Mary Frances Monroe from Albany and Fran Kulas from Villanova being mentioned as names for New Hampshire.
Well, North Dakota finally hired: http://www.undsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&ATCLID=205879163
Happy New Year! Yes it's a little belated since it's taken me a while to read all the past posts and catch up on everything. I won't beat a dead horse about the hires, but just provide a simple statistical look at the most controversial hire this year - below the list. FILLED Mississippi St. - Aaron Gordon (Texas Tech Assoc. HC) Cincinnati - Neil Stafford (Central Michigan HC) South Alabama - Graham Winkworth (North Alabama HC) NC State - Tim Santoro (Wake Forest Associate HC) Arizona - Tony Amato (Stephen F. Austin HC) Bowling Green - Lindsay Basalyga (Eastern Kentucky HC) UA- Little Rock - Adrian Blewitt (UNC-Greensboro AC) Boise State - Jim Thomas (Washington AC) North Dakota - Matt Kellogg (Ferris State HC) Southern Miss - Mohammed El Zare (Mobile Soccer Club DOC) Oregon - Kat Mertz (St. Louis HC) Ohio University - Aaron Rodgers (Kentucky AC) OPEN FDU Army (West Point) New Hampshire Jacksonville State Indiana (HOT) St. Peter's (HOT) Central Michigan Stephen F. Austin American Univ. Iona Eastern Kentucky ST. LOUIS ST. BONAVENTURE All the stats & records come from the internet and the below is just a synopsis of it all regarding why Oregon made a huge blunder in hiring her. Looking at her results as a HC and AC, I think it's pretty clear that everyone can agree that based solely on her resume, she shouldn't have even been considered for the Oregon job. I've learned in doing a lot of research that "new" HC's taking over successful programs have 2-3 years of positive results because of the foundation the predecessor left with the current team in place & recruits lined up for the next couple of seasons. I have referred to this as "babysitting" the program - Amato & Stafford are great examples of this who got hired recently. Mertz is no exception to this at all. At UNLV, she inherited a great program assembled by the predecessor, had great success in her first 2-3 years. Then when all traces of the previous regime were gone and everything was based off her recruits, coaching and everything else that goes into a program, what is she left with....a slow decline to the bottom of the MWC. So instead of being fired for all of this, she bolts to Texas, which was already a sinking ship and is ultimately fired with the whole staff 2 seasons later. So here comes St. Louis, a program that needs to be rebuilt over time and who better to do that than someone who has no experience in doing so and at the time is probably just looking to stay in college coaching anywhere. How does she repay them for keeping her in college coaching just 8 months later, leaves at the first opportunity for a big time BCS school that has probably offered to double her salary and put in her in the PAC12. Everyone can say what they want about the anatomy piece & discrimination by search committees, but at the end of the day it's clear that Mertz had no business getting the Oregon job based simply off her credentials as a HC. ST. LOUIS - HC 2012: 5-9-4 (3-4-2) - 12th place TEXAS - AC (fired along with entire coaching staff) 2011: 11-9-1 (3-4-1) - 5th place & Semi Final Big 12 Tournament & NCAA Tournament 2010: 11-6-4 (4-3-3) - 5th place & Qtr Final Big12 Tourney & NCAA Tournament UNLV - HC 2009: 5-9-5 (1-5-1) - 7th place 2008: 11-7-3 (3-3-1) - 4th place & MWC Semi-Final 2007: 11-4-5 (5-1-1) - 1st place & MWC Tourney Final 2006: 9-11-3 (3-4) - 3rd place & MWC Tourney Champ & NCAA Tournament 2005: 13-7-3 (5-2) - 3rd place & MWC Tourney Champ & NCAA Tournament
One thing, although I'm in the camp that says U of O could have done much better if they committed a budget to the program ( they just downgraded the stadium and the staff before Tara left).... If she joined a sinking ship as an assistant and was fired along with the rest, is this really a stoke against her? What assistant do you think could have rescued Petruccelli in two years. Wasn't he there more than a decade?
While I do agree that they could have hired someone "more qualified", you can't blame her for leaving ST. Louis to take the job. My understanding is that she didn't even apply for the job. Oregon really wanted her for whatever reason. I must also say that she did a pretty good job at UNLV. You could argue that she babysat the program in her first season or two, but I think you have to give her some credit for two solid seasons in 07 and 08. Yes, they were bad in 09. Not the best hire but I don't think it's a bad hire either when all things considered. Way better than Texas' hire form last year
So......what's the latest? Signing day is about a month away!! OPEN FDU Army (West Point) New Hampshire Jacksonville State Indiana (HOT) St. Peter's (HOT) Central Michigan Stephen F. Austin American Univ. Iona Eastern Kentucky St. Louis St. Bonaventure
It ends up Rojas (Boston College asst.) left to be an assistant to Lisa Cole with the Boston Breakers. I'm guessing this is a step up?
No, it's not. Unless, you think getting paid less for a job that may or may last very long is a step up. I don't blame her for leaving though. Coach Foley is tough to work with from what I hear.
Working under Lisa Cole is NOT a step up - don't care what the money is... Easy prediction - McDermott or even Lilly will be the head coach of the Breakers in 1 year.
CMU hit the jackpot with PM. Outstanding coach, excellent recruiter, the soccer community will love him, and he's an even better person.
Do you think he's better to take control of the program the the assistant? I heard he was a huge reason why CMU continued to do really well, and was very popular with the girls (but could be hearsay). Not saying PM is a bad hire I know nothing about the guy, and nothing wrong with an established DII coach getting the opportunity. Maybe the assistant was given first shot at it and turned it down who knows. Does anyone know who the new assistants are gonna be at Oregon? Any word out of Saint Louis?
Good for Rojas. She left BC in November so she would not have known about a NWLS opportunity then as most head coaches, playing venues, etc. were not decided upon at that time. Good to see she landed in a decent position. But to echo previous comments it cannot be a great $ move. Saw what a potential player's salary is in the new league and it is not enough to live on, so that has to be the case with an asst coach and income will need to be supplemented with other side jobs. Assuming she just really wanted to get out of BC was a part of it.
Looking at his history at MSU-Mankato, looks like he's done an outstanding job...definitely not a babysitter of the program...seems like it's a program that's gotten better the longer he's been there. Regarding the former assistant coach, if he'd had any interest at all in the head job, my guess is he'll be out the door an onto another job.
Some follow-up info on ex-OR coach, I'm hearing she's out of college-level coaching at least temporarily, and will being taking over at OR Rush
Basing it purely on resumes and experience, I think CMU chose wisely. Better watch how you say that...especially at CMU! Seriously, assistants are usually quite popular with the players, it's part of their job. Doesn't necessarily translate into a qualification for the head coaching position. Probably the current assistant Katie Shields.
Yeah, maybe he didn't apply for it. I think if the assistants were happy to remain in that position and create a good rapport with the new coach keeping them may not be a bad idea: good continuity for the girls and the program has been successful so it would make some sense from that aspect. But I agree looks a good hire for CMU. Looking at his background too it may be worth at least keeping one assistant around for a year because they know the recruiting pool, but I'm sure the guy won't waste any time getting to know future attainable prospects. So the assistant at Saint Louis being promoted to head coach potentially? Would this be a good hire? Wasn't she at Northwestern when it collapsed (not that this is necessarily her fault that place was going down the drain for years).
Being at a school when it collapsed is definitely a strike against an assistant coach. Or it isn't. I guess that depends on whether or not you have a vendetta against an assistant, and whether or not that makes you you want to include the rest of an assistant's career in her résumé.
IU still searching for a coach. IU swinging for the fences offered the job to BJ Snow (UCLA) and then Marci Jobson (Baylor), both of which declined. The search has now been scaled back to the region which make more sense in finding someone with greater midwest recruiting base.
I can understand both of those declining, especially Snow. But I would think that IU would be a great place to really make a name for yourself. A program that can only get better. Beatiful campus, great college town. Nationally known school. Academically good. A very good local talent pool that has barely been scratched by previous coaching staff. At least 30 kids from the greater Indy area 2013 class playing in college and only two going to IU. Not sure what kind of support the womens soccer team has, but I would think that it's good. The mens program has certainly done a good job of keeping the local talent. Pretty sure that at least 3 of the last four State high school players of the year played for them this past season.
What sort of recruiting advantages can the AD tell a coach are available? By that I don't mean a pretty campus. Let's take the BJ Snow situation as an example, though I don't think he would have moved anyway. A challenge for all coaches is how to "stretch" the available 14 scholarships. At UCLA, he can tell a player he can get her into a fine school as a special admit - regular admittance standards need not apply. In past years, up to 89% of all athletes got into UCLA this way. More recently, the percentage has fallen into the seventies. using this admission standard, the player only needs to be NCAA certified (can be as low as 2.0 average) and the coach needs to convince the admissions board that the athlete has a reasonable chance of graduating. Documents only say coaches can't have a history of putting the program below acceptable APR standards.( 930, at the present). As long as the program doesn't go on probation, the coach has leeway. Also, according to California State law, any athlete in an Olympic sport who attends a session at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center can enter a Cal system school at in-state tuition rates " until such time as they can establish residency" ( no time limit). Virtually all ODP programs in the West, and many around the country, train at the center from time to time. And I suppose I'm missing other advantages BJ has in California he might not have at IU. There may be special scholarships available. Do you know what percentage of athletes are special admits at IU? The Indi Star can help you. They have a freedom of information request database that tracks that for Public schools around the country. Do you know if there are in-state tuition loopholes for athletes? Are there any special state scholarships that mainly target athletes?
http://www.aim.ucla.edu/CDS/CDS0607.pdf With a 25percentile ACT of 24 and SAT of 1770, I would expect many/most soccer girls that can play at that level can get in. I think the soccer is the limiting factor, not the academic standards.
Firstly for you to receive the in-state tuition benefit you must be a resident of the Olympic Training Center, not just have only trained there. That's true of any athlete in any state that houses an Olympic Training Center (Colorado, Utah (skiing), Michigan (swimming) and anywhere else an Olympic training Center might be located.) It is for residents there, not for anyone who has ever trained there. Secondly, all schools have special admits for athletes that can override the school's own admittance policy. It's not like BJ is admitting kids that other schools couldn't get in. I think the questions coaches do ask on their interview, however, is how much leeway do they have with special admits. I would want to know if I will have to die on the mountain for every kid I want to get in.