COACHES HOT SEAT

[ONCEATIGER25]

This is just for fun. I see this around the D1 world, so I wanted to bring it to the D2 world. What Head Coaches are on the Hot Seat this year?

[cheeser12]

I have never understood why most D2 football programs seem to have a different standard than D1 programs. Coaches can hang around for years with low winning percentages, lousy recruiting classes, and poor leadership and accountability. Michigan Tech in the GLIAC is a perfect example. Their coach was hired about 5-6 years ago and that program has suffered from it. Most high schools wouldnt't put up with it, but they do. Losing record, suspensions... very different type of team than in the past. It seems to be a pattern in the GLIAC. I know their hockey teams wouldn't put up with it, why should any other sport?

[Ram040506]

From the MEC, west liberty should be a regular conference contender at the least. I believe they are fully funded, located in fertile (although competitive) recruiting grounds. Coach went to the regional final one time about 12 years ago and has been living off that since. Team is disorganized and undisciplined year after year and consistently underachieves. He should have been fired years ago.

[Fightingscot82]

I have never understood why most D2 football programs seem to have a different standard than D1 programs. Coaches can hang around for years with low winning percentages, lousy recruiting classes, and poor leadership and accountability. Michigan Tech in the GLIAC is a perfect example. Their coach was hired about 5-6 years ago and that program has suffered from it. Most high schools wouldnt't put up with it, but they do. Losing record, suspensions... very different type of team than in the past. It seems to be a pattern in the GLIAC. I know their hockey teams wouldn't put up with it, why should any other sport?

In FBS coaches have individual contracts like a pro coach. At D2 they're more often afforded rights as a state employee or under a union contract, so firing them involves some buyout cash most schools don't have. When Edinboro fired its coach back in 2015, it cost them almost a half million because he had 2 years left on a union contract that said they must pay out unused PTO and other benefits.

[D2Ohio]

I have never understood why most D2 football programs seem to have a different standard than D1 programs. Coaches can hang around for years with low winning percentages, lousy recruiting classes, and poor leadership and accountability. Michigan Tech in the GLIAC is a perfect example. Their coach was hired about 5-6 years ago and that program has suffered from it. Most high schools wouldnt't put up with it, but they do. Losing record, suspensions... very different type of team than in the past. It seems to be a pattern in the GLIAC. I know their hockey teams wouldn't put up with it, why should any other sport?

I would disagree with the following points:
1) Houghton, I'm sure cost of living is low for a reason, except for heating bills, unless you have a fire burning stove
2) Tech football has always been secondary to hockey, look at the football "stadium" which is actually improved with the recent renovations
3) Those schedules 5-6 years ago included sometimes playing Walsh, Malone, LEC et al,so the schedule would be tougher theoretically

[BulldogLB]

I had heard rumors after the 2019 season that Southwestern Oklahoma State's HC was on the hot seat. After being hired, having back to back 3-8 seasons aren't good enough for SWOSU. I heard it was going to be a make or break year for the entire coaching staff, but I'm not sure if that will still be the case after the COVID year. We will see. I would love to see them succeed this year.

[ccmoney8]

I have never understood why most D2 football programs seem to have a different standard than D1 programs. Coaches can hang around for years with low winning percentages, lousy recruiting classes, and poor leadership and accountability. Michigan Tech in the GLIAC is a perfect example. Their coach was hired about 5-6 years ago and that program has suffered from it. Most high schools wouldnt't put up with it, but they do. Losing record, suspensions... very different type of team than in the past. It seems to be a pattern in the GLIAC. I know their hockey teams wouldn't put up with it, why should any other sport?

Football drives enrollment at many of these smaller schools, and enrollment drives budgets. A coach who can hang onto 120 kids for four years and graduate a majority of them is priceless, from an administrative point of view. They say D2 schools lose money on football, but when you consider the tuition dollars it brings in, often the athletics department spends more than it takes in, but the college doesn't show a loss.

[Fightingscot82]

Football drives enrollment at many of these smaller schools, and enrollment drives budgets. A coach who can hang onto 120 kids for four years and graduate a majority of them is priceless, from an administrative point of view. They say D2 schools lose money on football, but when you consider the tuition dollars it brings in, often the athletics department spends more than it takes in, but the college doesn't show a loss.

100% correct. Most of the students wouldn't be attending if not for football. Remove football from their experience and most will go elsewhere. And longevity breeds relationships with the community and with alumni. You change coaches you will certainly lose players - but you might also lose donors and butts in the seats.

[NWHoops]

100% correct. Most of the students wouldn't be attending if not for football. Remove football from their experience and most will go elsewhere. And longevity breeds relationships with the community and with alumni. You change coaches you will certainly lose players - but you might also lose donors and butts in the seats.

Are you saying most of the general student population wouldn't be attending or most of the football players wouldn't be attending?

The general student population couldn't care less about athletics. From pro sports on down, attendance at live sporting events is way down and has been trending that way for quite a few years.

[ccmoney8]

Are you saying most of the general student population wouldn't be attending or most of the football players wouldn't be attending?

The general student population couldn't care less about athletics. From pro sports on down, attendance at live sporting events is way down and has been trending that way for quite a few years.

I took it as saying most of the football players wouldn't be attending college at all, if it weren't for the opportunity to play football. But there is at least some effect of non-athletes following their athlete friends/significant others to college.

[NWHoops]

I took it as saying most of the football players wouldn't be attending college at all, if it weren't for the opportunity to play football. But there is at least some effect of non-athletes following their athlete friends/significant others to college.

I agree with the football player aspect. The non-athletes following them is a minimal effect at best.

[Fightingscot82]

Are you saying most of the general student population wouldn't be attending or most of the football players wouldn't be attending?

The general student population couldn't care less about athletics. From pro sports on down, attendance at live sporting events is way down and has been trending that way for quite a few years.

Athletes.