Fordham

Back-to-back PL champs 2016 and 2017.... but need to get back to relevance in the national FCS scene.
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Hawkineer
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Re: Fordham

Post by Hawkineer » Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:33 pm

mookie wrote: Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:37 pm Higgins was a disaster at The Citadel.
Who the hell cares what he was at The Citadel? From 95 through 00, he won four titles, won playoff games, and lost one game in 3 years. I’d take him back in a second. I’d triple my contribution to the Athletic Partnership if it meant getting him back. In my opinion, next to Whitehead, he was their best coach.


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RichH
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Re: Fordham

Post by RichH » Sun Oct 14, 2018 8:19 pm

TMH wrote: Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:02 pm Between 1963-1967, Lehigh was 4-40-1 under legendary coaches Bill Leckonby and Fred Dunlap. Had we abandoned football or moved down, we would have missed McQuilken Rizzo, Hill and the National Championship and a whole lot of PL Championships and playoff wins.

I not so fondly remember the 1973-1975 basketball seasons when Lehigh went 4-44. Had we done something radical we would have missed the Queenan/Polaha era. From 1995-1997, we went 5-49. In 2001-2002, we were 5-23. I sure would have hated missing CJ and the win over Duke.

Yes, this season has been horrible. Yes, the needs to be a shakeup when the season ends. But all this this gibberish about abandoning football or dropping down to Div III really isn't helpful.
You missed Mike Cooley in between Leck and Fred.
I came in with Coach Leckonby and lived thru those terrible years. My underlying fear all thru the drcades was repeating that time. I saw how fast a program can go from a Lambert to years of terrible. Down is fast. Back up is agonizing and slow. We are not at that point yet but we are dzmn close. All that we have seen can be fixed. I agree I dont think this staff can do it. I think they are talented coaches but it does not seem to be impacting on the players. Andy is right that most of what we saw on Saturday can be fixed. Staff has tried to but the lessons are not sticking with the team. They need new voices teaching. Hopefully some of the coaching will stick for upcoming games. We'll see.
BTW talking about dropping levels is truly asinine. A "the sky is falling" reaction to a bad year. Over this decade we have had 2 losing season, likely 3 this year, and 4 Titles. Seasons like this cannot be allowed to set the pattern. Things have to change. How I am not sure. Whatever is done must be done soon to turn this pattern of bad D and a declining . around.
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Re: Fordham

Post by ngineer » Sun Oct 14, 2018 8:26 pm

Actually, Higgins had a decent run at the Citadel. He made them competitive, again, in the SoCon, and took them up to Wisconsin and almost knocked off the Badgers. I've talked to several Citadel alums and they liked Higgins, despite being a 'Yankee'..he was "their Yankee". As posted above, Kevin is an intense guy with a smile and set a record here that will never be approached in terms of a successful stretch for 1998-2001 (I include '01, because that was his team that Lembo, Cecchini and Gilmore inherited and was already set.) He made Lehigh a dominant name if I-AA football, again. He is obviously not coming back, but he loved his time here and only left because of a call 'out of the blue' for a shot to try the NFL. Otherwise, had no plans to leave. We need a "Higgins type" coach who has a positive outlook with intensity that demands excellence.

By the way, Leckonby was not coaching in 1963, Cooley had taken over for him in 1962 and was fired in three years. Dunlap literally took the worse football program in the U.S. (as stated by Sports Illustrated) and gradually built a solid, winning program that has become a tradition, that is coming in jeopardy.
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Re: Fordham

Post by ngineer » Sun Oct 14, 2018 8:35 pm

I certainly don't think we should be talking about dropping to a lower division as, under current NCAA regulations that would impact all sports, and we certainly don't want to drop divisions in Wrestling, Bastketball, Lacrosse and Softball. However, the Patriot League needs to address the chasm that is growing between us and the rest of FCS. One approach, if the schools as a whole don't want to 'step up', is the drop football AS A LEAGUE SPORT, not to drop the sport. Then everyone can do what they want, try going FBS like the League member academies., join another conference (CAA, Big South, NEC, Pioneer) and go independent. There may be others, but something needs to be studied as to where the League is going in this sport.
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Re: Fordham

Post by Sundayamqb » Sun Oct 14, 2018 8:37 pm

I waited until Sunday night to see if there'd be news of AC's resignation, given what sounded like almost tear-laced mea culpa comments on the radio broadcast Saturday.

I feel bad for the guy -- I really do. Sounds like he's embarrassed and stumped. Sounds like he needs his job. The website says he has three children in school. A resignation would be tough. But this has to be eating him up.

He's the HC at a school that had a great football tradition and it's slipping away, in the stands and on the field. The utter embarrassments of the past two weeks, tacked on to those of last year, have to take a toll. He's been a winner, but no matter what he does he hasn't received consistent performance.

It's almost unfathomable to think this team does not have enough talent and depth to protect the nation's leading rusher last year and one of its top QBs. This should have been another solid offensive year.

Instead, it's ranked 108 of 124 FCS teams (289.2 ypg, ahead of Fordham, 111; Lafayette, 118, and Bucknell, 123). Even Georgetown has a better O.

The question is: If he doesn't resign, does the AD slide him into another role or let him go at the end of the year or now? Regardless, this will affect recruiting and potentially multiple seasons to come. The rest of the coaches have to be concerned about their jobs, too.

If I'm Sterrett -- though he seems near retirement -- I'm really pissed. AC has utterly failed to produce a legitimate team on the defensive side of the field for the past six years. It's hard to win with numbers like these.

This is how bad our "much improved" D is this year.

NCAA rank among 124 FCS teams
2018: 114, 509.2 YGP
2017: 119, 477.7
2016: 89, 418
2015: 106, 451.3
2014: 112, 474.9
2013: 93, 439.9

The ONLY saving grace this year is PL games are coming up. But after Fordham game anything is possible.

It's sad, but maybe we should start a new thread to talk about the potential departure, who should replace him and what should happen to his staff.

A new Higgins type -- just look at his coaching tree -- could do the trick.
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Re: Fordham

Post by jimk72 » Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:08 pm

New coaching staff seems to be a forgone conclusion. If not, "Earth to Joe.....Joe are you there?"

New coaching staff will be found. But as noted throughout this thread, the fundamentals of FCS competitiveness have changed. Apparently dramatically. Will Lehigh and our league brethren be willing to do what is necessary regarding coaching staff budget, roster size, redshirting, and financial support to remain competitive at what is the third level in college fooball (ie. Power five, Group of Five, FCS)? If they are willing and able, will they feel it is in the best interest of the institutions to do so?

As an alum & sports fan I hope they do decide to invest in football. But it seems that this question has been in the air for a least the last five or ten years, as bigger schools plowed more and more $$$$ into the upper levels of FCS, while others actually question the future of college football at this level.
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Re: Fordham

Post by RichH » Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:13 pm

ngineer may have a point. If PL wont adapt its restrictions, it might be advisable to make football a non PL sport. Not sure how that could be done but its an option.
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Re: Fordham

Post by TMH » Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:31 pm

couple of points
1.) It's kinda funny that Lehigh must have eliminated Cooley from the record books. In the season by season results, it lists Leckonby going into Dunlap

https://static.lehighsports.com/customp ... 1528954910

2.)Speaking of the Higgins coaching tree. Guess who the offensive coordinator was from 1996-1999 and OL coach in 1994-1995

3.) Kevin Higgins was very successful here but not so much at the Citadel, going 43-58 in his 9 seasons there, only 2 of which had winning records. Now, his successor, Mike Houston (currently at James Madison) is a different story. After going 5-7 his first year there, he led them to the conference championship and a first round win in the FCS playoffs. The following season he led JMU to the National Championship and the finals last season.
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Re: Fordham

Post by RichH » Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:51 pm

2) A better OC than he has now.
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Re: Fordham

Post by Go Lehigh TU Owl » Sun Oct 14, 2018 10:01 pm

The SoCon that Higgins coached in was MUCH tougher than the one Houston had to deal with. Higgins was at The Citadel during App State's 3-peat. GSU, Wofford and Furman also fielded some really good teams during that time. Recruiting there has to be brutally tough. I understand the allure of West Point and Annapolis. But The Citadel and VMI? There's a reason the Keydets haven't had a winning season since the early 80's. No one wants to go there!

He obviously did a great job here. His teams were ALWAYS well prepared for the big games. The 2000 performance against WIU was flawless. The only caveat is his he did get a lot of help from the administration with the PL deciding to participate in the playoffs.

Lehigh should be one of the destination gigs in all of FCS. You have a built in culture of success along with an alumni fest each year with Lafayette. Clearly, some of the PL restrictions must be looked at. Even so, with them Colgate is a Top 20 team with a legit chance to advance in the playoffs. That's obviously a VERY obtainable goal...err...expectation for Lehigh. It all comes down to the AD making sure the program remains in good standing with the administration. If the administration is on board with then there's no excuse imo....
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