Interesting development-

http://www.lynchburg.edu/x12914.xml

Now, before people say "Good for him," I have to wonder.

He's gone from Division I to Division III. Can Division III pay him as much?

Yes, he is returning to his hometown. I don't discount that. And maybe that's the motivation.

But we also know that since Ed DeChellis returned to Penn State he hasn't had the program take off. He's inherited a bad team at a tough place to win, but he's not been a big winner.

I remember after the 2002 football season Paul Hamilton's assistants left in droves. That was a very telling sign that something was up. One of them even took a high school job.

Hamilton did a wonderful job bringing in some very fine assistants to that final team- Dale Steele (now head coach at Campbell), Rick Kaczenski (defensive line coach at Iowa)- but regardless.

I hope not, but I wonder if that isn't an indication this may be DeChellis' "NCAAs or Else" season.

Well ill always be the first to point out that its not all about the short term money. Head coach vs. assistant would be more challenging, rewarding, etc. He can also use it as a springboard to other things more easily than being assistant coach at Penn State right now.

Sadly, I think this is a very important year for Dechellis. Hes a great coach, but I doubt he can have another average year. Hopefully injures wont do him in again.

Of course im not sure ETSU's coach will be here forever if things keep going the way they have been. So let him come back here, coach as long as he wants and then let Mister take over :)

This shows that going back to your alma mater isn't always the best idea. It's a shame for Eddie D., because while he isn't a great coach, he's a pretty good coach. I wonder had he stayed around at ETSU for another year or two, then taken a job at a better program that maybe needed some rebuilding work, would things have turned out different for him.

I don't blame DeChellis for going back to Penn State. It's hard to turn your back on-

The Big 10

More money

Alma Mater

Leaving behind "You didn't recruit my son and he's now lighting it up at Lees-McRae."

Gotta remember, when DeChellis was an assistant there Penn State was a good program where 20 victories was commonplace. Of course, they also were in the Atlantic 10, and while it's not a bad conference, it's not the Big 10.

Also, while I have heard rumors DeChellis was originally contacted about being the AD/basketball coach but he told them he had his sights on Penn State, let's say he stayed.

One of two things would have happened-

A- He would have been the AD/Basketball Coach. IT COULD BE THEORIZED THIS WOULD HAVE SAVED FOOTBALL because there is no way DeChellis would have signed off on a plan to move his program from the So Con to the A-Sun, but football still would have been a losing program. And he may have signed off on it, thinking football was a money drain for his own program.

He would have had to butt heads with Stanton and the types that wanted to drop football for soccer, he would have had to have to butt heads with Fred Warren, he would have had to butt heads or at the very least go over the head of Paul Hamilton- it wouldn't have been a good situation.

B- If he didn't become the AD/Coach- then his program would have been ruined by the move to the A-Sun. He would have been gone after the next season- he would have taken any job that would have come his way. The Bucs might have beaten Cincinnati and made a run in the NCAAs, but that's quite an assumption.

What I do blame him, and Mullins, for was hush-hushing his interview up there. You don't lie to the media- or use the SID to be a mouthpiece to lie for you.

Bad way to end, but still the second-best coaching tenure in ETSU basketball history.

Gotta remember, DeChellis was looking to get out of here as early as 2001. He knew what the situation was here. And Penn State was a whole lot better job than Duquesne and with the conference was better than C of C, too.

Final thing- Scott hardly is in a better springboard position.

Ask yourself- is it easier to get a Division I job when you are a-

A- Big 10 assistant

B- Division III coach.

You could see a high profile job like Indiana even going to a highly regarded Big 10 assistant. You'd never see it going to a Division III coach.

So Scott takes a job that's more rewarding to him, and who knows, maybe the team moves to the A-Sun in a few years.
DeChellis should have given it one more year. He should have waited on the Penn State job, maybe taken a higher end mid major job (i.e. Tulsa-type job), then taken a shot at a BCS school after a few years.

Lover- You're the only one in the world who would believe that.

Big 10 jobs do not grow on trees.

And Tulsa didn't do much for Buzz at Tennessee.

It did for Tubby Smith, and my point is simply DeChellis wasn't ready for the job. He's gotten in over his head and barring a 20 win season it's going to send him to a crap job very soon.

Could it be any crappier than ETSU?

Oh, almost forgot.

LET'S GO PENS!