Former St. Peter's Coach Speaks Out

[DFW HOYA]

Thoughts from former SPC coach Rob Stern:

"We brought 129 players to camp and had 105 on the roster when I left. There is no reason we couldn't do what Monmouth was doing. It didn't take a brain surgeon to see the administration's lack of vision..."

"It's like having a plant: If you don't keep watering it, it dies," Stern said. "They left the plant out in the sun and ignored it. I shouldn't say I was shocked because I knew this day was coming. I saw one of their spring football practices and they had about 35 kids out there."

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1181881341275260.xml&coll=1

[Seahawks Fan]

Thoughts from former SPC coach Rob Stern:

"We brought 129 players to camp and had 105 on the roster when I left. There is no reason we couldn't do what Monmouth was doing. It didn't take a brain surgeon to see the administration's lack of vision..."

"It's like having a plant: If you don't keep watering it, it dies," Stern said. "They left the plant out in the sun and ignored it. I shouldn't say I was shocked because I knew this day was coming. I saw one of their spring football practices and they had about 35 kids out there."

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1181881341275260.xml&coll=1


I can think of one reason, money. The comparison to Monmouth is flawed. They have alumni with lots of money and interest in furthering the sports program. Just look at the new arena on campus that they are building. And they had to scale it back to get West Long Branch to agree to it.

I feel bad for St. Peters and the players. But this was inevitable. The economics just wasn't there.

[already123]

sounds angry...

[travelinman67]

Thoughts from former SPC coach Rob Stern:

"We brought 129 players to camp and had 105 on the roster when I left. There is no reason we couldn't do what Monmouth was doing. It didn't take a brain surgeon to see the administration's lack of vision..."

"It's like having a plant: If you don't keep watering it, it dies," Stern said. "They left the plant out in the sun and ignored it. I shouldn't say I was shocked because I knew this day was coming. I saw one of their spring football practices and they had about 35 kids out there."

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1181881341275260.xml&coll=1

I think he's spot on. I looked into the status of their program over the spring, and it was very apparent the admin. did not place much emphasis on the football program...I actually felt sorry for the coaches...all of them great guys who worked their butts off. I don't know enough about the hierarchy/decisionmakers in the admin., but it was unlike anything I had ever witnessed at any other D1 school. Being a religious university, however, it apparently was their decision to de-emphasize athletics.
It was unquestionable that the coaches went into recruiting with one hand tied behind their back...

Think about their sales pitch to the HS kids...that are being contacted by scholarship schools, and even the non-schollies can offer academics, campus life, winning programs, location, etc...heck, their student housing looked like govt. housing, and IMHO, all the capital improvement projects incorporated "minimalist" design...which is fine for warehouse facilities, but is not appropriate (IMO) for universities.

...it was so darn obvious this was inevitable.

You just can't keep a program alive unless you're willing to invest in the future. :(