FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[etg]

(El Tea Gray---re: Trinity's 2010 Football Schedule)


Ron,  I'm a long-time San Antonio resident, but still don't consider Seguin a road-trip (or very much of one--36 miles from my front door).  Also, you did not mention that the Tigers' bye week is Week 2 (Sept. 11th).


                                                                             

[Patriot_Pride]

For those of you interested in the new Millsaps head coach, Aaron Pelch, I've gotten word that they will stream the hiring live on the webcast at 3 p.m. CST. The link is below.

http://www.sportsnation360.com/schools/webcast/Millsaps-College

[FerricMajor82]

Not sure that it is streaming.  Anyone getting anything?  Anyone?  Anyone.  Bueller?

[FerricMajor82]

Spoke too soon.  Works now.  I'll update with some comments after the press conference.

[FerricMajor82]

Coach Pelch's conference just ended.  Here are a few notes:
-"Being a head coach has always been a dream of mine."  Commented that the thought it was happening a lot sooner than he thought it would.
-Spoke with DuBose about the job.  Coach D told him he thought it was a great job and a place that you could change kids' lives.
-Coach Pelch didn't think the hiring process was too lengthy, but thought it was appropriate considering the scope of the hire, and the success of the program recently.  Needed to find the right fit.
-"Not a lot of great jobs out there, you have to make them great.  That is not the case with Millsaps.  The foundation is already here to win and be very successful."

As far as the direction of the program:
"My job...is to come in and continue the growth...and to put Millsaps on the map nationally."
Wants football players to "win on the football field, win in the classroom...leave with a great degree, and be successful."
"Our players will be winners, and winners in all that they do."

Wants to have the best staff in America:  Going to put together a staff of a bunch of young, hungry, energetic men.  
"We want this pace to reach its potential."

Coach Pelch commented that he thought Millsaps was the "best kept secret in the South," and he plans to change that through the football team, and former players/current players getting the word out on what a great school/program it is.

When asked what he brings to the table:
"I understand the DIII model, athletes, work load, and their committment.  I know how to recruit" and we will continue to be successful.

When asked about the pressure to win:
"The pressure to win will only push him and his staff further."

After asking Coach DuBose for some advice about the job Coach DuBose had this to say:
"You don't have to be me."


That was pretty much it.  It lasted about 15 minutes.  He said they had a team meeting after the press conference to discuss scheduling, and the start of spring practice (March 22).  He said they have a lot of work to do, and would mostly be scheduling, planning, recruiting, etc.

[Ron Boerger]

Hey Wes A, how long has DPU had an indoor track facility?  See DPU is hosting the NCAAs there next week, congrats.

[Ron Boerger]

And on another note:  the SCAC has just announced the mid-winter update to the President's Trophy race with results as follows:

1. DePauw University         540
2. Centre College         480
3. Trinity University         452.5
4. Rhodes College         365
5. Sewanee-The University of the South         307.5
6. Colorado College         267.5
6. Southwestern University         267.5
8. Hendrix College         262.5
9. Austin College         222.5
10. Millsaps College         145
11. Oglethorpe University         120  

One issue I have had for a while with the way the SCAC calculates the standings is that a team school gets as many points (55) for a sport played by five teams as one played by all 11 schools currently eligible for the championship.  Using the information published on this page, I put together a spreadsheet to modify the results so that the winning team gets 5 points for each competing school.   Football is thus awarded 35 points (with only seven teams competing), whereas both men's and women's basketball, with all schools competing, are each awarded 55.  It doesn't change the results dramatically, but does have the effect of making the points awarded more equitable considering the increased level of competition in the more popular sports.

If my calculations are correct, a 'competition-normalized' current standing would look like this:

1.  DePauw 460
2.  Trinity 402.5
3.  Centre 400
4.  Rhodes 285
5.  Colorado College 242.5
6.  Southwestern 237.5
7.  Sewanee 227.5
8.  Hendrix 202.5
9.  Austin 177.5
10.  Millsaps 115
11.  Oglethorpe 110

Just some fun playing with numbers.  

[D3_DPUFan]

Hey Wes A, how long has DPU had an indoor track facility?  See DPU is hosting the NCAAs there next week, congrats.

Probably a decade...and I know DePauw hosted a DIII T & F National Championship not long after it opened. You need to get to Greencastle more often, Ron. 

[D3_DPUFan]

It really IS beautiful this time of year...

[Ron Boerger]

Hey Wes A, how long has DPU had an indoor track facility?  See DPU is hosting the NCAAs there next week, congrats.

Probably a decade...and I know DePauw hosted a DIII T & F National Championship not long after it opened. You need to get to Greencastle more often, Ron.  

I really would like to have a chance to visit there some day; when I win the lottery, I fully intend to visit all the SCAC schools before football season starts and do some kind of writeup.  Given my current success rate with the lottery, expect to see me in 2872.  

[D3_DPUFan]

I really would like to have a chance to visit there some day; when I win the lottery, I fully intend to visit all the SCAC schools before football season starts and do some kind of writeup.  Given my current success rate with the lottery, expect to see me in 2872.   

Great! I hope you get to do that...the question is, what will the SCAC look like in future years? I for one hope the league, including DePauw, stays together.

[frank_ezelle]

It's a little bit after the fact, but I wanted to make a comment on the hiring of Coach Pelch.  When Coach DuBose resigned, one of my first thoughts was that Coach Pelch would have been a natural to take over if he was still coaching at Millsaps.  Maybe there still would have been a 3 month search process, maybe not, but there's no doubt in my mind that Coach Pelch would have been viewed as the leading candidate from the start if he had not gone to the Oakland Raiders.

I like Coach Pelch, but I have no idea about how he'll do as the head coach at Millsaps. I'm just not close enough to the program or knowledgeable enough to give a valid opinion.  I certainly hope that he is the right person for the job but that's something we'll find out in a couple of years.

What I do know is that Coach Pelch inherited a better situation than Coach DuBose, but he also inherited a more difficult SCAC environment.  It seems like the success of Millsaps has inspired others.  For years, SCAC football was Trinity, DePauw, and a team here and there who were good enough to pull off an upset every so often.  Now look at the league:  Trinity and DePauw are still going to be in the hunt each year.  Centre has a lot of talent and a great schedule this year.  Austin has become a very tough opponent.  And then there's BSC, either this year or next.  And who knows, give Sewanee and Rhodes a few years and maybe they come out of nowhere like Millsaps did in 2006.

Doing what Trinity did with their long string of championships or even winning 4 straight like Millsaps has done will be tough to do in the future.  Regardless of who is the coach, the Millsaps program will have to take a step up to replicate the success of the last 4 years.  Success in the SCAC is getting to be more difficult to come by in recent years.  I look forward to seeing how Coach Pelch, his staff, and the Millsaps players meet the challenge of the 2010 season.  

[Ron Boerger]

Great! I hope you get to do that...the question is, what will the SCAC look like in future years? I for one hope the league, including DePauw, stays together.

Agreed.  I like the mix we have in the conference, even if DPU keeps winning the President's Trophy.    

Speaking of which, D. Dwayne Hanberry at the SCAC office was kind enough to send me a note saying that the SCAC executive council recently met and decided to change the future scoring system to something very similar to the proposal in my post above.  To avoid confusion, there won't be a formal announcement until the summer - but this is the last year for the current system.    



<tongue-in-cheek>
To think I have such power.  Maybe I should post something about a certain football facility again.
</tongue-in-cheek>

[D3_DPUFan]

<tongue-in-cheek>
To think I have such power.  Maybe I should post something about a certain football facility again.
</tongue-in-cheek>

That's beautiful...

[Ralph Turner]

And on another note:  the SCAC has just announced the mid-winter update to the President's Trophy race with results as follows:

1. DePauw University         540
2. Centre College         480
3. Trinity University         452.5
4. Rhodes College         365
5. Sewanee-The University of the South         307.5
6. Colorado College         267.5
6. Southwestern University         267.5
8. Hendrix College         262.5
9. Austin College         222.5
10. Millsaps College         145
11. Oglethorpe University         120  

One issue I have had for a while with the way the SCAC calculates the standings is that a team school gets as many points (55) for a sport played by five teams as one played by all 11 schools currently eligible for the championship.  Using the information published on this page, I put together a spreadsheet to modify the results so that the winning team gets 5 points for each competing school.   Football is thus awarded 35 points (with only seven teams competing), whereas both men's and women's basketball, with all schools competing, are each awarded 55.  It doesn't change the results dramatically, but does have the effect of making the points awarded more equitable considering the increased level of competition in the more popular sports.

If my calculations are correct, a 'competition-normalized' current standing would look like this:

1.  DePauw 460
2.  Trinity 402.5
3.  Centre 400
4.  Rhodes 285
5.  Colorado College 242.5
6.  Southwestern 237.5
7.  Sewanee 227.5
8.  Hendrix 202.5
9.  Austin 177.5
10.  Millsaps 115
11.  Oglethorpe 110

Just some fun playing with numbers.  

Yes and for the Directors' Cup, I would like to see the Directors' Cup tallies treated to a "Participation Co-efficient".

That is, the scoring of the Directors' Cup would be multiplied by the percentage of D-III schools that participate in that sport.  This would be a very "PC" thing to do to reflect the quality of the effort for all athletes.