Shepherd Head Coach Ernie McCook

[Bart]

The cemetery is filled with irreplaceable dead people.

These guys all seem like big losses right up until they get replaced by equal or better guys.

The show goes on.

But sometimes what was a winning team becomes a losing team next year. It's not easy to get it back once it is gone.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I don't blame the coaches at all for this. It's the culture of our country now, as dramatic as that may sound. Most of the kids are delusional to start with and think they are the diamond in the rough, and their support system does nothing but pump these kids up and make them further believe it.

Shepherd had a LB that just finished up at Hampton, had a great year, and declared for the draft via Twitter. Shepherd also in the last 2 or 3 years has had a couple guys forgo their eligibility still left and declare for the draft via social media. If you call them out on it, your a hater (even though, it's idiotic decisions). It's hilarious to even post about the NFL draft when you were barely an honorable mention all conference D2 player, there is zero self awareness lol!

I'm baffled by it all, but have come to expect any player that has eligibility left and had a decent year, I'd expect them in the portal come season's end.

The cemetery is filled with irreplaceable dead people.

These guys all seem like big losses right up until they get replaced by equal or better guys.

The show goes on.

[Ram040506]

You’re absolutely right. What Ernie McCook and the entire Shepherd athletic department did was completely wrong, and it’s disappointing that so many Shepherd fans still refuse to own up to it. At the end of the day, that victory doesn’t count; you didn’t truly win anything.

Doesn’t count sure. But it definitely happened lol!

https://shepherdrams.com/news/2022/1...ss-record.aspx

https://shepherdrams.com/news/2021/9...downs-iup.aspx

[IUPFan69]

I find it shocking that you guys try to minimize the issues and sweep it under the rug. No big deal, you say. Wrong! What happened down there is a very big deal. You guys have to own it. I hope the entire Shepherd following doesn't take the same attitude.

You’re absolutely right. What Ernie McCook and the entire Shepherd athletic department did was completely wrong, and it’s disappointing that so many Shepherd fans still refuse to own up to it. At the end of the day, that victory doesn’t count; you didn’t truly win anything.

[iupgroundhog]

So players who were ineligible for grades and/or not enough credits to play.. I get it, administrative failure for players already on team..so whatever administrative penalty is appropriate, I’m fine with..
good thing is it will never diminish Shepherd football past or present ..

I find it shocking that you guys try to minimize the issues and sweep it under the rug. No big deal, you say. Wrong! What happened down there is a very big deal. You guys have to own it. I hope the entire Shepherd following doesn't take the same attitude.

[Ram040506]

I really don't know what is able to be blamed on the coaches anymore like it used to be. Anyone with some stats and accolades to sell are out there trying to flip up to D1. Maybe there are a few who want to go somewhere different for school or personal reasons like being closer to home, but its mostly kids who were a star in Guyandotte County believing they're the next Randy Moss and they've got that underrated/overlooked chip on their shoulder to prove to the world.

I don't blame the coaches at all for this. It's the culture of our country now, as dramatic as that may sound. Most of the kids are delusional to start with and think they are the diamond in the rough, and their support system does nothing but pump these kids up and make them further believe it.

Shepherd had a LB that just finished up at Hampton, had a great year, and declared for the draft via Twitter. Shepherd also in the last 2 or 3 years has had a couple guys forgo their eligibility still left and declare for the draft via social media. If you call them out on it, your a hater (even though, it's idiotic decisions). It's hilarious to even post about the NFL draft when you were barely an honorable mention all conference D2 player, there is zero self awareness lol!

I'm baffled by it all, but have come to expect any player that has eligibility left and had a decent year, I'd expect them in the portal come season's end.

[Fightingscot82]

Here I was thinking it hasn't been nearly as bad as last year for the portal thus far. Looks like its trending similarly now. Here is who I've seen via twitter:

Jordan Barnett RB
Kordell Batton WR
Will Ennis DB
Damier Minkah DB
Caysen Lanza TE
Keith Baker K
Yannick Siewe WR
Devin Harper LB

The 2 DB's are big losses. Losing Batton is a huge bummer as well, he was probably our best WR this year and a team leader.

Barnett is a great player, but I really like the RB room as a young group they have coming up. I don't think it's a big a loss as it seems on paper. The last 3 guys on the list Baker was a back up Kicker, Yannick didn't play at WR, and Harper was a back up LB.

Hopefully, they can hang onto the returning OL guys and the DL as well. Those guys are much bigger deals then the skill players.

I really don't know what is able to be blamed on the coaches anymore like it used to be. Anyone with some stats and accolades to sell are out there trying to flip up to D1. Maybe there are a few who want to go somewhere different for school or personal reasons like being closer to home, but its mostly kids who were a star in Guyandotte County believing they're the next Randy Moss and they've got that underrated/overlooked chip on their shoulder to prove to the world.

[Ram040506]

Here I was thinking it hasn't been nearly as bad as last year for the portal thus far. Looks like its trending similarly now. Here is who I've seen via twitter:

Jordan Barnett RB
Kordell Batton WR
Will Ennis DB
Damier Minkah DB
Caysen Lanza TE
Keith Baker K
Yannick Siewe WR
Devin Harper LB

The 2 DB's are big losses. Losing Batton is a huge bummer as well, he was probably our best WR this year and a team leader.

Barnett is a great player, but I really like the RB room as a young group they have coming up. I don't think it's a big a loss as it seems on paper. The last 3 guys on the list Baker was a back up Kicker, Yannick didn't play at WR, and Harper was a back up LB.

Hopefully, they can hang onto the returning OL guys and the DL as well. Those guys are much bigger deals then the skill players.

[RamPride]

saw on the news that the issue wasn’t just grades it was also a lack of earned credits. Shepherd is currently on a two-year NCAA probation.

Also, I’m not sure where you’re getting the idea that vacating wins “won’t diminish the past.” When the NCAA strips those seasons, your official record books come out showing zero wins and zero championships from those years. That absolutely affects how the past is recorded and remembered.

And in the present, being on a two-year NCAA probation isn’t exactly a good look either.

We know what vacating means, Shepherd won’t forget the on field results when it comes to staff , fans and recruits..let’s go to the video tape..

[IUPFan69]

So players who were ineligible for grades and/or not enough credits to play.. I get it, administrative failure for players already on team..so whatever administrative penalty is appropriate, I’m fine with..
good thing is it will never diminish Shepherd football past or present ..

saw on the news that the issue wasn’t just grades it was also a lack of earned credits. Shepherd is currently on a two-year NCAA probation.

Also, I’m not sure where you’re getting the idea that vacating wins “won’t diminish the past.” When the NCAA strips those seasons, your official record books come out showing zero wins and zero championships from those years. That absolutely affects how the past is recorded and remembered.

And in the present, being on a two-year NCAA probation isn’t exactly a good look either.

[RamPride]

Dude, have you been living under a rock? This is literally all over the news, social media, everywhere.

Shepherd was running ineligible players the entire Tyson Bagent era—multiple guys, multiple years. The NCAA vacated all of the wins and even stripped championships. Go look on the university’s own damn website; it’s posted right there in black and white. On top of that, the program is on two years’ probation.

All of this went down on Ernie McCook’s watch.

This isn’t just embarrassing it’s going to cripple recruiting and set the program back a decade. Well it already has just look at the past 2 seasons.

The university and the football program should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.

So players who were ineligible for grades and/or not enough credits to play.. I get it, administrative failure for players already on team..so whatever administrative penalty is appropriate, I’m fine with..
good thing is it will never diminish Shepherd football past or present ..

[EastStroud13]

If we're talking about coach of the year, I'd go with the rookie head coach that led his team to its first winning season in 44 years.

He had a nice season, but 11-0 with a win in the State Game deserves it every time.

[Ram040506]

I’m not the one who needs to dig anything up. What I’ve never seen is a single Shepherd fan step up and admit how wrong it was for your program to cheat during that era. Not one. That silence speaks louder than any stat sheet ever could. End of discussion.

You can't read then.

[Chuck Bitner]

If we're talking about coach of the year, I'd go with the rookie head coach that led his team to its first winning season in 44 years.

[IUPFan69]

Well then enlighten us as to the details of how they cheated please..

Dude, have you been living under a rock? This is literally all over the news, social media, everywhere.

Shepherd was running ineligible players the entire Tyson Bagent era—multiple guys, multiple years. The NCAA vacated all of the wins and even stripped championships. Go look on the university’s own damn website; it’s posted right there in black and white. On top of that, the program is on two years’ probation.

All of this went down on Ernie McCook’s watch.

This isn’t just embarrassing it’s going to cripple recruiting and set the program back a decade. Well it already has just look at the past 2 seasons.

The university and the football program should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.