FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[D3fanboy]

The career rushing and scoring leader at West Branch, son of a Mount alum, is going to BW.  Upheaval.  A Dumb and Dumber "our pets heads are falling off" moment.  He even thanked Echeverry in his commitment post.  Good luck to him 9 weeks a year.

the Mount Union RB room might be just a little deeper than the one in Berea...although Shaun Thomas is no longer listed on the '25 roster at Mount

[SPECIAL TEAMS STARTER]

that, and the #2 spot in the OAC (nearly a guaranteed playoff spot) being wide open had to be intriguing.  If Etta, Berg, BW, ONU, etc are all racing for that spot, it'd be hard to pick anyone but Etta

D3fan is right on and to my dissappointment being an ONU alum I think we can count ONU out of the race. They hired an outstanding coach and staff but the administration is just too reluctant to spend or raise any funds for athletic facilitiy improvements. Nothing has been done to the 80,000 square ft. sports center in over 30 years. Compare that to Musky's 120,000 Sq. ft. Bullock Health & Wellness Center and Berg's new 110,000 Sq. ft. Athletics & Health Center and that really puts ONU coaches behind the eight ball when they are trying to recruit athletes to compete in the OAC. It's gotten so bad that they don't even want to maintain buildings used for general offices and academics such as Hill Memorial. I'm a frustrated Polar Bear.

[Dr. Acula]

I was not aware that ONU's facilities were lagging behind these days.  Honestly, it's surprising to me.  In my head ONU was always a very pro-athletics school so I guess I just assumed that included facilities.  I give credit to Musky and Berg.  They're investing heavily and they aren't exactly deep pockets schools in the OAC.  Those facilities are a major advantage in D3 recruiting.   

[Dr. Acula]

The career rushing and scoring leader at West Branch, son of a Mount alum, is going to BW.  Upheaval.  A Dumb and Dumber "our pets heads are falling off" moment.  He even thanked Echeverry in his commitment post.  Good luck to him 9 weeks a year.

the Mount Union RB room might be just a little deeper than the one in Berea...although Shaun Thomas is no longer listed on the '25 roster at Mount

Haha very fair point.  Probably going to play quickly in Berea.

[D3fanboy]

that, and the #2 spot in the OAC (nearly a guaranteed playoff spot) being wide open had to be intriguing.  If Etta, Berg, BW, ONU, etc are all racing for that spot, it'd be hard to pick anyone but Etta

D3fan is right on and to my dissappointment being an ONU alum I think we can count ONU out of the race. They hired an outstanding coach and staff but the administration is just too reluctant to spend or raise any funds for athletic facilitiy improvements. Nothing has been done to the 18,000 sqquare ft. sports center in over 30 years. Compare that to Musky's 120,000 Sq. ft. Bullock Health & Wellness Center and Berg's new 110,000 Sq. ft. Athletics & Health Center and that really puts ONU coaches behind the eight ball when they are trying to recruit athletes to compete in the OAC. It's gotten so bad that they don't even want to maintain buildings used for general offices and academics such as Hill Memorial. I'm a frustrated Polar Bear.

after seeing what JCU and Berg are building, what Muskie built, etc...I'm concerned that Mount Union is getting passed by in the facility game, Gulling might just not cut it any longer.  If other OAC schools are putting in 50-60 yard indoor fields, Mount should have a full length indoor facility.  The Capers Football Center is great for coaching/team meetings/film but I think it's time for the Sirianni-Garcon-Harter Indoor Athletic Facility to be built.  It's an arms race, and Mount Union cannot lose

[WRMUalum13]

that, and the #2 spot in the OAC (nearly a guaranteed playoff spot) being wide open had to be intriguing.  If Etta, Berg, BW, ONU, etc are all racing for that spot, it'd be hard to pick anyone but Etta

D3fan is right on and to my dissappointment being an ONU alum I think we can count ONU out of the race. They hired an outstanding coach and staff but the administration is just too reluctant to spend or raise any funds for athletic facilitiy improvements. Nothing has been done to the 18,000 sqquare ft. sports center in over 30 years. Compare that to Musky's 120,000 Sq. ft. Bullock Health & Wellness Center and Berg's new 110,000 Sq. ft. Athletics & Health Center and that really puts ONU coaches behind the eight ball when they are trying to recruit athletes to compete in the OAC. It's gotten so bad that they don't even want to maintain buildings used for general offices and academics such as Hill Memorial. I'm a frustrated Polar Bear.

after seeing what JCU and Berg are building, what Muskie built, etc...I'm concerned that Mount Union is getting passed by in the facility game, Gulling might just not cut it any longer.  If other OAC schools are putting in 50-60 yard indoor fields, Mount should have a full-length indoor facility.  The Capers Football Center is great for coaching/team meetings/film but I think it's time for the Sirianni-Garcon-Harter Indoor Athletic Facility to be built.  It's an arms race, and Mount Union cannot lose

Mount has like 3 full-length practice fields outside the stadium, I'm not sure having an indoor football facility probably doesn't add that much value.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

that, and the #2 spot in the OAC (nearly a guaranteed playoff spot) being wide open had to be intriguing.  If Etta, Berg, BW, ONU, etc are all racing for that spot, it'd be hard to pick anyone but Etta

D3fan is right on and to my dissappointment being an ONU alum I think we can count ONU out of the race. They hired an outstanding coach and staff but the administration is just too reluctant to spend or raise any funds for athletic facilitiy improvements. Nothing has been done to the 18,000 sqquare ft. sports center in over 30 years. Compare that to Musky's 120,000 Sq. ft. Bullock Health & Wellness Center and Berg's new 110,000 Sq. ft. Athletics & Health Center and that really puts ONU coaches behind the eight ball when they are trying to recruit athletes to compete in the OAC. It's gotten so bad that they don't even want to maintain buildings used for general offices and academics such as Hill Memorial. I'm a frustrated Polar Bear.

after seeing what JCU and Berg are building, what Muskie built, etc...I'm concerned that Mount Union is getting passed by in the facility game, Gulling might just not cut it any longer.  If other OAC schools are putting in 50-60 yard indoor fields, Mount should have a full length indoor facility.  The Capers Football Center is great for coaching/team meetings/film but I think it's time for the Sirianni-Garcon-Harter Indoor Athletic Facility to be built.  It's an arms race, and Mount Union cannot lose

Maybe they can get Coach Campbell to kick in as well.

[D3fanboy]

that, and the #2 spot in the OAC (nearly a guaranteed playoff spot) being wide open had to be intriguing.  If Etta, Berg, BW, ONU, etc are all racing for that spot, it'd be hard to pick anyone but Etta

D3fan is right on and to my dissappointment being an ONU alum I think we can count ONU out of the race. They hired an outstanding coach and staff but the administration is just too reluctant to spend or raise any funds for athletic facilitiy improvements. Nothing has been done to the 18,000 sqquare ft. sports center in over 30 years. Compare that to Musky's 120,000 Sq. ft. Bullock Health & Wellness Center and Berg's new 110,000 Sq. ft. Athletics & Health Center and that really puts ONU coaches behind the eight ball when they are trying to recruit athletes to compete in the OAC. It's gotten so bad that they don't even want to maintain buildings used for general offices and academics such as Hill Memorial. I'm a frustrated Polar Bear.

after seeing what JCU and Berg are building, what Muskie built, etc...I'm concerned that Mount Union is getting passed by in the facility game, Gulling might just not cut it any longer.  If other OAC schools are putting in 50-60 yard indoor fields, Mount should have a full length indoor facility.  The Capers Football Center is great for coaching/team meetings/film but I think it's time for the Sirianni-Garcon-Harter Indoor Athletic Facility to be built.  It's an arms race, and Mount Union cannot lose

Maybe they can get Coach Campbell to kick in as well.

now we're talking. 

that, and the #2 spot in the OAC (nearly a guaranteed playoff spot) being wide open had to be intriguing.  If Etta, Berg, BW, ONU, etc are all racing for that spot, it'd be hard to pick anyone but Etta

D3fan is right on and to my dissappointment being an ONU alum I think we can count ONU out of the race. They hired an outstanding coach and staff but the administration is just too reluctant to spend or raise any funds for athletic facilitiy improvements. Nothing has been done to the 18,000 sqquare ft. sports center in over 30 years. Compare that to Musky's 120,000 Sq. ft. Bullock Health & Wellness Center and Berg's new 110,000 Sq. ft. Athletics & Health Center and that really puts ONU coaches behind the eight ball when they are trying to recruit athletes to compete in the OAC. It's gotten so bad that they don't even want to maintain buildings used for general offices and academics such as Hill Memorial. I'm a frustrated Polar Bear.

after seeing what JCU and Berg are building, what Muskie built, etc...I'm concerned that Mount Union is getting passed by in the facility game, Gulling might just not cut it any longer.  If other OAC schools are putting in 50-60 yard indoor fields, Mount should have a full-length indoor facility.  The Capers Football Center is great for coaching/team meetings/film but I think it's time for the Sirianni-Garcon-Harter Indoor Athletic Facility to be built.  It's an arms race, and Mount Union cannot lose

Mount has like 3 full-length practice fields outside the stadium, I'm not sure having an indoor football facility probably doesn't add that much value.

outdoor practice facilities probably rank pretty low on the recruit interest spectrum

[Dr. Acula]

The other thing is that a large indoor facility benefits all sports and, in turn, all athletic recruiting.  And if you do something like Muskingum where you're integrating the indoor athletics facility with the separate space for the main student body fitness/rec space it's a recruiting advantage for almost any potential student.

[SPECIAL TEAMS STARTER]

I was and continue to be a big fan of former ONU Headcoach Dean Paul who is now at John Carroll and he once told me while he was at ONU what a challenge recruiting was after I had called his attention to an athlete that my nephew was playing high school football and basketball with. In talking with my nephew later on I found out that his teammate loved ONU and Coach Paul but just felt the facilities didn't measure up to what similar D3 schools had to offer.

These indoor practice facilities cost millions of dollars but they pay dividends that result in increased student enrollments and pride for the community and the alumni for years down the road. This results in increased giving by alumni, the community and fan support. They really pay for themselves. I wish the ONU administration could see this. The "Forward Together" campaign brought in over $112M yet we can't spend $9M to save the oldest building on campus which is registered with the National Historical Society? President Baumann indicates that a New Health & Wellness Center is a Priority yet no movement on that in over 2 years? All while Musky has completed the Bullock Center and Heidleberg is completing their new indoor facility? Again, I'm just very dissappointed in what I see as a lack of support for our coaches, alumni and student athletes.     

[WRMUalum13]

The other thing is that a large indoor facility benefits all sports and, in turn, all athletic recruiting.  And if you do something like Muskingum where you're integrating the indoor athletics facility with the separate space for the main student body fitness/rec space it's a recruiting advantage for almost any potential student.

Muskingum's facility is almost identical to what Mount Union has had since 2009. The Mcpherson building houses a 200m indoor track. The infield didn't have turf when I was in school but it feels like that's the only difference.

It would be an incredibly hard pitch to donors to get a dedicated full size indoor football field since we've got an indoor facility already that can service other sports.

[D3fanboy]

BGSU's head coach abrutly left to take the QB coach job with the Eagles, and a couple of Purple Raiders are listed as possibilities

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6168030/2025/03/01/bowling-green-football-job-profile-candidates/

Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt is 56-4 at the Division III Ohio powerhouse. Though the program hasn't won a national title since 2017, Dartt has reached the national championship game twice in the last three years, including last season. The former Mount Union player has spent all but one year since 2017 with the Purple Raiders. Lance Leipold made the move from Division III to the MAC and won at Buffalo. Could another coach do the same?

Toledo defensive coordinator Vince Kehres was Mount Union's head coach from 2013 to 2019, winning two Division III national titles. The 48-year-old knows Ohio through and through, and he regularly has produced one of the top three defenses in the MAC since arriving in 2020.

[WRMUalum13]

BGSU's head coach abrutly left to take the QB coach job with the Eagles, and a couple of Purple Raiders are listed as possibilities

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6168030/2025/03/01/bowling-green-football-job-profile-candidates/

Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt is 56-4 at the Division III Ohio powerhouse. Though the program hasn't won a national title since 2017, Dartt has reached the national championship game twice in the last three years, including last season. The former Mount Union player has spent all but one year since 2017 with the Purple Raiders. Lance Leipold made the move from Division III to the MAC and won at Buffalo. Could another coach do the same?

Toledo defensive coordinator Vince Kehres was Mount Union's head coach from 2013 to 2019, winning two Division III national titles. The 48-year-old knows Ohio through and through, and he regularly has produced one of the top three defenses in the MAC since arriving in 2020.

Vince seems like a perfect candidate for the job

[D3fanboy]

BGSU's head coach abrutly left to take the QB coach job with the Eagles, and a couple of Purple Raiders are listed as possibilities

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6168030/2025/03/01/bowling-green-football-job-profile-candidates/

Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt is 56-4 at the Division III Ohio powerhouse. Though the program hasn't won a national title since 2017, Dartt has reached the national championship game twice in the last three years, including last season. The former Mount Union player has spent all but one year since 2017 with the Purple Raiders. Lance Leipold made the move from Division III to the MAC and won at Buffalo. Could another coach do the same?

Toledo defensive coordinator Vince Kehres was Mount Union's head coach from 2013 to 2019, winning two Division III national titles. The 48-year-old knows Ohio through and through, and he regularly has produced one of the top three defenses in the MAC since arriving in 2020.

Vince seems like a perfect candidate for the job

unless VK is dead set on becoming a HC right now, he might want to wait it out.  With spring ball starting up in a matter of days, a new 30 day transfer portal window for BGSU players its going to be a tough, tough start for the new head coach.  former NDC coach Mike Jacobs sounds the favorite right now if you trust the interwebs

[Onward on, John Carroll]

I don't think John Carroll is going to have any turf under roof in that new facility they are building. I believe it is just track surrounding 3 courts - like Mount.