FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[K-Mack]

Having dabbled in some D2 coverage, I understand that Saginaw Valley State is to Grand Valley State as Capital is to Mount Union, so that's a pretty good fit.

(Somebody wanna SAT that?
SVSU:GVSU::Capital:MUC?)

Collins is a good coach and that's a good job, more of move up than Wabash's coach to Drake, in my opinion.

[K-Mack]

Having dabbled in some D2 coverage, I understand that Saginaw Valley State is to Grand Valley State as Capital is to Mount Union, so that's a pretty good fit.

(Somebody wanna SAT that?
SVSU:GVSU::Capital:MUC?)

Collins is a good coach and that's a good job, more of move up than Wabash's coach to Drake, in my opinion.

Wow,
I figured i wouldn't be the first to post on this topic, I just always like to throw my first thoughts down and then work backward.

Sorry the Wabash reference was badly placed (having now read the previous page) and sorry for being the 53rd person to see the GVSU/MUC connection.

I'll be holed up on the general football board again if anyone needs me

[SaintsFAN]

I was waiting for the right time to post this story, but with recent events I guess what I thought was the right time will never come.  With Creighton moving on to Drake from Wabash, Mount will never get a chance to play Wabash again with him as the head coach.  As much as he is held in high regard by the Wabash/NCAC faithful (and rightfully so), he is held in much lower regard in certain circles at Mount.  If there is one team I believe LK would have "put on the gas and never let up", it would have been Wabash if Creighton was the head coach.  I think this story shows that everyone out there is shades of gray.  No one is all good, or all bad.  Plus I think it also shows that we are all human, and hopefully learn from our mistakes.  I hold out that hope for Vince after his recent "charge of the Kehres brigade" at the Stagg.  Anyway, the story goes like this........

Eric Raeburn was at a coaching conference in/around 2003.  As most of you know he is a Mount grad, and his ties to LK and Dan Pugh are deep.  He bumps into Creighton during a break in the conference.  They start chit-chatting, and Creighton proceeds to run down the Mount program, LK, and references Mount's willingness and/or ability to get D-I/D-II transfers to end up at Mount to play football and finish their education.  He specifically mentions Pugh, and makes a disparaging remark regarding his play at Mount. 

Well Raeburn is beside himself, and basically said if he hadn't been at a coach's conference, he would have let Creighton know in a more demonstrative way that he was full of crap, and should be careful who he is talking to.  Instead, he vehemently rebutted everything Creighton had spewed, and told him to take his bullcrap down the road.  Word is when LK found this out, he laughed and said Mr. Creighton was lucky to still have all his teeth. 

After reading this board for a few years now, I have grown to respect the NCAC posters for their insight and passion for the D-III game.  Wabash in particular has loyal and intense fans that support their team and coach through thick and thin.  I get that, and applaud it.  However, Creighton wasn't the unblemished man he is painted to be.  Mind you, no one ever is.  Well, except for that crazy old man in Minnesota!   

From what I've heard, S-S has really cleaned this story up for public consumption.  Which is why I was really, REALLY hoping MUC and Wabash would play in the playoffs.  The spread would have been 50+.  And I would have taken Mount!

AH!!   So THATS what you were guys were talking about at the beginning of the playoffs.  I remember a line or two here and there.

[HScoach]

SaintsFAN:  You've got a good memory.  And you remember correctly. 

K-Mack:  You're always welcome here.  Even if you're a week behind.  

There was talk (and I mean actual "talk", not on-line) mid-season that the new Capital president has a track record of de-emphasizing athletics at every college he's been at.   And if that was really true at Capital, the first sign would be Jim Collins quitting becuase he's too good of a coach and way too competitive to sit by and watch his program slowly crumble.  That's too bad because Capital had become a real threat to the OAC throne.

[e_lee]

I emailed back and forth with Collins during the days immediately following his announcement.  He says that President Bowman is supportive of athletics and is not and will not be the problem.  He said the key is finding a hard working and talented AD like Roger Welsh who will get things done when he says they will get done and not just say all the right things.  He also said that Dr. Steve Bruning, who is Provost of Academic Affairs and also the interim AD in Roger Welsh's retirement has done a fantastic job but his passion is in academics so he isn't the long term solution.

I am feeling better about the long term future of Crusader athletics after receiving that message from Collins.

[crusader26]

SaintsFAN:  You've got a good memory.  And you remember correctly. 

K-Mack:  You're always welcome here.  Even if you're a week behind.  

There was talk (and I mean actual "talk", not on-line) mid-season that the new Capital president has a track record of de-emphasizing athletics at every college he's been at.   And if that was really true at Capital, the first sign would be Jim Collins quitting becuase he's too good of a coach and way too competitive to sit by and watch his program slowly crumble.  That's too bad because Capital had become a real threat to the OAC throne.

From my understanding with talking to other alumn, the new President (along with the interim AD) does a pretty good job of de-emphasizing athletics...when he first got to Cap, they were in a pretty good hole financially.  He made some cuts to get out of the debt Cap was facing while serving as the interim president, and has made his legacy with that (hence his official hiring this past October).  I really hope he understands the importance of d3 athletics, because back in the 90's if you didnt play womens basketball or womens soccer, you weren't looked upon as an athlete (no matter all the work & dedication you put in as a player).  Roger Welsh did a good job of starting what needed to be done in order to bring Capital to the top of the OAC & having a national presence in d3, by building a new athletic facility.  The rest of the institution did its share with the new renovations Capital so badly needed in order to compete with other institutions (athletically & academically)!!  I surely hope Welsh's retirement as AD & Collins resignation was not in part becuase of President Bowman or Dr. Brunning (Interim AD)?!?!

[short]

Look for Erik Raeburn (Coe, 36 years old) to push for the Head Coaching job at Cap. He has a good record and is from Ohio. I also think he will be trying to get the Wabash Job and I would think that Wabash is a better job than Capital but he is an OAC guy.

[formerd3db]

crusader26:
Thanks for your comments - most interesting.  Indeed, what is it with these people who have this "Robert Hutchins" mentality when it comes to intercollegiate athletics?  I cannot figure that type of reasoning out.  There is no reason to demphasize athletics at a DIII school if one is to truly believe in the DIII philosophy of athletics in the academic setting.  Some of these DIII presidents, IMO, don't belong at our level .  While I doubt that Capital will take the "Swarthmore debacle" route (which was ridiculous beyond belief IMO - uh, I guess I won't go down that road more and bring up some old wounds for some ), I do hope for the sake of you Capital alums that the administration doesn't make a mess of things that Collins and company worked so hard to build - and in doing it the right way.  We can only hope and pray that doesn't occur.

[usee]

Look for Erik Raeburn (Coe, 36 years old) to push for the Head Coaching job at Cap. He has a good record and is from Ohio. I also think he will be trying to get the Wabash Job and I would think that Wabash is a better job than Capital but he is an OAC guy.

There you go!! the real story comes out. I knew it. See, Raeburn planted a seed w LK 4 yrs ago about Wabash and Chris Creighton. He made up this great story so LK would blow them out the next time he faced him in hopes that CC would then get fired and Raeburn could move to Wabash. Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket. Its all clear to me now.

Happy New Year everyone.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I knew Eric Raeburn at MTU and he was 100% upstanding guy.  He would make a great HC at Capital or Wabash.

[seventiesraider]

Good luck to Erik and his family. I hope he finds a position back here.

And a Happy New Year to all the D3 world.

[BashBacker#16]

Skunks,

NO WAY that is factual.  Crazy you would find an urging desire to even post that garbage.

Have you ever met Coach Creighton?  Have you ever had a conversation with Coach Creighton?  I also think that is insulting to LK to think he would hear this and then think he is dying to play Wabash because of some 8th hand conversation (allegedly) that went on in a hallway at a coaches convention.  Get serious.

I guarantee if there was anything there, AT ALL, it was taken WAY out of context.  That's not CC.

Maybe you should get that story to Coach Tressel too... from the DesmoinesRegister.com:

Jim Tressel, Ohio State football coach, was one of Creighton's references in his job application. In a statement, Tressel described Creighton as "one of the great young coaches in our nation."

"Drake University is in for a wonderful experience and opportunity as Chris takes over their outstanding football program," Tressel said.

[reality check]

Look for Erik Raeburn (Coe, 36 years old) to push for the Head Coaching job at Cap. He has a good record and is from Ohio. I also think he will be trying to get the Wabash Job and I would think that Wabash is a better job than Capital but he is an OAC guy.

I'm not trying to throw stones but can someone explain to me what makes Wabash a better gig than Capital?  They're both good programs but what makes Crawfordsville, IN a more desriable location to coach than Capital?


And I love the heresay string we've had here.  It's gone from first-hand, to second-hand and then when a Little Giant finally reads the post it goes to eighth hand info.  Coach Tressel also went out of his way to help dedicate Dial-Roberson Stadium at ONU in part due to his respect for Dean Paul so I'm glad to know that if DP ever does or says anything questionable that I can play the Tressel card as well. 

[usee]

I'm not trying to throw stones but can someone explain to me what makes Wabash a better gig than Capital?  They're both good programs but what makes Crawfordsville, IN a more desriable location to coach than Capital?

I wondered about this as well. I would think Capital is an easier place to recruit. Obviously wabash has a very loyal fan base and following. Wabash also has devoted considerable resources/facilities to football but I wouldn't have put this job significantly ahead or behind the Capital job. I don't know much about Capital though.

[K-Mack]

Look for Erik Raeburn (Coe, 36 years old) to push for the Head Coaching job at Cap. He has a good record and is from Ohio. I also think he will be trying to get the Wabash Job and I would think that Wabash is a better job than Capital but he is an OAC guy.

I'm not trying to throw stones but can someone explain to me what makes Wabash a better gig than Capital?  They're both good programs but what makes Crawfordsville, IN a more desriable location to coach than Capital?

I wondered about this as well. I would think Capital is an easier place to recruit. Obviously wabash has a very loyal fan base and following. Wabash also has devoted considerable resources/facilities to football but I wouldn't have put this job significantly ahead or behind the Capital job. I don't know much about Capital though.

I had a similar thought, as in why would one want to leave Coe for Wabash? Capital I understand, but Wabash -- strictly football-wise -- I don't see the benefit, except maybe that the NCAC is much easier to win year-in and year-out than the IIAC.

If he was an Indiana guy, it might make sense. And yeah Wabash has tradition and potential, but Coe does OK in both those departments.

Money?

Not a knock on the LGs, just wondering aloud.

P.S. I think it's funny that people's judgement regarding that story being true or not true is completely based on which team/guy they back/know.