FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

amh63 · October 14, 2014, 03:03:14 PM

Wow! Did anyone see this coming?
Am Aware that he also has a Amherst coaching connection....not stated in the linked writeup...but in his bio. He worked for the legendary Amherst coach...referred to by his players as DARP. Both times on the offensive side. I point this out because in his early days, Coach DARP had a young offensive side assistant who went on to Trinity. HFC Miller, an All-American QB at the U of Delaware...a wing T QB....became a legendary coach, I believe, at Trinity. The football field is called Miller Field...much like the newly dedicated Williams field.
I have posted on the MBB board that Caputi and HBC Hixon are old friends...from Caputi's time at Amherst.
I was at a MBB's game in Willytown many years ago. Saw Coach Hixon watching/ scouting the game on the upper level. Sometime during the game...halftime ?...a student brought a bag of popcorn to Coach Hixon. Thought it was from the Williams' HBC...an old opponent during their playing days.
Years later in a chat with Coach Hixon, I brought the popcorn incident up. Coach Hixon stated it was Coach Caputi who sent the snack up. Coach Caputi was the OC at Williams at the time.

PolarCat · October 14, 2014, 07:09:42 PM

Coach Caputi has connections all over NESCAC. He's a Middlebury graduate, his son Mac is graduating from Bowdoin this year, his daughter Maggie is a Junior at Colby, his daughter Lydia is a Freshman at Bowdoin, and his youngest daughter is graduating from Prep School this year and hoping to get an acceptance letter from another NESCAC.

His wife Beth has a college placement business, so hopefully Dave has options both on and off the field. Really, really classy guy; "salt of the earth" is how my parents would have praised him. That's why, even though my son doesn't play for Dave, I took exception to the nepotism comments last month.

I'm excited we are playing him on his last Bowdoin Parents Weekend; I'm sure it will be a special day, indeed.

Nescacman · October 15, 2014, 01:53:33 AM

Quote from: Nescacparent on October 14, 2014, 01:09:11 PM
Best wishes to Coach Caputi. I hope that maybe another NESCAC school might be a landing spot for him or possibly within the administration at Bowdoin.

Caputi's career record is 35-81 (a career winning percentage .302). In 15 seasons he has had exactly one winning season and this year will not be his second. My question is what took the Bowdoin administration so long to make the change? IF I was a Bowdoin alum, I would furious as to why this took so long. And I don't want to hear what a great guy he is and what a great character builder he is. The only thing losing does is build losers. As far as another NESCAC school for him to land at...I have the perfect spot...maybe he can replace the HCOF in Ephtown. I still expect at least one other opening in the NESCAC for next year and maybe two...

frank uible · October 15, 2014, 02:45:32 AM

It is suspected that a few of this board's posters would have more fun expending their times following the likes of the NFL or the SEC than NESCAC.

quicksilver · October 15, 2014, 03:20:32 AM

Quote from: Nescacman on October 15, 2014, 01:53:33 AM
Quote from: Nescacparent on October 14, 2014, 01:09:11 PM
Best wishes to Coach Caputi. I hope that maybe another NESCAC school might be a landing spot for him or possibly within the administration at Bowdoin.

Caputi's career record is 35-81 (a career winning percentage .302). In 15 seasons he has had exactly one winning season and this year will not be his second. My question is what took the Bowdoin administration so long to make the change? IF I was a Bowdoin alum, I would furious as to why this took so long. . . . .

Bowdoin does not have a great football tradition so likely alums don't get too furious. Still, the new Bowdoin AD (Tim Ryan) is a former football co-captain (class of 1998) and actually returned to Bowdoin after an I-banking career as an assist football coach in 2005 so likely is more aware of the deficiencies in Bowdoin's football program than the normal AD would be. And Bowdoin will be having a new president in 2015 so several reasons for an interest in moving the football program in a different direction after 15 years under Caputi and only one winning season.

banfan · October 15, 2014, 07:16:17 AM

Caputi's departure seems orchestrated and considerate, which is great. It is reasonable to think that one winning season in 15 years is something that the school was ok with. The kids play hard and the coaching staff has always been passionate. I am pretty sure that Bowdoin looks at football differently than other schools in the CAC. Maybe things are changing. Maybe Bates changes are making an impact outside of Lewiston. It is fun to watch football at Bates in the middle of campus. It feels pretty good.

By the way, I love the grass.

amh63 · October 15, 2014, 10:21:14 AM

Banfan.....your "grass" field comment got me thinking, which can be dangerous.

I wonder if today's players and coaches prefer grass over turf....modern turf field vice the older versions. The move to the new Williams facilities was initiated prior to 2008 after Amherst tied Williams'undefeated team in a rain storm in Willytown. The grass field with no real crown for drainage became almost unplayable. The NYT covered the practices and the game for almost a week and suggested that Amherst had won the tie game. A push for a new field was started but delayed.
The drive for new facilities at Amherst was driven,IMO, for the need of a new practice field. The old football practice field was changed to a turf covered field hockey field. A new practice field was carved out of a corn field and proved to be inadequate. If land was available, I wonder if grass would have remained on Pratt Field...even considering the advances/choices of Turf covers. I been told that games played on turf is different than on grass. For soccer, it is stated the ball moves differently,etc.

FourMoreYears · October 15, 2014, 11:27:59 AM

Quote from: Nescacman on October 15, 2014, 01:53:33 AM
Quote from: Nescacparent on October 14, 2014, 01:09:11 PM
Best wishes to Coach Caputi. I hope that maybe another NESCAC school might be a landing spot for him or possibly within the administration at Bowdoin.

Caputi's career record is 35-81 (a career winning percentage .302). In 15 seasons he has had exactly one winning season and this year will not be his second. My question is what took the Bowdoin administration so long to make the change? IF I was a Bowdoin alum, I would furious as to why this took so long. And I don't want to hear what a great guy he is and what a great character builder he is. The only thing losing does is build losers. As far as another NESCAC school for him to land at...I have the perfect spot...maybe he can replace the HCOF in Ephtown. I still expect at least one other opening in the NESCAC for next year and maybe two...

A couple of comments.

1 - "The only thing losing does is build losers." Will be sure to mention that to all the uber-successful Bowdoin football alum who may not have won as often on the gridiron but seem to have somewhat built very successful and rewarding lives off it. Actually, this is true for any collegiate sports program. What is measured in a 4-year span within the lines has nothing to do with being a "loser" over the long-term.

2 - "What took the Bowdoin administration so long to make the change?" Perhaps it's an indication (in the past at least) on the emphasis that Bowdoin put on football success. It all starts with admissions. I know first-hand that there are players Caputi wanted and admissions laughed at him and those players ended up at other NESCAC schools in prominent roles. And I'm talking Amherst etc here not others than some deem "less selective". This is not a shot at Amherst or any other school ... they are free to decide what's important to them, just as Bowdoin is.

It's easy to jump on a guy with Caputi's career W-L record. But in the NESCAC, those things don't happen in a vacuum. Ask Mike Whalen and Wesleyan. Whalen is an excellent coach, but if you don't think that the Cards recent success has as much to do with relaxed admissions standards, you're crazy. This is not to say that Whalen isn't a great coach, he obviously is ... but it starts with institutional support. There hasn't been much of that in Brunswick through the years ... though this may be the start of a new thought process. Time will tell.

As they say ... it's not about the X's and the O's ... it's about the Jimmies and the Joes.

FourMoreYears · October 15, 2014, 11:29:19 AM

Quote from: banfan on October 15, 2014, 07:16:17 AM
Caputi's departure seems orchestrated and considerate, which is great. It is reasonable to think that one winning season in 15 years is something that the school was ok with. The kids play hard and the coaching staff has always been passionate. I am pretty sure that Bowdoin looks at football differently than other schools in the CAC. Maybe things are changing. Maybe Bates changes are making an impact outside of Lewiston. It is fun to watch football at Bates in the middle of campus. It feels pretty good.

By the way, I love the grass.

Good points, all.
Very good points.

ExTartanPlayer · October 15, 2014, 11:32:42 AM

Quote from: FourMoreYears on October 15, 2014, 11:27:59 AM
Quote from: Nescacman on October 15, 2014, 01:53:33 AM
Caputi's career record is 35-81 (a career winning percentage .302). In 15 seasons he has had exactly one winning season and this year will not be his second. My question is what took the Bowdoin administration so long to make the change? IF I was a Bowdoin alum, I would furious as to why this took so long. And I don't want to hear what a great guy he is and what a great character builder he is. The only thing losing does is build losers.

1 - "The only thing losing does is build losers." Will be sure to mention that to all the uber-successful Bowdoin football alum who may not have won as often on the gridiron but seem to have somewhat built very successful and rewarding lives off it. Actually, this is true for any collegiate sports program. What is measured in a 4-year span within the lines has nothing to do with being a "loser" over the long-term.

2 - "What took the Bowdoin administration so long to make the change?" Perhaps it's an indication (in the past at least) on the emphasis that Bowdoin put on football success. It all starts with admissions. I know first-hand that there are players Caputi wanted and admissions laughed at him and those players ended up at other NESCAC schools in prominent roles. And I'm talking Amherst etc here not others than some deem "less selective". This is not a shot at Amherst or any other school ... they are free to decide what's important to them, just as Bowdoin is.

Bingo. This isn't the NFL. Coaches are not fired solely based on winning and losing.

amh63 · October 15, 2014, 12:35:37 PM

FYI....been counting rosters of the conference schools. Some interesting findings.
Bowdoin is the only school with a roster size under 70! Hamilton this season, under a new HFC has 75 players listed...after prior years of under 70.
For the Little Three school...76 must be the new 75. Only WES has 76 posted...for the second year.
Other unique findings...for me at least. Colby is the only school that does NOT list the size of their players. Williams roster is the only NOn-numerical listing.

For Trinity posters, need some follow- up info. Early this year, NERR...the New England BB site noted that the younger brother of Jamie Spears...the impact CB player at Amherst was headed to Trinity. Though a fine basketball player, the younger Spears was planning to play football..as a WR. I noted the fact that he would be the 3rd brother pair at both schools...first the Bunker boys, followed by the present Ragone boys from Florida and now the Spears boys.
Anyway, the younger Spears is not on the Trinity roster. If you can/ allowed, can you provide an update of the status of the Trinity Spears?

quicksilver · October 15, 2014, 01:52:36 PM

Amh63, I counted 76 names on the Bowdoin roster.

frank uible · October 15, 2014, 02:13:08 PM

Youse guys don't have enough to do. Take a lap around the block!

amh63 · October 15, 2014, 02:23:21 PM

Quicksilver...thanks for the post. I have gone back and attempted to make another count or two or three. Not good for my eyes on a small screen. Did want to see if Bowdoin did join the 76 club. My recounts went over 70 but never reached 76. Gave up.
I went to check Bowdoin's roster because of the Coach Caputi discussion. Got under 70...66 twice. I went on to check the other schools and the little three schools several times...straining my eyes. Guess my lead story/finding is in error. Could have saved some eye strain. Oh well, bottom line is I cannot count or I cannot see..poor vision., or both.

amh63 · October 15, 2014, 02:40:43 PM

Frank U.....for me true. It is raining hard outside....so no lap and/or my promised walk with my wife. Maybe a NAP...but I will be up too late. In between books, available good movies, etc. Have not followed the bad news and stock market lately.
Thanks for the advice in any case