Millersville Maruaders

2013 Record: 1-10 (1-6)

Head Coach: Greg Breitbach (1-10, 2nd year)
Defensive Coordinator: Ralph Clark
Offensive Coordinator: Breitbach

Top returning players: LB Reggie Slayton, RB/KR David Coates, OL Matt Schuck, OL Kevin Bohl

The upside: The Marauders have now had a full year under the current coaching staff.
The downside: There is still a long way to go. In the final PSAC stats of 2013, Ville scored the fewest points and gave up the most.




Millersville is entering year two of their program restoration under head coach Greg Breitbach and having a full year of working in his system should make a big difference for the team. Breitbach didn't arrive on campus until the spring of 2013, so most of last year was still a learning process for everyone, including the rookie head coach.

In year two, everyone should be more comfortable and cohesive, although there were some changes to the coaching staff in the off season. Long time MU assistants Ron Rankin and Brad Mangle are no longer with the program. Their positions have been filled, creating a staff which is now made up entirely of men hired by Breitbach and that has to go a long way towards building the unity of the staff and roster. But building a team takes time and nearly half the roster is new to the program this year. The upside to that is that the influx of newcomers were recruited by this staff to play in this system. The downside is that preparing a team with so many new faces in so little time is going to be hard to do.

New players will provide competition at every position which is definitely something they need, but there is one place where the Marauders are well established and in my opinion, it's most important facet of a team - the offensive line. The Marauders return four starters from last year's group and three of them are Juniors, so the present and future look promising in the trenches. Senior Kevin Bohl is a veteran of 30 starts over the past three years and has taken snaps from nearly every position on the line. He is projected to anchor the right tackle position, next to guard Matt Shuck and Center Lenny Sanelli. The all important left tackle spot will be up for grabs during two-a-days. If this unit is ready to take their play to the next level, the Marauder offense may be ready for some big steps forward.

At the skill positions, the top three receivers from 2013 will be back including TE Trenton Petrovich who is a massive target at 6'5", 240. David Coates has served as an all-purpose player for the past couple of seasons and has excelled as a kick returner. He will slot into the number 1 running back role and should be ready to carry the load while newcomers compete for carries behind him. Keep an eye on the shifty and speedy Coates. Ian Sadon - MU's only All-PSAC East player a year ago - rushed for more than 1,000 yards and with the veteran O-line in place, Coates will have a chance at a big year. Naturally, a lot will depend on the quarterback position and I don't know what the outcome of summer camp will be. Curtis Frye played well at times last year, but will have to contend with D1 transfers J.J. Paige (St. Francis) and Matt Misley (Wagner) for the staring role. Misley is a graduate student in his final year of eligibility and is the most experienced player in the running. He has four years of practicing in a D1 program and started five games a year ago, including a visit to Syracuse. His experience would be a valuable asset in the huddle this year.

Defensively, I'm a little discouraged by the lack of experience in the front seven. Senior Reggie Slaton is a solid player who performed very well in his switch from defensive end to linebacker last year. He is the most experienced and productive member of the defense and will have to be a leader on and off the field for the Marauders. The other key contributor is Rasheed Johnson, the Marauders' leading tackler and defensive MVP in 2013. The corner positions are solidified with Joey Phamm and P.J. Santos, who both took over starting roles during the 2013 season. Around them, everything is up for grabs. New, fresh talent isn't necessarily a bad thing for a unity that gave up 45 points per game, so hopefully the Marauders can make the most of it. But in this competitive league, it's hard to win without experience and the Marauder's D is pretty short of it heading into the season.

Millersville sports information has been regularly updating their website with previews of each position, so check out millersvilleathletics.com for more news on how camp is progressing.

Outlook
Breitbach has certainly worked hard to change the culture, the attitude and the expectations. More organized recruiting efforts and renewed alumni engagement will help in the long term, but I think they're still a year away from being a threat to the top half of the division. The staff has recruited well, but we won't see the benefits for another year or two. For 2014, it's hard to say how many wins to expect, but the schedule has 5 or 6 teams that they can match up with.