Delaware Def Coord Resigns

[GannonFan]

See the attached link - not a lot of details, but he was involved in an unspecified alcohol-related incident over the weekend and he had a DUI sometime in his past (not sure if it was at UD or a prior location - he had been at UD for the past 5 years), Following the departure of Dave Cohen to take the head coaching job at Hofstra this was to be his (Neuvaiser's) first season as defensive coordinator. The interim guy (and I would assume he'll be the interim guy for the rest of the yea) is Dave Rapone, who has been a DC at at least 3 different stops (Temple, Pitt, and UConn).

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060904/SPORTS07/60904016


My commentary on this (as posted on GoHens.net as well):

Obviously a dissappointing development in what has been an off-season full of them. Thankfully I've never been afflicted with any dependency issues so I can't tell what he's going through (assuming it's that and not just a collosal error of judgement) so I won't throw this guy under the bus. I wish him well and hope his life turns out okay even after this setback. He's got a lot of things to work out and a tough road ahead after this very public, professional error.

As for the Hens, well, it's never good to lose a coach with the amount of time he had and obviously it's never good to lose such a highly placed coach. The staff will be one-man undermanned and the team has to deal with the shock of this as well as a continued undercurrent of shameful news about a program that is not accustomed to such unsavory developments.

On the bright side, UD was surprisingly well placed to stomach this loss in that we had such a senior and experienced coach in Rapone. Heck, he was a defensive coordinator at the IA level 20 years ago (and a DC much more recently) so the interim guy is not in over his head. Also, an event like this could also bring the team together even more so - with all the news like this over the past year this team could be one of the tightest, well-knit teams we've ever had.

In what has been an interminably long off-season, this is just one more body blow to take before the team takes the field. Saturday can't come soon enough, IMO.

[RadMann]

DUIs nowadays are not what they once were and can cost a person their job. Unfortunate situation, but it appears that he agreed that if he had any problems related to alcohol while at UD he would lose his job so it was his decision and his mistake.

[Tribe4SF]

What a shame. With all the focus on substance abuse and personal choices with the team, a coach drops the ball. KC needs to expand the State Trooper's duties to include his staff.

[ngineer]

Tough story. Hopefully it doesn't affect the defensive players. Sounds like you have a very experience guy to step right in, but key is how well the 'personalities' mesh with the kids. Some guys are 'born' coaches, but have difficulty when it comes to being a coordinator or HC. Hope it is a smooth transition.

[blukeys]

My post from gohens.net

"I'll not review the negatives as they have been covered. On the positive side UD has sent a message that there is a higher standard for coaches as well as players that must be adhered to. Coaches demand a higher standard from players now the players know that this is just not lip service.


I spent 3 years working in the Recovery business and every addict told me that they had to hit rock bottom and lose something significant before they were willing to change, get help, and do the difficult and serious work of confronting their addiction.

Not only did Delaware do the right thing by the program. They did absolutely the right thing by Tom N.


I'm not surprised that this is not the first incident. It never is. It is obvious Tom N. is potentially a great coach but he will never progress past this level with this problem.

Hopefully, he can get another chance with UD once he effectively gets thru 6 mos to a year of Recovery."

Rapone is actually better qualified to be a D-Coordinator than Tom N. I have been thoroughly impressed by Rapone's improvement in the UD secondary. His efforts have been remarkable. He also appears to be someone who will not be moving around in the next few years as he is a local guy who appears to want to stay at home. I hope we can get Tom N. back once he gets his life in the right direction but this action could be the equivalent of Sean Bleiler going down against UMASS in '04. This forced UD to make Omar Cuff a Running Back!!!!!:hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray:

[SoCon48]

See the attached link - not a lot of details, but he was involved in an unspecified alcohol-related incident over the weekend and he had a DUI sometime in his past (not sure if it was at UD or a prior location - he had been at UD for the past 5 years), Following the departure of Dave Cohen to take the head coaching job at Hofstra this was to be his (Neuvaiser's) first season as defensive coordinator. The interim guy (and I would assume he'll be the interim guy for the rest of the yea) is Dave Rapone, who has been a DC at at least 3 different stops (Temple, Pitt, and UConn).

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060904/SPORTS07/60904016
My commentary on this (as posted on GoHens.net as well):

Obviously a dissappointing development in what has been an off-season full of them. Thankfully I've never been afflicted with any dependency issues so I can't tell what he's going through (assuming it's that and not just a collosal error of judgement) so I won't throw this guy under the bus. I wish him well and hope his life turns out okay even after this setback. He's got a lot of things to work out and a tough road ahead after this very public, professional error.

As for the Hens, well, it's never good to lose a coach with the amount of time he had and obviously it's never good to lose such a highly placed coach. The staff will be one-man undermanned and the team has to deal with the shock of this as well as a continued undercurrent of shameful news about a program that is not accustomed to such unsavory developments.

On the bright side, UD was surprisingly well placed to stomach this loss in that we had such a senior and experienced coach in Rapone. Heck, he was a defensive coordinator at the IA level 20 years ago (and a DC much more recently) so the interim guy is not in over his head. Also, an event like this could also bring the team together even more so - with all the news like this over the past year this team could be one of the tightest, well-knit teams we've ever had.

In what has been an interminably long off-season, this is just one more body blow to take before the team takes the field. Saturday can't come soon enough, IMO.

Sad that this happened, but it appears the Delaware program has enough respect for the kids and UD not to let it get swept under the rug or come up with the "oh, he's now getting the help he needs and we are all behind him in getting his addiction under control and will continue his duties in the meantime.".
It's a difficult time of the year (to say the least) to replace the coach, but with Delaware's reputation, it won't be impossible. Otherwise, it goes without saying that some shifts within the staff will take place.
I, for one, hope and trust that ASU would handle a similar incident just as swiftly and decisively as the Delaware folks did.

[Sam Adams]

Its kind of unlcear what happened, but hopefully the guy is okay, if he is suffering with alcoholism then its particularly sad to see UD just cut him loose regardless of what he may or may not have agreed to before. One minute he's part of the UD football family, the next he's cast out like an unwanted stepchild in a forced resignation. That type of situation may only compound his problems. I would hope that other schools in the same situation would show more of a commitment and more support for someone with a disease. How about a leave of absence and supporting the guy through a treatment program KC? A pretty unenlightened response from a place that purports to be a bastion of enlightenment.

Just my 2 cents but I would have expected UD to treat the guy better than that.

[ChickenMan]

Apparently this was not a first offense and Neviaser is rumored to have had a 'no tolerance' clause for alcohol related incidents in his UD contract.

[GannonFan]

Its kind of unlcear what happened, but hopefully the guy is okay, if he is suffering with alcoholism then its particularly sad to see UD just cut him loose regardless of what he may or may not have agreed to before. One minute he's part of the UD football family, the next he's cast out like an unwanted stepchild in a forced resignation. That type of situation may only compound his problems. I would hope that other schools in the same situation would show more of a commitment and more support for someone with a disease. How about a leave of absence and supporting the guy through a treatment program KC? A pretty unenlightened response from a place that purports to be a bastion of enlightenment.

Just my 2 cents but I would have expected UD to treat the guy better than that.

I think you're conjecturing a little too much with the little bit of information that we know. But basically, this guy was in a leadership position not only for the team but the athletic department and the university. In that type of a role, there are unfortunate consequences for actions that reflect poorly on himself and the university. This was one of those consequences. It isn't pretty and it isn't nice for those involved, but there are negative consequences for things, and as was pointed out, he knew this well before after the last incident. As for casting him out, like most business and other institutions, UD has a Wellness Program that is even usable after a disassociation with the University - if he needs help, the resources are still there and available to him so he's not being left without recourse to deal with his malady. If he turns his life around and recovers, I'm sure the door is never completely closed at UD - however, he has more things to worry about today than such a return well into the future.

[HensRock]

One minute he's part of the UD football family, the next he's cast out like an unwanted stepchild in a forced resignation. ...
Just my 2 cents but I would have expected UD to treat the guy better than that.

I equate it to "tough love". Just as a mother and father sometimes have to punish their children to make them better. As blukeys said above, this was the best thing for him. Hopefully, the loss of his job will be enough to make him turn his life around. When he does so, I'm sure he would be welcomed back as a coach. You don't have to be employed by the U in order to still be part of the family.

[Tribe4SF]

Its kind of unlcear what happened, but hopefully the guy is okay, if he is suffering with alcoholism then its particularly sad to see UD just cut him loose regardless of what he may or may not have agreed to before. One minute he's part of the UD football family, the next he's cast out like an unwanted stepchild in a forced resignation. That type of situation may only compound his problems. I would hope that other schools in the same situation would show more of a commitment and more support for someone with a disease. How about a leave of absence and supporting the guy through a treatment program KC? A pretty unenlightened response from a place that purports to be a bastion of enlightenment.

Just my 2 cents but I would have expected UD to treat the guy better than that.

I think you're off-base here. This is obviously not a new issue in the man's life, and he chose to drink knowing he has a disease and that he risked his job by doing so. It also seems he did so in some situation that violated the law. With what's gone on at Delaware this year, their need for healthy leadership, and clear expectations is very important. The guy dropped the ball on himself, his family, and the university. Backing away from a clear contractual requirement would have been a mistake.

When it comes to behavioral expectations, clarity equals enlightenment.

[ngineer]

I think the University did the right thing. Gotta be tough on such issues where the ramifications for breach were out in the open and known. To not have taken such action would have sent the wrong message. Kudos for UD on doing the right thing. At the same time, I like the message of potential for coming back if he meets his responsibilities.

[GtFllsGriz]

That is too bad. I have feelings for anyone that has an addiction but there must be conseqences for our actions. Props to Deleware for handling it the way that they did.

The loss of a coach or a player by any means certainly adds to the difficulties of a long season. It will be that strong team that is able to overcome the adversities that will emerge as NC again this year.

[RadMann]

Just for clarification there is no "state trooper" working for the team. There is a retired state trooper who is an unpaid coach with the team.... pic below was posted on the UD message board by one of the posters there. Not a bad shot....

http://www.gohens.net/images/Practice%20-%20Team%20Pix/180degree1.jpg