FB: USA South Athletic Conference

[tigerfanalso]

Does not surprise me in the least; Coach S is old school and too much of a people person not to be doing something outside of the house.

[Scots13]

Has anybody heard anything out of Danville about a coach?

[PantherGuy]

This board use to have several Averett alums that were strong supporters of the Cougars, but seem to just fade away and not care what has happened at AU. 

If I was an alum, I would be pretty upset about what has been taking place over the past 2 months (10 weeks to be exact) and wonder why is it taking so long to decide who their next head football coach is going to be.  To put it into perspective, Emory & Henry coach was dismissed at the same time as Averett's HC and the new coach was hired by Christmas.  Belhaven's coach stepped down around Dec. 28th and hired Hal Mumme, LaGrange's dad, has their head coach 3 weeks later.  LaGrange's head coach was hired within a week after Mooney was forced to step down.  From Division I thru DIII about 95% of the coaching changes has already been filled.

Most of Averett's coaches have been released except for a first year coach and a couple of GA's.  Our coaches never saw any of Averett's coaches at the Georgia recruiting fairs.  So whoever is going to be the new HC, this year's recruiting is going to be a bust.  If they bring in a new coach by Feb 1, it going to take time to put together a staff and will be too late to make any significant happen on the recruiting trail.

But if you look closer at the athletic administration at Averett, you can see why this is happening.  Almost all the administrators are women and the only male administrator is a Volleyball coach.  I am sure they are way over their head.  Hiring a football coach is much different than hiring the next tennis coach.  Just don't see a strong commitment from Averett and their actions are showing it.

Wondering if anyone from Averett agrees or disagrees.  It only seems that Scots13 and I are the only ones wondering about the Cougars.....

[Scots13]

After the fanfare they had when they brought in the new AD, I'd figure she'd be ready to get a head coach for the football team as quickly as possible and make a statement in her tenure quickly. I mean, come on now. Football programs can easily hold 5-10% of total enrollment at USAC schools, if not more.

Get it together, Averett.

[stafford]

2014 son emailed out some video links to several schools, including Averett, in late October. Didn't get any response from Averett, but no big deal. Late in December he received a personalized form letter announcing the coaching change, but assuring him that they were still interested. Hum.... didn't know they were interested at all.

[jknezek]

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, not happy W&L picked them up as an opponent. No benefit to it. Hopefully it is a home/home to carry the General's over to a better opponent in the future. I can only hope there is a Centennial school or even a team further north on the horizon. Was much happier when W&L's three non-conf teams expose the school in 3 directions and had a reasonable shot at being .500 or better...

[Scots13]

2014 son emailed out some video links to several schools, including Averett, in late October. Didn't get any response from Averett, but no big deal. Late in December he received a personalized form letter announcing the coaching change, but assuring him that they were still interested. Hum.... didn't know they were interested at all.

I don't know what to tell you. I had an AU assistant come to my high school early my senior year, said 5 words to me. I got up and left. If this is how they recruited, I'm surprised Coach Dunleavy was 49-69, or whatever he was.

Best of luck to your son. If you're in the Mid Atlantic/South region, give Maryville a call. 

[Scots13]

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, not happy W&L picked them up as an opponent. No benefit to it. Hopefully it is a home/home to carry the General's over to a better opponent in the future. I can only hope there is a Centennial school or even a team further north on the horizon. Was much happier when W&L's three non-conf teams expose the school in 3 directions and had a reasonable shot at being .500 or better...

Hey brother, if it needs said, say it. I'm more unsettled by no announcement as of yet because I feel, as a whole, the USAC wants to compete and be on par with the ODAC. That can't happen with weak links. Especially a weak link in the same state as most of the ODAC. (Hence, Old Dominion.)

You say "bad opponent for W&L"
I say "get it together, Averett"
Let's say it until we're blue in the face.

[narch]

Has anybody heard anything out of Danville about a coach?

i'm sure they are waiting for the end of the nfl playoffs to speak with some of the assistants whose teams are still playing

[PantherGuy]

I spoke with a friend that has a son who is a sophomore on the team.  Many of the players are very disappointed with the Averett administrators and their lack of urgency.  It seems the whole process has been pushed back due to the head of the search committee, AU's volleyball coach, was gone out of the country with his volleyball team in January.  No phone interviews were done until he returned around January 14th.  Additionally, the AD did not take part of the phone interviews because she was out of town at a convention and didn't meet with the committee until she got back around January 20th.

I guess you see what is truly important at Averett.......

Right now they are conducting on-campus interviews and plan to have a coach by the end of next week.

[Pat Coleman]

Additionally, the AD did not take part of the phone interviews because she was out of town at a convention and didn't meet with the committee until she got back around January 20th.

I guess you see what is truly important at Averett.......

Regardless of everything else that's been said, attending the NCAA Convention is truly important for every Division III school.

[Scots13]

We understand that's imperative for the AD, but isn't finding a coach just as imperative? Seems like the convention didn't stop other schools from finding a head honcho.

Just checked some dates..
looks like it took E&H 5 weeks to land Newsome
looks like it took MC 7 weeks to land Rader
looks like IF Averett names a coach by the end of this week, it'll be 9 weeks.

Pat, fill us in on other D3 schools that are still coachless.

[hasanova]

Noticed Guilford and Averett are not playing each other this year - which doesn't disappoint me, but wonder who the Quakers will pick up instead.  Greensboro and Methodist seem to be locks for the other two available non-conference spots.

[Pat Coleman]

We understand that's imperative for the AD, but isn't finding a coach just as imperative? Seems like the convention didn't stop other schools from finding a head honcho.

Just checked some dates..
looks like it took E&H 5 weeks to land Newsome
looks like it took MC 7 weeks to land Rader
looks like IF Averett names a coach by the end of this week, it'll be 9 weeks.

Pat, fill us in on other D3 schools that are still coachless.

To the best of my knowledge: Castleton State, Wilkes, Frostburg State, Oberlin, Beloit ...
http://www.d3football.com/notables/coaching-carousel

[Pat Coleman]

Some more background I received today. (And not from Danville, Va., so not self-serving propaganda. From someone who was at the NCAA convention.)

Charles Harris, their former AD, is Executive VP there. I know for a fact that he has his hands all over the coaching search. I saw him at the convention and he said they were "very close" on a new coach. Two days later, I got a text from someone at AU with the list of four finalists.

Those fans who are blaming the AD and Danny (Miller, the VB coach/Assistant AD) couldn't be more off-base. They are moving as fast as Charles wants. If he wanted someone in there before the convention, that would have happened regardless of where Danny was.