The Portal, 2025 Style

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Seriously, FCS programs are generally "better" than D-II programs. Hate to lay that on you, but anyway ...

Robert Morris is FCS. Keep that in mind. Bobby Mo lost to Edinboro this year.

Lots of really bad FCS programs. Many would lose to D2 teams.

In fairness, a lot of top D3 teams would smoke a lot of D2 teams.

[Fightingscot82]

Seriously, FCS programs are generally "better" than D-II programs. Hate to lay that on you, but anyway ...

Nah I'm with him on this. Charleston Southern is like the Seton Hill of FCS

[jrshooter]

Shepherd is a better program than where Powell is going.

Seriously, FCS programs are generally "better" than D-II programs. Hate to lay that on you, but anyway ...

[RocknTheSnackBar]

Justin Cook from ESU to THE U of Pittsburgh

[Fightingscot82]

Joe hasn't scouted a high school game in person in I'd guess at least 15 years.

I was talking about Tort's method of offering players.

I was talking about Tort bringing recruits in when he can take them to a basketball game where he can show IUP has an arena like few others they're considering and can watch IUP embarrass the other schools probably recruiting them.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Well, now Joe doesn't quite put on the same show to wow recruits like he used to a few years ago

Joe hasn't scouted a high school game in person in I'd guess at least 15 years.

I was talking about Tort's method of offering players.

[iupgroundhog]

For me, what I wouldn't like if I were a Lock Haven fan/supporter is that now you're primed to have an interim AD and an interim football coach during what is still a transitional time for Lock Haven & the Commonwealth setup. That doesn't sound like stability.

I understand that thinking - however, I think the Interim AD is probably one of the most stable administrators around. If there is anyone who can handle the current tumult, he can.

[Fightingscot82]

Mulrooney had an a very strong high school class verbally committed. Unlike most of our programs, he was getting a big jump on high school recruiting.

What many don't realize is some of our perceived top programs rarely extend high school offers prior to January. They'll have kids up to games all Fall, but most wait until January to actually extend any real invitations.

IUP, for instance, is rather infamous in recruiting circles for coming in at the last second (with more money) and stealing players.

Anyway, Mulrooney had several very strong PA high school players with verbals. Most schools will still recruit kids who have given a verbal, but now the blood is really in the water.

Well, now Joe doesn't quite put on the same show to wow recruits like he used to a few years ago

[IUPbigINDIANS]

From an internal management structure, football is a department and the head coach is the department director (supervisor), so *somebody* has to be in charge whether they have the interim head coach tag or not. They can promote from within with several approvals, so the OC or whomever better be on the good side of the AD and whomever the Lock Haven AD reports to at Commonwealth. But the internal hire is the *only* way to keep the momentum going. As IUPbigINDIANS stated, the coaches union contract makes hiring slow and tedious. Its nothing like what we see in FBS. You're still hiring for a state job that's under a union contract as if it were a maintenance worker (different union contract lol). There are a million approvals needed just to post the job online and each step of the way must have approvals from HR including who is on the committee and what questions you ask in interviews. I was just part of a search for a PASSHE school and because of the time of year, we pushed like hell to move the process along. The search started on November 1 and we got approval for the manager to make a verbal offer on December 20. I think we could have maybe saved a few days but when that one person in HR takes a day or two off, nothing gets approved.

For me, what I wouldn't like if I were a Lock Haven fan/supporter is that now you're primed to have an interim AD and an interim football coach during what is still a transitional time for Lock Haven & the Commonwealth setup. That doesn't sound like stability.

Mulrooney had an a very strong high school class verbally committed. Unlike most of our programs, he was getting a big jump on high school recruiting.

What many don't realize is some of our perceived top programs rarely extend high school offers prior to January. They'll have kids up to games all Fall, but most wait until January to actually extend any real invitations.

IUP, for instance, is rather infamous in recruiting circles for coming in at the last second (with more money) and stealing players.

Anyway, Mulrooney had several very strong PA high school players with verbals. Most schools will still recruit kids who have given a verbal, but now the blood is really in the water.

[Fightingscot82]

I believe if they are staying in-house they could name whomever it is as early as tomorrow.

FS82 can clarify the logistics.

I remember when Curt left I think IUP promoted Tort within 2-3 days.

If they go outside, yes, they'll put somebody in charge as interim.

From an internal management structure, football is a department and the head coach is the department director (supervisor), so *somebody* has to be in charge whether they have the interim head coach tag or not. They can promote from within with several approvals, so the OC or whomever better be on the good side of the AD and whomever the Lock Haven AD reports to at Commonwealth. But the internal hire is the *only* way to keep the momentum going. As IUPbigINDIANS stated, the coaches union contract makes hiring slow and tedious. Its nothing like what we see in FBS. You're still hiring for a state job that's under a union contract as if it were a maintenance worker (different union contract lol). There are a million approvals needed just to post the job online and each step of the way must have approvals from HR including who is on the committee and what questions you ask in interviews. I was just part of a search for a PASSHE school and because of the time of year, we pushed like hell to move the process along. The search started on November 1 and we got approval for the manager to make a verbal offer on December 20. I think we could have maybe saved a few days but when that one person in HR takes a day or two off, nothing gets approved.

For me, what I wouldn't like if I were a Lock Haven fan/supporter is that now you're primed to have an interim AD and an interim football coach during what is still a transitional time for Lock Haven & the Commonwealth setup. That doesn't sound like stability.

[WarriorVoice]

That's what young(ish) coaches mostly do.

We're a stepping stone league for them. It happens constantly. Keep angling for the big coin. He was making peanuts at Lock Haven.

He takes over the worst defense in the Ivy League. Nowhere to go but up!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

So, they will have to name an interim HC, right?

I believe if they are staying in-house they could name whomever it is as early as tomorrow.

FS82 can clarify the logistics.

I remember when Curt left I think IUP promoted Tort within 2-3 days.

If they go outside, yes, they'll put somebody in charge as interim.

[iupgroundhog]

The b!tch in our system is if you go outside you're probably looking at 6 weeks (following all the Union regulations).

You have to be a great salesman to get kids in to that program. Mulrooney certainly was.

So, they will have to name an interim HC, right?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Excerpt from The Express article from LH:

"Now, the attention turns to who will fill the shoes Mulrooney has left, and while there are some outside options that make sense, all signs point to Lock Haven keeping the hiring in house and promoting a current member of the staff. Current offensive coordinator Joe Battaglia is the obvious replacement candidate, but there are numerous other names on the current staff that make sense as well.

The problem with losing a coach at this point in the recruiting cycle is that Lock Haven now has to re-pitch to every recruit that has already verbally committed, and they risk losing them if they can’t sell it well enough. The question becomes who did they commit to, Lock Haven? Or coach Mulrooney?

Current interim athletic director Albert Jones has an impossible task ahead of him, as he not only has to hire the right successor for the program, but also do it as fast as possible to attempt to save their recruiting class and keep the positive momentum rolling.

The coming weeks for Lock Haven football will be a critical turning point for the future of the program, will they fall back into the losing ways of old? Or can they steady the ship, and continue their upward rise to 2025 and beyond?"

Pretty much says it all.

The b!tch in our system is if you go outside you're probably looking at 6 weeks (following all the Union regulations).

You have to be a great salesman to get kids in to that program. Mulrooney certainly was.

[iupgroundhog]

Excerpt from The Express article from LH:

"Now, the attention turns to who will fill the shoes Mulrooney has left, and while there are some outside options that make sense, all signs point to Lock Haven keeping the hiring in house and promoting a current member of the staff. Current offensive coordinator Joe Battaglia is the obvious replacement candidate, but there are numerous other names on the current staff that make sense as well.

The problem with losing a coach at this point in the recruiting cycle is that Lock Haven now has to re-pitch to every recruit that has already verbally committed, and they risk losing them if they can’t sell it well enough. The question becomes who did they commit to, Lock Haven? Or coach Mulrooney?

Current interim athletic director Albert Jones has an impossible task ahead of him, as he not only has to hire the right successor for the program, but also do it as fast as possible to attempt to save their recruiting class and keep the positive momentum rolling.

The coming weeks for Lock Haven football will be a critical turning point for the future of the program, will they fall back into the losing ways of old? Or can they steady the ship, and continue their upward rise to 2025 and beyond?"

Pretty much says it all.