(11-07-2018 07:36 PM)Oldduke Wrote:  Having been around a number of coaches, I would say that the real value of a head coach is to hire good assistants. This is especially true in football with so many positions to coach up the players. I would say Houston has done a great job with that as well.

As for basketball, with fewer assistants, the head coach might have a bit more direct impact. But, having seen first hand the value of the basketball staff of the late 1970's. Campanelli was the "ring master" but assistant coach Ernie Nestor was the true mastermind behind those teams. He left JMU to become an asst. at Wake Forest and eventually the head coach at George Mason. His personality was that of the perfect asst. coach, not so much that of a head coach. There were countless times when Coach Nestor "made Lou look real smart."

I know Coach Nestor really well. Taught and coached at my high school. His wife was my 6th grade English teacher. We communicate even today via FB messenger. You didn't include several other stops along his career. He basically followed Sherman Dillard to JMU. Not only did he work under Lou at JMU, but Lou took Ernie with him to Cal. In addition, he had stops at Mizzou, Elon, and South Carolina. The great assistant finally took off his coaching hat this past year and is settling into retirement. His last gig was with Navy. By the way, it's my understanding Lou will be at JMU in the near future and will be signing his book in the bookstore. He's had some serious health issues, evidently things must have improved. Nestor and Campanelli have remained great friends.

I was limiting my comments to my direct, personal connection with the coaches. I didn't want to list all of his non-JMU stops. Ernie is a tremendous person. I spoke with him a couple of years ago as well as Lou when he was at JMU bookstore when his book "Dare to Dream" first came out. It was great to see him again and I have a picture of the two of us that I cherish.

Yes, Ernie and Lou have remained friends and Ernie has been instrumental in helping Lou get through some personal and medical issues. Two good guys that laid the foundation for JMU before JMU was even called JMU.

We are indebted to them.

Houston hasn’t faced adversity yet while at JMU. He has it now. How JMU finishes this year will say a lot about his coaching ability. I still believe in and want him at at JMU for many years to come. I believe there have been some player issues this year that have hurt the chemistry. He has made the tough decisions with some guys who were not representing the program up to his standards. I applaud him for that.

(11-07-2018 09:04 PM)Purple Wrote:  A head coach is an executive. His primary job is hiring the best and firing the others. He doesn't need to know a trap from a dive as long as he knows how to hire great assistants and give them the tools they need to succeed. And, of course, he must know how to recruit.

I get what you're saying, but at some point prior to landing a head coaching gig, a guy actually would have to have been a superior Xs and Os guy, at least on one side of the ball. Otherwise, they'd have never landed the job, even if they were the greatest executive and leader ever.

To quote JMUFBS; "If he wasn't pissed, i'd be worried. i am not sure i'd want to be a Rhode Island Ram this week - If houston is in a bad mood, think about the 65 guys in practice. It is not fun going through a week like this as a player."

and probably the assistant coaches, equipment managers, the student volunteers, the folks that empty the trash, his wife, ect...

The Great Coaches may yell and scream, beat them into the ground but there comes a time where he/she helps them up, brushed them off, shows them the love and builds them back up. I had some first hand experience with recruiting kids, one of the biggest deciding factors a kid (and his mother) make when deciding where to play is "do I want to play (do I want my son/daughter) to spend the next four years with this person. Many kids will go to great lengths for these great coaches/people, much more so compared to playing for good coaches.

In addition to what everyone else said, yeah coaches can make or break any program/sport. I get a sense JMU is heading in the right direction with the "major sports" coaches.

(11-08-2018 10:20 AM)olddawg Wrote:  

(11-07-2018 09:04 PM)Purple Wrote:  A head coach is an executive. His primary job is hiring the best and firing the others. He doesn't need to know a trap from a dive as long as he knows how to hire great assistants and give them the tools they need to succeed. And, of course, he must know how to recruit.

I get what you're saying, but at some point prior to landing a head coaching gig, a guy actually would have to have been a superior Xs and Os guy, at least on one side of the ball. Otherwise, they'd have never landed the job, even if they were the greatest executive and leader ever.

I believe that is the general belief, but I don't think it is necessarily true in practice.

Case in point: A Board of Directors is looking for a CEO. They ask the candidate what he knows about widgets. He says, "I know nothing about widgets." They ask him what he knows about P&L and he says, "I know everything about P&L and how to find and trim a company's fat to increase profits and how to increase market share," and my resume proves it.

It takes the board five minutes to offer the guy anything he wants to become their new CEO.

A good example of what I am trying to get across is a guy named Urban Meyer. He was a nobody in the coaching world. He was the WR coach at Notre Dame, and before that the WR coach at Colorado State, and before that the WR coach at Illinois State. He wasn't really going anywhere. He never had an OC or DC job. He had no opportunity to impress anyone with X's and O's. He was a position coach.

Interviewing well, Meyer impressed the AD at Bowling Green and was offered the head coaching job.

He made the best of it and was shortly thereafter offered the head coaching job at Utah where he turned a losing program around in one year, going 10-2 in 2003.

Meyer's quarterback at Utah was a kid by the name of Alex Smith (ever hear of him, Skins fans?).

Read this very closely, folks.... "Meyer's success can be attributed to his unique offensive system, which is an offshoot of Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense, relying on short pass routes. Meyer's base offense spreads three receivers and puts the quarterback in shotgun formation. Then, he introduces motion in the backfield and turns it into an option attack, adding elements of the traditional run-oriented option offense." (Can anyone imagine Ben DiNucci in such an offense?)

In 2004, Meyer led the undefeated Utes to a Bowl Championship Series bid, something that had not been done by a team from a non-automatically qualifying BCS conference since the formation of the BCS in 1998.[33] He remained at Utah long enough to coach the team to a Fiesta Bowl win over #19 Pittsburgh, 35-7, capping off the Utes' first perfect season (12–0) since 1930.[34]

In 2003, Utes quarterback Alex Smith threw for 2,247 yards and 15 touchdowns and ran for 452 yards with five touchdowns. In 2004, he threw for 2,952 yards with 32 touchdowns and ran for 631 yards and 10 touchdowns. His production in Meyer's offensive scheme was a large reason why Smith was considered a first-round pick entering the 2005 NFL Draft.

Since then, Meyer, a position coach who made the most of his opportunities, has gone on to two BCS championships at Florida and is going to do big things at Ohio State.

When Meyer was the linebacker coach at Illinois State and trying to get ahead, he called Nick Saban to see if he needed anybody. Saban, the head coach at the University of Toledo, wasn't home, so Meyer asked his wife if Saban needed a position coach. Saban's wife gave Saban the message. Saban forgot about it and Meyer never got a return phone call. Saban still talks about that as being one huge opportunity missed.

Lou Campanelli better than Shelia Moorman? Shelia went to six NCAA tourneys and four Sweet 16s, and also beat #1 Penn State on the road in the 1991 tourney.

(11-09-2018 09:16 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  Lou Campanelli better than Shelia Moorman? Shelia went to six NCAA tourneys and four Sweet 16s, and also beat #1 Penn State on the road in the 1991 tourney.

Apples and oranges!


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(11-09-2018 11:36 PM)84Breeze Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 09:16 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  Lou Campanelli better than Shelia Moorman? Shelia went to six NCAA tourneys and four Sweet 16s, and also beat #1 Penn State on the road in the 1991 tourney.

Apples and oranges!


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Why? Read the posts:

“I've seen every coach that has ever coached at JMU since 1969. In my opinion, he is the best we have ever had in any sport.”

“I'd say 2nd best. Campanelli did way more with less.”

I’m saying Shelia was more successful than Lou. Are you saying she shouldn’t count because she coached women?

At any rate, two other coaches have national championships (women’s LAX and field hockey), which is something that neither Lou nor Shelia have.

(11-10-2018 05:51 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 11:36 PM)84Breeze Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 09:16 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  Lou Campanelli better than Shelia Moorman? Shelia went to six NCAA tourneys and four Sweet 16s, and also beat #1 Penn State on the road in the 1991 tourney.

Apples and oranges!


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Why? Read the posts:

“I've seen every coach that has ever coached at JMU since 1969. In my opinion, he is the best we have ever had in any sport.”

“I'd say 2nd best. Campanelli did way more with less.”

I’m saying Shelia was more successful than Lou. Are you saying she shouldn’t count because she coached women?

At any rate, two other coaches have national championships (women’s LAX and field hockey), which is something that neither Lou nor Shelia have.

In think she was an excellent coach. I had the pleasure to cover both of them during my time at JMU. But what Lou did—3 NCAA appearances and 3 tourney wins—may never be surpassed by a JMU coach. Hopefully it will! Women’s b-ball was at a different stage in that time. But we were lucky to have both of them and it was great to see some pics of Lou signing his book this weekend. Go Dukes!!


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(11-10-2018 06:09 PM)84Breeze Wrote:  

(11-10-2018 05:51 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 11:36 PM)84Breeze Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 09:16 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  Lou Campanelli better than Shelia Moorman? Shelia went to six NCAA tourneys and four Sweet 16s, and also beat #1 Penn State on the road in the 1991 tourney.

Apples and oranges!


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Why? Read the posts:

“I've seen every coach that has ever coached at JMU since 1969. In my opinion, he is the best we have ever had in any sport.”

“I'd say 2nd best. Campanelli did way more with less.”

I’m saying Shelia was more successful than Lou. Are you saying she shouldn’t count because she coached women?

At any rate, two other coaches have national championships (women’s LAX and field hockey), which is something that neither Lou nor Shelia have.

In think she was an excellent coach. I had the pleasure to cover both of them during my time at JMU. But what Lou did—3 NCAA appearances and 3 tourney wins—may never be surpassed by a JMU coach. Hopefully it will! Women’s b-ball was at a different stage in that time. But we were lucky to have both of them and it was great to see some pics of Lou signing his book this weekend. Go Dukes!!


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Ah, if you expressed it as “surpassed by a MBB coach” I’d agree. Otherwise, NCs and Sheila’s multiple Sweet 16 appearances are in play.

My thinking in the belief Campanelli stands at the top places a tremendous amount of weight on the tools available to work with and what he was able to get out of those tools versus the competition he went up against. He was dang near an underdog every game played until we beat Georgetown in the NCAA T. BSKB can weigh in on this, but even when we were playing W&L, CNU, and similar schools we rarely went into the game as the favorite. Lou pushed his teams to continually play and beat better programs. Every season he stepped up the schedule requiring more out of himself and the team. Every year his goals were surpassed until the last couple seasons when I'm sure he didn't reach his own target.

(11-09-2018 11:36 PM)84Breeze Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 09:16 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  Lou Campanelli better than Shelia Moorman? Shelia went to six NCAA tourneys and four Sweet 16s, and also beat #1 Penn State on the road in the 1991 tourney.

Apples and oranges!


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Relatively speaking I think they are similar. Shelia reached some higher levels in women's basketball than Lou, but Men's basketball was a bigger hurdle for a mid-major as it is now.

I think also fewer teams in women’s basketball back then before many athletic departments started to fully fund women’s hoops. Still great accomplishments, but I would also give the nod to Campanelli based on the competition at the time.

(11-10-2018 07:13 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(11-10-2018 06:09 PM)84Breeze Wrote:  

(11-10-2018 05:51 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 11:36 PM)84Breeze Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 09:16 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  Lou Campanelli better than Shelia Moorman? Shelia went to six NCAA tourneys and four Sweet 16s, and also beat #1 Penn State on the road in the 1991 tourney.

Apples and oranges!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Why? Read the posts:

“I've seen every coach that has ever coached at JMU since 1969. In my opinion, he is the best we have ever had in any sport.”

“I'd say 2nd best. Campanelli did way more with less.”

I’m saying Shelia was more successful than Lou. Are you saying she shouldn’t count because she coached women?

At any rate, two other coaches have national championships (women’s LAX and field hockey), which is something that neither Lou nor Shelia have.

In think she was an excellent coach. I had the pleasure to cover both of them during my time at JMU. But what Lou did—3 NCAA appearances and 3 tourney wins—may never be surpassed by a JMU coach. Hopefully it will! Women’s b-ball was at a different stage in that time. But we were lucky to have both of them and it was great to see some pics of Lou signing his book this weekend. Go Dukes!!


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Ah, if you expressed it as “surpassed by a MBB coach” I’d agree. Otherwise, NCs and Sheila’s multiple Sweet 16 appearances are in play.

Yeah, I’m not getting why we’re somehow discounting women’s sports. Shelia did surpass Lou. Lou was the most successful men’s basketball coach we’ve had, but it’s not like Shelia’s program was one of 12 in the country and she beat up on cream puffs. 1991 was not 1891. The competition was fierce in the CAA and she was competitive nationally against great, well-funded programs. I mean, should we discount the ‘94 field hockey team because not every school funds a top-notch field hockey program? Or the 2018 women’s LAX team because they don’t play in a field of teams that are as heavily funded as most football programs?

Did Jim Calhoun ever dis Geno for coaching women? If he did, he’s a fool.

And what the heck does a hockey coach really do during a game? Yeah....I know, matchups and such. But seriously?

(11-11-2018 08:15 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  

(11-10-2018 07:13 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(11-10-2018 06:09 PM)84Breeze Wrote:  

(11-10-2018 05:51 PM)Dukes94 Wrote:  

(11-09-2018 11:36 PM)84Breeze Wrote:  Apples and oranges!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Why? Read the posts:

“I've seen every coach that has ever coached at JMU since 1969. In my opinion, he is the best we have ever had in any sport.”

“I'd say 2nd best. Campanelli did way more with less.”

I’m saying Shelia was more successful than Lou. Are you saying she shouldn’t count because she coached women?

At any rate, two other coaches have national championships (women’s LAX and field hockey), which is something that neither Lou nor Shelia have.

In think she was an excellent coach. I had the pleasure to cover both of them during my time at JMU. But what Lou did—3 NCAA appearances and 3 tourney wins—may never be surpassed by a JMU coach. Hopefully it will! Women’s b-ball was at a different stage in that time. But we were lucky to have both of them and it was great to see some pics of Lou signing his book this weekend. Go Dukes!!


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Ah, if you expressed it as “surpassed by a MBB coach” I’d agree. Otherwise, NCs and Sheila’s multiple Sweet 16 appearances are in play.

Yeah, I’m not getting why we’re somehow discounting women’s sports. Shelia did surpass Lou. Lou was the most successful men’s basketball coach we’ve had, but it’s not like Shelia’s program was one of 12 in the country and she beat up on cream puffs. 1991 was not 1891. The competition was fierce in the CAA and she was competitive nationally against great, well-funded programs. I mean, should we discount the ‘94 field hockey team because not every school funds a top-notch field hockey program? Or the 2018 women’s LAX team because they don’t play in a field of teams that are as heavily funded as most football programs?

Did Jim Calhoun ever dis Geno for coaching women? If he did, he’s a fool.

Actually, the acrimony between Calhoun and Auriema is well documented.

With men’s basketball being the #1 or #2 best funded program at every one of the 300+ schools in the country, the argument for Campanelli over Moorman is a reasonable one. Also there are/were more good men’s players than female players. Sheila’s accomplishments were great and she was a heck of a good coach.

What would be a really interesting look is how was JMU men’s hoops team funded compared to the rest of the NCAA during Campanelli’s time.

Same question for the women’s hoops team under Moorman.

I could be wrong but I feel like Moorman was much more in a position of power than Campanelli was.

Both had great accomplishments, but I give the nod the Campanelli because I think he did more with less resources relative to his peers.

(11-12-2018 08:59 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  With men’s basketball being the #1 or #2 best funded program at every one of the 300+ schools in the country, the argument for Campanelli over Morgan is a reasonable one. Also there are/were more good men’s players than female players. Sheila’s accomplishments were great and she was a heck of a good coach.

I think this is a reasonable response and spot on. Lou always punched above his weight class in a highly competitive field.

BTW....read the book while on vacation last year and loved it. A must-read for any alumni. ESPECIALLY if you are from those earlier Electric Zoo years. Easy read and awesome anecdotes! A whole lot of Uncle Ron mixed in throughout.