FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Nescacman]

So a quick rumor of interest out of Colby, but first the Wesleyan game. Wesleyan is a good team. We are not. We only scored in the 4th with Wesleyan already up 30-0. Colby rushed for 1.7 YPC on 30 attempts, Wesleyan rushed for 8.1 YPC on 35 attempts. Not much else you need to know. On to Amherst. Don't expect the heavens to open and bless us this week.

Now on to the juicer information. The rumors from the Colby mill are saying that Michaeles has been given an ultimatum: Win 4 games this year or it's over. This holds some credence towards what I have been saying for a while. Some of you may remember saying last year that Michaeles would be hard to fire as his wife was the Women's hockey coach. Well, she has been fired from that role and moved to the administration, making the potential removal of Michaeles as HC much easier. Furthermore, it seems Michaeles (perhaps in an effort to combat this) has edited the weekly routine. Colby has historically practiced Tuesday-Thursday, walk through Friday, game Saturday, and film and rehab on Sunday with Monday off. Michaeles has implemented full practices on Sundays now to "combat drinking on Saturdays" and run through issues and prep for the next week. This is apparently sowing discontent amongst both high and low level players and the coaching staff. While I was already negative on greater that 2 wins this year, 4 wibns seems even less possible and will probably result in a head coaching change in Waterville.

It appears that Michaeles has given the Mules off on Saturday's as well.

[Nescacman]

Nine game schedules are the camel's nose under the tent of too much football.

Hey Frank, we have a deal for you if you support the 9th game. We'll let the Ephs play Conn College (since you are obsessed with "Camel's") and that way you can have at least have one win!!!

[Nescacman]

Polbear73--Really is an unfortunate situation, especially since the solution is so obvious, and relatively easy to address and implement.  Not talking about drastic changes such as playoffs, or even out of league games.  Simply play the other nine teams in the league...

Could not agree more and I think all of us on this board feel the same way.  Very hard to think of a reason for NOT doing it.

Word out of 'CAC HQ is the 9th game will be a reality for the 2018 season. The schedule will start one week earlier (no more meaningless scrimmage) and end in early November as it does today. Reasons for the delay: the League wanted to get through one more schedule "rotation" to allow for schools to book rooms, transportation, etc and the schedule had to be adjusted to get certain schools to vote yes. For example, Colby didn't think it was fair to play Wesleyan, Middlebury and Amherst (and Williams when they turn it around) back to back to back. Couple that with Williams/Amherst and HS/Wesleyan traditionally being the last game (and the C-B-B games are at the end of the season as well)  and you have a scheduling nightmare that had to get resolved. Frankly, with all of the smart people running around the 'CAC you wouldn't think that would take two years to figure out. But who am I to say?

[RetiredMule]

It appears that Michaeles has given the Mules off on Saturday's as well.

Sigh. You're not wrong...........

[gridiron]

NESCACman--ouch on the Saturday off comment!!!!!!  Great info on the ninth game "coming soon to a theater near you."  Welcome change, and if I understand you correctly, mixing up the schedule a bit to balance the power for Coby, in your example, is a positive, and could bring more competitiveness to the league.

Retiredmule--very interesting rumor and quite plausible in my opinion.  Fact is, with Williams on the schedule this season (a W already), Hamilton and Bowdoin, three wins is not outside the realm of possibility.  The only other conceivable win would have to come from Bates.  But even with three or four wins, does that truly show the progress necessary to compete in the league overall?

Colby's in that difficult position of currently being among the have-nots with no chance to compete with the haves.  As others have articulated on this board recently, it will take several other things to change besides just the head coach, chief among them cooperation from admissions and increased financial commitment to the program--elements present at each of the football programs at the "have" schools.

Consistent with other NESCACs, Colby can, and does, attract some of the most elite students in the country and has many desirable attributes including a solid endowment, a new forward thinking president, a beautiful setting, newer buildings than many similar schools, a new art museum, impressive library assets and some (not all) of the nicest athletic fields/facilities in the conference. Combined with a new athletic director from Harvard committed to success, Colby wants its football program to become more competitive. 

Hoping that if a coaching change does occur, the other contributing factors are addressed as well.  Failure to do so will not yield the results desired.

[lumbercat]

Well stated Gridiron.

Colby hired Michaels from within the program and it doesn't seem to have worked out.
If they do make a change they must go outside the program. Need to change the whole culture.

However, his predecessor Ed Mestieri was a better coach than most realize. He'd probably still be there if not for the scandal.

[NESCAC.Football.Observer]

For all the Colby and Coach Michaeles bashers... some stats:

Coach Michaeles' record last 4 years (= 10 wins vs 22 losses):

2015   1 - 7
2014   2 - 6
2013   4 - 4
2012   3 - 5

(Average) 2.5 wins vs 5.5 losses

Coach Mestieri's last 4 years (= 14 wins vs 18 losses):

2011   3 - 5
2010   4 - 4
2009   4 - 4
2008   3 - 5

(Average) 3.5 wins vs 4.5 losses

So.....   Those are the stats.  I'll leave it to you all to debate the "trend", Michaeles' guys, etc.......

But seems to me that if Colby can pull out 2 of 3 from Hamilton, at Bates, and Bowdoin...........  Well... Michaeles (assuming his recruiting classes are getting better) deserves a shot.........

Just some thoughts based on stats.

My view is that if you are in Maine... AT BEST you are 4 - 4 every year... assuming the moons align, you've great recruiting classes, and Admissions helps out.

Let's face it... Dave Caputi is the prima facia case for "Kick Ass" Coach who went to Maine, from Williams, thinking "I can turn this around".  AWESOME recruiter during his time in Williams, the main recruiter for the 1990's into 2000's Dick Farley teams... and Caputi averaged 2.5 wins and 5.5 losses over 15 years. 

Just is what it is.

[lumbercat]

NFO-

Good info but take a look at the whole picture- Mestieri was there longer than 4 years. He was 7-1 and 6-2 in successive years in the mid 2000's.

His predecessor Tom Austin was 7-1 in 2000 and shared the NESCAC title if memory serves me correctly.

I get the deal about Maine and agree to some extent but with (2) 7-1 years since 2000 at Colby- it shows it can be done.

Not making excuses for Micheales but the scandal incident perpetrated by football players had to have a negative effect on recruiting, admissions etc.

[amh63]

NFO...your case is well put and well worded, as well as well written...need I say more?....envious.  Plus K
Must be a lawyer.  In my area, it is harder to figure whose NOT

[lumbercat]

Polarcat-

Couldn't agree more- those Tufts videos are excellent. Professionally done, recruits will eat them up. Another example of the all out push at Tufts. Civetti is in a great spot,  they have given him support everyplace in the program.

Geez, I can imagine ex HC Samko out at Holy Cross thinking "why didn't they do that for me"?

Civetti has figured it out and has won the support of an athletic department and administration who want to win. Gotta love it.

[NESCAC.Football.Observer]

Best record of the Maine teams over the last 15 years:

2015   2 - 6   Bates & Bowdoin
2014   4 - 4   Bates
2013   4 - 4   Bates & Colby
2012   5 - 3   Bates
2011   4 - 4   Bowdoin
2010   4 - 4   Colby
2009   4 - 4   Colby
2008   4 - 4   Bowdoin
2007   3 - 5   Bowdoin
2006   2 - 6   Bowdoin & Colby
2005   7 - 1   Colby
          6 - 2   Bowdoin
2004   6 - 2   Colby
2003   5 - 3   Colby
2002   4 - 4   Colby
2001   4 - 4   Colby
2000   7 - 1   Colby

Prior to 2000, in my opinion, is irrelevant given how things and attitudes have changed over the last 15 years.

Seems that Colby was the creme of Maine until about 2005.....  Since then... 4 - 4 is the BEST that to which any Maine team has achieved.

Have the Maine teams regressed?  Or the non-ME teams recruiting better? 

I'm asking.... I don't have the answers... but the #'s above imply SOMETHING - institutional intent? - occurred.

My 2 cents......

NFO

[westcoastDad]

Seems to me that those schools that are out in the sticks don't fare as well as Trinity, Wesleyan and Amherst?  With Tufts on the rise....could lead to major shift of power in years to come.

[DadintheStands]

I third the positive Tufts comments from Polarcat and Lumbercat.  As the parent of a current HS senior taking a hard look at several of the NESCAC football programs, the vibe at Tufts stands out as positive and compelling.  Sure the suburban location in a college-centric city and first class athletic facility Tufts dazzles you with are great but what really stuck with us was how well Civetti sold the program and how positive the team and staff were about where the program was going.  It's not what you have but what you do with it that matters.  My son hasn't decided where he is going next year but Tufts went from off the radar to on impressively.

[Nescacman]

"But seems to me that if Colby can pull out 2 of 3 from Hamilton, at Bates, and Bowdoin...........  Well... Michaeles (assuming his recruiting classes are getting better) deserves a shot........" from poster NFO.


Interesting discussion on the trials and tribulations of the NESCAC's Norris Division, aka the C-B-B. We agree with most of the discussion, however, the above comment just does not compute for us. Having seen all of the above teams play, as well as the hapless Ephs, Colby will not beat Bates and will have a tough time with Hamilton as well. But let's say Colby goes 3-5 (which they won't) with wins against a (probably) winless Williams team, a 1-7 Bowdoin and 1-7/2-6 Hamilton. That deserves a shot? I realize that this is the NESCAC but at some point enough is enough with Michaeles, who probably has over stayed his welcome by 2 years. Just ask the Eph fans how that worked with HCOF Kelton, who by the way is proving he shouldn't be the HC at any level.

We'll throw one other piece of meat out there for the board....sometimes really good coordinators maybe are just not meant to be HC's....Michaeles, Caputi, Hauser are names that come to mind. That applies to the NFL, the NESCAC and every league in between.

[PolarCat]

Seems to me that those schools that are out in the sticks don't fare as well as Trinity, Wesleyan and Amherst? 

Did Middlebury, VT, the cow-tipping capital of the universe, suddenly become a bustling metropolis?  Or are you sufficiently scared of Vandy now (and having met him, you have every right to be) that you no longer include Midd in your listing of "sticks" schools?