FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

GovCat · April 24, 2018, 05:47:58 PM

http://gobatesbobcats.com/sports/fball/2017-18/releases/20180424lpxor1

PolarCat · April 24, 2018, 09:25:00 PM

Cross country booty call. Happy for Mark and his wife, and for all the boys like my son, who had the chance to play for him. He may not have been the winningest coach in the CAC, but the boys learned a lot of valuable life lessons from him. In the end, discipline and accountability will serve them much better than a couple of extra W's. We will never know how much of his record was due to Admissions (non) support, budget restrictions (inability to pay his AC's a competitive wage) or other factors.

For the sake of future Bobcats (Bates had its Admitted Students Day this weekend) I hope new(ish) AD is up to some big time coaching recruiting in a very short time frame. Brendan Costa is a very talented young QB, and it would be a shame to lose him and the other great young players if Fein can't land a qualified HC on very short notice. Tough position for a young AD to be placed in.

Pat Coleman · April 24, 2018, 10:09:55 PM

I'm also not sure he's hired a football coach before, fwiw.

lumbercat · April 24, 2018, 10:22:41 PM

This will most likely be the end of the triple option offense which I thought served the Bates program well. However most of those observing the program from a distance despised it.

The Bobcats brightest light is QB Costa who actually had some problems with the mesh and some of the pitches in the triple. He will be much better suited for a modern read option type attack and will excel even more in that kind of offense while he will sustain less in terms of contact and big hits. This really opens things up for this kid who can throw it much better than most realize.

Harriman was a class act who leaves the program with an immense amount of respect. His biggest advocates have always been the parents and players which speaks volumes of how the guy approached the job. He would have won a lot more games with another program. Harriman's level of administrative support before the arrival of the former AD and current president was disgraceful. Though it's better now there is still a need for improvements and upgrades in the program which are said to be forthcoming. The current AD better bring a solid guy in and give him the needed support that will be fair to the kids who come to Bates expecting a quality NESCAC football experience.

lumbercat · April 24, 2018, 10:25:22 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on April 24, 2018, 10:09:55 PM
I'm also not sure he's hired a football coach before, fwiw.

Correct- He's an SID who morphed into an AD which is concerning so lets hope he surrounds himself with the right consultants.

Pat Coleman · April 24, 2018, 11:22:19 PM

Right, and Drew, where he was before, didn't have football.

Monty · April 25, 2018, 01:20:10 AM

Quote from: PolarCat on April 24, 2018, 09:25:00 PM
Cross country booty call. Happy for Mark and his wife, and for all the boys like my son, who had the chance to play for him. He may not have been the winningest coach in the CAC, but the boys learned a lot of valuable life lessons from him. In the end, discipline and accountability will serve them much better than a couple of extra W's. We will never know how much of his record was due to Admissions (non) support, budget restrictions (inability to pay his AC's a competitive wage) or other factors.

For the sake of future Bobcats (Bates had its Admitted Students Day this weekend) I hope new(ish) AD is up to some big time coaching recruiting in a very short time frame. Brendan Costa is a very talented young QB, and it would be a shame to lose him and the other great young players if Fein can't land a qualified HC on very short notice. Tough position for a young AD to be placed in.

The timing is terrible. Do you think that April is the time to recruit a qualified long term Head Coach. With the shortened 2 week training camp before the season starts and the team scattered for the summer how can you even think of changing offense and defense schemes. This is quite unfair to the players for sure. Yes Harriman was a class act. Every Bates player benefitted from him being their coach. This is not going to be a fun few months in Lewiston.

fulbakdad · April 25, 2018, 06:59:29 AM

Quote from: PolarCat on April 24, 2018, 09:25:00 PM
Cross country booty call. Happy for Mark and his wife, and for all the boys like my son, who had the chance to play for him. He may not have been the winningest coach in the CAC, but the boys learned a lot of valuable life lessons from him. In the end, discipline and accountability will serve them much better than a couple of extra W's. We will never know how much of his record was due to Admissions (non) support, budget restrictions (inability to pay his AC's a competitive wage) or other factors.

For the sake of future Bobcats (Bates had its Admitted Students Day this weekend) I hope new(ish) AD is up to some big time coaching recruiting in a very short time frame. Brendan Costa is a very talented young QB, and it would be a shame to lose him and the other great young players if Fein can't land a qualified HC on very short notice. Tough position for a young AD to be placed in.

I think your point on not being able to pay his AC's is a bigger problem than just Bates. This is pretty much across D3. My son is finishing up his 3rd year of being a GA for what could only be described as slave wages. He poked around at moving on to an AC and I am glad that he ended this hunt and switched to teaching High School and coaching there.

If anyone ever investigated what some of these programs are paying, I am pretty sure there would be a case for unfair practices....

gridiron · April 25, 2018, 08:43:04 AM

Couple of comments. WRT the challenges associated with the timing of replacing a coach this time of year, I am not sure that any time of the year is much better--not to say now is a good. I think there are challenges with recruits if they have not yet committed.

WRT AC pay, the point is valid. Related, is the fact not all NESCAC football programs can even afford the same number of ACs, which can affect the overall success of the program as well.

polbear73 · April 25, 2018, 09:23:36 AM

Former Maine high school standout quarterback Austin McCrum will transfer from Lafayette to Bowdoin this upcoming Fall.

nescac1 · April 25, 2018, 10:00:02 AM

Article on the McCrum transfer. Bowdoin has a long way to go to be competitive, but if he can be a top-notch QB in NESCAC, it sure would help the young Polar Bears squad make some fast strides. And it seems like the opportunity is there to do good things at least in the CBB for starters, with both Bates and Colby going through coaching transitions.

http://www.journaltribune.com/news/2018-04-25/Sports/McCrum_leaves_Lafayette_will_head_to_Bowdoin.html

Harriman was a great coach, and had a great run at Bates. It's easy to forget just how horrible Bates football was before he got there and made Bates competitive more years than not. I don't think he will be easy to replace, but inheriting a talented QB who is likely to start for the next three years behind certainly helps.

Next year looks like a very competitive one in NESCAC, and one of the most interesting in recent memory. Trinity is loaded once again, but QB is the big question mark (of course there is plenty of talent on hand to choose from). Amherst brings its entire defense back, basically, and should be really tough especially on that side of the ball. Wesleyan has a star QB and plenty of talent around him on both sides of the ball, although does suffer major losses at WR. Middlebury will just keep trucking it appears with plenty of QBand WR talent, as always, in the pipeline. Williams is obviously a team very much on the rise behind a loaded sophomore class, very few losses suffered to graduation, although the Ephs won't take anyone by surprise this year. Tufts has its star QB back and has firmly established iself in the top tier of NESCAC, but the Jumbos do suffer big losses on from a stellar defensive line. Hamilton brings basically its entire squad back and at some point is gonna have some breakthrough wins, if those come next year it would not be a big shock. Bowdoin brings nearly everyone back as well and adds the intriguing QB transfer, seems like they will at least be a bit more competitive. Colby and Bates will have new coaching staffs so they are the big unknowns heading into the year.

quicksilver · April 25, 2018, 10:42:07 AM

Quote from: polbear73 on April 25, 2018, 09:23:36 AM
Former Maine high school standout quarterback Austin McCrum will transfer from Lafayette to Bowdoin this upcoming Fall.

Good to see from the article that NESCAC1 posted that Austin McCrum will have 3 years of eligibility left . .

polbear73 · April 25, 2018, 10:47:44 AM

Quote from: quicksilver on April 25, 2018, 10:42:07 AM
Quote from: polbear73 on April 25, 2018, 09:23:36 AM
Former Maine high school standout quarterback Austin McCrum will transfer from Lafayette to Bowdoin this upcoming Fall.

Good to see from the article that NESCAC1 posted that Austin McCrum will have 3 years of eligibility left . .

No playing time at Lafayette but high school highlights indicate a pro style with a strong arm. Listed at 6'4, 225 at Lafayette.

amh63 · April 25, 2018, 11:38:05 AM

Bowdoin's QB gain benefited from Midd's stocking up on QBs...mytake

Agree with Nescac1's comment on a competitive conference next year. Will add that Amherst's offensive side has many contributing players, including WRs and RBs. One top back, Hickey, was held out late in the Williams game, a loss in OT, due to an injury. Lots of big OLs return too

Oh yes QBs too with mucho game experience.
On the down side, info wrt Amherst's recruits is scarce at this time. Amherst's new SID is swamped with the Spring sports, it appears. Classes end this Friday. WEATHER delaying or shorting Spring games primarily to CAC games.
Wait, an apology to the SID....Amherst is filling the news cycle....to alums for contributions as it's Capital Campaign surges forth. Hey, I gave to the Athletic Fund..need some football news!

maineman · April 25, 2018, 11:45:13 AM

It sounds like they may have red shirted McCrum for his first year and then used up one year of eligibility during his second year before leaving Lafayette in December and taking the next semester off.