MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[wcbsas]

Jenkins made 1st team all conference as a receiver.

He made the American Football Coaches Association's All-American team as a punter.

He's a stud receiver.  It looks like he led the league in receptions, touchdowns and receiving yards.  His receiving yards per game was 50 more than anyone else (121 to 73).

I'm not going to pretend I know what it takes to prepare for the NFL, the combine or pro days, but I'm sure it's not as hard for a punter as it is for running back, quarterback or receiver, for that matter.

Whatever happens, happens.  I'd love to see Jenkins in a basketball uniform. 

Glad to hear Semling isn't on the final list of candidates for the GB job.  If he got it, I'd be mad, but I'd wish him the best of luck without hesitation.

How does Jenkins compare as a receiver to the Brandes kid from UWW?

[Pioneer Hoops Fan]

Jenkins made 1st team all conference as a receiver.

He made the American Football Coaches Association's All-American team as a punter.

He's a stud receiver.  It looks like he led the league in receptions, touchdowns and receiving yards.  His receiving yards per game was 50 more than anyone else (121 to 73).

I'm not going to pretend I know what it takes to prepare for the NFL, the combine or pro days, but I'm sure it's not as hard for a punter as it is for running back, quarterback or receiver, for that matter.

Whatever happens, happens.  I'd love to see Jenkins in a basketball uniform. 

Glad to hear Semling isn't on the final list of candidates for the GB job.  If he got it, I'd be mad, but I'd wish him the best of luck without hesitation.

How does Jenkins compare as a receiver to the Brandes kid from UWW?

Again, going by my buddies word, he compares Jenkins to a Derek Stanley type.  He was drafted 7th round and played for the Rams.  He says he's an absolute stud, and I don't think he was talking about his punting ability.

Also, rumor has it that Oshkosh could've had Jenkins.  Wanted to go there but the hiccup came from Van Dellen.  He wouldn't allow him to play both sports....Advantage, Stevens Point.

[Greek Tragedy]

Khalifa El-Amin and Drew Jackson went to Milwaukee Rufus King, as did Jared Jenkins.  He was two years behind them.  It's also a good possibility that they knew each other and they told Jenkins some good things about the program.  So that may have helped as well.

[badgerwarhawk]

Of the five candidates I would rank them:

1. Gard
2. Grzesk
3. Harris
4. Moser
5. Wardle

I'm not sure how Harris, Moser and Wardle are on the list before Semling although I suspect it is partially due to Semling telling Bothof ... decide yes or no, don't twist me in the wind!

It's interesting that of the six known candidates Semling is the only one not a finalist.  Obviously I don't know what went down though it suggests that while he was a candidate he was never a serious contender for the job.  Of course it's also possible that Semling told Bothof that he wanted to withdraw his name and remain at Stevens Point.  The Phoenix job pays roughly three times what he makes at Point. 

At any rate it's a good thing for Point and not such a good thing for the rest of us.

[John Gleich]

Of the five candidates I would rank them:

1. Gard
2. Grzesk
3. Harris
4. Moser
5. Wardle

I'm not sure how Harris, Moser and Wardle are on the list before Semling although I suspect it is partially due to Semling telling Bothof ... decide yes or no, don't twist me in the wind!

It's interesting that of the six known candidates Semling is the only one not a finalist.  Obviously I don't know what went down though it suggests that while he was a candidate he was never a serious contender for the job.  Of course it's also possible that Semling told Bothof that he wanted to withdraw his name and remain at Stevens Point.  The Phoenix job pays roughly three times what he makes at Point. 

At any rate it's a good thing for Point and not such a good thing for the rest of us.

This is mere speculation...

I think that Semling would likely say that it doesn't hurt anything to hear Bothof's marketing schpiel for the Green Bay job even if Sem knew there was little to know chance that he would accept the position even if offered.  I mean, Sem has a ton coming back from the national championship team, and the situation isn't pristine at Green Bay compared to other programs in the league.  Plus, I know that Sem likes Point a lot and a move to GB would, well, involve a move to GB.  Grzesk wouldn't have to move at all.

Now, I fully understand that, especially in the coaching profession if you take a new job, you're likely going to have to move in 90+% of the cases, but it's a factor.

Anyway, I think probably that Bothof told Semling that he would like to discuss the position, and as they were both going to be in Indianapolis, it made sense (after, of course, the formalities of getting permission from Frank O'Brien, etc).  I don't think that Semling was seeking out the position or was looking to leave and I think the fact that he wasn't a finalist is proof of that.  I think it's similar to when Coach Bennett was talked about with the Milwaukee job after the '05 season.  I don't remember if Jack ever even talked to Milwaukee about that job.  I think I remember hearing him say he wouldn't be against at least considering it...  if it turned out to be a perfect situation, then it might be worth it, but you don't know if you don't hear about it. 

I think Sem was likely in the same situation...  His full intentions were probably to stay at Point where he's been very successful and everything points to continuing to be successful for some time, but if Green Bay was going to pay him $7 million dollars then he might have to make the move.

It seemed to me that Bothof reached out to Sem, the same way that he reached out to Soderberg.  Brad has only been at his school in St. Louis for 1 year and didn't feel it was right even to hear about the GB job and I respect that too.  I don't know that Soderberg would have been in Indy (I would assume not because Lindenwood is NAIA and not NCAA, but that's just speculation as well) so it would have required a trip to GB.

I think there's validity in the fact that the GB job isn't a landing point but a jumping off point to bigger things.  That's why it's attractive to assistants but might not be to guys who already are head coaches.

[wcbsas]

It's interesting that of the six known candidates Semling is the only one not a finalist.  Obviously I don't know what went down though it suggests that while he was a candidate he was never a serious contender for the job.  Of course it's also possible that Semling told Bothof that he wanted to withdraw his name and remain at Stevens Point.  The Phoenix job pays roughly three times what he makes at Point. 

At any rate it's a good thing for Point and not such a good thing for the rest of us.

I think Semling may have figured out he was not THE guy or asked Bothof for something such as a quick decision and decided to withdraw his name when he determined it wasn't going to happen.

[Gregory Sager]

I think there's validity in the fact that the GB job isn't a landing point but a jumping off point to bigger things.  That's why it's attractive to assistants but might not be to guys who already are head coaches.

In D1 coaching terms that's certainly true, but D3 head coaching jobs are also looked upon by a great many coaches as not a landing point but a jumping-off point to bigger things, too. And that's true even if you've just won the D3 national championship. In fact, for a lot of coaches winning the D3 national championship would be the ideal bullet point on the resume when applying for a D1 job (see: Ryan, Bo; Flannery, Pat; Giannini, John; Lonergan, Mike; Paulsen, Dave).

Now, Semling may be one of those guys who loves his school, loves his program, and has every intention of becoming a D3 lifer. Or he may simply have looked at the UWGB situation and said, "This is hardly ideal. There's a lot of negatives involved with taking the UWGB job, and if I simply play my cards close to the vest a better opportunity at a scholie school might turn up." After all, that better opportunity might turn up a year from now instead of this off-season, and if Semling were to take the UWGB job he could be locked into it for the same reason you indicate that Brad Soderberg is currently locked into the Lindenwood job: It looks bad for a coach to cut and run after only one season.

I know that you're a Point guy, and you may view the UWSP job as some sort of career pinnacle, and I suppose that in some sense if you're a Wisconsinite and you are comfortable with the idea of being a D3 lifer, it certainly could be. But there's an awful lot of D3 coaches out there who don't think that way, especially among the younger ranks. To them, a D3 head coaching job, no matter where the program is and how successful it may be, is only one rung on the career ladder -- and a lower rung, at that.

Semling's in his early fifties, so he may be immune to that sort of thinking. Given his age, UWSP might be a terminal position for him. That may be a consideration in staying at UWSP rather than going to UWGB; there's much better job security to be had in his current job than in running the Phoenix program. But I think it's naive to think that most ambitious coaches view D3 as a destination rather than as a launching pad. For them, a D3 head coaching job is just as much of a way station on the road to something "better" as the UWGB head coaching is.

[old_hooper]

If Gard accepts the UWGB job then that leaves open the assistant job at UW...at a higher salary then Semling makes at Point, does he have a connection to Bo?

[Just Bill]

If Gard accepts the UWGB job then that leaves open the assistant job at UW...at a higher salary then Semling makes at Point, does he have a connection to Bo?

Semling is not in Bo's inner circle as far as I am aware.  And Bo keeps a very tight inner circle.  I suspect he wouldn't have offered to make a phone call to UWGB on Gard's behalf if he didn't have one of "his" other guys waiting in the wings.

[wcbsas]

If Gard accepts the UWGB job then that leaves open the assistant job at UW...at a higher salary then Semling makes at Point, does he have a connection to Bo?

Semling is not in Bo's inner circle as far as I am aware.  And Bo keeps a very tight inner circle.  I suspect he wouldn't have offered to make a phone call to UWGB on Gard's behalf if he didn't have one of "his" other guys waiting in the wings.

Gard is Bo's primary recruiter.  I don't see Semling filling that role.

[jimhoops1234]

Does Bo bring back Will from NDSU?  Even if he might not be ready?

Who goes with Gard as assistants to UWGB?

[chmarx]

I think in general, a D1 program is going to prefer a D1 top assistant as head coach if they can get one.  Bo Ryan worked out well at UW-Milwaukee, but rebuilding a D1 program is a difficult task.

[bulk19]

I just finished a book, Bo Ryan: Another Hill To Climb, published in 2008, if I recall correctly, by sportswriter Mike Lucas... A good read, if you are a WSUC/WIAC fan, and in particular a Pioneer fan, who will get the reference to the title...

But in it, Ryan has obvious praises for Gard, dating back to their days together in Platteville, and into the Badger years as well...

[wcbsas]

Does Bo bring back Will from NDSU?  Even if he might not be ready?

Who goes with Gard as assistants to UWGB?

I bet Gard keeps Wardle (current UWGB assistant and head coaching candidate) as an assistant.

[phoenix_rising]

New position description out for men's head basketball coach: bachelor's degree is required, masters is desireable.  Sounds suspiciously tailored to me.