I agree it’s mostly the school. Who wouldn’t want to go to Stanford?! There will still be some competition between these super elite institutions but you for sure get the pick of the best players. I suppose a good test of if the coach or the school can be the biggest seller will be Waldrum. If he can get that program into the top few teams in the ACC then it shows the coaches reputation and pull can make up for the institution. Pitt isn’t a bad school but most people will choose a UNC, Notre Dame etc instead. So if Waldrum can get it done there it will be impressive. Any updates on Rice? Early days but I’m assuming they are putting out feelers.
There are plenty that wouldn’t want to deal with Stanford/Ivy league type of rigorous academic standard and focus on soccer, but it would be hard not to be successful at those schools mentioned especially in women’s soccer. I’ve always wondered why Steve Swanson wasn’t more successful at place like Stanford.
Outside those elites, I think Princeton and Harvard are the best jobs in the country. Keep your mouth shut and you can't lose, Perennial lock on Ivy first dibs and they're begging you. No national expectations, no fiddling around with financials. Penn is a solid 3, I think, thanks to dumpy New Haven. Cornell is nether reaches from I-95 wealth, given a choice with the top three. So Yale and Cornell are toast. The rest, Brown, say, over Princeton? Leone lost his mind giving Cambridge up.
I'm working on a theory about schools/coaches that relates to the discussion about what it takes to recruit at the most elite level: 1. Each school has a relatively "steady state" area in the rankings. It can do better than that ranking area and it can do poorer than that ranking area, but over the long term that's the area into which its rankings go by a sort of gravitational force (which more or less defines the school's ability to recruit). A school's steady state area can change (which would be evidenced by a change in its ranking area over a long period of time), but that's unusual and has something to do with a change in how the school thinks about and supports women's soccer. 2. When a school does better than its steady state ranking area for a significant period of time (that doesn't qualify as long term) it's due to the coach (or to a succession of coaches); and the same is true when it does poorer (in which case the coach should be on the hot seat). It's just a theory, I don't know how one would prove it one way or the other.
cpthomas- does it help or have you thought to compare women's soccer success to other sports? or overall success at the school. What is the avg success rate for the other specific teams or olympic sports overall at the school? and is WS above or below that mean. Simple, but would capture some of the resource and reputation factors. If UNC can win so much on the women's side, can't they on the men's. (They did win a natty I believe). I think Stanford winning both recently was an interesting example. UMD won both in lacrosse recently but the difference in the soccer programs there right now reflects very poorly on Leone (fair or not). Some say Stanford should win most titles most years with the advantages they have. A perceived high reputation school and well-funded athletic dept are the key ingredients. How much on-field success is then due to coaching? I think you'd agree that when an 'outlier' in any model has an outstanding season then, it has a lot to do with coaching - Nolan at Georgetown for example, Izzo at WVU. Very different schools but ones that would not be predicted to have Final-4 type seasons in women's soccer in most models. So, my question - what is the most successful women's soccer program in recent years at the least likely school? Who is the Akron of women's soccer?? Is it Georgetown? Sorry if this is not exactly on-topic.
I think the sport matters too. If you are in a warm weather state like Arizona, you have built in advantages as the golf coach, but not so much as the hockey coach. So the school itself definitely matters, but not all sports at that school are playing on the same level field.
That was not my point Fish on. It is about expectations. A golf coach at Arizona or Arizona State SHOULD be expected to perform. They have built in advantages. Arizona State having a good season in hockey is not the same as a strong history in hockey. It is too new to judge. But again you missed the point. A great coach can do wonders in less than ideal situations. West Virginia has overachieved in soccer beyond what she has to offer. Credit goes to the coach.
I think Izzo at WVU to an extent but that school is also comparatively cheap compared to others. Let’s say you are being recruited by WVU, Notre Dame, and Duke. All 3 schools offer a half ride- you are looking at about 17k out of state at WVU compared to 30 and Notre Dame- I don’t know what duke is. Point being kid may go for cheapest option if it’s a big difference and the coaches don’t want to over pay to reduce the cost because West Virginia is cheaper than their school. WVU has a great niche in the fact they are cheaper than a lot of competitors and money is a factor
ha...heaven forbid people get off topic (but not really that far off) and force people to read irrelevant posts. Someone talk about the same open positions that have been discussed ad nauseam.
As of today, I have four openings: Arkansas Pine Bluff Nicholls State Rice UNC Asheville There are 30 new coaches so far this year, plus those 4 openings, which is in the normal turnover range. So far we have 237 male and 94 female head coaches, plus 2 male/female pairs. That's as compared to 237 male and 96 female head coaches plus 2 pairs last year. And to 201 male and 99 female head coaches 15 years ago.
Another factor... would you rather have a degree from Duke or WVU? If you're not convinced you want to play soccer professionally (especially with the shitty pay), the pedigree of your diploma is more attractive.
Someone should start another thread I guess but I was going to comment on this as well. (There are only 4 openings left!) Izzo has major problems even getting the attention of USYNT pool players and top ECNL (and now DA) kids. Many aren't touching a state school like WVU, even if it's free. Those kinds of families are not crossing the country for years in the club soccer racket to put a "WV" sticker on the bmw! I thought it was funny when Duke had to travel to WVU a couple years back and lost. How many of those kids and families never set foot in WV (or will again). FSU has a similar problem I think and why WVU/FSU and others not at "Top 50" academic schools have gone the international route and those coaches should get lots of credit for their nationally competitive squads. But I do agree, that GENERALLY speaking, I'd rather have a Duke grad as my lawyer or heart surgeon than one from WVU. Sorry Mountaineers, the truth hurts.
So far as I know, no new programs this year. UC San Diego will be coming in, in 2020. And Delta State will be reclassifying to Division I, but I don't know when.
Sorry, my bad. It's Dixie State, and on checking they will be playing D1 starting with the 2020-21 season (Fall 2020).
This probably shouldn't be in the "hot seat" thread but this seems to be where coaching changes are tracked and commented on. Nich Flohre, former Eastern Kentucky HC and an assistant at Ohio State and Iowa, is now on staff as an assistant at Auburn. This is a good addition to the Auburn staff and with Karen Hoppa being at Auburn since '98 and a HC for 26 years, I wouldn't be surprised if Flohre is being brought in to eventually succeed her. https://auburntigers.com/news/2019/...soccer-names-nick-flohre-assistant-coach.aspx
Have already given my thoughts on Rice, but haven't heard anything solid about it yet. UAPB will take awhile. They barely have enough kids on the squad to field a team, and Dr. Ted did a decent job to see them through to the conference tournament (though the bottom of that league is B-A-D!). They'll have even less on the roster this time around after losing seniors, with no recruiting class in place. UAPB is still trying to fill their volleyball job and have someone from campus coaching their softball team on an interim basis. Soccer job hasn't even posted yet, and I'd venture it's summer before it's filled. Also is one of the "most dangerous" small towns in America, so applicant pool will be thin. Nicholls is an interesting case. I've heard they may proceed with the interim for the fall and if progress isn't made, a change possibly be made then. But it could be a couple of years. Program isn't funded or supported as well as it could be, and even though other sports have been successful in the SLC at Nicholls, I don't think there's a ton of pressure to succeed.
Heard today they are focusing on hiring a female. I’m sure there will still be some guys who go through the process but they are determined that this position will remain as a female head coach. I think they will get some good viable candidates. Anyone who may be a good fit?