Davidson College fires football head coach

[The Cats]

Since I don't think anyone from Davidson posts on the board, I'll post this. Davidson plays in the Pioneer League and they have two games remaining in the season. The associate head coach will take over.


Tripp Merritt Dismissed as Head Football Coach

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Tripp Merritt will be released from his contract as Davidson’s head football coach at the end of the season and has been relieved of his coaching responsibilities for the remaining two games, Director of Athletics Jim Murphy announced Monday.

Brett Hayford, who has been the associate head coach for the past eight years, will serve as the interim head coach until further notice.

Merritt was in his eighth season at the helm of the Wildcats, who are presently 1-8 overall and 1-5 in the Pioneer Football League. He guided the ‘Cats to a 31-51 record overall during his tenure to rank fifth all-time in coaching victories at Davidson.


http://www.davidsonwildcats.com/news/2012/11/5/FB_1105120221.aspx

[cbarrier90]

Since I don't think anyone from Davidson posts on the board, I'll post this. Davidson plays in the Pioneer League and they have two games remaining in the season. The associate head coach will take over.


Tripp Merritt Dismissed as Head Football Coach

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Tripp Merritt will be released from his contract as Davidson’s head football coach at the end of the season and has been relieved of his coaching responsibilities for the remaining two games, Director of Athletics Jim Murphy announced Monday.

Brett Hayford, who has been the associate head coach for the past eight years, will serve as the interim head coach until further notice.

Merritt was in his eighth season at the helm of the Wildcats, who are presently 1-8 overall and 1-5 in the Pioneer Football League. He guided the ‘Cats to a 31-51 record overall during his tenure to rank fifth all-time in coaching victories at Davidson.


http://www.davidsonwildcats.com/news/2012/11/5/FB_1105120221.aspx

Are there any other football coaches like Merritt who are alums of schools that don't have football?

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Where did Merritt go to school that no longer has football? The link you provided either changed or was edited later, as it was not mentioned in the link.

[PAllen]

He guided the ‘Cats to a 31-51 record overall during his tenure to rank fifth all-time in coaching victories at Davidson.


I knew they were bad, but WOW!

[superman7515]

Where did Merritt go to school that no longer has football? The link you provided either changed or was edited later, as it was not mentioned in the link.

UNC-Charlotte

[pike51]

Are there any other football coaches like Merritt who are alums of schools that don't have football?

Does Paul Johnson count? He's a Western Carolina grad. :)

In all honesty, PJ didn't play college ball. Neither did Mike Leach who I thought fit the criteria of your question at Pepperdine... but he got his undergrad from BYU. There are a few other coaches who didn't play college ball (Chip Kelly, George O'Leary, Charlie Weis) but I can't think of any others who went to a non football hiving school.

[walliver]

I find it strange that he was fired during the season. I suspect there is something going on that isn't being mentioned.

A school that has de-emphasized football doesn't usually fire a coach during the season, especially when your program is routinely bad.

The real sad thing is that Davidson football was competitive at one time. They used to play their games at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, and had real rivalries with many SoCon schools.

[AppAlum2003]

Today I Learned that Davidson College has a football team.

[Longhorn]

I find it strange that he was fired during the season. I suspect there is something going on that isn't being mentioned.

A school that has de-emphasized football doesn't usually fire a coach during the season, especially when your program is routinely bad.



Agreed. And who expects Davidson to win when they don't offer scholarships? Something else has to be in play.

[DFW HOYA]

Today I Learned that Davidson College has a football team.

Davidson played in the 1969 Tangerine Bowl, now known as the Capital One Bowl.

[Go...gate]

They actually had a couple of players drafted by the Baltimore Colts off that '69 team. One was Gordon Slade, who was a pretty fine quarterback in his day.

That Davidson squad was coached by Homer Smith, a former Princeton standout (playing the Single Wing) who later became a head coach at Army. However, Smith was more celebrated as an innovative offensive coordinator when the Wishbone and "Veer" offenses were used by most college football teams in America. He studied for and obtained a Doctor of Divinity Degree when he was coaching.

[dgtw]

Jax State coach Jack Crowe went to UAB before they had a football team, if that counts.

[AppAlum2003]

Davidson played in the 1969 Tangerine Bowl, now known as the Capital One Bowl.

Alex, I'll take "Things that happened 150 years ago" for $200

[jpincince]

Not sure if you meant schools that never had football, but Boston U, which had football but now doesn't, produced some coaches. Pete Rossomando, HC at New Haven, for one. My brother, OC at Elon, for another. More too I'm sure.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Not sure if you meant schools that never had football, but Boston U, which had football but now doesn't, produced some coaches. Pete Rossomando, HC at New Haven, for one. My brother, OC at Elon, for another. More too I'm sure.

The head coach at BU during the final year there was Tom Masella, who was Fordham's head coach last year.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

All my theories as to Tripp Merritt's dismissal involve Bob Killop and the CAA. xlolx

[DFW HOYA]

All my theories as to Tripp Merritt's dismissal involve Bob Killop and the CAA.

Well, it wasn't a case where Merritt resigned early or Davidson asked him to leave at the end of the season and he walked two weeks early. he was "dismissed', which is academic speak for fired. It's likely one of three issues:

1. Dispute with the A.D.: Firing a 15 year employee without allowing him to complete the season (esp. in the lower-wattage Pioneer) suggests some sort of issue.
2. A decision above the athletic department.
3. Davidson wants an early start on recruiting a candidate for 2013.

[T-Dog]

Reading the Davidson board, they think something else was in play there since they typically don't fire coaches who graduate their players. It is agreed on that their facilities, even at the Pioneer level, are lacking.

One of the reasons they continue to have football is that football players are some of their biggest donors when they graduate. Considering their continued goal of fielding teams just to participate, graduate players and not neccesary to win, it's amazing they have such a strong basketball program. Once McKillop retires, they could be in trouble. Most of their other programs are continuos losers. A full endowed scholarship at Davidson costs a million dollars.

And that's also a reason why Davidson didn't go to the CAA.