What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Football

[gr8ness97]

[Cat N Mav]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

For the record, they've made it to the championship once this decade, which is the same number of times they've made it ever.

I feel like the top 4 are obvious, and a case can be made for about a handful of schools to fit for that 5th spot... but those schools just aren't in that same class. TAMUK and IUP have the best case if tradition can be counted on to help you bounce back... i.e. Notre Dame was trash, but they got a good coach because it was Notre Dame and turned it around. Alabama was bad for a period, and so was Ohio State. But they bounced back.

Others like W. Florida and W.GA, they're like TCU, Baylor, Oregon, and more recently Clemson. Facilities and money and they are up at the top, but is it sustainable?

If you aren't on the list of champions, you aren't really in the conversation of best places to land in DII. There's only a handful of schools most people have even heard of outside of their areas:
Tuskegee because of its history
C.W. Post (now LIU Post) because of cereal
Slippery Rock because in the 70's and 80's they reported their score in the halftime report (a tradition that goes back further and is actually pretty interesting),
Winston-Salem because of cigarettes

[KleShreen]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

When I think "best coaching positions" I think of places that have the infrastructure and resources for success, the least amount of barriers to be successful, the best facilities already available to them, and the best recruiting area around the school.

With that said, I would go with:

Grand Valley State
NW Missouri State
West Texas A&M
Valdosta State
Pittsburg State

[LSC Fan]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

Most of those are probably key components. Cooperative administration and supportive alumni/fan base is very important. Great facilities and location helps with recruiting. Is there ever enough money? Prestige of the program is important. But it is also easy to lose.

As discussed earlier, Texas A&I/A&M Kingsville was a prestige program for decades. But this last decade the prestige has become a bit tarnished. The band barely knows how to play Jalisco anymore.

Oh they know Jalisco and still play it. Mostly to fill in a 3/4 empty stadium (15,000 capacity) with some background noise.

[Hornetfan]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

Not every year. They got beat in the first round by Emporia State in 2015 in Mankato.

[deanmachine]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

well for years the BIG 3 in the Gulf South Conference has been VSU, UNA, and Delts State. so I think Delta State deserves an honorable mention. They have good fan support and some history plus numerous Junior colleges in the state to recruit from plus a good state for High school football.

[Braves'86]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

UWG facilities destroy UWF. Their stadium isn't even really theirs.

Anyway, to me a top 5 D-II job has to be viewed as a destination rather than a stepping stone to D1. In that regard none of the GSC schools qualify to me. Bell is gone if he gets an offer from a scholarship D1 school, just like Will Hall was. I don't see anyone in place now staying 10+ years.

I think GVSU and NWMSU stand alone of the schools I know much about.

[Rational Observer]

UWG facilities destroy UWF. Their stadium isn't even really theirs.

Anyway, to me a top 5 D-II job has to be viewed as a destination rather than a stepping stone to D1. In that regard none of the GSC schools qualify to me. Bell is gone if he gets an offer from a scholarship D1 school, just like Will Hall was. I don't see anyone in place now staying 10+ years.

I think GVSU and NWMSU stand alone of the schools I know much about.

[Randy]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

UWG facilities destroy UWF. Their stadium isn't even really theirs.

Anyway, to me a top 5 D-II job has to be viewed as a destination rather than a stepping stone to D1. In that regard none of the GSC schools qualify to me. Bell is gone if he gets an offer from a scholarship D1 school, just like Will Hall was. I don't see anyone in place now staying 10+ years.

I think GVSU and NWMSU stand alone of the schools I know much about.

That's crazy! A top 5 job is one that a coach can use however he wants. If a coach wants to coach at the next level, what would be a better job to achieve that goal than a top 5 job?

[catatonic]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

UWG facilities destroy UWF. Their stadium isn't even really theirs.

Anyway, to me a top 5 D-II job has to be viewed as a destination rather than a stepping stone to D1. In that regard none of the GSC schools qualify to me. Bell is gone if he gets an offer from a scholarship D1 school, just like Will Hall was. I don't see anyone in place now staying 10+ years.

I think GVSU and NWMSU stand alone of the schools I know much about.

Interesting that you mention GVSU and NWMSU since coaches from both of those schools have moved on to D1 positions.

[Horror Child]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

UWG facilities destroy UWF. Their stadium isn't even really theirs.

Anyway, to me a top 5 D-II job has to be viewed as a destination rather than a stepping stone to D1. In that regard none of the GSC schools qualify to me. Bell is gone if he gets an offer from a scholarship D1 school, just like Will Hall was. I don't see anyone in place now staying 10+ years.

I think GVSU and NWMSU stand alone of the schools I know much about.

The ole "I choose Division II"

[Braves'86]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

Brian Kelly was at GVSU from '87 to 2003 with 12 years as HC, then replaced by a guy who was there 9 years (not all as HC). Mel Tjeerdsma was at NWMSU 16 years. That combined with the ridiculous avg attendance stats of both schools (and resulting strong budgets) makes them destination jobs.

Most GSC coaches would be on the first thing smoking out of town after a couple of good years, Bobby Wallace notwithstanding.

[Braves'86]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

That's crazy! A top 5 job is one that a coach can use however he wants. If a coach wants to coach at the next level, what would be a better job to achieve that goal than a top 5 job?

Well if that's your criteria then UWG should be in your top 5-10. Great facilities, all the players you need within a two hour radius and you can win consistently.

[UNA_Texan]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

UWG facilities destroy UWF. Their stadium isn't even really theirs.

Anyway, to me a top 5 D-II job has to be viewed as a destination rather than a stepping stone to D1. In that regard none of the GSC schools qualify to me. Bell is gone if he gets an offer from a scholarship D1 school, just like Will Hall was. I don't see anyone in place now staying 10+ years.

I think GVSU and NWMSU stand alone of the schools I know much about.

[Braves'86]

Re: What Would YOU Consider the Top 5 Coaching Positions in NCAA DII Footba

I find it annoying....err I mean amusing that I was actually suggesting neither school belongs in this conversation and you chose to focus on that one snippet.