FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Tacttm1]

While I certainly wish Coach all the best at Memphis and yes, I understand all the various factors that can be discussed and debated regarding a switch in Schools, Divisions, etc.  this new is met with mixed emotions.  With nothing personal against Coach, it justs make me angry that we hear from coaches all the time about how they will stay as long as they have support from the fans, parents club, boosters, department, whatever and then they go ahead and bolt anyway.

True, this is the real world but right now I still think it stinks.

As for the most important part, the players, I am confident that the foundations of success and football knowledge laid down by Coach will provide a great base for the next season under a new coach.

[D3_DPUFan]

While I certainly wish Coach all the best at Memphis and yes, I understand all the various factors that can be discussed and debated regarding a switch in Schools, Divisions, etc.  this new is met with mixed emotions.  With nothing personal against Coach, it justs make me angry that we hear from coaches all the time about how they will stay as long as they have support from the fans, parents club, boosters, department, whatever and then they go ahead and bolt anyway.

True, this is the real world but right now I still think it stinks.

As for the most important part, the players, I am confident that the foundations of success and football knowledge laid down by Coach will provide a great base for the next season under a new coach.

True...but, as you suggest, this is not surprising. Especially for a former DI head coach to venture back to the "big stage". Coach DuBose has elevated the program in terms of quality and visibility...big opportunity now is to find a successor that keeps things going in the right direction. Do you think Millsaps stays inside for the hire or outside the program?

[FerricMajor82]

Based on what I have heard they are going to hire outside of the program, but we shouldn't expect a hire until February.  A few ACs are not happy and feel that it will destroy our recruting class to wait this long, and are making calls tonight to boosters. 
Former players are working on a few things to motivate the Athletics Department and the school to move more quickly as well.

[Ralph Turner]

Based on what I have heard they are going to hire outside of the program, but we shouldn't expect a hire until February.  A few ACs are not happy and feel that it will destroy our recruting class to wait this long, and are making calls tonight to boosters. 
Former players are working on a few things to motivate the Athletics Department and the school to move more quickly as well.

Just a few questions...

So you make the hire by January 15th.  Who is not going to be available that is a Millsaps candidate between January 15th and February 15th?

You don't even know who has signed national signing letters until February.  Who is committing to Rhodes or Sewanee or Huntingdon or Mississippi College instead of Millsaps if they don't know who the coach is?  Is there a time limit to the financial package that Millsaps is offering that cannot be delayed to March 1st?

What is the trickle down factor on coaches who don't know about other jobs for which they have applied,  that may not know their status until early February, but would be a great Millsaps fit?

[DPU3619]

Yeah, I agree with that theory, Ralph.  Take it from somebody who's seen a coaching change or two in his time, late hires aren't as bad as you think.

Some schools ask for commits earlier than others, but I don't necessarily think waiting until February causes 15 kids you're chasing to commit elsewhere.

[frank_ezelle]

Every subject has pros and cons.  I was told that recently a group of about 25 Junior College players were on campus, some who will graduate this month and possibly enroll in a 4-year college in January.  Obviously, an uncertainty at the head coaching position is a factor with those guys.

Also, to whatever degree the assisant coaches can talk to recruits, it certainly would be helpful to know if the next coach believes in slinging the ball around or 3 yards and a cloud of dust. 

Also, for the assistent coaches, it would certainly be nice for them to know who the new coach will be and is he going to bring in an entirely new staff. 

All in all, IF THE RIGHT PERSON IS AVAILABLE, it seems like sooner is better than later in a lot of ways when it comes to naming a new head coach.  Still, it would be hard to find a later hire than Coach Long and he did okay and Coach DuBose was a very late hire when named Head Coach so later can work out okay if you have the right person.

[Ralph Turner]

Or McMurry Coach Hal Mumme who was hired on April 15th.

[Patriot_Pride]

The longer you wait, the more recruits you lose. Plus, your asking assistant coaches to keep recruiting when they don't even know if they'll be back. Word is, two assistants were let go today and the rest are getting their resumes together.

We'll lose a lot of current players and incoming players because of DuBose's departure. But to wait til February is obsurd. I almost feel that Millsaps' athletic administration wants the football program to go back to crap. Seriously. I still haven't seen a story on an interim guy, so what are you selling to recruits?

The lack of a head coach for five more weeks shows the lack of support for football from Millsaps. Mark it down........the Majors will finish below .500 next year, and will fall back into the bottom of the pack.

As you can tell, I'm sick about it. DuBose built us from nothing into something and now I have a bad feeling the program's doomed to fall back into the 2-7 years. I really hope I'm wrong.

[frank_ezelle]

Coach DuBose always talked about building a program at Millsaps.  If things so easily dissolve with his departure, then he built a personal following instead of a program.

Let's keep in mind that Memphis just recently hired their head football coach and so this move of DuBose going to Memphis was sudden and probably caught everyone by surprise, including DuBose.  In cases like this, sometimes acting too quickly is as bad or worse than reacting too slow.

For example, if you name Coach A as the official interim coach, then what message are you sending to Coaches B, C and D?  And if a guy is bumped up just to temporarily fill a void on the organizational chart, then do you really have anything concrete to sell to recruits?

Replacing someone like DuBose is going to be difficult.  However, there is someone out there who would be the perfect fit to come in and continue the program's high level of success and hopefully build on the substantial foundation laid over the last 4 years.  I don't mind if we take the time to find that person.  And when that person is found, it won't be surprising if he brings in a new group of assistant coaches.  That's part of life as a coach so keeping a resume up to date is a natural thing.  Let's keep in mind that 4 assistant coaches left last year even with DuBose coming back.  

Like everyone else, I'm highly interested in who Millsaps will bring in to keep the successes going.  Replacing a guy like DuBose isn't something that can be done in a day or two or maybe even a week or two.  This is a big decision and it's important to get it right.  I saw about 8-9 years ago what can happen when you get it wrong and we don't need to go through that again.

[D3_DPUFan]

All of the above comments are true...but the DePauw analogy in this instance doesn't hold water. Yes, Coach Long was named interim coach extremely late...but as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, there could not have been a more seemless transition with a coach who was already an intimate part of the team. He is also recruiting coordinator not just for the football team but the entire athletics department. Even Coach Walker was an assistant coach who had been recruiting for football not to mention baseball and was a DePauw lifer. Bringing someone new from the outside can be a very different ballgame. True, commits won't happen for some time...but as INSMajor suggests, the longer you wait, the more you lose relationship building time...not to mention the uncertainty it brings for recruits and current players and coaches as well.

[Pat Coleman]

Coach DuBose always talked about building a program at Millsaps.  If things so easily dissolve with his departure, then he built a personal following instead of a program.

He may not have been there long enough to build a program.

[Ralph Turner]

The longer you wait, the more recruits you lose. Plus, your asking assistant coaches to keep recruiting when they don't even know if they'll be back. Word is, two assistants were let go today and the rest are getting their resumes together.

We'll lose a lot of current players and incoming players because of DuBose's departure. But to wait til February is obsurd. I almost feel that Millsaps' athletic administration wants the football program to go back to crap. Seriously. I still haven't seen a story on an interim guy, so what are you selling to recruits?

The lack of a head coach for five more weeks shows the lack of support for football from Millsaps. Mark it down........the Majors will finish below .500 next year, and will fall back into the bottom of the pack.

As you can tell, I'm sick about it. DuBose built us from nothing into something and now I have a bad feeling the program's doomed to fall back into the 2-7 years. I really hope I'm wrong.

Interesting thought there...  How about some specific names and places?

Where do you think these players will transfer?

Will they risk losing all those credits that do not transfer to their next senior college?

Are these transferring students  that much better than the guy they hope to beat out at the next college?

Or will they just give up intercollegiate athletics all together?

Where with the new recruits (high school seniors) go, if not to Millsaps?

[DPU3619]

All of the above comments are true...but the DePauw analogy in this instance doesn't hold water. Yes, Coach Long was named interim coach extremely late...but as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, there could not have been a more seemless transition with a coach who was already an intimate part of the team.

Yes it does.  Bill Lynch was hired on 12/23.  Tim Rogers was hired on 2/28.

EDIT:  The Rogers analogy is particularly relevant since he was still able to get (EDIT #2) LAST year's senior class, a pretty talented group including McNelis, Gasbarra, Akinbola, DeVilbiss, and the like.... to commit after Lynch went to IU.

[D3_DPUFan]

Frank referenced the lateness of the Long hiring which was my point. Lynch getting hired before Christmas is no big deal...and February is not really awful either.

[Tacttm1]

A real program takes longer than 4 years, in my opinion.  Especially hwne th eassistant coaches have been churned over the past 12 months. That takes away some of the defensive strtagies that were Coaches hallmark.

If I was a considering MC as an incoming fresh or transfer, I'd have to think long and hard about my athletic vs. academic goals........at least right now.