide a simple congratulations rather than a watered down slight? 

I believe VK was a deserving candidate and did a great job this year, but congrats to Caruso on the award and guiding his team to the Stagg final game.

Caruso may have been a deserving candidate but he for sure got "outcoached" in the biggest game of the year.  Isn't that what the award is all about?

[formerd3db]

^  He can have it.   I'm sure Caruso enjoyed the limelight a lot more than VK would have......

You seem to be a little vindictive there, HC.  We all know you have a dislike for Caruso as you have articulated before.  Why can't you just provide a simple congratulations rather than a watered down slight? 

I believe VK was a deserving candidate and did a great job this year, but congrats to Caruso on the award and guiding his team to the Stagg final game.

Caruso may have been a deserving candidate but he for sure got "outcoached" in the biggest game of the year.  Isn't that what the award is all about?

Come one, joelm, you know better than that (as a former player, you should .  The Coach of the Year awards are not decided on only one game of the year, regardless if a particular game is the biggest game of the year.  Again, IMO, VK was just as deserving of the award, however, it is not uncommon in any given year where there are at least a couple of candidates (or even three) who deserve to win the award, but the vote does not go their way.  In a way, it is kind of like the all-conference selections for players and that happens every year in every conference at all levels.

I may not like some coaches in collegiate football (and I admit I have certainly expressed my opinions on some of them here on the boards), however, I will always congratulate whoever wins the award.  While IMO, those awards should take into account many other aspects than just a coaching performance for a particular year, in all truthfulness, they do not.  But just because a HC's team does not ultimately win the league championship or a bowl game does not mean they are deserving of being recognized for a great job in getting the most out of his players for that specific year.  Just MO.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Don't know if many of you check other boards but AJ Raebel (former LB at UWW) and Cancer Survivor was just named Head Coach at Waukesha South HS in WI:

http://www.waukeshanow.com/news/aj-raebel-named-new-football-coach-at-waukesha-south-b99652774z1-365482001.html

His mom is a frequent (respectful) poster on the WIAC board.

AJ was a beast at LB for UWW in the early years of the MTU vs UWW rivalry.  6'5" 245 and could move!