Hilbert College (NY) to add football, women's ice hockey, M/W T&F

Started by Ron Boerger, November 04, 2021, 08:54:20 AM

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Ron Boerger

They're members of the AMCC in other sports (except NEAC for lacrosse) but say they are seeking other affiliations for football and women's ice hockey.  All new sports will begin next year at off-campus facilities; a fundraiser is underway for a new T&F/football facility.  The new head coach of the football program will be announced next Tuesday.

With enrollment that has declined over the years to "Approx 800 students" and a tiny endowment ($7m according to this link; not in NACUBO reports) this is likely an attempt to shore up those numbers. 

https://hilberthawks.com/news/2021/11/4/general-hilbert-to-add-three-athletic-programs.aspx


Pat Coleman

Football in fall 2022 is an aggressive timeline, even though they say they have a coach to announce on Nov. 9.

Under 700 full-time undergrads as of last filing.
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Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

Ron Boerger

Yeah, I think the whole thing is kind of crazy with the school hemorrhaging cash and enrollment the way it is.  "Hey, come play football at a school with zero track record (and no track to boot) that will play at some high school field for the duration of your time here, unless the school folds while you're here."  Plus they have to try and get games scheduled which as we all know is difficult when you do it years in advance. 

Gray Fox

 "Providing our students with these additional opportunities for growth in both mind and body aligns well with teh College's strategic plan and mission and will increase access to a Franciscan education for deserving students in our region who are interested in these sports."

Only one misspelled word.
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Pat Coleman

Yes. Generally bad form to misspell a word in a quote attributed to the chair of a board of trustees.
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Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

Ron Boerger

Forgot to check back up on this:  Hilbert announced that Jim Kubiak will be their first head coach.  He is the all-time passing leader at the Naval Academy, played a couple season in NFL Europe and later in the Arena Football League.  His coaching experience consists of a number of one year stops at a community college, in the AFL, at Mansfield University, and five years with the AFL Georgia Force - all as either QB coach or offensive coordinator.  He's been out of coaching since 2017 and is director of the WNY Quarterback Academy.  This will be his first head coaching gig. 

Gregory Sager

No head-coaching experience, but a pretty long and varied c.v. in his coaching background. Plus, he's a native Buffalonian who still lives in WNY, which gives him a huge head start on establishing a recruiting presence; he has WNY media visibility as a Bills feature writer for the Buffalo News; and his background as a Naval Academy QB and graduate and as a former naval officer is the kind of thing that appeals to parents in terms of the whole looking-for-a-role-model-for-my-son thing.

First head-coaching gig or not, it looks like a home run for a school that, given its situation and the rushed timetable of its football program's inception, was probably expecting potluck in terms of applicants for the job.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

Ralph Turner

Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 19, 2021, 11:12:17 AM
No head-coaching experience, but a pretty long and varied c.v. in his coaching background. Plus, he's a native Buffalonian who still lives in WNY, which gives him a huge head start on establishing a recruiting presence; he has WNY media visibility as a Bills feature writer for the Buffalo News; and his background as a Naval Academy QB and graduate and as a former naval officer is the kind of thing that appeals to parents in terms of the whole looking-for-a-role-model-for-my-son thing.

First head-coaching gig or not, it looks like a home run for a school that, given its situation and the rushed timetable of its football program's inception, was probably expecting potluck in terms of applicants for the job.

Agree. Even Nick Saban had a first head coaching job, University of Toledo.

Gregory Sager

Funny you should mention Nick Saban in the context of a Buffalo-based football hire, Ralph, since my first memories of football as a little boy in the Buffalo suburbs were of watching the Bills play under head coach Lou Saban, Nick's father.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)

Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 20, 2021, 10:20:56 PM
Funny you should mention Nick Saban in the context of a Buffalo-based football hire, Ralph, since my first memories of football as a little boy in the Buffalo suburbs were of watching the Bills play under head coach Lou Saban, Nick's father.

Lou and Nick are distant relatives, at best.  Definitely not father and son.
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Gregory Sager

Hmm, you're right, they're second cousins. I always thought that they were father and son.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

Ron Boerger

I thought I'd check in to see how Hilbert is doing with their program.  According to this article they had over 60 players "commit" as of May.  They have put together a first-year schedule that opens with home games against Denison and Willamette (yes, Willamette is coming cross-country to play them) before their first road tilt at Curry.  Their only other home game is the next week against non-D3 Lincoln (CA) before closing out their season at Wooster, Hiram, and Wittenberg.  They're going to get a pretty good idea what D3 football is all about with that schedule.