FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[lumbercat]

Midhoops-

No issues here. I was responding a little tongue in cheek to the LOL comment on Waterville which I thought came from Bucket but maybe I misread the heading. Seemed a little uppity and ironically made me think of the late Russ Reilly and his reaction to similar snobbish responses which often
seemed to emanate from Amherst during his great tenure at Middlebury. Loved to hear him rant about Amherst snobbery and how much he loved to beat them. Fun memory of a great guy-Bobcat and Panther.

[AmherstStudent05]

Midhoops-

No issues here. I was responding a little tongue in cheek to the LOL comment on Waterville which I thought came from Bucket but maybe I misread the heading. Seemed a little uppity and ironically made me think of the late Russ Reilly and his reaction to similar snobbish responses which often
seemed to emanate from Amherst during his great tenure at Middlebury. Love to hear him rant about Amherst snobbery and how much he loved to beat them. Fun memory of a great guy-Bobcat and Panther.

Amherst snobbery. Those were the days!

[Bucket]

Public Service Announcement...we highly endorse this event coming up and encourage all of our fellow boardsters in the NY Metro area to attend:

"Brains and Brawn–The NESCAC at 50: Pondering the Past and Future of the Sweatiest of the Liberal Arts"
A Williams Club program at The Penn Club, 30 West 44th St, NY, NY 6:00pm, November 2nd, 2022

Background

Decades before there was a baseball World Series, two of this group of elite colleges staged the first collegiate contest in the National Pastime. These schools produced the country's All-American quarterback in the Roaring Twenties and a slew of All-American soccer players -- when there was no division between major colleges and small ones -- not to mention Olympic and Boston Marathon champions. But the competitive landscape changed 50 years ago when the NCAA created a Division III and
presidents of the leading New England small colleges formed NESCAC.

A half century after its founding, the New England Small College Athletic Conference is no rival to the scholarship-granting Division I sports powerhouses. Yet the league sponsors 27 championships and continues to send select players -- and future Front Office personnel -- to the NFL, NBA and pro soccer leagues while yearly dominating the overall performance rankings of Division III athletics...this despite continuing tension on almost all campuses between the desire to win and yet maintain high academic standards. How does the NESCAC do it? Does winning matter? What might the future hold for NCAA Division III sports as well as intercollegiate athletics writ large.

These schools were present at the beginning with the establishment of the first intercollegiate athletics programs in the late 1800's, and evolved into NESCAC during the 1960s, and became the contemporary "gold standard" of the melding of intercollegiate athletics excellence within a framework of high academic standards.

Panelists Bios

Moderator, Tim Layden, a 1978 graduate of Williams College and former mediocre student-athlete, is an award-winning and nationally recognized sports journalist with more than four decades' experience. Layden is currently a Writer-at-Large for NBC Sports, following a 25-year career at Sports Illustrated. Before that, he worked at daily newspapers in Schenectady, NY; Albany, NY; and New York City.

Dr. Daniel Covell is author of The New England Small College Athletic Conference: A History, which was published in 2022 by McFarland & Company to mark NESCAC's 50th anniversary. Covell played football at Bowdoin and is Professor of Sport Management in the College of Business at Western New England University. Education: Ph.D., University of Massachusetts; M.S., University of Massachusetts; B.A., Bowdoin College (1986).

John Biddiscombe served on Wesleyan's athletic staff for 38 years, the final 24 as its director. He was named Division III Athletic Director of the Year for the Northeast Region by the National Association of College Athletic Directors in 1999-2000.

David Hixon is a legendary Amherst College head men's basketball coach, who holds the record for number of wins in a single sport while coaching at Amherst. During his storied 42-season career at his alma mater, Hixon '75, was the third coach in men's basketball history across all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) divisions to surpass the 800-win mark.

Dr. Joanne Berger-Sweeney is Trinity College's President. An accomplished neuroscientist and experienced leader in higher education, she is the 22nd president of Trinity College. The first African American and the first woman to serve as president of
the college, Berger-Sweeney is a champion of a liberal arts education, improving campus equity and diversity, fostering community and global engagement, caring for the school's proud alumni, and preparing students to lead bold and transformative lives. Under Berger-Sweeney's leadership, the College has experienced notable markers of success across finance, student success, sustainability, and designing a distinctive, relevant liberal arts education. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Wellesley College, her M.P.H. in environmental health sciences from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Ph.D. in neurotoxicology from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Tickets
Admission only with prior registration & includes a wine reception. Williams Club Members' tickets are $ 15 and nonmembers, $25. Club Members register via the Members app; non-members register via this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brains-and-brawnthe-nescac-at-50-tickets-439692210237

You lost me at Dave "Box out, guys" Hixon.

[Charlie]

Sorry to hear that- hope he can get back for the Colby game.

Unfortunately, we've heard that Boel's 2022 season is over. Feel really bad for him.

We're sure that will lead to another post from "Charlie" talking about the possibility of a Boel medical redshirt.

Unfortunate that he got hurt. No reason for sarcasm I was only asking a question.

[JEFFFAN]

Public Service Announcement...we highly endorse this event coming up and encourage all of our fellow boardsters in the NY Metro area to attend:

"Brains and Brawn–The NESCAC at 50: Pondering the Past and Future of the Sweatiest of the Liberal Arts"
A Williams Club program at The Penn Club, 30 West 44th St, NY, NY 6:00pm, November 2nd, 2022

Background

Decades before there was a baseball World Series, two of this group of elite colleges staged the first collegiate contest in the National Pastime. These schools produced the country's All-American quarterback in the Roaring Twenties and a slew of All-American soccer players -- when there was no division between major colleges and small ones -- not to mention Olympic and Boston Marathon champions. But the competitive landscape changed 50 years ago when the NCAA created a Division III and
presidents of the leading New England small colleges formed NESCAC.

A half century after its founding, the New England Small College Athletic Conference is no rival to the scholarship-granting Division I sports powerhouses. Yet the league sponsors 27 championships and continues to send select players -- and future Front Office personnel -- to the NFL, NBA and pro soccer leagues while yearly dominating the overall performance rankings of Division III athletics...this despite continuing tension on almost all campuses between the desire to win and yet maintain high academic standards. How does the NESCAC do it? Does winning matter? What might the future hold for NCAA Division III sports as well as intercollegiate athletics writ large.

These schools were present at the beginning with the establishment of the first intercollegiate athletics programs in the late 1800's, and evolved into NESCAC during the 1960s, and became the contemporary "gold standard" of the melding of intercollegiate athletics excellence within a framework of high academic standards.

Panelists Bios

Moderator, Tim Layden, a 1978 graduate of Williams College and former mediocre student-athlete, is an award-winning and nationally recognized sports journalist with more than four decades' experience. Layden is currently a Writer-at-Large for NBC Sports, following a 25-year career at Sports Illustrated. Before that, he worked at daily newspapers in Schenectady, NY; Albany, NY; and New York City.

Dr. Daniel Covell is author of The New England Small College Athletic Conference: A History, which was published in 2022 by McFarland & Company to mark NESCAC's 50th anniversary. Covell played football at Bowdoin and is Professor of Sport Management in the College of Business at Western New England University. Education: Ph.D., University of Massachusetts; M.S., University of Massachusetts; B.A., Bowdoin College (1986).

John Biddiscombe served on Wesleyan's athletic staff for 38 years, the final 24 as its director. He was named Division III Athletic Director of the Year for the Northeast Region by the National Association of College Athletic Directors in 1999-2000.

David Hixon is a legendary Amherst College head men's basketball coach, who holds the record for number of wins in a single sport while coaching at Amherst. During his storied 42-season career at his alma mater, Hixon '75, was the third coach in men's basketball history across all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) divisions to surpass the 800-win mark.

Dr. Joanne Berger-Sweeney is Trinity College's President. An accomplished neuroscientist and experienced leader in higher education, she is the 22nd president of Trinity College. The first African American and the first woman to serve as president of
the college, Berger-Sweeney is a champion of a liberal arts education, improving campus equity and diversity, fostering community and global engagement, caring for the school's proud alumni, and preparing students to lead bold and transformative lives. Under Berger-Sweeney's leadership, the College has experienced notable markers of success across finance, student success, sustainability, and designing a distinctive, relevant liberal arts education. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Wellesley College, her M.P.H. in environmental health sciences from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Ph.D. in neurotoxicology from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Tickets
Admission only with prior registration & includes a wine reception. Williams Club Members' tickets are $ 15 and nonmembers, $25. Club Members register via the Members app; non-members register via this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brains-and-brawnthe-nescac-at-50-tickets-439692210237

You lost me at Dave "Box out, guys" Hixon.

Yeah, it would be really unfortunate to listen to a coach with this track record:

Hixon compiled a coaching record of 826-293, ranking him 15th in the NCAA men's basketball when he retired in April 2020. He had a winning percentage of .738, good for a 10th place in NCAA Division III history, at the time of his retirement. He was named NABC NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2013.[3] He won national championships with Amherst in 2006-07 and 2012-13.[4] In 2008, he reached the national championship game with his squad, where they suffered defeat to Washington (MO). In 2004, 2006, 2014, 2016, he led Amherst to the national semifinals.[5]

Under his tutelage, Amherst participated in the NCAA national tournament 20 times and compiled a 43-20 postseason record. However, due to New England Small Conference Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rules, his Amherst team was ineligible for NCAA postseason play until 1994. He took on arch rival Williams College 21 times during his coaching career, winning 17.[6]

[lumbercat]

Touche Jeffan-
I knew Hixon was a great one but those stats are truly spectacular. Gotta respect that record.
Just realized I'm actually on the football board but it was good NESCAC basketball digression.

[Pat Coleman]

As long as Hixon coached, it can't be possible that his teams only played Williams 21 times, right?

[SpringSt7]

Would be just about impossible—they have each other on the schedule twice a year and it has averaged closer to 3 for most years.

[nescac1]

I did a quick count, so may be off by a game or two, but I believe that Hixon went 53-48 against Williams -- including 0-5 in the NCAA tournament. 

[Nescacman]

Public Service Announcement...we highly endorse this event coming up and encourage all of our fellow boardsters in the NY Metro area to attend:

"Brains and Brawn–The NESCAC at 50: Pondering the Past and Future of the Sweatiest of the Liberal Arts"
A Williams Club program at The Penn Club, 30 West 44th St, NY, NY 6:00pm, November 2nd, 2022

Background

Decades before there was a baseball World Series, two of this group of elite colleges staged the first collegiate contest in the National Pastime. These schools produced the country's All-American quarterback in the Roaring Twenties and a slew of All-American soccer players -- when there was no division between major colleges and small ones -- not to mention Olympic and Boston Marathon champions. But the competitive landscape changed 50 years ago when the NCAA created a Division III and
presidents of the leading New England small colleges formed NESCAC.

A half century after its founding, the New England Small College Athletic Conference is no rival to the scholarship-granting Division I sports powerhouses. Yet the league sponsors 27 championships and continues to send select players -- and future Front Office personnel -- to the NFL, NBA and pro soccer leagues while yearly dominating the overall performance rankings of Division III athletics...this despite continuing tension on almost all campuses between the desire to win and yet maintain high academic standards. How does the NESCAC do it? Does winning matter? What might the future hold for NCAA Division III sports as well as intercollegiate athletics writ large.

These schools were present at the beginning with the establishment of the first intercollegiate athletics programs in the late 1800's, and evolved into NESCAC during the 1960s, and became the contemporary "gold standard" of the melding of intercollegiate athletics excellence within a framework of high academic standards.

Panelists Bios

Moderator, Tim Layden, a 1978 graduate of Williams College and former mediocre student-athlete, is an award-winning and nationally recognized sports journalist with more than four decades' experience. Layden is currently a Writer-at-Large for NBC Sports, following a 25-year career at Sports Illustrated. Before that, he worked at daily newspapers in Schenectady, NY; Albany, NY; and New York City.

Dr. Daniel Covell is author of The New England Small College Athletic Conference: A History, which was published in 2022 by McFarland & Company to mark NESCAC's 50th anniversary. Covell played football at Bowdoin and is Professor of Sport Management in the College of Business at Western New England University. Education: Ph.D., University of Massachusetts; M.S., University of Massachusetts; B.A., Bowdoin College (1986).

John Biddiscombe served on Wesleyan's athletic staff for 38 years, the final 24 as its director. He was named Division III Athletic Director of the Year for the Northeast Region by the National Association of College Athletic Directors in 1999-2000.

David Hixon is a legendary Amherst College head men's basketball coach, who holds the record for number of wins in a single sport while coaching at Amherst. During his storied 42-season career at his alma mater, Hixon '75, was the third coach in men's basketball history across all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) divisions to surpass the 800-win mark.

Dr. Joanne Berger-Sweeney is Trinity College's President. An accomplished neuroscientist and experienced leader in higher education, she is the 22nd president of Trinity College. The first African American and the first woman to serve as president of
the college, Berger-Sweeney is a champion of a liberal arts education, improving campus equity and diversity, fostering community and global engagement, caring for the school's proud alumni, and preparing students to lead bold and transformative lives. Under Berger-Sweeney's leadership, the College has experienced notable markers of success across finance, student success, sustainability, and designing a distinctive, relevant liberal arts education. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Wellesley College, her M.P.H. in environmental health sciences from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Ph.D. in neurotoxicology from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Tickets
Admission only with prior registration & includes a wine reception. Williams Club Members' tickets are $ 15 and nonmembers, $25. Club Members register via the Members app; non-members register via this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brains-and-brawnthe-nescac-at-50-tickets-439692210237

You lost me at Dave "Box out, guys" Hixon.

Yeah, it would be really unfortunate to listen to a coach with this track record:

Hixon compiled a coaching record of 826-293, ranking him 15th in the NCAA men's basketball when he retired in April 2020. He had a winning percentage of .738, good for a 10th place in NCAA Division III history, at the time of his retirement. He was named NABC NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2013.[3] He won national championships with Amherst in 2006-07 and 2012-13.[4] In 2008, he reached the national championship game with his squad, where they suffered defeat to Washington (MO). In 2004, 2006, 2014, 2016, he led Amherst to the national semifinals.[5]

Under his tutelage, Amherst participated in the NCAA national tournament 20 times and compiled a 43-20 postseason record. However, due to New England Small Conference Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rules, his Amherst team was ineligible for NCAA postseason play until 1994. He took on arch rival Williams College 21 times during his coaching career, winning 17.[6]

Very impressive, even for a Lord Jeff (definitely not a Mammoth!)...

Unfortunately, we can't attend due to conflicts but we have some personal connectivity to the speaker panel...had the pleasure of playing for Coach Biddie for 4 years @ Wes...great guy, great coach, great friend, and of course, a NJ legend...also played against Dr. Covell when he played for the Polars...pretty cool and we ordered the book too...will keep it right next to our signed Coach Farley book in our library...

[jumpshot]

Yet another nice try by jefffan caught by multiple knowledgeable folks....

[JEFFFAN]

I did a quick count, so may be off by a game or two, but I believe that Hixon went 53-48 against Williams -- including 0-5 in the NCAA tournament.

That makes more sense, NESCAC, thanks for researching.  All in all, an impressive - and fun - career for Hixon.

[SpringSt7]

As a Williams fan it felt way worse than 53-48

[Vandy74]

Yet another nice try by jefffan caught by multiple knowledgeable folks....

Actually he just got his facts confused.  If you search "Dave Hixon vs Williams college basketball" the first link brought up informs you that his teams defeated the Ephs in 17 of their last 21 meetings. 

[BigKat]

These are all numbers both teams would drool over scoring wise in their upcoming football game. First to 14 wins