MBB: Midwest Conference

[Pat Coleman]

A lot of teams of that era didn't have coaches.

Although I'm often thankful for the choice I made in ... something like 1996 ... to not take the offered Beloit SID job, that would've been something I would've researched if I'd taken the job.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Well it would make sense to me if they didn't have a coach, but to say "unknown" seems a bit odd (and makes for a great joke).

[hopefan]

that guy "unknown" had a pretty nice winning percentage  -  too bad he (or she) wasn't around the last 10 years.....

[augiefan]

At least a choice has finally been made. Now if Burris will just stay out of the new cioach's way, maybe he can get things back on track. My initial thoughts on this hire are positive given the UWMadison experience and the prior assistant coaching experience in two good MWC programs. As stated "anybody but Cecil" gives the Bucs hope for the future.

[Dolph Stanley]

http://www.beloit.edu/~sportcnt/inside/basketball/men/Vraney%20Release.html

Good Luck to the new coach.  Overall seems very solid but time will tell.  As for Roop, I'm sure he knows that there was a time (back in my day) when the big rival was Lawrence.  They hated Beloit so much that the led the drive to have us thrown out of the MWC in the mid 50's.

I'm sure that somewhere there was a LU fan who could not believe that the Vikings would ever hire a Beloit grad and assistant coach for their program.  Wonder how long it took them to jump on the bandwagon once it got rolling? 

[Greek Tragedy]

Please tell me you didn't hear it from the NESCAC room.

I didn't hear it from them. 

So I can assume you got it from Point sources?

Some guy named Semling.    Actually, someone told me he said it on his weekly radio show out at the Hilltop.  

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Thanks.  I was just a bit leery.  Someone came on the NESCAC board and said "Amherst won't get respect until they schedule Stevens Point and Brockport State for their tip-off tournament."  Then about a week later, some guy posted that Amherst had indeed scheduled both Brockport and Stevens Point for their tip-off tournament.  I wasn't sure if you were picking up on the growing rumor, but it's pretty cool to know that at least one of those match-ups might happen.

[Dolph Stanley]

http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2007/04/16/sports/sports04.txt

Interesting artilce on a number of levels.  Those who thought Randall had no interest were clearly wrong.  I wanted him for a coach but congratulate Beloit on not selling out a college for a basketball program.  If Lance ends up coaching at the D3 level again he has the perfect mindset for the WIAC and could be a huge success there. 

[The Roop]

My beloved Pointers would welcome him if Mr. Semling ever ascends to another level.

[diehardfan]

http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2007/04/16/sports/sports04.txt
I wanted him for a coach but congratulate Beloit on not selling out a college for a basketball program. 

From the article: While Randall didn't want to be specific, it's obvious that beyond (1) higher compensation, he wanted (2) more free reign in whom he recruits, (3) how he spends his off-season time (he particularly disliked the idea of coaching the golf team) and (4) whether he could have a full-time assistant working alongside him (which Youngblood did not).

1) The money thing is a normal one to negotiate, esp considering he'd have to be willing to take a paycut no matter what he got at a DIII school seeing as how he was coming from a DI... a little more (if that's what it was) wasn't necessarily a bad thing to ask for... especially for a father. He was obviously willing to consider the job despite this... because it's his school.... You absolutely can't ask for a better coach than alum who has proven himself to be very successful elsewhere... first of all, they're good, and second of all, they're a LOT less likely to leave even when they are overqualified cause deep down it's their dream job.

2) Recruiting flexibility... no way, good job Beloit. There are plenty of smart athletes out there.

Now, about the last two...

3) Being the head coach of the bball and the golf coach? Are you joking? How can you seriously expect a coach to do a good job with a basketball program if he can't devote his full time to it? I can't personally think of a single other head men's basketball coach that coaches something else... at least not at the moment. That was not an unreasonable demand... at ALL.

4) It's not abnormal to have a full time assistant. Wheaton has one... lots of schools have one. They usually double and do something else, like be the head golf coach... At Wheaton, our assistant coach is an assistant SID, before he was the director of intermurals.... but they don't have to have an outside the athletics office job that keeps them away from the recruiting process during the offseason.

If the college had seriously considered 1, 3, and 4... which they should consider no matter who it is, they probably would have landed him.

Beloit used to be one of the powers in basketball... I remember reading that in that Great Moments in WI Sports book and being shocked cause I just had no idea. It looks like if something doesn't change, they aren't going to be one ANY time soon either. It is definitely possible to be an excellent school academically and have a much higher commitment to their athletic departments and student-athletes than the school obviously have. Just ask Williams, Amherst, Wash U... What a shame. 

[Titan Q]

3) Being the head coach of the bball and the golf coach? Are you joking? How can you seriously expect a coach to do a good job with a basketball program if he can't devote his full time to it? I can't personally think of a single other head men's basketball coach that coaches something else... at least not at the moment. That was not an unreasonable demand... at ALL.

Actually, this happens.  For example...

http://www.augustana.edu/athletics/mgolf/coach.php

[augiefan]

This decision is based in no small part part on President Burris' open dislike for athletics. He incorrectly believes that high level academics and a quality athletic department cannot coexist without compromising academics. Wheaton, IWU, Amherst and other top schools have proven otherwise. As an alum of Beloit and a generous donor to the college, I have tried to convince him at fund raising events that many of us in the alumni association strongly disagree with him.

The problem extends beyond MBB, as Beloit not to long ago had some of the premier womens' programs in DIII, but those programs to have fallen by the wayside. I think the new AD is motivated to improve things, and there are some indications that she is making slow progress, but to those who know and love the tradition of Beloit College basketball, the Burris/Youngblood years have been painful.

I would have loved to get Randall, but I believe Vraney can get things turned around to a point where Beloit is at least competitive again in the MWC. I wish him the best and encourage him to start a program like the Augie Tribe of Viking to get donations designated to help the athletic department at Beloit.

[diehardfan]

3) Being the head coach of the bball and the golf coach? Are you joking? How can you seriously expect a coach to do a good job with a basketball program if he can't devote his full time to it? I can't personally think of a single other head men's basketball coach that coaches something else... at least not at the moment. That was not an unreasonable demand... at ALL.

Actually, this happens.  For example...

http://www.augustana.edu/athletics/mgolf/coach.php

How could I forget after that long joke on the CCIW board sparked by something David said?

There, uh, has to still be pretty few top teams nationally that do this though... 

[Mr. Ypsi]

3) Being the head coach of the bball and the golf coach? Are you joking? How can you seriously expect a coach to do a good job with a basketball program if he can't devote his full time to it? I can't personally think of a single other head men's basketball coach that coaches something else... at least not at the moment. That was not an unreasonable demand... at ALL.

Actually, this happens.  For example...

http://www.augustana.edu/athletics/mgolf/coach.php

How could I forget after that long joke on the CCIW board sparked by something David said?

There, uh, has to still be pretty few top teams nationally that do this though... 

The only success NPU has ever had in baseball was when Bosko Djurickovic was HC (for those who don't recognize the name, he 'moonlighted' as a national champion basketball coach).  Of course, being from Wheaton, you may not be familiar with baseball - their baseball team obviously isn't (and hasn't been for the last half-century)!

[diehardfan]

Blah... someone remind me to turn my brain on when I post during the off season...

I blame this all on fact that I did my taxes today...