Wilson Brings Hope To Columbia Football

[TexasTerror]

I know I'm pulling for Wilson, being a UConn fan and just the fact it'd be nice to see someone making history at an institution such as Columbia. Best of luck Wilson! Glad your getting tons of pub for all you have done and all you will do...

Winning Attitude Is There
Wilson Brings Hope To Columbia Football
May 14, 2006
By DESMOND CONNER, Courant Staff Writer

NEW YORK -- The day couldn't get much better: sunny, temperatures in the low 80s. It was so nice that Norries Wilson just had to get out of the office to absorb it all.

When Wilson stepped outside the Marcellus Dodge Fitness Center, he looked high above.

"God must like it here because he made the sky Columbia blue," said Wilson, who smiled and continued to stroll across the Ivy League school's campus.

Wilson, the former UConn associate head coach and offensive coordinator in his first head coaching job, was greeting almost anybody who walked by.

The day, as beautiful as it was last week, really had nothing to do with that. This is just Wilson's personality.

http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-wilson0514.artmay14,0,3912616.story?coll=hc-headlines-sports

[*****]

very good article! keep 'em coming TT!
And so it's back to campus, where Wilson has come across a young lady, a Columbia student, wearing a Brown University sweatshirt. He stops her, someone he hasn't met. But that's his personality.

"Uh, excuse me young lady?" Wilson says. "What are you doing with that sweatshirt on?"

The young lady, whose father went to Brown, is from Greenwich. She is smiling, but a bit embarrassed. She laughs and says she won't wear it again.

[Pard4Life]

Yes, great article. Best of luck to the new coach and I really hope they turn that program around. I want to see them do well... except beat Lafayette of course.

Once more, I can't emphasize enough how disappointed I am that they cancelled us from their schedule. :( They were a favorite game of mine.

[carney2]

Methinx we've heard all of this before - and before - and before - and.... In any event, the last thing that Lafayette needs is yet another Ivy team that we can't beat.

[Fordham]

Great article. This is an easy guy to root for. I just posted this on the Fordham board, so thanks for the heads up TT. And I'll root for him every weekend but once every September.

It really will be interesting to see what happens here. The new AD is at least saying the right stuff when it comes to a new commitment to winning for their football program now. They also have a former player as the chairman of their BOT, I believe. Could there now be a commitment to turning the program around?

The HC that is at the helm if/when this program turns things around will have some big time opportunities available for them.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Could there now be a commitment to turning the program around?

I'll believe it when I see it. I'd love to see a strong Columbia -- one that can compete with Fordham and Hofstra -- but my outside view of them has been the spearhead of the movement to make Ivy football D-III, not keep them D-I.

[Fordham]

I'll believe it when I see it. I'd love to see a strong Columbia -- one that can compete with Fordham and Hofstra -- but my outside view of them has been the spearhead of the movement to make Ivy football D-III, not keep them D-I.
you're seriously not ready to crown them pre-season Ivy favorites and put them in the top 20 yet?

;)

[Pard4Life]

Methinx we've heard all of this before - and before - and before - and.... In any event, the last thing that Lafayette needs is yet another Ivy team that we can't beat.

Columbia is the only Ivy we have a winning record against.. 31-14 or something similar. I'd rather see them than Sacred Heart on the schedule.. but yes we definetely need more non-Ivy, NEC, and MAAC teams.

[Go...gate]

When Columbia was good in the mid '90's with Marcellus Wiley and others, it was fun. Hope it happens again.

[colgate13]

When Columbia was good in the mid '90's with Marcellus Wiley and others, it was fun. Hope it happens again.

You mean 1996? That 8-2 season is their sole taste of winning besides 94's 5-4-1 SINCE THE EARLY 70s AT LEAST!

Sorry, I can't get excited about any changes at Columbia. Losing is an institution for Columbia football. I don't see a way out of it.

[LBPop]

Once more, I can't emphasize enough how disappointed I am that they cancelled us from their schedule. :( They were a favorite game of mine.)

I must say that speaking only for myself (and the entire LB family) we are glad to have Columbia on the schedule. Any excuse to spend a weekend in NY and spend more money than necessary, is worthwhile. Having gone through the Columbia recruiting routine a couple of years ago, I can sum up their advantages/disadvantages as I see them.

Advantages: NYC (It's a powerful attraction to the kid who wants the big city); Ivy League Status; Great Communication/Journalism Schools and the best location to find a job.

Disadvantages: Questionable commitment to football; playing/practice field is 100 blocks north; losing tradition; while the playing facility is quite good, the surface is the old fashioned carpet--when they play Cornell at Cornell they might have to deal with that garbage as many as 7 times in a season.

It will be a tough road for them, but as a Hoya fan I can identify. Good luck Lions. :nod: