You obviously have no idea how scholarships, recruiting, team management or coaching works. A program doesn't get their full allotment of scholarships with every recruiting class. If a program has 9 scholarships available, then the coach has to spread out those 9 scholarships across his entire roster. The coach only gets that money back if the players graduates/transfers/quits. A program like UNCW would struggle to attract those "stud" players that you are so quick to think that would accept a full ride. The harsh reality is that most programs like UNCW, Elon, etc have to bust their asses to recruit and sign 2nd and 3rd tier players - they aren't getting established YNT kids from any decent country or true blue chip kids. As for roster size, go apply, interview and accept a Div 1 job (doesn't even have to be as a head coach) and see how your ideal roster size of 15-16 players works out for you come the end of October. You would probably have to play your back up GK on the field and have 0-1 subs available for your conference tournament (assuming you qualified for it). Again, 100% clueless.
UNCW is a great job. This program should be very competitive. Wilmington is an attractive place so straight away you have a draw as a coach. This coach hasn’t done well previously but I think this is a situation where you should be pretty successful.
Neal, looking at his time at Elon as a whole, had the team on a slight gradual rise. UNC Wilmington, over the same time, was on a slight gradual decline. On the other hand, UNCW has been the stronger team. I think it's fair to say that Elon has been a weaker, but very slowly improving, program; and UNCW has been a stronger, but very slowly declining program. That's the context in which I would judge how Neal does at UNCW.
The flip side of this is the nearest ECNL-DA program is a two and a half hour drive away, so you can't easily be a constant presence at games and practices like the coaches at places like Charlotte and UNC-Greensboro (not to mention Elon) can, seeing both the local and out-of-state kids, schmoozing the club coaches and directors, any time you want with minimal fuss.
A college coach can’t be a constant presence at a clubs training or games. You can only watch a player 7 times from Sept 1- June 1.
One day you watch the U15s; the next day you watch the U16s. The next day you're just there to say hi to a Director. And it's not just one club. If you live in Charlotte, for example, you've got CSA, Lake Norman SC, NC Fusion, and GUSA within an easy drive. I'm not saying anybody goes literally every day, but they make sure to be seen regularly. Watching the players isn't even the only point; the point is *them* seeing *you.* Or maybe you get yourself on staff as a Director, and then you literally *are* there every day. Lots of examples of this; take a look at PDA, for a start.
OGSoccerCoach, wake up and don't be naive. If you think coaches aren't cheating and/or creating loopholes to get around the constantly changing NCAA rules, then stop posting on here because everything you say will be mute. Now, simply, it's a bad hire by UNCW. Fire a coach and then replace him/her with the conference's last place team's coach from 3 of the previous 4 years? No way! In any walk of professional life, this type of decision could not be justified.
With about 3 weeks before preseason starts, UNCW went with an alum and former assistant. Can hit the ground running due to familiarity of the school and conference. Why is this a surprise?
Heard that Idaho hired. Jeremy Clevenger from Northern Iowa. Wondered if they would still be able to attract a DI coach.
Does moving up 20 or so spots over the course of 5-6 years really register? Lots of CAA or similar programs have found themselves in the top 60 over those years. A mid-major with good academics, good location and a good coach should be competing in the top 80 on a semi-regular basis. See Northeaster, Hofstra, JMU, Dayton, Georgetown, UCONN, William and Mary, LMU, Fullerton, Boston U, GWU, etc. Shoot even Wilmington has had some years where they finished very high. Trend is an incredibly limiting data point. If you took a team from 320 to 318, to 316, to 310, to 304 in 5 years are you contending they are doing a better job than someone who has gone from 24 to 26, 28, 30, 32, 34?
UNCW can be a winner, as they have been, without being fully funded and by just following the same course. Paul put in a good effort and they had positive outcomes. People know the structure going in to this is the job, it's not a secret. The admin have seen they can be successful in this conference as is. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, it is what it is. You know you will be limited in funding and might not have the assistant coaching support that other schools have, and again, so what. I happen to agree that with hustle this program can continue to make post season play, and we all know the type of hustle and effort needed. Quality girls already want to attend UNCW and building a roster of 22 to 30 good players is not an issue. Girls already want to go to UNCW! I happen to think what took place at Elon with the proper funding will happen at UNCW; proper funding or not. I will be curious if UNCW cares about the results on the field. I do think the players will be happy with the treatment they receive from CN. Perhaps just having fun over results will be good enough.
There is no credible career path on the girls side in the near future to make as much money as a dental hygenist. Only 11 draftees for the NWSL this year are on a roster as of today. Even so, a manager job at McDonald's pays more. The in state acceptance rate for UNC chapel hill is ~50% and for NC State about 65%. So a parent would have to think long and hard if their kid could get into UNC CH or state and go to UNCW or go into debt for Elon. A couple years ago a girl with a fractional to Elon for WSOC left at the last minute to go to UNC Chapel hill and not play soccer. To be successful on the girls side either need to be competitive for national team players, have lots of scholarships at big state school or offer elite academics. I'd rather be UNCW than Elon cause at least in state UNCW tuition will cost a lot less. But both seem like tough jobs. (Also, Wilmington is getting an ECNL team next year). UNC CH's top club team would beat the very bottom D1 schools so there's that too as a reason to save money and pick better academics. However, for girls without the academics in state UNCW tuition may not be that bad.
Green Bay, Hampton (still lists Frank Hughes as head coach, but he announced he had resigned on Twitter on 5/24), Prairie View, UMass Lowell (Mira Novak listed as Interim Head Coach), and Wofford. Some of these are rumored to be filled, but there's nothing official yet.
Official Western Michigan release: https://wmubroncos.com/news/2018/7/...nczyk-head-womens-soccer-coach.aspx?path=wsoc
Wofford is going with an interim for the season. According to a buddy, applicants were told they will reopen the search after the 2018 season.
I would add Idaho State to the extremely hot list for this fall. She had to get rid of her staff just to save herself. One more bad year and that job will be open. Maybe Kansas State should be warm sooner rather than later didn’t Dibbini guarantee a Big Twelve championship by 2018?
Dude Dibbini is a total dumbass so don’t be surprised when he spouts all of his bs. He could be there until 2035 and not win a championship.
Yeah, K-State probably could have done better with an established coach who had a proven track record in Division I