Four of the Power 9 jobs are filled. Only ones not are...Boston College and Temple (and Xavier but that obviously is very recent). Have no idea of whom BC is talking to. They screwed up a successful program with their last hire and only offering a year-to-year deal, they need to get it right and can if they know what the hell they're doing this time around. That's a program that can compete at the ACC and national level. Purdue, Miami, Kansas, Creighton made their moves, BC what are you waiting for?
I think it’s a totally defensible stance from both parents and administrators even if makes coaching much more complicated. You have plenty of coaches that want to treat this profession like a pro organization, and do not understand or accept that, while college basketball and football are not really amateur sports, non-revenue sports are and thus often have different mandates.
Do you think the SWA is in charge of making the hire at BC? Her bio doesn't suggest that she has much experience in hiring coaches.
I love how college age people are adults when they want to do adult things, but when they don't want too, they are children and their snowplow parents rush to their side.......and into the AD's office. I set up a meeting with an athlete (junior year) several years ago because she skipped practice. When I got to my office for the meeting, the athlete was there.....with both parents. They wanted to "support" their "child" is what they said.....their 21 year old child. Just like public school teaching, coaching is becoming a miserable profession because of parents who haven't cut the umbilical cord.
Am I the only one that feels like the BC job is not as desirable as many people here make it out to be?
College men's soccer and college women's soccer operate in separate realms with regards to recruiting and competing. No comparison other than the ball is round and they play on a rectangular field. For example, you will never have Marshall women win a national championship, or Akron, or even Syracuse for that matter. Most good us based women's players will see a school like G webb as a last resort
Parents should realize that they’re doing their children a huge disservice when they become “helicopter” parents and intervene too much in their lives. Even when kids are in high school and not yet 18 parents should be trying to let their children problem solve and deal with as many issues as they can on their own. This includes in the classroom with teachers and in the locker room with coaches and teammates. Being an ear for their children and offering advice when needed is good and expected. Meeting with coaches & teachers, unless requested, is something altogether. It’s part of why so many young kids lack critical thinking skills.
With the email circulating in regards to all the changes starting next year, the conference realignments and all things regarding P4 schools, it would be very shocking to see any of the mid-major jobs being able to hire someone currently employed in major revenue schools. College athletics is being redefined, and it’s far from over. Question now is, how long until we have a P2 and how does that affect coaching changes in soccer? Keep in mind, football dictates realignments, and FSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame are one move away from increasing the gap between the SEC & Big 10 to all the other conferences, including the Big 12 and ACC.
I absolutely agree with you. Just because a program used to have success doesn't mean it can or will in the current climate of college soccer. Does it have some real positives absolutely...probably the greatest college town in the world (if you got cash) and pretty good area for potential recruits (although overrated by some). Awful facilities, poor support network (both administration and donor), low pay, low pay for assistants, less staff than some mid-majors, competing in the toughest competition in the nation, last success long in the memory, a country mile behind even the mid-tier of the league, and basketball and football stink. I would rank BC if not the worst job (Syracuse may take that), but certainly near the bottom.
It's a market affected by market forces. econ 101. The supply of available coaches is a bit up since covid or at least stable. I guess you could argue the job is harder maybe with social media marketing, things like the portal chaos and uber parents. Most coaches know what they're getting in to. There are some growing cuts that may affect salaries negatively and some asst coach and scholarship budgets and there are schools even closing too. But everyone knows if you'll sponsor a VISA every college soccer job has 150+ applicants. If I were one of those HR firms, I'd be telling coaches to stay at that higher revenue P4/5 level as long as you can. It's the mid-majors with FB below the P4s that are likely in the most trouble. They have always had to break even or try to make money with tickets and regional broadcasts and such. And even in D1, some schools like Gardner-Webb are asking coaches to keep big rosters to help pay the bills. Very common in D2/3 to see big rosters. Some conferences have jv or 'developmental' games scheduled often. More kids playing is not a bad thing as long as everyone knows what they're getting. Head coach candidates need to know the compensation and contract terms, the staffing, operating, and scholarship budgets, AND the roster expectations.
Why is there a big exodus? These players have to already know that they are entering a team with a large roster.
That’s crazy to think of having to manage 44 players. Do they have a football staff? What’s the point of new facilities if they don’t care about Women’s soccer?
This was about Gardner Webb right? I don't have any insights on this position, other than some of the negativity that was put out there. But aren't coaching changes sometimes good? It's probably about 50/50 right? Sometimes good coaches are just moving up the ladder and sometimes coaches that were in the wrong place are moving on and maybe a 'better' coach is arriving. If I were at Gardner Webb, or advising someone there, I might get into the portal so I could look and talk about options until the new coach is named. Maybe do a few apps just in case. For the players it's around 50/50 or so as well right? Some of the current players don't belong and might be fortunate to have a spot or a scholarship. Others might do better moving on to greener pastures. You can't always use a broad brush to describe every situation.
Hot seat potential? Anyone know about Cal State Northridge. The head coach was a brilliant player at U of Florida back in the day. But head coaching experience, absolutely the worst record in the nation at a D3 ,7-72 is all in six years, before being promoted to be the CSUN head coach. Impressive. CSUN the last 3 years, 7-45-6, bottom 10 in the nation for wins during that span, if you say well she didn't get to coach the full season by herself in 2021, well just the last two years then with only her at the helm the whole seasons, 4-28-6. Considering CSUN just the season before she took over went 12-7-3 and averaged roughly 10 wins per year nearly every season since 2013. This is a huge slide to the bottom averaging about 2 wins per year now. I don't know contract details, or even if this is on par for this school and conference, but it seems like this position has to be close to engulfed in flames hot if the admins see the direction of the program from what it just recently was. Some amazing players can really play college ball and dominate, coaching/managing players I think sometimes isn't for everyone. Not trying to bash her, was just checking in on transfer player, and noticed how far they've fallen in recent years when they used to be really competitive.
The departing coaches also are leaving the programs in decent shape. Xavier has a strong incoming class and already has seven 2025 commitments. Bowling Green also has players coming in and some 2025 commits. That said, some commits may follow the coaches particularly if the positions that they're departing from are not filled in a timely manner. I don't anticipate that being an issue, though. One knock on Xavier is the home field. It has lousy turf that is in dire need of an upgrade.
It wouldn't surprise me at all for CSUN's seat to begin warming up, even though they've only finished last in Big West once (UCR finished last 3 times in a row, only edging CSUN by 2 pts this year). Schools showing similar ineptitude (some with better records) have already made moves, so I guess it really comes down to which are "firing schools" and which aren't. Or, as we often phrase it in this thread, some schools "care about women's soccer" and some don't.
The issue with CSUN is they have had so much turnover with Administration only thing I see them looking at the moment is, are the kids happy, academics, and graduation rate. The AD’s only a year in. Surprised he hasnt done what GCU’s men soccer route did and said, we were winning before, 2 bad seasons not good enough, and out. Its different when you take over a bad program and try to build them, but taking over a winning program and completely tanking them?
I could see this if the longest tenured, most successful coach in program history just retired or got a better job, but left on good terms. Maybe you or others already know the answer to this and I just missed it, but I'm guessing that's not the case here. At a quick glance, it appears there were only 12 returners in '22 and 16(!) freshmen. Is it fair to consider that a continuation of the same perennial contending program or is it more accurate to see it as a rebuild?
I would think that some of the Xavier commits might end up at Kansas. Surely the bowling green recruits won’t change to Creighton the Big East is a tougher conference and I don’t see that translating.
Top to bottom I think you could argue that. But are you then saying the Big East is the same as the Big 12?!?