Tom Gilmore.

Back-to-back PL champs 2016 and 2017.... but need to get back to relevance in the national FCS scene.
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Go Lehigh TU Owl
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Re: Tom Gilmore.

Post by Go Lehigh TU Owl » Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:01 pm

van wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:22 am interesting about the comments about not being able to compete for national championships, Lehigh is a small, private university that strives for national recognition as a strong academic institution, I believe most would agree that this is a factual description

I wonder how many of our alums wish they had earned their degree from ND State instead of Lehigh, not me for sure
I don't think Richmond ('08 champ) or Villanova ('09 champs) alums are trading their degrees in for ones that say Lehigh. Honestly, NDSU alums aren't trading theirs either. A Lehigh degree (who?) simply isn't carrying much weight in the High Plains. :D

A smaller, rural liberal arts school with equally great academics named Colgate finished in the Top 10 in the country this year. I'd have to believe a highly ranked NATIONAL university who participates in the same athletic conference can do just as well.

The apathetic mindset right now from some on here is crazy. A league peer Colgate just finished in the Top 10 in the country. They've been very vocal in their desire to schedule FBS, CAA and SoCon games to challenge themselves. Some of it is a little over the top but at least they're going all in the best they can! They want to remain viable nationally! Holy Cross has also stepped up with their scheduling despite not having the results to back them up, yet. They also stepped up by hiring a young, energetic coach with a history of winning. Not to mention there's a new practice facility on Mount Saint James. Joe Moorhead turned a 1-10 Fordham team into a 6-5 winner in his first season then had 3 straight Top 20 teams. Right now Colgate and Holy Cross are pulling away from Lehigh's program. Fordham could too if Conlin figures things out.

I'm not a Lehigh alum so I'm not looking through B&W glasses. When things get bumpy it always goes back to academics and excuses. Well there's peers of yours, and yes even better schools, that are able to accomplish far more athletically. You're going to become Lafayette while Colgate and/or Holy Cross becomes Villanova, Richmond or Wofford. One could argue Colgate has been better than all 3 of them the last 5 years as it is....

Lehigh better hope Gilmore does much better than he did at Holy Cross. Even his best season (2009) doesn't compare to the ceilings of the last 3 Lehigh coaches. It also doesn't compare to the heights Colgate's and Fordham's programs reached recently.


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Re: Tom Gilmore.

Post by Go Lehigh TU Owl » Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:05 pm

JimLU81 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:48 am Very shocked and disappointed with this hire. I am told the 3 finalists were Gilmore, Clements, and Rossomondo. A very good friend (not a Lehigh source) told me Tim Cramsey did in fact apply and receive a phone interview. As far as Dave Cecchini I find it very hard to believe that 1. He would sign any type of extension for that amount of money in the Pioneer League, that is just simply not true. 2. I was very vocal in my dissatisfaction with people saying Dave should be the guy. But he would absolutely be a better choice than Gilmore. Just shocking that this was pick. I know several alums that would characterize him as a bully during his time at Lehigh. Well the ledge or the cliff whatever you prefer I’m jumping.... just a terrible feeling.
Clements would have been great! That guy kicks butt!!

The bullying comment about Gilmore seems to be very real. Based on numerous accounts he was very difficult to work for at Holy Cross. It was a legit problem. He is definitely a little crazy. If you watched him over the years he's had some legendary rants on the side line.
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Re: Tom Gilmore.

Post by TMH » Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:12 pm

"If you watched him over the years he's had some legendary rants on the side line."

There is a part of me that thinks that is exactly what Lehigh lacked this year.
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Re: Tom Gilmore.

Post by Hawkineer » Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:12 pm

RichH wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:58 am Pretty much jibes with the info I got this morning. Both Clements and Rossomundo great options. That does not render Gilmore a bad choice. Not sexy and I get the disappointment.
I was torn admittedly is hearing this choice. This morning tho I have been reading the FB posts of LU football alums from Tom's prior stint at LU. All without exception very positive. That says enough for me as to his ability. Willing to see how he does. No matter what he will have a high bar for the upcoming season.
Trying to follow your view on this hire is giving me whiplash.

All of the testimonials on the website were evidence of trying way too hard to justify the hiring of a coach with a very average HC resume. Some coaches should be head coaches and some should be assistants. If the past is prologue, I suspect that LU going to find this out as well. ;)
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Re: Tom Gilmore.

Post by ngineer » Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:25 pm

Go Lehigh TU Owl wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:05 pm
JimLU81 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:48 am Very shocked and disappointed with this hire. I am told the 3 finalists were Gilmore, Clements, and Rossomondo. A very good friend (not a Lehigh source) told me Tim Cramsey did in fact apply and receive a phone interview. As far as Dave Cecchini I find it very hard to believe that 1. He would sign any type of extension for that amount of money in the Pioneer League, that is just simply not true. 2. I was very vocal in my dissatisfaction with people saying Dave should be the guy. But he would absolutely be a better choice than Gilmore. Just shocking that this was pick. I know several alums that would characterize him as a bully during his time at Lehigh. Well the ledge or the cliff whatever you prefer I’m jumping.... just a terrible feeling.
Clements would have been great! That guy kicks butt!!

The bullying comment about Gilmore seems to be very real. Based on numerous accounts he was very difficult to work for at Holy Cross. It was a legit problem. He is definitely a little crazy. If you watched him over the years he's had some legendary rants on the side line.


Gilmore was a pussy cat compared to Whitehead. We're in a different world now and some people can adapt...see Whitehead. I think this program needs a bit of a kick in the ass and a raised voice. The decision is made and I hope all the crepe hangers either leave or become supporters and give the guy a chance. A lot of people visit boards like this and get that 'first impression' of Lehigh and it's supporters. We all can have some impact on how we, and the school, are perceived by potential recruits and their parents. TG was not my firsts choice, but it's done and we need to move forward, for the program's sake. Hopefully, come late November, we are sitting here wondering what all the fuss was about!
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Re: Tom Gilmore.

Post by RichH » Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:29 pm

:Hawkineer
Like all of us I had my favorites and disappointment at TG announcement. Not trying to give you whiplash. Just trying to understand this selection. I am loathe to prejudge Gilmore. That I liked other possibilities more leads to some disapointment for me :| . I am reluctant to conclude that the sky is falling and we are doomed :D
He is the HC now. Time will tell whether it is the right path for our football team.
All the reservations remain. As with any one who Joe might have chosen, the proof will be what happens next year.
As to bullying comments. Ridiculous crap. I go back a ways. If you see Tom as a bully you would be shocked to see Cooley,Dunlap or Whitehead in action.
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Re: Tom Gilmore.

Post by TMH » Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:34 pm

No offense but if my recollection is correct, Lehigh fans, including myself, may not be the best judges of coaching resumes. The fans hated the Higgins selection until they loved it. They were against the Lembo selection until they loved it then hated it then wished he was back. People seem to really embrace the Coen decision until they felt his success was due to the coordinators and then wanted him out.
Coaching decisions are like political discussions. We all think we are experts except we know very little about the inner workings. Like politics, we all clamor for change and think our guy is the best. It boggles my mind that most people here would not have been unhappy with Chick coming back. They find all kinds of reasons to justify his bad record at Valpo because he was an offensive genius at Lehigh. Yet they are not happy with Gilmore because of a mediocre record as head coach at HC (although 2 X Coach of the Year) despite being a defensive genius at Lehigh.

The one thing we can all agree on, I hope is that in order to resurrect this program, it needs to begin on the defensive side of the ball. As someone said earlier, they key will lie with the coordinators. Choose well and we succeed.
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Re: Tom Gilmore.

Post by TMH » Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:39 pm

My biggest question is what our expectation should be in 2019 regardless of the coaching move.

We still have a defense that gave up 450 yd/g last year and 470 the year before. Our offense is losing most of their marquee players and the special team will need to find a kicker/punter to replace record holder Ed Mish
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Re: Tom Gilmore.

Post by PLandPFL18 » Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:49 pm

JimLU81 wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:48 am As far as Dave Cecchini I find it very hard to believe that 1. He would sign any type of extension for that amount of money in the Pioneer League, that is just simply not true. 2. I was very vocal in my dissatisfaction with people saying Dave should be the guy. But he would absolutely be a better choice than Gilmore.
Whatever anyone might choose to believe, Cecchini's extension with Valparaiso was signed prior to the beginning of the 2017 season and his contract runs through 2020. It is not a recently signed extension which is one of the erroneous mentions I've seen on this board. Dollar amount is unknown.
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Re: Tom Gilmore.

Post by RichH » Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:52 pm

Thanks TMH.
What should we expect for next year?
I expect the bar will be quite high for TG. Particularly on defense.
A key for me will be the O staff. What kind of offense will we have? Who will coach?
Less nervous for D. But we have a way to go to field a decent D.
The rest of our recruiting class is also a major issue. We need players not just bodies and we need at least 20-25 recruits.
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