MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wally_wabash]

It's coach of the year, not coach of the six years.  I've already stated that I think Moore will win that award, but not because of anything he's done prior to the 2009-2010 season.  If Moore does win the award because of an accumulation of league championships over the last handful of years, then the voters are missing the boat.  And if we're going to award coach of the year based on prior accomplishments, then nobody in the league should be winning the award other than Coach Petty because the last time I checked, he's the only one who has hung The Banner in his school's gym. 

There is debate over POY.  It seems a little easier when you elect to ignore 1/3 of the season which many seem to think is ok.  I think it's irresponsible.  The award will go to either Franks or Smith and both are deserving players.  Let's let the tournament decide! 

[ScotsFan]

Geez.  You're the one that said you thought he would win the freaking award to begin with?!  I'm not talking about Moore winning the award based on past accomplishments wally.  I'm talking about maintaining.  It's not as though the Scots just coasted to another league championship.  It's not as though Moore clearly has the most talent in the league. Yet, there he is, once again, guiding his team to their 6th straight conference championship.  And not only did they win the conference, they did it by a whopping 3 games!

[wally_wabash]

I don't know you reconcile this:

I'm not talking about Moore winning the award based on past accomplishments

with this:

I just don't see anyone else that jumps out at me that would make me say, yes, that warrants coach of the year honors more than a coach who has now guided his team to an NCAC record 6 straight conference titles and counting!

Coach of the Year is hermetically sealed...last year or the year before or the year before can't matter.  If the voters are going to factor in past league championships, then this award is a bigger farce than the PotW awards are. 

[ScotsFan]

And I'm not saying that the voters are taking all of those past championships into consideration.  I am saying that they may be taking into consideration how difficult it is MAINTAINING as I said above.  It's hard enough to repeat or three-peat when we're talking about winning conference championships.  But to place his team atop the league for 6 straight years takes good coaching.  And not only did he win the conference, he basically ran away from the conference this season.

Furthermore, wrt the award being a farce ala the PotW?   IMO, awarding the COY to a coach for supposedly over achieving with a 7-9 league mark would be PotW-like...

[wabashsid]

I almost never post on any of the boards, but I felt this was worth pointing out. Mac Petty has never won a Coach of the Year Award in any conference Wabash has belonged to in his 34 years as a head coach. The argument has either been "he's done what he's expected to do because he's a good coach" or "well his team didn't win the conference tournament or didn't win the regular season title, so he's not really eligible for the award."

Now fortunately wiser decisions have been made in some of those seasons and he's received Regional Coach of the Year honors from the NABC, but not one Conference Coach of the Year in the ICAC, HCAC, or NCAC. In fact, he won NABC DIII Midwest Region Coach of the Year honors in 1996-97 after guiding Wabash to a 24-5 record after a 12-12 season the previous year. His reward --- watching Rose-Hulman Coach Jim Shaw receive ICAC Coach of the Year honors. I've known Mac for almost 30 years now. No one is more deserving for Coach of the Year honors in the NCAC. Campaign over, now it's back to the shadows for me. Brent Harris

[wally_wabash]

And I'm not saying that the voters are taking all of those past championships into consideration.  I am saying that they may be taking into consideration how difficult it is MAINTAINING as I said above.  It's hard enough to repeat or three-peat when we're talking about winning conference championships.  But to place his team atop the league for 6 straight years takes good coaching.  And not only did he win the conference, he basically ran away from the conference this season.

Furthermore, wrt the award being a farce ala the PotW?   IMO, awarding the COY to a coach for supposedly over achieving with a 7-9 league mark would be PotW-like...

Your logic still hinges on past seasons affecting the way voters should view what happened in 2009-2010, which I think is erroneous.  I don't care if they want to name the award after Steve Moore.  I don't care if they want to mold the award as miniature (or gigantic) statue of Steve Moore.  Just award the thing to the guy who did the best job this year.  If the vote happens this instant, I'd expect a vote for Coach Moore because he won the league by three games.  I don't think that can be ignored.  If they vote after the tournament (which is responsible...again, why ignore a part of the season?) and Petty or Clune are the last coach standing, then I think it would be more than appropriate to award either of them. 

And Coach Petty was totally hosed in '96-'97!  That team won the ICAC tournament in RHIT's gym/airplane hangar.  And the ICAC was wicked hard in the late 90s...there were no gimmes in that league at that time.  I hadn't realized that he has never won a CotY award...that's amazing, frankly. 

[smedindy]

To me, coach of the year should be the coach that got the most out of his team - the coach that helped his team rise above expectations - and the coach that guided his team to improvement from the past season and during the season.

To me, the coaches that deserve this are:

Mac Petty - When the LG's started out 2-4, and then were 4-5 with an 0-2 NCAC record, many thought they'd be fighting for a home tourney game. Well, they're #2 seed. 13-2 in 2010!

Rob Clune - They were 6-8, 3-3 in the NCAC and looking at another sub .500 season. But they finished with 8 out of their last 10 and this LG fan was happy that we played the Gators just once this year!

Bill Brown - An under .500 Witt team the previous year somewhat shattered the notion of Witt's perennial excellence in the NCAC. Brown did one of the hardest jobs in sports - correcting a downward spiral of a program.

That's how I'd vote 'em...

[David Collinge]

Nominations for the all-conference teams were submitted last week, and voting begins (and, I'd guess, ends) today.  As noted before, the coaches get no specific voting instructions beyond "don't vote for your own players," but the timing suggests that the awards are for regular-season performance (AJ Sutherlin breathes a sigh of relief).  As for whether basing a conference award on conference action is "irresponsible," well, I guess I have the exact opposite feeling.

[wally_wabash]

It's a shame that all of this voting takes place before the three biggest games of the year.  Why the rush to vote on this stuff?  And really, why should coaches be spending any time the day before the tournament voting on this?  Why not play out the tournament and see who gets it done with the bid on the line?

[fantastic50]

For those planning to attend the Kenyon-Wooster game tomorrow night, tickets are $7 (or $5 for those holding NCAC passes).  Tickets will go on sale when the gates open at 6:00; there will be no pre-sale.

[David Collinge]

The handbook does not state when the voting on all this stuff closes, and I don't know how exactly it all works.  (I feel like I used to have an email on this subject, but I can't find it.)  There are rounds of voting: the first team is selected, then the second team, then the HMs; the POY is selected from the first team; the NOY is supposed to be the newcomer that fares best in the all-conference voting, but that's not hard and fast (and none may achieve that honor); nevertheless that must take place after the all-conf. teams are finalized. 

Despite the sequential nature of this process, I can envision a coach taking care of all this business in one fax/email, and letting the conference staff sort it all out.  They already have a list of nominees from which to vote.  Because of the timing, I expect that the coaches take care of this stuff today, and then turn their attention to tomorrow's game.  But that's purely speculation on my part.  All I know for sure* is that the voting "begins" today (the Monday before the NCAC tournament.)

By the way, the coaches do get guidance for how to cast their ballots for Coach of the Year:

Each coach shall vote for a Coach of the Year based upon team record, improvement, sportsmanship and professionalism.

Take that for whatever it may be worth.

*That is, unless the handbook has been updated in the last two or three years, since I last saw a copy.

[pennstghs]

Tiger Up Witt!!!!

Hopefully Witt will replicate their gameplan and performance the last time around against Hiram.

Quick thought: If we can get enough interest (i.e. more than me, wally, ScotsFan and DC), can we start up the Pick Em next year?

[ScotsFan]

Quick thought: If we can get enough interest (i.e. more than me, wally, ScotsFan and DC), can we start up the Pick Em next year?

I think the problem with the pick em is getting someone to run it.  I'd bet you'd have more than just the usual suspects join in if someone just took over the reigns to start it up.

[ScotsFan]

To me, coach of the year should be the coach that got the most out of his team - the coach that helped his team rise above expectations - and the coach that guided his team to improvement from the past season and during the season.

Wooster didn't exactly get off to a hot start.  They were 2-3 at one point in the season before winning 18 of their last 20 to finish the season.

[WooHoopsntrack01]

Let's Go SCOTS!!!!!!