Edgy - IL State Schools
- Thread starter colin2229
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Good question and observation for sure....I man EIU is an alum with a solid connection to the school so I get that one...and I still really don't know much at all about the new WIU coach...but in all reality there is very little if any $$$$ available above whatever the previous coaches got paid (which wasn't much on average) so I have no doubts the lack of $$$ played a big role.
Nice to see the D3 coaches get a chance to step up in class. Wonder how Swider would have done at EIU or WIU. Seems like a great stepping stone for people. I didn't realize til later in life the opportunity that exists even coming from the D3 levels in coaching. Always thought it had to start in I-AA or I from my era. I was down at EIU 2 years ago for a visit. I can see why its a short stay for anyone. The area, the stadium and the destination is not real desirable for kids or coaches. People seemed highly invested in the players, this was after Cushing came in.
No offense, but UC did not have an outstanding program. They were in arguably the worst D3 conference in the country and never made the playoffs.
I actually think the education requirements helps UC in recruiting.
*they can get kids that are above the d3 level bc of the education. You going to UC to play football or D2?
*UC recruits on a D1 timeline while the rest of D3 recruits 365 days a year
*UC has incredible retention while the rest of D3 has atrocious retention. While most d3’s are trying to bring in 60+ kids a year only to lose 40 of them…UC brings in 20-25 and they all stay for 4 years.
*While I’m sure UC has some knuckleheads, they don’t have the discipline issues other D3’s have because of the quality of kids they get.
I actually think UC is a sleeping giant and can be a dominate D3 program. Much like Wash U hoops.
Outstanding may be too strong of a word but he went 51-27 there. So I’d say it’s a good D3 program. Conference definitely took a hit when Norberts left but Lake Forest and Monmouth are good programs. And they played WashU too.
I agree with that. Just think it’s a little odd EIU hired a D3 coach not from a powerhouse program.
I wish him and EIU well. Hope it works out.
Spent some time around the UofC football program. I agree a lot with Colin2229 assessment. Never won conference in a really weak conference. With their hook of academics, they could do so much more I believe. The schools in their conference have nowhere near the brand awareness UofC has.
While he's an alum, I just don't see his UofC experience translating to EIU. I hope he kills it, but it's gonna take a level of time and effort that wasn't required at UofC.
While he's an alum, I just don't see his UofC experience translating to EIU. I hope he kills it, but it's gonna take a level of time and effort that wasn't required at UofC.
No disrespect to WashU, but U of C's athletic admissions requirements are dramatically higher.
Reality is that U of C can only recruit 2% of high school football players.
That percentage may drop should the treatment of a student-athlete detailed below continue:
Maybe this was the same UofC student who was walking around on the ice about a quarter mile into Lake Michigan. The Fire Department's dive team had to go out and bring him in.
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I think AU has more financially to offer BB than EIU.
Good point though, there are about 5 or so D3 coaches that you’d think would have been considered in state ahead of the direction they went.
Sounds about right. Put others in harms way. I thought they were supposed to be smart?
I wonder how the higher profile radicals of the 1960s with roots in places like U of Chicago, UCal-Berserkley or UW-Madtown would have viewed some of the current conflicts between personal freedom and public health.
Difference between Wash U and I of C academically is minimal at best.
Wash U just puts more effort and emphasis on athletics than U of C does.
I agree. But U of C's athletic admission standard are much higher. Son's school had an all-state basketball player 3.9 GPA and 1390 SAT who the coach couldn't gethim in.
Corey, you and I both know getting good grades and attending schools of higher education that have "higher academic standards" does NOT equal "smart."
U of C should be at a very high level athletically, I stress should. Its a tough place to coach. The student athletes are not welcomed with open arms at the school by many faculty especially the football players. Wilkerson came from Dartmouth. U of C and Ivy's require basically a 28-29 minimum ACT. In spite of this i think they routinely have a better average GPA than the male student body at large. They do recruit and bag D1 prospects from time to time and why not. If the student/athlete has the grades and your family can swing the tuition why be a preferred walk on at a lower performing academic school. Finally, why the knock on D3 coaches. Do your homework, the college and pro ranks are loaded with D3 coaches. Just one example. John Carroll. https://www.nfl.com/videos/schrager...y-is-a-hotbed-for-nfl-coaches-executives-and-
That's a bit harsh. The MWC has definitely fallen on some hard football times in recent years (the defections of St. Norbert and Carroll hurt), but I don't think they are at the very bottom of the barrel.
Off the top of my head, I would say that the UMAC is closer to the bottom of the barrel than the MWC. I suspect there may be a few other conferences outside of our region that I don't know about that are likely a notch or two below the MWC.
It’s harsh and I agree there are other conferences that are probably worse but the MWC is bottom tier D3 conference anyway you cut it.
There may be worse conferences but their can be an argument made that it is the worst. That’s my point.
And Chicago isn’t even the top 1 or 2 program in the conference and their HC got the EIU job. Just a head scratcher.
I would judge a coaches ability on how much he is able to elevate a team's performance, not necessarily on his competition. Is his team prepared week in and week out? Do they play above their talent level? Does he have a well formed plan and strategy offensively and defensively? How has he managed games?
Maybe it is a head scratcher, IDK, but judging him only by his universities commitment to the sport and his conference's level seems a bit too easy. IDK the coach, idk what kind of coach he is, I'm just saying.
Lol
Every now and then that common sense comes into play! Haha
I use a phrase. They are the smartest idiots you have ever met!
WOW! That is an excellent point and I agree 100%. Can't add anything else to this.
I would judge a college coach on how he recruits, is Nick Saban a great coach because of his X’s and O’s or because he gets the best talent? I would say it’s a combination of both. If you are moving from a weak lower level conference to a higher level job you should be dominating that lower level. U of C may have academic restrictions in their recruiting but they have a national reach and name advantage the no one in MWC can touch and they still have yet to win the MWC. Typically coaches making that big of a jump have a much higher win percentage than .653
That is not getting anyone into U of C. 3.9 GPA is not much these days with grade inflation. A kid with a 1390 SAT is going to struggle at U of C.
Well aware of the success of D3 coaches moving on to higher ranks.
Just because you have the “D3 label” doesn’t mean you can’t coach. Im pretty passionate about that.
If Jeff Thorne would have gotten the EIU job, I would have said that’s a steal for EIU and an outstanding hire. The direction they went however, isn’t in the same ballpark.
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Let’s look at the improvement that U of C showed under Wilkerson vs recent history at the school. The previous coach, Maloney, was right above .500, and previous to that, it was garbage, all the way back to Amos Alonzo Stagg. You could make the argument that EIU is a step down prestige wise vs the places on Wilkerson’s resume
Your pretty passionate on this topic. I know for a fact there are players on the team that had offers to play d1 preferred walk on etc. I'm not interested in going through the roster but if you want to knock your socks off. I agree with the other folks that the conference is not great. In my first post on this I used the word "should". This school should be very competitive with its national reach. No idea what it pays. Wonderful thing about football and measuring performance, EIU can assess their new hire each and every week.
They went from a winning percentage of .527 the previous eight years before him to .653 during his eight years there so there was improvement but they played in UAA which only had 4 teams in it so they routinely filled out their schedule with teams from D3 power conferences so it really isn't an apple to apples comparison since the schedule was much tougher back then. I wish the guy luck but compared to guys like Tom Arth or Lance Leipold who made the D3 to D1 jump his resume seems thin.
And now Arth is in the NFL
I have no skin in this game, but I think people have an inflated view of what U of C can be football wise, and therefore not really giving Wilkerson a chance. EIU is not exactly a football powerhouse recently, and they are not D1, they are FCS. EIU is also not exactly flush with money, so maybe they went on the cheap, IDK. Like you said, the games will be the report card, so we shall see.
And there is a difference from EIU and Buffalo and Chattanooga. EIU is not D!, they are FCS.
Wilkerson spent the majority of his time in the MWC. Terrible conference from where they were before him.
Jack Elliott, MC's freshman quarterback sensation, has a 4.8 gpa, which means he's taking AP classes and acing almost all of them.
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