FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[GoldandBlueBU]

One could say Mike Grant has NFL ties.

One could also say Chris Meidt has NFL ties.


Developing......

That name came to my mind first in regard to the NFL connection as well. 

Would SJU really hire a BU grad though? On top of that, not even a BU grad who is known as a good guy, but rather a BU grad who has earned a reputation of being a Richard?

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Looks like we could have 3 new HCs in the MIAC (4 if you count Pagel)-- the Strib this morning noted that Jerry Olszewski is one of the 3 finalists for the Augustana job (sorry johnnies, Caruso didnt even inquire about the opening).

If I was SJU, I'd worry more about recruiting in its area before casting my eyes nationally. Having grown up 20 miles from Collegeville, it still amazes me the number of talented players within 30-45 miles of there who end up elsewhere. My favorite is a kid from my hometown, All-State DE. I'd heard thru the hometown grapevine that SJU hadnt contacted him but several other MIAC school had. I happened to mention the kid on an unnamed SJU asistant, and was told "we looked at him but he doesnt fit our defensive scheme, so it would take 2-3 years to convert him to OL and probably wouldnt be worth the effort." The kid turned down schollys from NE and UND among others, took one at the U of MN, briefly made the NFL Jets taxi squad-- all that as a DE. The kid's bckup school if D-I didnt work out ended up being UST. when I asked why he said "they wanted me, and wanted me to play DE"

[sfury]

Oz, Linnemann's not on the committee. He was just speaking at the luncheon. He's busy opening a few dozen Target stores in Canada.

[faunch]

Looks like we could have 3 new HCs in the MIAC (4 if you count Pagel)-- the Strib this morning noted that Jerry Olszewski is one of the 3 finalists for the Augustana job (sorry johnnies, Caruso didnt even inquire about the opening).

If I was SJU, I'd worry more about recruiting in its area before casting my eyes nationally. Having grown up 20 miles from Collegeville, it still amazes me the number of talented players within 30-45 miles of there who end up elsewhere. My favorite is a kid from my hometown, All-State DE. I'd heard thru the hometown grapevine that SJU hadnt contacted him but several other MIAC school had. I happened to mention the kid on an unnamed SJU asistant, and was told "we looked at him but he doesnt fit our defensive scheme, so it would take 2-3 years to convert him to OL and probably wouldnt be worth the effort." The kid turned down schollys from NE and UND among others, took one at the U of MN, briefly made the NFL Jets taxi squad-- all that as a DE. The kid's bckup school if D-I didnt work out ended up being UST. when I asked why he said "they wanted me, and wanted me to play DE"

That in a nutshell is one of the biggest issues in the SJU recruiting game.

[ron doney]

I've always been perplexed that SJU and UST haven't had more of a draw from regional Catholic schools. If they can get 6 kids from STA, TG, and CDH, then why can't they pull a kid from Heelan High in Sioux City consistently?  Like Mount Union supposedly gets Ohio State misses, why doesn't SJU and UST get Notre Dame misses?  Sometimes I think they don't realize the power of their Catholic pull. And I don't expect a power house from these schools alone, but it seems like a no brainier that might turn up a gem every once in a while.

[ron doney]

Reading about the luncheon and posts from SJU alum I see a lot of wants.....where to recruit, making the old SJU new, etc.  I'd say they all add up to a few more MIAC championships in the next decade or two.  Great, but that would fall well short of the run UST has made over the last four years. 

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?

[DuffMan]

All the "Post Pattern" pissing and moaning in the world isn't going to change a thing.  The SJU administration is going to hire who they want to hire, and if they fall flat on their faces, the responsibility is going to lie soley on them.  So, I'm just going to sit back, see what happens, and save my judgement after I see the results.  This might not be the way MUC or UWW or U$T would go about it, but that doesn't mean that it can't work.  If John Gagliardi has taught us anything, it's that there is no one way to do things.

Besides, how much college coaching experience do any of you have?  Redtooth is that only one that I am aware of that has any whatsoever.  Frankly, many of you didn't even play college ball, which is fine, but just because you think you know what the problem is doesn't mean that you're correct.

[USTBench]

Reading about the luncheon and posts from SJU alum I see a lot of wants.....where to recruit, making the old SJU new, etc.  I'd say they all add up to a few more MIAC championships in the next decade or two.  Great, but that would fall well short of the run UST has made over the last four years. 

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?

That bell (or a bell) was there for a long long time, some UST coach along the way opted not to use it (Be it Roney or someone esle). I think Caruso brought it back.

At least, I walked by one every day on the way to practice. Always curious as to its significance.

[2115 Summit]

Reading about the luncheon and posts from SJU alum I see a lot of wants.....where to recruit, making the old SJU new, etc.  I'd say they all add up to a few more MIAC championships in the next decade or two.  Great, but that would fall well short of the run UST has made over the last four years. 

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?

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. 

Either way - If you want to support your new coach - I do think you need to allow him/her to be able to make all the decisions related to the program/coaching style - and if that means some of the No's are NO longer followed - then so it shall be. 

[sfury]

Reading about the luncheon and posts from SJU alum I see a lot of wants.....where to recruit, making the old SJU new, etc.  I'd say they all add up to a few more MIAC championships in the next decade or two.  Great, but that would fall well short of the run UST has made over the last four years. 

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?

Basically, I just want to say "What Duffman said," because I think he summed everything up perfectly, but I'll prattle on too.

St. Thomas has kicked SJU's ass the past two years (and won 3 in a row, I know). But is it that outrageous to think that keeping some of the SJU football traditions might be more successful than keeping whatever St. Thomas' traditions were before 2008?

Making Blake Elliott irrelevant? I don't even know what that means. Are you talking of phasing out former players because they're not part of the new way? Well, okay, although I don't really understand the reasoning, since this isn't a corporate takeover where you have to fire all the old guys and bring in the new. It's a Division III football program. And again, the people SJU might keep around had a bit more success than the people St. Thomas might have had back in the day. Again, what does making him irrelevant mean? He's not allowed to talk about 2003? His Gagliardi Trophy has to be burned in a ceremony at midfield, after which he'll be escorted off the field and sent back to north Melrose? What are you talking about?

And this line:

I'd say they all add up to a few more MIAC championships in the next decade or two.  Great, but that would fall well short of the run UST has made over the last four years.

We're talking about Whitewater, right? No, St. Thomas? Oh.

Er, I hate to say it, but in the grand scheme of things, if we're talking about national championships being the be all and end all of everything...a few MIAC championships is all the Tommies have done. As of now. Could change, maybe even this year.

But hey, you did know that Dienhart and not Fritz made those hires you talked about, so why shouldn't St. John's follow your advice about finding a new coach? Oh, wait.

[hazzben]

It's Arkansas...they have trouble differentiating whether they're related by blood, marriage, or both

Nicely played +K

Besides, how much college coaching experience do any of you have?  Redtooth is that only one that I am aware of that has any whatsoever.

2 years. And based on this, I hereby nominate Tim Brewster for the SJU position. As a Bethel grad and fan, I could solidly support that decision by the committee. 

[USTBench]

Reading about the luncheon and posts from SJU alum I see a lot of wants.....where to recruit, making the old SJU new, etc.  I'd say they all add up to a few more MIAC championships in the next decade or two.  Great, but that would fall well short of the run UST has made over the last four years. 

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?

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. 

Either way - If you want to support your new coach - I do think you need to allow him/her to be able to make all the decisions related to the program/coaching style - and if that means some of the No's are NO longer followed - then so it shall be. 

Agreed.

There's always conversation about what may have ultimately affected Roney's ability to have success, but one thing rarely mentioned is that he was also a baseball assistant.

I don't think you can coach two sports in this day and age at the collegiate level. Something SJU might need to consider if they are going to hire in-house. Football needs to be a 12 month a year job, recruiting, scheming, player development...you can't two bicycles with one a$$.

[DuffMan]

2 years. And based on this, I hereby nominate Tim Brewster for the SJU position. As a Bethel grad and fan, I could solidly support that decision by the committee. 

Thank God you're not on the search committee! 

[02 Warhawk]

I just posted a little write-up about the UST/Oshkosh game in my WIAC blog. However, it's more intended towards WIAC fans on what to expect from UST. Most of this stuff is probably already well known among you guys

WIAC football Blog

UST fans please let me know of any inaccuracies

Thank you

[Knightstalker]

Interview with the next SJU coach.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=B4W6rcufVYg&feature=endscreen