Lolla off to Louisville

Discussion in 'College & Amateur Soccer' started by Lensois, Dec 13, 2005.

  1. Bill Archer

    Bill Archer BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 19, 2002
    Washington, NC
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So Kentucky, which was in the MAC until just this year, leaves to join Conference USA, while Louisville, which was in Conference USA until this year, leaves to join the Big East. Meanwhile Ken (L-O-L-A) Lolla, coach at MAC Champion Akron, leaves to go to Louisville.

    Both teams wanted to step up a notch, but when the dust settled Louisville came out ahead. Lolla is a ferocious recruiter, and he now has the Big East to go with his national reputation to offer to the same kids UK is trying to sign.

    Very shrewd move; they just went a round, and UK lost.
     
  2. ohmy

    ohmy New Member

    Feb 2, 2005
    Dayton, Ohio
    "Very shrewd move; they just went a round, and UK lost."-posted by Bill Archer

    At least UK won the basketball round this year! ...It WILL be interesting to see the impact Lolla has on the soccer community in the state. It should shake things up - long overdue.
     
  3. shaggycat

    shaggycat New Member

    Oct 21, 2004
    USA
    I don't really think Lolla will impact the state that much. Louisville has been turning out good soccer players the last few years. The 87 Javanon team sent nearly everyone on the team to DI schools (including IU, SLU, Coastal Carolina, among others) and won regionals their junior year. I think that the only real impact that it will have on the soccer landscape in the area is that perhaps a few more elite players will stay in Louisville and more interest will be raised in college soccer in the area.
     
  4. Bill Archer

    Bill Archer BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 19, 2002
    Washington, NC
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The other interesting thing that bears watching is just how Lolla goes about stocking up his new team.

    At Akron, his recent success has been built largely with a very small, select but critical core of players brought in from overseas: last years team was led by Kiwi Cameron Knowles (now with RSL) Brit Alex Odwell and Swede (IIRC) Hans Juergen Haugland. This year of course All American Seniors Ross MacKenzie (New Zealand) and Johann Mauger (France) have been the prime moving force.

    These select guys have vaulted the program into the level where finally Lolla has been able to bring in the kind of American kids you can win with, and there isn't much of a foreign contingent left (Second team All American junior Sinisa Ubiparipovic is as American as apple pie)

    Previously of course, the appeal of coming to beautiful rust belt basket case Akron and play in the MAC has not been much of an draw, and Lolla was left to pick from amongst the leavings from the bigger programs. The best Ohio kids would invariably go to Indiana or someplace even more exotic like SMU or Maryland. They couldn't even keep a very local kid like Ryan Pore from hustling off to Tulsa.

    Now they're a little more likely to end up at Ohio State then they ever were before, but the success of the program has allowed him to attract some kids he wouldn't have had a chance at as recently as two years ago.

    I think at the end of the day he just got tired of fighting all the negatives: undesirable city, unglamorous conference, prestigious in-state rival for local recruits, etc. All of those problems just went away for Kenny.

    From watching the guy succeed against all the odds he's been saddled with up here through hard work (nobody in the game works harder) personal charm (if he can get into your living room there's a good chance he can close the deal) and the fact that the guy can flat-out coach )just you wait) I honestly believe that Louisville will be a national contender to be reckoned with within three years.

    And at a place like Louisville, success will feed on itself, the campus and community will get turned on and Kentucky will be lucky if recruits return their phone calls.

    I'll bet a bottle of single malt and a big Porterhouse that Lollas best days are just ahead.

    All the best, Ken. You're one of the good guys.
     
  5. Dr Beeper

    Dr Beeper New Member

    Dec 1, 2004
    A legit compliance program that has seen it all via bball and football may hurt him as well...thouhg I have no doubt the man can coach...I just dont see an indepth compliance scheme at Akron which may have helped with his foreign guys.
     
  6. CollFan

    CollFan Member

    Oct 30, 2005
    Student-athletes at Akron have to make it through the NCAA Clearinghouse the same as anywhere else, in terms of academic and amateur standing. Ken is above the board in all he does, and recruiting is no exception.

    If you look at the foreigners, most of them are above average when it comes to academics, having come from much more rigorous educational backgrounds in Europe.

    Ken will be sorely missed at Akron. That being said, the guys he is leaving behind need to rally together under the new regime (whomever that may be) to ensure that the positive steps taken this year don't go for naught. No reason a squad with that much talent can't make another run in 2006.
     
  7. G-Shock

    G-Shock New Member

    Dec 13, 2004
    Trenton, NJ
    How about the current players especially those freshman of this year who were pushed into service because the upper class were so poor. I think that these players along with the rest will have a tough time hanging on as he will probably make changes quickly. Any thought on these current players??? Who do you think will make it?
     
  8. collegesoccer

    collegesoccer Member+

    Apr 11, 2005
    good point!!! I am sure the L-ville goes over everyone with a fine tooth comb.

    NCAA is instituting a Foriegn Player Clearinghouse which may have an effect on some programs.
     
  9. Dr Beeper

    Dr Beeper New Member

    Dec 1, 2004
    Not saying he cheats...not even close...but the thing is taht not every school is as uptight as those with high profile football and basketball...some places (i.e Hartwick) dont even have a compliance specialist.....all I am saying is that with the new foreign clearinghouse and a new regime to work under, he may have to play teh doemstic card more often...which he should be able to do in the Big East.
     
  10. bytheshore8

    bytheshore8 New Member

    Jan 22, 2005
    It might be a little difficult. He was finished recruiting for next year at Akron and was already into recruiting for the following season. Unless he can convince some of those players to come aboard he may have a difficult first couple of years. Too many kids have already committed this year. I think he will have a very difficult first few years. He didn't turn Akron around over night.

    I think that will and has to be his driving force to recruit local American kids at L'ville, but he has to establish the program first like he did at UA

    I think he likes the challenge but more importantly the opportunity to play in the Big East where the schedule will bring him closer to his parents home a few more times than in UA. Plus his kids are still young...if he is going to make a move now is the time.

    Agree 100% Very intelligent and not only in soccer. A great individual.
    But I would give him 3-5 years.



    Agreed
     
  11. CollFan

    CollFan Member

    Oct 30, 2005
    That is part of the two million-dollar questions. 1) Which of those recruits will decide to follow him to Louisville. There are some gems in that group. And 2) which of the current Akron guys decide to make the switch?
     
  12. Lensois

    Lensois Member

    May 19, 2004
    As for question #1 there were three main players Lolla was after and at least one of them is visiting Louisville in January, haven't heard about the other two. There is one big '07 recruit who has almost certainly switched his allegiance to Akron. He may not get everyone he wanted (do you ever, though) in the next year or two but he'll be OK. As Bill said, if he can get into your living room there's a good possibility he can get you to commit.

    Regarding questions #2 I know at least one player (redshirt frosh) has expressed interest in transferring and there may be one or two more. Whoever Akron gets in to replace Lolla will have a tougher job keeping things together there than Lolla will have in building the Louisville program into a contender.
     
  13. Bill Archer

    Bill Archer BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 19, 2002
    Washington, NC
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, the big horse Lolla had coming in for '06 was Kenny Walker, who spent time at Bradenton. If he and, say, midfielder Ben Zemanski (his father was on an NCAA Champion at North Carolina) decide to follw Lolla to Louisville, they could have major impact right away. I gotta tell you I think those two guys are big, big time.
     

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