Well, he has done a pretty good job at Fordham. Good German connection. It will be interesting, Fordham has great campus, NYC is pretty attractive for foreign players but they have no facilities. Rutgers will have B1G money but it isn’t NY and that isn’t the same campus. Makes sense to move, imagine the pay was much better.
Solid hire by Rutgers. Safe hire as well given experience. Likelihood of an international player passing because of facilities or the fact it's not in NY proper is reaching. Maybe he could recruit based on the conference just had 3 teams in the final 4?
Shocker here...Ken Lolla resigns at Louisville. https://gocards.com/news/2018/12/11/lolla-resigns-as-louisville-mens-soccer-head-coach.aspx
Who they hire to replace him will be very interesting and could trigger several other coaching vacancies.
@Sandon Mibut, time for an updated list on vacancies and filled positions? Surely...Lolla has a pro gig sorted? Can't see him leaving coaching. Unless there's an unknown college gig he's after, there are only lower-profile projects to take over. Part of me thinks that John Michael Hayden will take over.
Heard this one was possibly coming. No way they stay in house unless they don't get a guy they want. All these have won and won a lot recently. What I hear: Jared Embeck, unfortunately Jamie Franks, Kevin Hudson, and Nick Carlin-Voigt. These are the most accomplished coaches outside of the Power 5. I am certain there will be some outside of college soccer that will get involved and of course Josh Shaprioo (also goes by Fourdglory)!
Is this just speculation or announced? Based on what Coach Lolla mentions in the Press it seems like it would be more profound.
Heard starting CB for the past two years was so frustrated with the program that he has left. I guess he would rather walk into uncertainty that put up with the coaching mediocrity.
Joel Tyson named Head Coach at Wofford. https://woffordterriers.com/news/2018/12/12/wofford-names-joel-tyson-head-mens-soccer-coach.aspx
More on Lolla leaving- the video included in this link suggests someone going through an emotionally difficult time. It may be that he's headed to Louisville FC (to work with Hackworth?), or maybe he and his wife have other plans (ministry?). https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...en-lolla-resigns-next-job-mission/2280551002/
Someone is going to be looking at a pretty good gig in Louisville. In February, the University of Louisville Athletic Association approved an extension for Lolla through 2022 that would have paid him $330,000 through 2019, and $350,000 through 2022.
Whoever gets the AU position will inherit a very young squad (no seniors) that will all return in 2019. They had five freshman and four sophomores in the team that went 2-0 up at Colgate in the Patriot League play-offs before the referee lost control. Who cares about floodlights when you can get a very good education in a great city!
I think lights have more impact than some might think. Day games mean parents can’t get to home games if they live within driving distance. Day games mean fewer spectators altogether. My experience is players want to play “under the lights” on a Saturday night and it does influence their perception of a school. While some might suggest facilities and locations don’t matter, I’ve been on enough recruiting trips to know players and families do care about locker rooms, weight rooms, “good road trips”, level of competition, uniform sponsors, local nightlife etc. None of them trump the academics and the team but they enter into the equation and can influence a decision. A night game at Louisville is a heck of a recruiting tool, the soccer specific “clubhouse”, the stadium, crowd, video board etc...that 9 times a year versus Wednesday afternoon games has an impact.
No lights is trash. Truly is. A local school near me has no lights. Kickoffs for soccer are typically at 2pm-3pm on a weekday afternoon, about 10 people in the stands. They are also subject to space issues and have to juggle one turf field for men's soccer, women's soccer, football, and track. I coached at a college for 4 years that didn't have lights. It was a nightmare when the early darkness set-in. We'd never have fans. Women often had the first game and would kick-off between 12pm-2pm with men kicking off immediately after. Better hope there's no injuries, overtime, or weather!
Louisville AD has made some nice hires in the big ticket sports. We'll see if it extends to the soccer program. I have no reason to doubt that it will.
I actually go to more Villanova games than any other school because the Union play the same time that many of the other Philly schools have games. It’s also much easier to take little kids to games that start at 4 than ones that start at 7. That said, I’m all for them adding lights as long as they still play Saturday afternoon conference games. Those are usually well attended. It’s the weekday games that are more of an issue attendance-wise.