FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[faunch]

The scene in Collegeville today is pretty amazing and touching

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

[
1. Mark Dienhart = Never been Athletic Director at UST - Currently holds the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer (believe he has held this position since 2001) He was however the Athletic Director at the U of M - So - I don't think he had anything to do with the Don Roney hire - Not sure about the Caruso hire - I do believe he was on the search committee though. - Also, if I have a vote - it's that Dienhart be selected as UST's new President!

2. Steve Fritz was the Athletic Director at the time of Don Roney's hire - Pretty sure he made the decision. 

Yup, DIenhart has never been AD and never will be @ UST, despite Sid Hartman's contention that all UST athletic success is directly resultant from brilliant decsions by AD Dienhart. His only direct contribution to athletic success @ UST since leaving/being run out at the U of MN has been the play of his 2 daughters on the soccer and basketball teams.

Roney's hire and subsequent  replacement by Caruso both are part of the Steve Fritz legacy as AD. The big factors in the decision to go with Roney over the olther finalist were (1) he was part of the staff; (2) he was an alum; (3) the other guy's only head coaching experience was at the HS level; and (4) the other guy was an alum of "that other school".  I doubt that same mistake would be made today.

[Retired Old Rat]

As a legend in my own mind, I feel free to pontificate on this board to my heart's content.  So, here goes:

What DuffMan and sfury said gets five stars.

[sjusection105]

The scene in Collegeville today is pretty amazing and touching

Are you up there interviewing for the football coaching job? 

[carletonsid]

The scene in Collegeville today is pretty amazing and touching

Are you up there interviewing for the football coaching job? 

I believe the funeral for the Cold Spring police offer killed over the weekend is happening at SJU today.

[sjusection105]

The scene in Collegeville today is pretty amazing and touching

Are you up there interviewing for the football coaching job? 

I believe the funeral for the Cold Spring police offer killed over the weekend is happening at SJU today.

Boy, do I feel like an jerk- no disrespect intended. 

[OzJohnnie]

I suspect you all don't really care that much, but I'm fascinated by how nasty this spider bite has been. It's day six since the bite and he swelling is starting to go down. The swelling near my left ear is gone this morning and the inflammation near my (receding) hairline is no longer as tender or swollen. Just the eye remains and that hurts like a bugger.  Not an itch but a burning, stabbing pain. If this happens to me again ill be pretty p-o'ed, but this one time is interesting.



Needless to say, it's a little embarrassing working the day looking like a bed UFC fighter. Thank God I don't have a job in the media.

[DuffMan]

Oz, did you find out what kind of arachnid bit you?

[AO]

I suspect you all don't really care that much, but I'm fascinated by how nasty this spider bite has been. It's day six since the bite and he swelling is starting to go down. The swelling near my left ear is gone this morning and the inflammation near my (receding) hairline is no longer as tender or swollen. Just the eye remains and that hurts like a bugger.  Not an itch but a burning, stabbing pain. If this happens to me again ill be pretty p-o'ed, but this one time is interesting.

Needless to say, it's a little embarrassing working the day looking like a bed UFC fighter. Thank God I don't have a job in the media.

If there's one thing I've learned from watching the UFC is that there's enough randomness in each fight that even the superstars will look like that at some point in their career.  Just tell 'em to have a gander at what you did to the other guy.

[carletonsid]

As a legend in my own mind, I feel free to pontificate on this board to my heart's content.  So, here goes:

What DuffMan and sfury said gets five stars.

Isn't the real challenge, with any search at most (if not all) of our institutions, finding that person who can make the connections back to the alumni and make those former players feel some ownership in the program's success, while at the same time putting your own stamp on the program in doing it "your way?" Otherwise, if a coach tries to be someone he or she is not, it comes across as unauthentic and likely means no long-term, sustained success.

All I know about the SJU search is that you have a wonderful president in Michael Hemesath. While he may not be intimately involved in the process, he certainly sets the tone in what he thinks is best for the institution. I guess I'll be pretty stunned if SJU doesn't get this hire right.

Finally, there's a part of me that just thinks this down cycle (in comparison) for SJU Football is just that - a cycle. Obviously UST is way up, and Bethel has put together a strong run and St. Olaf and Concordia are right there, too. I think SJU can get back to being a MIAC force with the right person and some resources in place, but a good healthy dose of patience won't hurt, either.

[SJUrube]

IMHO If you want to rebuild a program that enters the National conversation, then the storied and proud tradition of SJU football needs to ask themselves what they are willing to give up.  What traditions can you let go of?  Any coach worthy of National relevance will want to set their own table.  It's a out with the old and in with the new story. 

Dienhart was the last successful coach at UST.  He moved to AD and hired Don Roney - a hire that was from within the clubhouse and kept the UST traditions (of the time) alive.  Didn't work out.  In his second hire at UST he's scraped the old boys club and went with Caruso.  Dienhart has given Caruso the keys to remapping program and now we have a song and a bell......both of which are "traditions" that date back to 2008.  Old teams and players become irrelevant - the future is the focus.

In the same theme, I believe PJ Theisen was on the committee that selected Caruso.  Today he couldn't be more irrelevant to Caruso or the program.  In the same vein, SJU has Elliot on the selection committee - where will he stand in the future of the program?  Are SJU alum ready to make Elliot irrelevant?

It's not exactly clear to me what traditions SJU would need to get rid of in order to right the ship after two down years. And yes, it's only been two years. 7-3 in 2010 was by a total of 7 points. Obviously the last two years haven't been pretty. Outside of some of John's "NO's" I can't imagine having the program distance itself from the last 60 years. Do we want kids that play the game hard, are respectful in doing it, honor tradition and are part of the greater SJU community? Put me down for four "yeses."

Sure things need to change but trying to move away from traditions isn't the trick. Part of the traditions are the largest crowds in D3, some of the best players in MIAC history, one of the best in all of D3. I can't imagine any program running away from those pieces.

Caruso has clearly put his mark on the UST program since he came on board. There's no questioning that or his W/L record. I will say though some of my closest friends are UST grads who played at the tail end of the Roney era. As happy as they are to see UST winning games, MIAC titles and advancing in the playoffs they also wish they were more welcomed by the current coach. These are guys who spent 4 years studying at UST, playing football and are now contributing members of their community (hard to believe given their UST degree) and the fact they wish they could be closer to the program is a shame.

St Glenn doesn't have to answer or apologize to me. I'n not a player, alumn or even a fan of him or his team. But I won't be happy if SJU brings in some guy who thinks the program was started the day he was hired.

[OzJohnnie]

Oz, did you find out what kind of arachnid bit you?

No, but due to the fact that the reaction is local we know it wasn't Melbourne's only deadly eight-legged monstrosity, the red back (we also eliminate that spider because I'm not in the hospital on anti-venom):



Red backs are related to the black widow.  That's the female above.  The male was lunch.

[retagent]

Some spider bites can be brutal. A friend of mine got bit by a brown recluse and almost lost his foot. As it was, they had to take out quite a bit of tissue that was killed by the venom. And as you referenced, the black widow is widely known. For such small creatures they are a nasty lot.

[Knightstalker]

Oz, did you find out what kind of arachnid bit you?

No, but due to the fact that the reaction is local we know it wasn't Melbourne's only deadly eight-legged monstrosity, the red back (we also eliminate that spider because I'm not in the hospital on anti-venom):



Red backs are related to the black widow.  That's the female above.  The male was lunch.

Maybe it was a radioactive or genetically mutated spider and you are about to develop spider strength.  If that is the case you would then be a natural for the UFC or the WWE.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Oz, did you find out what kind of arachnid bit you?

No, but due to the fact that the reaction is local we know it wasn't Melbourne's only deadly eight-legged monstrosity, the red back (we also eliminate that spider because I'm not in the hospital on anti-venom):



Red backs are related to the black widow.  That's the female above.  The male was lunch.

Maybe it was a radioactive or genetically mutated spider and you are about to develop spider strength.  If that is the case you would then be a natural for the UFC or the WWE.

OzJohnnie for the (inevitable) Spiderman sequel!

They could do the climax at Ayers Rock (Uluru) - Oz swings down to save the imperiled Christie Brinkley (I've seen 2012 pictures - she is STILL fantastic!).  The villain, of course, is portrayed by Glenn Caruso!