FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[DPU3619]

'04 DePauw coach Bill Lynch fired as head football coach at Indiana today. Fred Glass kicked his whole staff out, too.

I'm pretty disappointed about it, but I suppose you can't argue with the fact the Hoosiers won only 1 conference game in each of the last 3 years.

[Ron Boerger]

You might want to read this take on ESPN, Wes (in case you haven't already seen it). 

[DPU3619]

That's a great article, and the author shares that opinion with every other person who has ever met Bill Lynch.

I saw the point of not sending him through a lame duck season next year with no clear plan for the future, but a lot of people, I think Bill is included, thought next year was really going to be the year.  That's one of the best classes in school history coming in.

I'm CLEARLY biased, but I'm going to be really frustrated next year when this new guy comes in and wins 8 with Tandon Doss, Darius Willis, and DeMarlo Belcher.  Yes, the wins aren't there yet.  But, they were getting better.  Five years ago they couldn't hang with bad Michigan.  They were never in games against Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin (despite the final score, they were in that game at half).  They're getting better.  The improvement is clearly there if you watch that team play football.  They just need to learn how to win the close ones.  Hep and Bill built that program from ABSOLUTE bottom after the Cam Cameron and Gerry DiNardo disasters.

The thing I've heard several times in the last 24 hours  is "this would have never happened if Terry Hoeppner was still alive."  That makes me really, really angry.  Every IU fan wishes Hep was still alive.  Bill Lynch wishes Hep was still alive.  They were best friends.  It was an impossible spot for Bill and Fred Glass wouldn't give him the one thing he needed - time.

Sadly, we'll be right back here in 4 or 5 years when the next coach can't win at Indiana either.

[Ralph Turner]

I think that the real question is, "Who are the real power brokers behind the IU AD who gave up on Bill Lynch?"

Isn't that the nature of D-1?

[Warren Thompson]

I think that the real question is, "Who are the real power brokers behind the IU AD who gave up on Bill Lynch?"

Isn't that the nature of D-1?

The late George Beto (PhD, Texas/Austin), onetime head of the Texas state prison system, Lutheran cleric, and former president of Concordia College in Austin, put it this way: a university has no more need of big-time athletics than a medical school needs a Department of Witchcraft.

[Ralph Turner]

I think that the real question is, "Who are the real power brokers behind the IU AD who gave up on Bill Lynch?"

Isn't that the nature of D-1?

The late George Beto (PhD, Texas/Austin), onetime head of the Texas state prison system, Lutheran cleric, and former president of Concordia College in Austin, put it this way: a university has no more need of big-time athletics than a medical school needs a Department of Witchcraft.

Lots of schools are adding Departments of Alternative, Complementary and Holistic Medicine.

The Ohio State University Center for Integrative Medicine (OSU CIM) combines integrative family, internal and pediatric medicine with evidence-based complementary/alternative medical modalities.

I am not saying that it is witchcraft, but it is certainly a bit different from standard allopathy, at least until we understand the physiological or pharmacological bases for such a "non-allopathic" cure.   

[D3_DPUFan]

That's a great article, and the author shares that opinion with every other person who has ever met Bill Lynch.

I saw the point of not sending him through a lame duck season next year with no clear plan for the future, but a lot of people, I think Bill is included, thought next year was really going to be the year.  That's one of the best classes in school history coming in.

I'm CLEARLY biased, but I'm going to be really frustrated next year when this new guy comes in and wins 8 with Tandon Doss, Darius Willis, and DeMarlo Belcher.  Yes, the wins aren't there yet.  But, they were getting better.  Five years ago they couldn't hang with bad Michigan.  They were never in games against Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin (despite the final score, they were in that game at half).  They're getting better.  The improvement is clearly there if you watch that team play football.  They just need to learn how to win the close ones.  Hep and Bill built that program from ABSOLUTE bottom after the Cam Cameron and Gerry DiNardo disasters.

The thing I've heard several times in the last 24 hours  is "this would have never happened if Terry Hoeppner was still alive."  That makes me really, really angry.  Every IU fan wishes Hep was still alive.  Bill Lynch wishes Hep was still alive.  They were best friends.  It was an impossible spot for Bill and Fred Glass wouldn't give him the one thing he needed - time.

Sadly, we'll be right back here in 4 or 5 years when the next coach can't win at Indiana either.

That is a very good article. Well written and fair. And Wes your comments are absolutely right on. The fact is, Fred Glass, a good guy and a smart guy I believe, did not make the tough decision. He made the easy one. He's not going to take any heat for firing Bill Lynch. That's what the bloggers, sportswriters and more than a few of the red-sweatered fat cats wanted. The tougher thing to do would have been to look at the bigger picture and make a decision in the long term best interest of the program, not make another change that will keep IU football in the funk it has been in for so long. Coulda shoula woulda...I get that. But the fact is the program is better than it was three years ago; they were a dropped pass in the end zone against Iowa from being bowl eligible this year. IU's getting better players and has been redshirting players with a view toward the future and building a program...a future Bill Lynch unfortunately will not be able to participate in. Yes, Fred Glass made the easy move...the cover your ass for the moment move...and in the process he has insured that IU football will continue to chase its tail.
I know this...Fred Glass has made a point of saying the next coach is his decision and his hire. If that is the case, then Fred Glass should most certainly lose his job when the next guy fails to turn things around.  What's the definition of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? See IU football.

[DPU3619]

I know this...Fred Glass has made a point of saying the next coach is his decision and his hire. If that is the case, then Fred Glass should most certainly lose his job when the next guy fails to turn things around.  

I can't agree with you more, but that will never happen.  IU could go 0-10 every year under this new coach, but Glass will keep his job because of how well Crean is doing in rebuilding that basketball program.  That's the only thing the average Indiana fan cares about. Crean wasn't even his hire, but Glass will get the credit as Crean brings the candy cane pants back to glory.  This will be Fred's first hire.  He better figure a way to get IU football out of the mud in a hurry, because he just canned the guy who was on his way to doing it.

I like Fred a lot.  I've met him a couple of times through work stuff.  Hell of a nice guy.  But this was mishandled so, so badly.  The timing was awful.  You're so indignant about Lynch's effort that you fire him the day after he rallies to win your rivalry game?!?  Unacceptable.

Honestly, Ralph is probably right.  My station ran a Glass soundbite after the bucket game.  He said he hadn't made any decisions about the future of IU football.  Certainly wasn't a vote of confidence for Lynch, but still.  Why say that if you're then turning around 12 hours and announcing you're having a presser to fire Lynch?

[D3_DPUFan]

I can't agree with you more, but that will never happen.  IU could go 0-10 every year under this new coach, but Glass will keep his job because of how well Crean is doing in rebuilding that basketball program.  That's the only thing the average Indiana fan cares about. Crean wasn't even his hire, but Glass will get the credit as Crean brings the candy cane pants back to glory.  This will be Fred's first hire.  He better figure a way to get IU football out of the mud in a hurry, because he just canned the guy who was on his way to doing it.

I like Fred a lot.  I've met him a couple of times through work stuff.  Hell of a nice guy.  But this was mishandled so, so badly.  The timing was awful.  You're so indignant about Lynch's effort that you fire him the day after he rallies to win your rivalry game?!?  Unacceptable.

Honestly, Ralph is probably right.  My station ran a Glass soundbite after the bucket game.  He said he hadn't made any decisions about the future of IU football.  Certainly wasn't a vote of confidence for Lynch, but still.  Why say that if you're then turning around 12 hours and announcing you're having a presser to fire Lynch?

Well that is probably true. And he probably did succumb to pressure from "outside sources" (read: influential donors). Humurous and at the same time sad to see the IU group falling all over themselves speculating on the next coach to "turn things around"...

[MCSID]

D3 fans can watch the D3 Senior Classic Live or Archived at: http://www.knoxivi.com/d3classic

[Pat Coleman]

D3 fans can watch the D3 Senior Classic Live or Archived at: http://www.knoxivi.com/d3classic

Do you have any idea why there are two players from Union (Ky.) on the roster?

[33Belly]

Any word on the job search at Rhodes?  It has been about a month and I was wondering if they were thinking about making a move before Christmas?

[roocru]

My grandson is here!!! Jackson Bret Page was born at 12:28pm today. Obviously he will be a lineman.  He weighed 10 lbs 7 ozs and was 21 3/4" long. Mother and baby are doing great and the father is beaming!  Granddad is pretty happy as well.

[frank_ezelle]

Congratulations to all!!!  A fantastic Christmas present a few days early.

[Tacttm1]

That is a true blessing at Christmastime!!  Peace and Joy to your entire family with the new addition!


ALSO:   Merry Christmas to all of the 'board,' may the Grace of Christ be yours!!