FB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[victorybell_57]

Franklin is the team to beat this year, I have been trying to be very humble since I cannot stand those arrogant types who tout their team as the next coming. Some of you remember my not so humble beginnings, but as the paduan learns from the master, I have also learned to let the hard work and achievement speak for the Grizzlies.

I do know this, first game is going to get the season started off right, and tell everybody where a lot of people are standing. FC has two motha's right off the bat. Much like a good closer, if they keep their dirty underwear ready for gameday, they should be good to go.

I know the buckeye nation thinks that the buckeyes will rebound this year, but what are your guys thoughts on Penn St, Wisconsin, and Michigan? JoePa is, well, JoePa and they have had some good recruiting years as of late. Wisconsin may be a playmaker away on offense, but in the mix. Michigan may have the best offense, but I think will lack in defense. There is some talk of Penn St. making a run for title this year!! Open, discuss, watch out for Kentucky this year. Like a fat girl in dodgeball, I am out.

[SaintsFAN]

Kentucky?  Beotch, please!!

They will piss down their legs with the expectations so high.  A friend of mine that I work with...played for UK after playing at Thomas More....he's an avid follower and even he's not buying the hype....they'll NEVER, be more than an afterthought.  They took advantage of a down year in their division with Georgia, SC etc sucking compared to previous history. 

Its funny talking to him, he blocked for Tim Couch and spit on the local reporter (that made ESPN)....a real wildman....I'm waiting to see how many altercations he gets into this Sunday at Riverfest...

[SaintsFAN]

sad news from Pittsburgh...dont know if any of you read it...involves a former d3 player at Waynesburg...

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=104&sid=1234098

thanks to Pat for the link..

[SaintsFAN]

wow so, I guess Hanover is gaining a golf coach with great football coaching experience..

hello Coach Leonard??

[dc_has_been]

Shocking news about Coach Perry, it would be nice to have some Hanover alum on this board to hear what they think about that.
Sounds surprising to hear right before the season begins.  Wonder what the Panthers have up their sleave.

[Adam Sayer]

From the press release, it sounds like he wants to take a higher position of power so maybe he can help influence some of the pedagogical issues and get some decent recruits back to Hanover.

[tepee]

i love it

[AnonymousFan]

I couldn't figure out the link thing to attach it but I checked out Hanover's local paper (Madison Courier) and there was a nice article about Perry.  It looks like he told the team now so they wouldn't think the season's results had any factor on his decision.  Let's hope he can help get the school back to where it should be.

[victorybell_57]

Leonard, not likely. Leonard has finally built the Franklin program to where he wants it, and can continue to build on the tradition that was lacking since Red Faught stepped down in 1988. Franklin also has one great gameday atmosphere, one of the best in DIII small college football. For a man who worked so tirelessly to get his recruits in there, build the program up, build upon a once proud tradition, and to become the savior for Franklin's football program it would be hard to imagine him back at Hanover. IMO, I really do not see the benefit for him moving back down to Hanover for another stint. Been there, done that. Things he hasn't done yet at Franklin are win the HCAC, gain a playoff birth, and be in a position to win the NCAA D3 championship. The opportunities are more at Franklin with their location to INDY and the talent surrounding the region. Better alumni support, better football town, better college with Mike Leonard at Franklin. Yes, that was my pitch to end the Leonard to Hanover discussions.

For selfish reasons, I would have liked to see Coach Parry stay as the head coach for a long time coming. I have great respect for his coaching tenure and what he has accoomplished at Hanover. It poses some questions though, if nothing more. If admissions standards and the overall direction of Hanover had not changed in the past few years, would this even be discussed right now? 72 players on the preseason roster are not a Hanover trademark. They had a great corp of players each year replacing graduating players. Has the school finally forced a great coach out due to their rising admissions standards??

Whatever the answer, Coach Parry is a legend in Indiana football and he will be missed on the sidelines. What are the thoughts of the Hanover faithful?

Oh, LSU looked tough. People are high on Kentucky, and you should watch out for them. However, it's Kentucky and they will be in the bottom half of the SEC again. You just have to watch out for them so you don't take them lightly. Good QB, can shock a good team, but they are Kentucky.

[SaintsFAN]

victory,

word on the street and from a Hanover grad that I work with (who is still close with Perry) is that they have hired a new prez and the admissions standards that have gotten so tight in the past few years are going to be relaxed....

IMO, with these conversations I've had, I'd be VERY surprised if Leonard doesn't take a strong look at the job..  Really for all the reasons that you just mentioned....not so long ago, Hanover had a great atmosphere...and he'd be rebuilding HIS alma mater.  Perry gave him a shot at Offensive Coordinator when Leonard got into coaching and I guarantee with him still on staff at Hanover, Leonard will feel a duty, if you will, to return should he be asked to..

He would be the savior at Hanover as well.... 

I don't think "better football town" fits when comparing Franklin and Hanover...basically both towns have their football fans come from across Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky to see their sons play...I honestly think the recruiting will even out between Hanover and Franklin will even out now that the standards are goign to be relaxed...  Franklin has been killing Hanover recruiting-wise, head to head..

I know Franklin has a winning tradition from when they were NAIA, but Hanover has it as well....at the NCAA Division III level....a part in which Leonard participated as a player...I think it could be a strong pull on him and a monumental decision.. but we have the cart before the horse...2007 is yet to be played out.  Though I don't think he has the Franklin program where he wants it, just yet. 

If Franklin keeps him this off season, then IMO, they will have him for a long time.  But they do already have a successor in place, with Theobald named Assistant Head Coach.

I'm not trying to disagree just to disagree...I just feel in talking to a few, that there's going to be a pull there.   At Thomas More, we saw the same thing happen with Dean Paul leaving...he built us back up into a contender (winning playoff games) and didn't think we'd lose him...but when ONU came calling (his father was involved with the school), we lost our guy. 

Anyone else care to weigh in??

[AnonymousFan]

I think Leonard would be crazy to go back to HC right now.  I have also heard great things about the new pres and her support for athletics but it could take years to get the school and programs built back up.  However...maybe we should start talking about a switch for Theo since he is from southern IN.

[cave2bens]

AnonymousFan
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  Re: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
« Reply #970 on: Today at 11:18:48 am »  

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I have also heard great things about the new pres and her support for athletics but it could take years to get the school and programs built back up.

No disagreement that the athletic programs at Hanover have suffered with the increased rigidity of admission standards under Dr. Nicholls' tenure, and yes, the school's (not athletic department's) mission seems more aligned with the NCAC crowd.  However, one must remember that Nicholls was at one time , from 1965-1972, a basketball coach in Division III, his sub .400 winning percentage notwithstanding.  He is more adept at management and organization, and his twenty years at Hanover show positive results for the school as a whole - alumni contributions are up substantially, the endowment level has more than tripled from $46.5M to $150M+, and overall academic rankings have improved.  Several academic buildings have been built or remodeled, and the Horner Center (b-ball arena and rec center) opened ten years ago.

Personal thought is that as a "trouble-shooter by nature," his brief retirement now includes an interim presidency at Tusculum College - another small college in need.

Will admission standards change under Dr. Sue DeWine?  A brief examination of her CV, her publications on organizational behavior and management, and provost duties at Marietta are not necessarily indicative of direction, one way or another.  It will be interesting to watch.  While it is difficult to realize that Coach Perry is surrendering the reigns after fifty years as a player, coach and mentor, perhaps he has chosen the path of Vince Dooley for personal reasons?  

JMHO - let the smiting begin.    

[SaintsFAN]

personal reasons probably include being tired of the grind, cave2bens. 

thats just what I've heard....now we can probably debate on what to include in "the grind" all day...

At any rate, I don't see why Leonard would NOT consider the job should it be offered to him. 

My High School alma mater, Badin (Hamilton) ventures down to play Turpin tonight.  Turpins Defensive Coordinator is an old roommate of mine, Dan Kraft who played OLB for the Saints.  The Spartans are coming off a thrashing of Glen Este (which surprised alot of people supposedly in the know)...and are following up a state semi-final appearance last season.  Their QB is a stud lefty, WR is a 6'5" kid with speed (committed to Miami) and they have a big OL being courted by some big schools....I hope Badin can compete tonight...  They blew out Dayton Jefferson 62-20 with their 'spread offense'...which seems a big sacreligious to me....since we played with the fullhouse set and plays from the 1950s under Coach Terry Malone.

Anyone going to be around tonight...what games are you going to?

[cave2bens]

Anyone going to be around tonight...what games are you going to?

Roswell vs Brookwood at the GA Dome - lot of D1 signees on both sides of ball and easier ticket than UGa-Okie State.  Good luck to all HCACer's in their openers.

[JacketsFan]

Good luck to everyone today. Manchester got off to a bad start last night with a 14-9 loss to Tri-State.

Best of luck to DC today. Adrian will be out for blood today. Don't give them a drop. Send 'em home crying.

Go DC!

Damn, it sucks not to be going this year. Guess we'll be glued to the radio.