Shepherd Head Coach Ernie McCook

[Ramparsons]

If Shepherd beats Seton Hill this weekend to finish 7-4 after starting 0-4 and finish second in PSAC East, does McCook deserve to be Coach of the Year.

The Rams were limited already and then became a severe causality of the transfer portal. Winning out was quite an accomplishment!

The vote here is a resounding YES. Thoughts?

[Ram040506]

If Shepherd beats Seton Hill this weekend to finish 7-4 after starting 0-4 and finish second in PSAC East, does McCook deserve to be Coach of the Year.

The Rams were limited already and then became a severe causality of the transfer portal. Winning out was quite an accomplishment!

The vote here is a resounding YES. Thoughts?

It was a great rebound. They did blow a 14 pt lead in the 4th quarter to Slippery Rock that had they won they'd be squarely in the playoff mix. Went up 17-3 against Clarion as well only to get smoked from there on out the rest of the game. Everyone is getting hammered in the portal for the most part.

Coach Clements deserves it this year. Bullet on their back and they worked about the whole division minus Bloomsburg last week.

Now the award for PSAC East Offensive Player of the year... I think Jordan Barnett has a legitimate case on that. Leading the league in scoring, and 2nd overall in rushing yards. Averagin over 7 yds a carry too.

I think it will go to the victors at Kutztown and Novak (very much deserving) but Barnett has made a charge I think on that front.

[iupgroundhog]

I think it's unquestionably Clements. Undefeated and blew everybody out (except for Bloomsburg game). I would consider Shep's rebound as sort of a moral victory. The performance is a good thing, I guess. But you don't win awards for that.

[SRU 88]

Coach of the year is usually based on preseason expectations, did you meet them or exceed them. Clements is a lock in the East. The West is a different story, Boro technically was co-champs, far exceeding expectations and I think Clarion was picked last in preseason poll and they far exceeded that. IUP was picked second but did some first place votes, so Tort will get some votes but I do not think he wins it.

[Tdobson]

Question: I know that Bagent's brother started a game (or maybe more, I am not sure). How did he do or look?

Did he start the seven games that they won?

Just asking.

[IUPFan69]

Coach of the year is usually based on preseason expectations, did you meet them or exceed them. Clements is a lock in the East. The West is a different story, Boro technically was co-champs, far exceeding expectations and I think Clarion was picked last in preseason poll and they far exceeded that. IUP was picked second but did some first place votes, so Tort will get some votes but I do not think he wins it.

Dude, the Coach of the Year isn’t going to be won for a guy going 2-4 within conference play (Clarion). Boro has some nice wins (Cal U close, beat Slippery Rock’s ass), but they did get their ass beat by IUP and crossover Kutztown, and then a bad loss to Bloomsburg.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

He went 0-4 against good teams to start the year. Aside from ESU, the rest of the schedule was terrible.

It's an (extremely) hard sale to put him in from of the Kutztown HC (or, really, anywhere in the vicinity).

Good story and all but he beat up a lot of bad teams in the recovery. He wouldn't have my vote.

[IUPFan69]

If Shepherd beats Seton Hill this weekend to finish 7-4 after starting 0-4 and finish second in PSAC East, does McCook deserve to be Coach of the Year.

The Rams were limited already and then became a severe causality of the transfer portal. Winning out was quite an accomplishment!

The vote here is a resounding YES. Thoughts?

I don’t see that happening. Clements at Kutztown has taken care of business up to this point. They have dominated everyone other than Bloomsburg. One thing I will say is McCook better thank the football gods they’ve been on a winning streak, because his overall record took a massive shot with the cheating scandal from 2021-2023.

[EastStroud13]

With how much influence head coaches have on college programs, the COTY awards should almost always go to whichever team finishes first. The only exception should be if a team finished a close second or third, and was very obviously an overachievement compared to the resources being given to the program. Mulrooney the last couple years is a good example of a coach that did a good job, but the team simply wasn't good enough to earn the award. So, Clements should win the East award, and it should be unanimous.

West is down to Tort and Scott since their teams tied for first. IUP won the head-to-head and had a better overall season, but Boro is almost certainly working with fewer schollies, and Scott has the "coach in year 1" narrative on his side. Ultimately I think Tort wins it but it wouldn't surprise me if Scott does instead.

[Ram040506]

I don’t see that happening. Clements at Kutztown has taken care of business up to this point. They have dominated everyone other than Bloomsburg. One thing I will say is McCook better thank the football gods they’ve been on a winning streak, because his overall record took a massive shot with the cheating scandal from 2021-2023.

Honest question... do you think everyone down in Shepherdstown is treating or remembering those seasons now as 0-11 disasters? They actually are just no contest games now, but the W/L box scores are still listed on the site. He doesn't need to thank the football gods, lets not be that dramatic. He's still as entrenched in that football position as anyone else is in theirs in this league.

[IUPFan69]

Honest question... do you think everyone down in Shepherdstown is treating or remembering those seasons now as 0-11 disasters? They actually are just no contest games now, but the W/L box scores are still listed on the site. He doesn't need to thank the football gods, let’s not be that dramatic. He's still as entrenched in that football position as anyone else is in theirs in this league.

Really don’t care how Shepherd fans are “treating or remembering those seasons.” Shepherd’s program is on a massive decline. Honest question: do you guys have one good win this year? McCook knew what was going on and did not stop it. I would not want the guy leading the program I am a fan of who is untrustworthy and not a good person to run the football program that represents the university. And yes, he does, because his overall record had a ton of “W’s” taken off it. Disgraceful what Shepherds athletic department did over those years.

[CUlater]

Dude, the Coach of the Year isn’t going to be won for a guy going 2-4 within conference play (Clarion). Boro has some nice wins (Cal U close, beat Slippery Rock’s ass), but they did get their ass beat by IUP and crossover Kutztown, and then a bad loss to Bloomsburg.

so who would it be then and why dude?