(12-27-2013 04:00 PM)EmeryZach Wrote:  I like the MAC/A10 deal UMass has now.

Of course you do. Best of both worlds.

(12-27-2013 04:40 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(12-27-2013 04:00 PM)EmeryZach Wrote:  I like the MAC/A10 deal UMass has now.

Of course you do. Best of both worlds.

Don't get too touchy, we are charter members of the A10. The issue is that Football was not included and many charter members moved on.

You all probably do not care about it but this is our roots along with Yankee Conference Football.

Quote:The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1975 as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League (ECBL) and began conference play in 1976. At that time, basketball was its only sport. After its first season, it added sports other than basketball and changed its name to the Eastern Athletic Association. However, despite its official names, it was popularly known as the Eastern 8, as it then had eight members (Villanova, Duquesne, Penn State, West Virginia, George Washington, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers).
After changes in membership that saw charter members Pittsburgh and Villanova leave and new members St. Bonaventure (1979), Rhode Island (1980), Saint Joseph's (1982) and Temple (1982) enter, establishing the league with 10 members, the conference adopted the current Atlantic 10 name in 1982.

Wiki

I wonder if Neal Brown is interested this time since he apparently was interested last time. He was third in the AState coaching search and #1 backed out before we could get him on the plane so I guess he was #2 among those willing to take the job.

I'm not a fan of using search firms but so few college athletics administrators have actual athletic backgrounds these days most don't have a great network of coaches to talk to get names from so I guess there is a place for them.

Matty Vantour has a good take on possible candidates.
From the Hampshire Gazette.

Quote:Friday, December 27, 2013
(Published in print: Saturday, December 28, 2013)
AMHERST

The University of Massachusetts needs a football coach and Mark Whipple needs a job.

According to several sources close to Whipple, the former Minuteman coach who led UMass to the 1998 Division I-AA National Championship is interested.

That combination alone is enough to get some fans excited.

Would it work?

Whipple, 56, would solve some of the program’s off the field problems:

■ Whipple taking over a team that had been 2-9 the year before and winning a national championship in his first season is legendary in UMass circles. He’s the only coach the school could realistically hire who would increase ticket sales before he’s coached a game.

■ The rift between the program and its former players would end instantly. Whipple is well-liked by most of the players who played for him and many have used social media to openly campaign for his return.

■ He has a high-scoring offensive system that would make the team more watchable as it gets better.

But it’s rare that a coach returns to the spot of past glory. Even when they do, the sequel is rarely as good as the original.

During his time at UMass, Whipple looked like a rising star. But he’s flown under the radar in the 10 years since he left. He won a Super Bowl ring as the quarterbacks coach in three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent two seasons as an offensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles, two more as the offensive coordinator at the University of Miami and two years as the QB coach for the Cleveland Browns.

He didn’t coach in 2013 after Pat Shurmur’s entire staff was fired by the Browns after the 2012 season.

During his tenure at UMass, Whipple embraced the role of promoter and spokesman for the program early, but by the end he was more interested in X’s and O’s than shaking hands. For him to be a successful candidate, he’d have to revive early Whipple because the building job the new coach signs up for is about more than designing successful systems.

But there’s no reason to think that the chance to be a head coach again wouldn’t ignite his interest in being the “face of the program” that athletic director John McCutcheon said he’s looking for.

Whipple, who was long an advocate for upgrading UMass to Bowl Subdivision football (Division I-A at the time), left the school partially because the school wasn’t interested in making the necessary financial investment in an upgrade and he didn’t want to spend his career in I-AA.

He’d be returning to a different campus and administration than the one he left. There are still skeptics. The ad-hoc committee on FBS football distributed a report at the Dec. 12 faculty senate meeting that presented the upgrade as a financial failure that is hurting the university. But with huge capital investments in a new press box and facilities building, the administration doesn’t appear to be hedging on its commitment to the program.

Still, Whipple would be coming in with his eyes open. He knows how the bureaucracy works on the state and campus levels. His familiarity with the place would lessen the adjustment period.

Even if Whipple wants to return, there’s no guarantee that the interest is mutual as little of the administration remains from Whipple’s tenure. UMass’ use of a search firm makes the process that much more unpredictable. Carr Sports Associates could produce candidates who might have never appeared on the school’s radar without them.

Here are some other names worth considering:

Neal Brown, Kentucky offensive coordinator — The former UMass wide receiver has been an also-ran each of the last two times there was an opening in Amherst. But his salary at Kentucky — $550,000 according to the Cats’ Pause — might put him out of UMass’ price range.

Rob Ambrose, head coach Towson — He was the offensive coordinator at Connecticut during that program’s rise in the Big East and then turned the Tigers from one of the Colonial Athletic Association’s weakest teams into a Championship Subdivision power. Towson will play for the FCS Championship next week.

Ambrose’s potential candidacy might be hurt by the accusations of a former player in the Towson student newspaper that Ambrose mistreated players in practice. Given that Molnar faced similar accusations, that might be enough to scare off the administration.

Bob Shoop, defensive coordinator Vanderbilt — Shoop was the defensive backs coach on the 2006 UMass team that advanced to the FCS Championship game. He struggled previously as the head coach of Columbia, a school that has had two winning seasons since 1971, but he’s been a key part of Vanderbilt’s revival. Shoop is well-liked by former players and is reportedly interested.

Don Brown, defensive coordinator Boston College — Brown, who succeeded Whipple in Amherst, is respected around college football and well-liked by the alumni and fan base. But the former UMass head coach angered some people in the administration when he left to become the defensive coordinator at Maryland in 2009. That could hurt his chances.

Don Brown would be the safe choice. He's pretty much been successful wherever he's coached, including UMass. He also had success at the BCS level as defensive coordinator at Maryland, UConn and now Boston College. The two strikes against him are his age and his tendency to bounce around.

Just read that Mark Whipple will be interviewed for the head coaching position. I think that's a mistake. If Whipple was that highly regarded, he would've had a position in football, pro or college, instead of being unemployed during the 2013 football season.

Every one is entitled to an opinion. There is NO question on our part. We are looking forward to interview week and the following announcement week. We need a good quarterback and his talents as a quarterback coach are unquestionable. Add the possibility of Don Brown as DC and will be in heaven. Our MAC Ben Roethlisberger speaks highly of Mark Whipple.

Quote:Another rumor picking up steam is that Don Brown could join Whipple in Amherst. Brown is the defensive coordinator at Boston College, where he likely makes more than UMass would pay him in the same position. But Brown, 58, spent seven previous seasons coaching the Minutemen, first as the defensive coordinator (1998-99) and then as the head coach (2004-08). It wouldn’t take him long to qualify for a state pension, which might be more valuable long term.

Brown has also been the defensive coordinator at Maryland (2009-10) and Connecticut (2011-12).

Whipple to interview and mentions Don Brown as DC

This is from a 1998 Q & A
1998 Q & A with Mark Whipple

Quote:Q: How did you get into coaching?

A: I got into coaching because I thought I was going to go into law school or go into business my senior year. Our first game was on ABC against Yale and I stunk the place out and we lost 21-0. The next week we probably played worse and we lost 17-3 to the University of Rhode Island. We started out 0-2 and we were the preseason selections for Ivy Champions. Andy Talley, who's now the head coach at Villanova, asked what I thought about calling my own plays. I said I'd love to do it and from then on I called my own plays and we led the league in offense and ended up playing Dartmouth for the Ivy Championship. During my senior year I just enjoyed spending more time in the coaches' office and with the coaches, game planning, watching tape and what that environment entailed. So, I was fortunate that this happened during my senior year. I talked to Joe Paterno, who's a Brown graduate, and I ended up following Andy Talley to St. Lawrence when he took their head coaching job. I really enjoyed it and it's all taken off from there. Ironically, I can remember in high school having a search for identity class that talked about whether you wanted the profession you chose to be one where you wore leisure clothes or a suit and a tie. I said that I wanted to do both and this job works out that way.


Q: How would you describe your coaching philosophy?

A: Aggressive and passionate, with a sense of enjoyment. We want to take the initiative. I believe you can learn a lot from kids as they change and we'll listen to them. The feed back from them is important to us and that might be a little bit different. The relationships you have to form with them so that they have confidence and are able to have sincerity in their beliefs in conversation help formulate our philosophy and the direction the program's going to go.


Q: Who are some of the people, as you came up through the ranks, that had the most influence on the way you coach and how you approach your job?

A: All of the coaches that I've had &emdash, I've taken something from every coach that I've had. I can remember going back to Pop Warner and seventh and eighth grade. My first three teams that I played on were like 1-27, but it was fun. I really enjoyed going to football practices even though I had more success in baseball and basketball. My high school coach Jesse Parker was a great influence who loved coaching discipline and toughness and the mental aspects of the game. We ended up winning the state championship in football and ultimately that success led me to Brown University. Bill Saunders, the offensive coordinator, had a big impact on me and also Charlie Webb, my high school baseball coach. We played for the state championship every year and those guys stressed academics and were talking about colleges where I could play both sports. There wasn't a jealousy factor between the people pulling for me.

Then when I got to college, John Anderson at Brown and Woody Woodworth, my baseball coach at Brown and also a football coach were very influential in some of the things that they did. I had more success in football but baseball was a great learning experience at Brown. Andy Talley and all the coaches I worked for including Joe Wirth, who was the head coach at Union, helped me along. I got a break when I got to work for George Allen with the Arizona Wranglers. He and Roman Gabriel had a profound effect on what we do on offense in the passing game. Then you come back to Bill Bowes at New Hampshire and seeing the way they run their program there. Those experiences gave me a chance to be a head coach at 29. Then your kind of on your own and you use bits and pieces that you retain from all the people that we meet, whether its Bobby Bowden during a trip to Florida State, Bill Parcells when he was with the Patriots, or Dick MacPherson on a visit to Syracuse. Everybody that you touch on, you learn from.

That's the thing I'm most excited about coming to UMass, the chance to learn. That's something that came from my Brown education, that you keep your doors open. When you stop learning, you stop growing.


Q: At your opening press conference you described UMass as a "sleeping giant." What did you mean by that?

A: This school has great respect outside of New England, and I believe that even more so now. The talk about I-A is a big part of it and something that I didn't recognize at first just how much it meant, but that's important too. When people talk about UMass they look at all the championships won here, the most Yankee Conference wins of anyone. The academic support is tremendous. Things are in place for us to be successful. I don't think you can have tradition without commitment, and we have that here and it has been there. It's important here to be successful.


Q: How important is it for you to foster the attachment between the community and UMass football?

A: I feel that it's crucial to success. We have to support one another. I know we won't be successful without it. We need the support of the alumni organizations, the support of the students, even the support of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the state institution. We have to reach out and give back to the area and the local programs in the cities and towns. Sometimes I think college students can become complacent and forget about the world outside. This will help them understand that there is more to life than just football and classes.


Q: One of your first tasks here is recruiting. What kinds of players are you looking for at UMass?

A: Good ones. Great ones. The best we can find. This school allows you not to take a back set to anyone. You have a name that immediately gets you in the door all across the country, and especially in New England. People recognize UMass and you don't have to take the time to explain yourself and just where you're coming from to recruits. You skip past that part and get right down to the more specific football information.


Q: You've been a head coach in New England for 10 years now. How are the recruiting contacts that you've made both in New England and beyond going to benefit UMass?

A: I don't think that there's any doubt that you will see the benefits of that. Strong recruiting ties to UMass already exist mainly in Massachusetts, New England, New Jersey, Long Island and in eastern New York. Players from those places come here and they know that they're treated with respect and given an opportunity to fulfill their potential. They are better people when they leave UMass and the high school coaches know that. I feel that this is the most important factor in a football program &emdash, personal improvement. It's important that you improve in your overall aptitude and your confidence in addition to just in academics and to have the people who leave here to be assets to the community and the world. A few of our players will go to the NFL, but not a lot of them, and it is important that they are ready for graduation and the end of football.

Q: Your offense at New Haven was called the best in the nation, regardless of division by Sports Illustrated. At Brown they called it the "Whiplash" offense. UMass has been known for running the ball offensively for years. How do you plan on implementing it here?

A: It's going to be the same offense I've used for years once we adapt it slightly to the players here. The offense gives us the flexibility to run the ball, but it all comes from the pass. Everything revolves around us throwing the ball. By the end of the year we'll be in great shape. We'll get better from the first game on. I know that because it's taken time at all of my stops. I know it will be much easier than at UNH when I had to teach everyone. Now, I'm a much better coach myself, and I have a staff that understands it as well, and this will help our level of play be better.

What will make us better at it though is not games but practices. We'll learn much more through four years of practices and get better at running this offense than with the Delaware game to open next season. This has happened at every stop. The teams have made great improvements in scoring and offensive yardage totals.

Overall with this offense though, I'll teach fundamentals and then the little things that come off of them, and this will occur in all three phases of the game. We're not going to practice fake punts on the first day. We'll start with punt protection and coverage and then later work on the fake.


Q: Your offensive philosophies of high passing yardage and high scores are well known. What will your defensive philosophy be at UMass?

A: Just the opposite. I want fewer yards and no scores. Just like every other facet of this team we will have to be aggressive. Good run defense is a necessity in this, or any league for that matter. Having both sides work together is my philosophy. People say that defense wins championships, but it's really great teams that win championships. You need a combination of the two because even if you have the best defense you still have to be able to move the ball on offense. You have to have a combination of both. Just look at Nebraska. They just won the national championship, but they did not have the top defense in the nation. As a part of my philosophy, I don't want one unit getting more recognition than the other.


Q: What did you learn from your experience with the USFL's Arizona Wranglers, both in terms of working with George Allen and also seeing the proverbial next level up close and learning what it takes to get collegiate players there?

A: That's a business and as such, the intensity of the game and the commitment is far greater. The biggest things that George showed me are focus and that football is football. There's really no difference between Pop Warner and the highest level. In either, fundamentals and technique are perfected in practices. Whether you're the Green Bay Packers or playing in the Amherst Youth League, many things don't change. Except for the caliber of the players, things remain the same. It's just the schemes that are different. At all levels you have to work hard and have a direction and focus based on your systems.


Q: You brought five assistants with you from Brown. How has having a cohesive unit as a staff eased the transition?


A: We certainly hit the road running and this helped in recruiting. They know me well and how we do things. They know what I want and what I expect. I know them and how they operate and there's a certain amount of trust that develops out of this. Plus there wasn't a whole lot of assembling of a staff which was very important in our time frame. I feel like we're in a good position now with where we're heading.


Q: What are your goals for this season?


A: Improvement, and ultimately, to win the national championship. But, the bottom line for this year is just to improve the entire program. Attendance, facilities, players, coaches and our community service all need to improve. If we can do everything, it will show on the field on Saturday. So often things are broken down into black and white and put in terms of wins and losses. That honestly can't reflect what a program's all about to me. It just takes time to make the necessary improvements, and we plan on getting better in 1998.