Drake scrambling for new coach

[Slammer50111]

Athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb's first coaching hire at Drake couldn't have come at a worse time.

With former Drake coach Rob Ash officially in at Montana State, the Bulldog football program is in a state of limbo, less than two months before players will report for practice

http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070612/SPORTS020402/706120387/1003&lead=1

[Ronbo]

Wouldn't the OC or DC be a good choice as an intrem till after the season?

[DUPFLFan]

Word is that they are both going with Ash...

I feel sorry for the kids. It is a poor time to be looking for a coach and a staff. Drake has some very good 5th year seniors who are not very happy with this situation.

[Stang Fever]

Good for the former coach at Drake. Finally got tired of the Big Fish in a tiny tiny pond

[DUPFLFan]

Based on his comments from his press conferences, Ash realized that if San Diego didn't make the post season last year, then, regardless of what Ralph or anyone else thinks, no one from the PFL would ever make the playoffs.

So he decided to jump ship for a school that at least has a chance.

[henfan]

Bad situation for the players, which, hopefully, can be turned around with a good hire. Good luck to Drake.

As far as Ash's comments, it seems like he was very pragmatic about the playoff possibilities for a league and school that does not have the same commitment to football as the fully-funded conferences/schools. "You don't fund it to a similar degree, you don't have much of a shot" is what Ash seems to understand. Dude's smart enough and been around the block enough to realize this has always been the case in I-AA/FCS. Doubt USD's situation was much of a revelation. Ash even goes as far as to call Montana State's situation "a step up within the division". Interesting.



"With the requirements that we have in our league, it's very difficult for us to put together a reasonable chance, first of all, to advance to the playoffs, and secondly, to win,” said Ash, who has never led Drake into the postseason in Division I-AA. “The level of support that Montana State and the whole Big Sky Conference gives to football is a step up within the division.”

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2007/06/05/sports/00forum.txt

[No_Skill]

They should condsider Dale Lennon. :)

[DUPFLFan]

As far as Ash's comments, it seems like he was very pragmatic about the playoff possibilities for a league and school that does not have the same commitment to football as the fully-funded conferences/schools.

I am sure that Ash knew there was little chance, but sometimes reality has to hit you in the face. San Diego's situation last year just confirmed it.

I hope this topic is on the agenda for the non-scholarship summit next week...xnonono2x

[PMB4Life]

In my opinion, based on Drake's OOC schedule THEY were the ones who would have a much better chance of making playoffs a reality out of the PFL, what with playing two Gateway teams this season, one at home.

Bottom line: San Diego had NO auto-bid conference teams on their 2006 schedule. That's going to hurt come selection time. Stop feeding me this PFL whiny nonsense. THE OLD GUARD WINS AGAIN!

[FL connection]

Drake was lucky to keep Rob as long as they did, as he got non-scholarship players to compete with many scholarship programs. Many FCS teams lose quality coaches to others willing to spend some money to keep their program competitve....Drake has always decided to not to make that committment, dating back to the mid 80's when they dropped scholarship football. Be pissed at Drake....not Coach Ash!!!!!

[laxVik]

San Diego was undefeated last year were they not? End of story, they should of been in the playoffs. Period.

[Mountaineer]

San Diego was undefeated last year were they not? End of story, they should of been in the playoffs. Period.

xlolx xlolx

The search box is your friend if you want to relive the whole San Diego saga from last season. Have fun. xthumbsupx

[BigApp]

Based on his comments from his press conferences, Ash realized that if San Diego didn't make the post season last year, then, regardless of what Ralph or anyone else thinks, no one from the PFL would ever make the playoffs.

So he decided to jump ship for a school that at least has a chance.

this again? Drake DOES have a chance, every single year! All you have to do is play (and beat) good teams. "Waldorf", Upper Iowa and road games AT Wisconsin-Platteville do NOT qualify as 'good teams'.

Apparently, you don't like to hear that but it IS the truth, and you know it. Play (and beat) teams that are worth a damn, then win your conference. You'll be considered.

Ash left you for one simple reason: MSU is a better job.

[DUPFLFan]

Stop feeding me this PFL whiny nonsense. THE OLD GUARD WINS AGAIN!

I'm not sure where you read whining... I am just trying to say that the two top teams in the PFL lost their coaches in an off season when one of the teams, ranked at the time, did not receive a bid. This is fact.

Whether or not you think that San Diego should or should not make it, at least you'll have to admit that, based on ranking, that was the best non-scholly team in quite a few years.

I'm just saying that the coaches saw the writing on the wall and jumped to teams that had scholarships, so that if they built such a team again, they would have a shot at the post season.

FL... I'm not pissed at Drake or Coach Ash. Coach Ash took an opportunity that he wanted. How can you be mad at that. I do feel sorry for the players. It won't be easy to get a quality staff together in a short time and compete for a PFL championship.

I am pissed at the PFL and our part time commissioner who all fiddle while Rome burns..xmadx

[laxVik]

xlolx xlolx

The search box is your friend if you want to relive the whole San Diego saga from last season. Have fun. xthumbsupxNo need to search. Anyone who thinks an undefeated team is somehow unworthy of playoff contention is an utter fool. xthumbsupx

Back to topic...

[DUPFLFan]

this again? Drake DOES have a chance, every single year! All you have to do is play (and beat) good teams. "Waldorf", Upper Iowa and road games AT Wisconsin-Platteville do NOT qualify as 'good teams'.

Apparently, you don't like to hear that but it IS the truth, and you know it. Play (and beat) teams that are worth a damn, then win your conference. You'll be considered.

Ash left you for one simple reason: MSU is a better job.

Lots of hostility there BigApp.

I don't believe that any non-scholarship team, regardless of their schedule, will ever get a bid. Never happened yet, never will.

And only time will tell if it is a better job. Coach Ash is a great guy and a straight shooter. When he recruited my son, everything he said during the recruiting process was the truth throughout his career, unlike the experience of others I know at some other schools.

I wish him nothing but the best of success.xpeacex

[dbackjon]

No need to search. Anyone who thinks an undefeated team is somehow unworthy of playoff contention is an utter fool. xthumbsupx

Back to topic...
1) They weren't undefeated.
2) If they had gotten in with that schedule, that would be an insult to every FCS team that TRIES to play decent competition.

Only a fool would argue USD belonged in the playoffs.

[Hansel]

Mike Kramer is probably available

[Mountaineer]

No need to search. Anyone who thinks an undefeated team is somehow unworthy of playoff contention is an utter fool. xthumbsupx

Back to topic...

As is the person who thinks that San Diego went undefeated last year. xconfusedx xthumbsupx

If I remember correctly - they got a beatdown when they finally faced a scholarship team. xrotatehx

[laxVik]

I stand corrected. So let them get a beat down if it's deserved. Can't blame the kids for that. Montana plays D2's and refuses to travel to many games. They all have their level of degree.

[Mountaineer]

I stand corrected. So let them get a beat down if it's deserved. Can't blame the kids for that. Montana plays D2's and refuses to travel to many games. They all have their level of degree.

Picking on Montana's schedule is fun, but please, come back to reality with the rest of us. Montana plays a full scholarship funded conference schedule, sometimes a FBS game, and the occasional (yearly :p ) D2 game.

That's a far cry from the Pioneer conference and the absolute cupcakes that San Diego was playing last year. There's nothing wrong with playing non-scholly ball, but the onus is on the non-scholly team to step it up and play competitive teams to earn a spot in the playoffs.

[laxVik]

Well then give them their own division. It's much like the Tulsa's or Tulane's playing mediocre non conference games in FBS. They'll never be allowed into BCS games.

[BigApp]

No need to search. Anyone who thinks an undefeated team is somehow unworthy of playoff contention is an utter fool. xthumbsupx

Back to topic...

lv, not only were they NOT undefeated, IIRC they had a REGULAR SEASON game scheduled the 1st week of the playoffs.

no Bingo.

[henfan]

I am sure that Ash knew there was little chance, but sometimes reality has to hit you in the face. San Diego's situation last year just confirmed it.

There's nothing in Ash's public comments that would suggest that USD's lack of playoff consideration had any impact whatsoever on his decision to leave Drake. There's just no evidence of that at all.

Without projecting too much interpretation into his comments, it's entirely possible that Ash simply appreciated the opportunity to "step up in the division" (his words, not mine) and make more money in the process. It's a comparatively more prestigious job with better pay. In other words, it was a 'no brainer' decision.

Seems like he may have been a little frustrated with PFL and Drake though when he said, "With the requirements that we have in our league, it's very difficult for us to put together a reasonable chance, first of all, to advance to the playoffs, and secondly, to win."

[already123]

I'm not too familiar with the Drake program...was Ash that good of a coach?

[BearsCountry]

My respect for Drake is the only reason why I dont get into the pissing match that is about the non-scholly schools and the playoffs.

[BearsCountry]

I am pissed at the PFL and our part time commissioner who all fiddle while Rome burns..xmadx

You know you guys can come join the rest of us and she can go run the women's sports. ;)

[Model Citizen]

There's nothing in Ash's public comments that would suggest that USD's lack of playoff consideration had any impact whatsoever on his decision to leave Drake. There's just no evidence of that at all.

Yet Ash's playoff record there was 0-0: The Pioneer Football League, which Drake won or shared four times during Ash's tenure, does not receive an automatic bid into the postseason.

And mostly because the school does not offer football scholarships. Now Ash has 63 to work with.

"That was a driving factor for me to look at this institution, no question about it," he said.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2007/06/12/sports/30ashworld.txt

Now let's move past the obvious.

Who will Drake hire?

[GOKATS]

Word is that they are both going with Ash...

I feel sorry for the kids. It is a poor time to be looking for a coach and a staff. Drake has some very good 5th year seniors who are not very happy with this situation.

Ash named Ploessl his OC at MSU.

[Model Citizen]

No takers, huh?

Alright, I'll put a name out there. Vincent White, OC at Southeast Missouri.

Discuss.

[Model Citizen]

I hope this topic is on the agenda for the non-scholarship summit next week...xnonono2x

Don't you mean this week?

[ucdtim17]

Well then give them their own division. It's much like the Tulsa's or Tulane's playing mediocre non conference games in FBS. They'll never be allowed into BCS games.

No it isn't. Tulsa and Tulane play 85 schollie teams, just like Florida and Ohio State.

USD plays teams with 0 scholarships - 63 fewer than fully-funded teams. There's no comparison

[already123]

No it isn't. Tulsa and Tulane play 85 schollie teams, just like Florida and Ohio State.

USD plays teams with 0 scholarships - 63 fewer than fully-funded teams. There's no comparison


Very good point!

How about we play games with only walk-ons...lets see where the real talent across the nation is

[laxVik]

Well Tulane, even if undefeated, would not make a BCS game. That was the comparison I was making.

[PSUVikings]

Well Tulane, even if undefeated, would not make a BCS game. That was the comparison I was making.

You would have to play one lousy schedule to go undefeated and not make a BCS bowl, in fact I believe that is impossible, BCS would never dare to snub a BCS these days, Boise State made it with Sac State, Oregon State, Utah, and Wyoming as their OOC games, so every team has a shot, just some conferences at the FBS level have auto bids in.

[DUPFLFan]

Don't you mean this week?

Yes - sorry, this week.

Here is a name for the coaching search.

Former Bulldog and NFL offensive linemen. Dennis McKnight from Hawaii..xnodx

http://www.hawaiiathletics.com/coach_bio.html?pid=3&coachid=192

Although, I would question someone's sanity moving from Hawaii to Iowa, he played for the Bulldogs during the scholarship days. Kids heard him talk to the team while in San Diego a couple of years ago and he still bleeds Bulldog Blue...xthumbsupx

[slostang]

Yes - sorry, this week.

Here is a name for the coaching search.

Former Bulldog and NFL offensive linemen. Dennis McKnight from Hawaii..xnodx

http://www.hawaiiathletics.com/coach_bio.html?pid=3&coachid=192

Although, I would question someone's sanity moving from Hawaii to Iowa, he played for the Bulldogs during the scholarship days. Kids heard him talk to the team while in San Diego a couple of years ago and he still bleeds Bulldog Blue...xthumbsupx

Looks like a great coach. Good luck.

[Model Citizen]

One good thing about McKnight is he looks like he was basically working for free at Hawaii. Grad assistant in his 40s? Maybe salary won't be an issue.

It's nice to have a spouse with a good job.xnodx

[laxVik]

You would have to play one lousy schedule to go undefeated and not make a BCS bowl, in fact I believe that is impossible, BCS would never dare to snub a BCS these days, Boise State made it with Sac State, Oregon State, Utah, and Wyoming as their OOC games, so every team has a shot, just some conferences at the FBS level have auto bids in.Not true. Several conferences have no deal with the BCS. Hence no guarantee they'd made a BCS game with a perfect record.

[BearsCountry]

Well Tulane, even if undefeated, would not make a BCS game. That was the comparison I was making.

If Tulane went undefeated they would play in a BCS game, maybe not the championship one but they would be in either the Orange, Sugar, Rose or Fiesta.

[slostang]

One good thing about McKnight is he looks like he was basically working for free at Hawaii. Grad assistant in his 40s? Maybe salary won't be an issue.

It's nice to have a spouse with a good job.xnodx

He was a grad assistant in 2006, but it shows him as the O-line coach in 2007. Either way, he looks like he be a great coach for Drake.

[USDFAN_55]

They were undefeated at the time of play-off selections. And apparently you were not at the UCD game that they lost, because if you were you would know it wasn't a beat down like you say.




As is the person who thinks that San Diego went undefeated last year. xconfusedx xthumbsupx

If I remember correctly - they got a beatdown when they finally faced a scholarship team. xrotatehx

[Model Citizen]

One more attempt to get this p***ing contest back on topic.

I think they're hiring Hayden Fry through November, then looking for a permanent coach.

Don't ask me for a link. I haven't got one.

[DetroitFlyer]

Why would a 78 year old, retired coach want to coach Drake for one year on an interim basis? Who would be the assistant coaches? Other than the possible allure of playing for Hayden Fry, how would the kids respond to such a temporary situation? The only way this makes any sense to me is if Drake has no good, viable, candidates for the job.... It seems as though they would be better off with a current assistant than Hayden Fry if they are going the temporary route.... Stranger things have happened, but as a PFL fan, I'm not sure I think this would be a good idea.

[Mountaineer]

They were undefeated at the time of play-off selections. And apparently you were not at the UCD game that they lost, because if you were you would know it wasn't a beat down like you say.

Whose bright idea was it to schedule the only decent game on your schedule after the playoff selections? xwhistlex xviolinx

Should've had more of those to begin with (by the way - you also actually need to win some of them). ;) xlolx