FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Nescacman]

It would be sad to those who favor the welfare of Williams should the College dismiss a good person solely or primarily because of its allowing a bloated sense of institutional entitlement to be offended by that person's won/lost coaching record over three consecutive years of 6 and 18.

Frank, we miss you...where you been? Two posts in one day...first we had the root beer post and then the comedic post on keeping the HCOF around because he's a nice guy. Do nice guys take credit for an undefeated season when he did not recruit one single starter on that team (or for that matter anyone that contributed to the 8-0 season in a meaningful way)? Do nice guys stand around talking to their wife at summer camps instead of coaching potential recruits and talking to their parents? Do nice guys give opposing fans the finger as he walks his purple army into the stadium? Do nice guys blame their players for losing instead of pointing the finger at himself? If Williams wants a real nice guy as their next coach, maybe they should name Mr. Rodgers HCOF. And just because it is the NESCAC doesn't mean teams should want to win. Winning is not the exclusive domain of the SEC.

"Nice guys finish last"

[nescac1]

Frank, would you say "It would be sad to those who favor the welfare of Williams should the College dismiss a good person solely or primarily because of its allowing a bloated sense of institutional entitlement to be offended by that person's inability to publish anything meaningful or earn good evaluations as a teacher"?  A professor with that resume would not earn tenure.  Coach Kelton seems like a great guy indeed.  I've been rooting for him to turn things around.   But he's been given every chance to succeed, his SECOND contract is up, and he hasn't earned, essentially, tenure.  At some point, as in any other high-pressure, prestigious job, you have to bring something impressive to the table to earn, essentially, a lifetime job, which you seem to be advocating for on Kelton's behalf.  And which would virtually guarantee a losing record, every single year, and losses to Amherst, every single year, in football, for the foreseeable future.  Keep in mind, it's not that Coach Kelton will be fired if he is not brought back -- his contract is up, so essentially, he is just not being offered a NEW contract. 

We are talking about the one of the best D3 football traditions in the country here, a coach who inherited the best team in the league and now has one of the worst (with little hope for future improvement), and a school that just poured 25 million dollars into its football facility, to boot, which should make recruiting even easier.  It really should not be difficult to go at least around 5-3 every year at Williams, given the football tradition, academic prestige of the institution, tremendous Little Three rivalry, and now, best facility in the league.  And it's not just recruiting (the equivalent of publishing) or putting a good product on the field (the equivalent of teaching) which has suffered over recent years -- it's a million little detail-oriented things, like total lack of social media presence when that is an increasing part of coaching, or accuracy of information (note that the roster is never adjusted based on changes to position, height and weight over the years, the way it used to be, nor are the listed starters ever remotely accurate), or the issues described on the recruiting trail.  And what happened at Hamilton -- a total lack of control over players making boneheaded, costly penalties -- is a reflection on coaching, and lack of respect therefore.  That simply wouldn't happen under a Dick Farley type. 

Professors who are nice guys / women don't earn tenure if they don't publish and don't get good reviews in the classroom.   Why should a coach who is a nice guy but doesn't succeed in any way that a coach can be evaluated, strategy on the field, recruiting, player development, or ultimately, wins and losses, be any different?     

[PolarCat]

From the outside, I think the first question is whether there are coaches available who are as "nice" as Kelton, but who have the potential to right the ship?  If so, would any of those nice-guys-who-are-also-great-coaches want to accept a HC position at Williams?  And if the answer is again yes, the final question is whether a premier institution opts to settle for mediocrity, or strive for excellence?

I've got no dog in the hunt.  If anything, I hope Kelton stays.  Particularly since I think Chris Kempton would make a superb head coach, and I'd hate to see him lured away from Bates.  But Williams doesn't strike me as a place that embraces mediocrity.

[Red Hawks Pride]

This is pretty cool, when I was in college playing at MSU, if Coach G and Coach O would have done this, we would have lost it!! LOL, take a look at Mount Union
http://deadspin.com/mount-union-football-coaches-crush-it-as-pro-wrestlers-1740196859

[JEFFFAN]

I would like nothing more than for Kelton so stay but it is obviously time for a change.  Six years is plenty of time to build his own program - 3-4 of his recruiting classes are playing there right now - and see what it is made of.   I am sure that he is a fine human being but a school of Williams' caliber will easily be able to find a coach who is a fine human being and a fine coach.   Unfortunately.

[amh63]

Mmmmm...maybe I should have stuck with Root Beer.  My initial inquiry was more an "insider" question...a Little Three" in general and the longstanding Williams- Amherst contests; in all things it seems.  In that light, a win over Amherst could save the day for Kelton...was my thinking.  Along with that is the underlying question of the players-coach relationship. That I know nothing about.  I can only relate a story about Amherst football. 
In 1990 and 1991, the legendary HFC Ostendarp record was 1-14-1.  Darp as he is fondly known and his players wear baseball caps with the name "Darp" today...was not well and left the program much to his assistants.  For the 1992 season, an Amherst football alum, John McKechnie, was brought in.  His team went 0-8...the former lacrosse coach loss his players loyalty.  My youngest son had a three year roommate, a fine football player.  His father was a former classmate of mine who was also a football player.  Basically, the players no longer wanted to play football under the new coach.  my son's roommate had quit the team...a sport that he had played well for many years...was recruited to play.
In 1993, Jack Siedlecki was hired to turn the program around.  He did and then left for Yale.

Now, I turn to the Game of the Week...the Amherst-Trinity game at Pratt!  I only want to point out that the game will again put brothers against each other...the 3 rd set of brothers!  There was the Bunker brothers , followed by the Ragone brothers and now the Spears brothers.  The soph WR Spears did not play last season...out with an ACL.  He may face his brother this season in CB spears.
I expect a low scoring game as both teams have strong defensive sides.  Knowing very little other than what I read and observe, I feel that Amherst has the stronger offensive line.
Will await the posts of the real " odds-makers" in Nescacman, NBN and NTN .

[PolarCat]

Bates does a nice quasi-weekly feature, called the Bates Bobcast.  This week's episode features an interview with President Clayton Spencer.  My God, she gets it!  She talks about the importance of athletics, why she feels the NESCAC has an even better balance than the Ivy League, the improvements Bates has made in a variety of sports, how she has the 2013 CBB ball in her office, how she'd like Bates to challenge for the Director's Cup, and how she is a fan of STRONG RECRUITING. 

I've just emailed her, telling her that at least one Bobcat Family would love to see a 9th game, and maybe even post-season play.  If one person does it, he's an outlier, but if 2 folks do it, it's a movement.  So if you're a Bates alum, parent or fan and feel so inclined, President Spencer's email is CSpencer@Bates.edu.

The Bobcast includes an interview with Special Teams POTW Justin Foley, and President Spencer's interview starts about 15 minutes into the segment: http://athletics.bates.edu/releases/2015-16/151103_BatesBobcast5

[All NESCAC]

Frank, would you say "It would be sad to those who favor the welfare of Williams should the College dismiss a good person solely or primarily because of its allowing a bloated sense of institutional entitlement to be offended by that person's inability to publish anything meaningful or earn good evaluations as a teacher"?  A professor with that resume would not earn tenure.  Coach Kelton seems like a great guy indeed.  I've been rooting for him to turn things around.   But he's been given every chance to succeed, his SECOND contract is up, and he hasn't earned, essentially, tenure.  At some point, as in any other high-pressure, prestigious job, you have to bring something impressive to the table to earn, essentially, a lifetime job, which you seem to be advocating for on Kelton's behalf.  And which would virtually guarantee a losing record, every single year, and losses to Amherst, every single year, in football, for the foreseeable future.  Keep in mind, it's not that Coach Kelton will be fired if he is not brought back -- his contract is up, so essentially, he is just not being offered a NEW contract. 

We are talking about the one of the best D3 football traditions in the country here, a coach who inherited the best team in the league and now has one of the worst (with little hope for future improvement), and a school that just poured 25 million dollars into its football facility, to boot, which should make recruiting even easier.  It really should not be difficult to go at least around 5-3 every year at Williams, given the football tradition, academic prestige of the institution, tremendous Little Three rivalry, and now, best facility in the league.  And it's not just recruiting (the equivalent of publishing) or putting a good product on the field (the equivalent of teaching) which has suffered over recent years -- it's a million little detail-oriented things, like total lack of social media presence when that is an increasing part of coaching, or accuracy of information (note that the roster is never adjusted based on changes to position, height and weight over the years, the way it used to be, nor are the listed starters ever remotely accurate), or the issues described on the recruiting trail.  And what happened at Hamilton -- a total lack of control over players making boneheaded, costly penalties -- is a reflection on coaching, and lack of respect therefore.  That simply wouldn't happen under a Dick Farley type. 

Professors who are nice guys / women don't earn tenure if they don't publish and don't get good reviews in the classroom.   Why should a coach who is a nice guy but doesn't succeed in any way that a coach can be evaluated, strategy on the field, recruiting, player development, or ultimately, wins and losses, be any different?   

NESCAC1 I'm in agreement with your assessment.  If you cannot go 5-3 every year (on the off years) at Williams, then something is missing and you have to start by looking at the HFC.  Sometimes great teams still win championships despite their HC (ie.  See Barry Switzer and Dallas Cowboys), but eventually the HC's way surfaces and the real HC emerges.  Football HC's have the more influence over a game outcome than any other sport, and it looks to me that Williams should be looking in a new direction to right the ship.  William's College strives for excellence in every endeavor and HFC should be no different.
Your example of tenure is spot on.   Don't like anyone having to move on not on their terms, but at some point it happens to most everyone in every profession if performance doesn't meet expectations.  A great coach can truly transform a program overnight....it happened before with Farley where no detail was too small to be scrutinized both in season and off season, and no staff worked harder including the HFC whether it was preparing for practice or recruiting.

[Nescacman]

Enough of the HCOF Talk....time for a NESCACMAN bonus, extra feature...

Best of the NESCAC: Game Day Experiences

1.   Wesleyan: Great setting (oldest continuously used football field in the US) in the middle of campus, awesome tailgating for both home and visitors, liberal tailgating policies, plenty of parking, grass field, easy access, and good football make this the best game day experience in the 'CAC. 
2.   Amherst: Good football, new field, easy access, passionate parents, alums, and students=great experience. Negatives are having the visitor fans park in Connecticut and their offensive mascot. They need to become the "Purple Moose" as soon as possible.
3.   Bates: Another beautiful new field in the middle of campus. Despite being located in Lewiston (which had their 15 minutes of fame half a century ago) and having fairly limited parking, Bates does a good job of finding parking for everyone. And considering they are way off the beaten path, they draw fairly well. Now if only they could win more games.
4.   Middlebury: On the positive side, it is one of our favorite stadiums in the 'CAC and the proximity of the golf course next to the field makes it easy to play 18 and catch some 'CAC ball. However, getting to Middlebury and the anti-alcohol tailgating policies that put prohibition to shame put a huge damper on the experience. Oh and one more thing, if your name isn't Muffy, you aren't wearing a Patagonia vest or have a golden retriever, you'll feel very out of place here.
5.   Tufts: Another urban setting, Tufts field resembles a mid-level HS field. Plus, it's hard to find the field, poor sight lines for fans (especially the visiting fans) and the parking is limited. Good news is they are playing better football, albeit in the ugliest uniforms in the 'CAC (although Bowdoin's home silver uniforms gives Tufts a run for their money). Most importantly, they have perhaps the most passionate student body in the NESCAC.
6.   Hartford State: There is plenty of good football in the coup but you are lucky you'll get out of there alive or at the very least, not car jacked. Tailgating area is limited. Word is improvements are on the way but unless they are moving the campus to West Hartford, it will be like putting lipstick on a pig.
7.   Williams: Bad football, hard to access, and the original home of tailgating prohibition make this one of the worst game day experiences in the 'CAC. The only positive is Willytown is a picture perfect college town and the field is also in proximity to another 18-hole track.
8.   Hamilton: Easy access off the NYS Thruway, but just too far away from the rest of the 'CAC. Nice new field in the middle of campus, however, this experience has two major negatives. No visitor stands means home and visitor faithful are mixed together. That creates some issues. The other negative is having the visitors on the home side of the field with the fans. And Hamilton's fans can be fairly boisterous (I'll give them credit, you would never know they lost 25 in a row). On the plus side, the tailgating areas are close to the field and plentiful.
9.   Bowdoin: Another Maine School, Brunswick is another one of those perfect college towns. Big negative is the field, which is badly in need of replacement.
10.    Colby: Probably the hardest in the 'CAC to get to. Poor access+bad football+stands being so far from the field=not a good experience.

[P'bearfan]

2.   Amherst: Good football, new field, easy access, passionate parents, alums, and students=great experience. Negatives are having the visitor fans park in Connecticut and their offensive mascot. They need to become the "Purple Moose" as soon as possible.

Didn't think anyone had read my earlier post......+K to you.

[lumbercat]

Nescacman-
Entertaining post and your points are right on.
On the subject of  the Bowdoin Gray Ghost uniforms. The Bears came out last week with their old all black look. Being Holloween, I assumed they would wear the grays again, would have been perfect.
After seeing some of the Bowdoin-Hamilton tape with Hamilton in all white you could barely tell the difference---wonder if the ghost suits will be restricted for use as a road uniform only.
Back in the day Bowdoin wore the black jerseys with gray/silver pants a la Oakland Raiders. They should go back to that look.
Realized last week again that the Colby home uniform is the best in the NESCAC with Bates and Wesleyan a distant second.

[polbear73]

Nescacman-
Entertaining post and your points are right on.
On the subject of  the Bowdoin Gray Ghost uniforms. The Bears came out last week with their old all black look. Being Holloween, I assumed they would wear the grays again, would have been perfect.
After seeing some of the Bowdoin-Hamilton tape with Hamilton in all white you could barely tell the difference---wonder if the ghost suits will be restricted for use as a road uniform only.
Back in the day Bowdoin wore the black jerseys with gray/silver pants a la Oakland Raiders. They should go back to that look.
Realized last week again that the Colby home uniform is the best in the NESCAC with Bates and Wesleyan a distant second.

Another plus k for remembering the silver pants, LumberCat.  They were timeless uniforms. 

[HamiltonFan]

Don't overlook the golf course conveniently located next to the football field at Hamilton, Nescacman. It is a gorgeous, 9 hole par 35 boasting almost 3,000 yds of golf with stunning views of the valley and surrounding mountains. All you need is a putter, a 9-iron and sand wedge and that means less clubs to carry into the tailgate area which is but a soccer pitch away from the last hole. Feel like with the h.s. football field quality at Tufts and the car-jacking potential at Hartford State, Hamilton deserves better. The best part of the Hamilton Continental football experience? The lax security when it comes to beverages in the tailgating area (a black mark against Williams and one that will keep me permanently away from Williamstown, idyllic college setting or not). As long as you're not obvious and/or acting like a JA whilst sipping on your "rb float", security is totally cool. That alone, imho, deserves one of the top spots. Though I agree with you that the lack of a dedicated visitor seating section can make for a potentially sticky situation, I would add that I was at the Tufts game with a lively, boisterous Hamilton student section and things were very civil and the energy positive. At the Colby game, some newbie parents even took their seats in the Hamilton section (there is no clear delineation so we gave them a pass) and with emotions running high in a very close game, not a harsh word was spoken. I know you're still not onboard with the Continental 1 game winning streak and seemingly still stuck on the 1-25 record since 10/2012, and maybe this is holding you back, but I hope you catch the fever soon. Nobody likes a bandwagoner, NescacMan;)

[AUPepBand]

Don't overlook the golf course conveniently located next to the football field at Hamilton, Nescacman. It is a gorgeous, 9 hole par 35 boasting almost 3,000 yds of golf with stunning views of the valley and surrounding mountains. All you need is a putter, a 9-iron and sand wedge and that means less clubs to carry into the tailgate area which is but a soccer pitch away from the last hole. Feel like with the h.s. football field quality at Tufts and the car-jacking potential at Hartford State, Hamilton deserves better. The best part of the Hamilton Continental football experience? The lax security when it comes to beverages in the tailgating area (a black mark against Williams and one that will keep me permanently away from Williamstown, idyllic college setting or not). As long as you're not obvious and/or acting like a JA whilst sipping on your "rb float", security is totally cool. That alone, imho, deserves one of the top spots. Though I agree with you that the lack of a dedicated visitor seating section can make for a potentially sticky situation, I would add that I was at the Tufts game with a lively, boisterous Hamilton student section and things were very civil and the energy positive. At the Colby game, some newbie parents even took their seats in the Hamilton section (there is no clear delineation so we gave them a pass) and with emotions running high in a very close game, not a harsh word was spoken. I know you're still not onboard with the Continental 1 game winning streak and seemingly still stuck on the 1-25 record since 10/2012, and maybe this is holding you back, but I hope you catch the fever soon. Nobody likes a bandwagoner, NescacMan;)

Hey, there's no alcohol in Pep's Root Beer Float....he always acts like this!

[PolarCat]

Can one of the Bowdoin fans explain what all this "boiling the owl" stuff is about?  The only use of the phrase I can find has to do with a nasty hangover, but I doubt very much JB Wells is urging the PBears to show up at Garcellon Saturday in that condition.