FB: Middle Atlantic Conference

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D3viewer

Wilkes (D-III – PA): Hobart (D-III – NY) offensive coordinator Jon Drach has accepted the head coaching job at Wilkes. Drach spent the past 11-seasons at Hobart, including the past four seasons as offensive coordinator.

tweisman5

Quote from: D3viewer on February 02, 2018, 06:13:21 PM
Wilkes (D-III – PA): Hobart (D-III – NY) offensive coordinator Jon Drach has accepted the head coaching job at Wilkes. Drach spent the past 11-seasons at Hobart, including the past four seasons as offensive coordinator.

Sounds like a good hire for Wilkes. I don't really know much about him, but looks like he runs an efficient offense with good QB development. My assumption is he will bring NY recruiting ties to the Wilkes program. Hopefully this improves Wilkes' program and make them more competitive in the MAC! As a Stevenson alum, I always favor playing in a stronger more competitive conference throughout.
Go Mustangs!

Bartman

Drach is a well disciplined coach with a great offensive mind, Wilkes got a hungry ,competitive new coach........I think Wilkes will be happy with the decision, but give him some runway to set the program up
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ITH radio

The prior HC got 4 yrs (went 7-33). Hoping Jon has much better success. Don't know if its a lack or talent or what, but last season's 0-10 record shows there's a ways to go to get things turned around.
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ITH radio

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G-manWU

Quote from: ITH radio on February 05, 2018, 03:23:22 PM
The prior HC got 4 yrs (went 7-33). Hoping Jon has much better success. Don't know if its a lack or talent or what, but last season's 0-10 record shows there's a ways to go to get things turned around.

Hi folks, great to see some discussion on Wilkes football!

As a proud Wilkes alum who worked for the program during some great seasons, the 2017 season was painful to watch. There were some general trends- the Colonels tended to play well on their opening drives- but the overall picture was one of non-competitiveness.

Late in the season, many football alumni began to voice concerns about the direction of program to the Wilkes administration, both via direct contact and on social media. I was pleased that the university administration reached out to former players to inform them on the search process, and to take any feedback they had on improving the program. If that level of engagement continues it will be a big plus, as several former players made a grassroots effort to bolster alumni engagement with the program, culminating in the renovation and expansion of the locker room facility in 2013.

I only met Coach Brown in passing, but he always seemed like a great person who got top-notch reviews from people I knew that worked with him. I can't offer any insights on why the program did not prosper during his tenure, but I'm sure he will find a good fit for his next stop, and will continue to do good work in coaching.

From what I have read about Coach Drach, he seems like an exciting choice to be the next head coach. Hopefully he'll follow the lead of another former Hobart coach, Izzi Metz, who has the Colonels men's hoops program playing their best basketball in many seasons. He's coming into a university that has continued to prosper since my days as a student, both in terms of academics, and the growth and development of the campus, especially on downtown Wilkes-Barre. It's a great place to study, live, work, and recruit to, and I hope he can make the most of it.


jmcozenlaw

Quote from: G-manWU on February 07, 2018, 11:01:50 PM
Quote from: ITH radio on February 05, 2018, 03:23:22 PM
The prior HC got 4 yrs (went 7-33). Hoping Jon has much better success. Don't know if its a lack or talent or what, but last season's 0-10 record shows there's a ways to go to get things turned around.

Hi folks, great to see some discussion on Wilkes football!

As a proud Wilkes alum who worked for the program during some great seasons, the 2017 season was painful to watch. There were some general trends- the Colonels tended to play well on their opening drives- but the overall picture was one of non-competitiveness.

Late in the season, many football alumni began to voice concerns about the direction of program to the Wilkes administration, both via direct contact and on social media. I was pleased that the university administration reached out to former players to inform them on the search process, and to take any feedback they had on improving the program. If that level of engagement continues it will be a big plus, as several former players made a grassroots effort to bolster alumni engagement with the program, culminating in the renovation and expansion of the locker room facility in 2013.

I only met Coach Brown in passing, but he always seemed like a great person who got top-notch reviews from people I knew that worked with him. I can't offer any insights on why the program did not prosper during his tenure, but I'm sure he will find a good fit for his next stop, and will continue to do good work in coaching.

From what I have read about Coach Drach, he seems like an exciting choice to be the next head coach. Hopefully he'll follow the lead of another former Hobart coach, Izzi Metz, who has the Colonels men's hoops program playing their best basketball in many seasons. He's coming into a university that has continued to prosper since my days as a student, both in terms of academics, and the growth and development of the campus, especially on downtown Wilkes-Barre. It's a great place to study, live, work, and recruit to, and I hope he can make the most of it.

G-Man - I love the Northeast PA area and spent many years traveling to and from in another lifetime. As other small-to-midsized cities have done, and others are attempting to do, I hope that Wilkes Barre (and Scranton for that matter) are successful with major revitalization efforts downtown and in the surrounding areas as the cost of living index is cheap and it is a great, affordable place to raise a family. Of the kids I've known (who moved away after graduation) and the kids at Wilkes, King's and Misericordia now, based on their major, starting career choice and geographical preferences, most leave NEPA after graduation. Some head for the big cities (NYC, Philly, D.C.) and some for the warmer weather. I did some consulting work with the Chamber years ago and I actually did the feasibility study for building what is now known as the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. I worked with a guy in the chamber named Steve Barrouk (sp), who I'm guessing is retired by now but you might know the name if you've been around a while. His son played hoops, if I remember correctly, at King's. During the process, we used to have spaghetti dinners once/twice a week at a state rep's house (Kevin Blaum), who's name you might also recognize. We'd go up to Clarks Summit for some REAL Italian food.....................with some REAL Italian "goodfellas" huddled in the back, with the bodyguards facing away from the table and on the front door. I could write a book!!

G-manWU

Quote from: jmcozenlaw on February 09, 2018, 07:23:35 PM
Quote from: G-manWU on February 07, 2018, 11:01:50 PM
Quote from: ITH radio on February 05, 2018, 03:23:22 PM
The prior HC got 4 yrs (went 7-33). Hoping Jon has much better success. Don't know if its a lack or talent or what, but last season's 0-10 record shows there's a ways to go to get things turned around.

Hi folks, great to see some discussion on Wilkes football!

As a proud Wilkes alum who worked for the program during some great seasons, the 2017 season was painful to watch. There were some general trends- the Colonels tended to play well on their opening drives- but the overall picture was one of non-competitiveness.

Late in the season, many football alumni began to voice concerns about the direction of program to the Wilkes administration, both via direct contact and on social media. I was pleased that the university administration reached out to former players to inform them on the search process, and to take any feedback they had on improving the program. If that level of engagement continues it will be a big plus, as several former players made a grassroots effort to bolster alumni engagement with the program, culminating in the renovation and expansion of the locker room facility in 2013.

I only met Coach Brown in passing, but he always seemed like a great person who got top-notch reviews from people I knew that worked with him. I can't offer any insights on why the program did not prosper during his tenure, but I'm sure he will find a good fit for his next stop, and will continue to do good work in coaching.

From what I have read about Coach Drach, he seems like an exciting choice to be the next head coach. Hopefully he'll follow the lead of another former Hobart coach, Izzi Metz, who has the Colonels men's hoops program playing their best basketball in many seasons. He's coming into a university that has continued to prosper since my days as a student, both in terms of academics, and the growth and development of the campus, especially on downtown Wilkes-Barre. It's a great place to study, live, work, and recruit to, and I hope he can make the most of it.

G-Man - I love the Northeast PA area and spent many years traveling to and from in another lifetime. As other small-to-midsized cities have done, and others are attempting to do, I hope that Wilkes Barre (and Scranton for that matter) are successful with major revitalization efforts downtown and in the surrounding areas as the cost of living index is cheap and it is a great, affordable place to raise a family. Of the kids I've known (who moved away after graduation) and the kids at Wilkes, King's and Misericordia now, based on their major, starting career choice and geographical preferences, most leave NEPA after graduation. Some head for the big cities (NYC, Philly, D.C.) and some for the warmer weather. I did some consulting work with the Chamber years ago and I actually did the feasibility study for building what is now known as the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. I worked with a guy in the chamber named Steve Barrouk (sp), who I'm guessing is retired by now but you might know the name if you've been around a while. His son played hoops, if I remember correctly, at King's. During the process, we used to have spaghetti dinners once/twice a week at a state rep's house (Kevin Blaum), who's name you might also recognize. We'd go up to Clarks Summit for some REAL Italian food.....................with some REAL Italian "goodfellas" huddled in the back, with the bodyguards facing away from the table and on the front door. I could write a book!!

Lots of good stuff there jmcozen! Glad to hear you have been a part of some great work to revitalize NEPA over the years.

The arena project was completed in my middle school years, and has been a great asset for the community ever since. It's a fantastic plus having an AHL program in our region; I've been attending W-B/S Penguins games on a frequent basis this season. I volunteered on gameday for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers Af2 team from 2005-2009, and had both of my college graduations (Wilkes for my undergrad, and Marywood a few years later for my MA) at the arena. Lots of good memories in that building and hopefully more to come.

On that note, I must take my hat off to both Wilkes and King's in Wilkes-Barre (and both the University of Scranton and Lackawanna College in downtown Scranton) for being part of a great urban revitalization. When I arrived at Wilkes as a freshman in 2004, the downtown was pretty shabby, to be kind. But both schools have done great work to put people and activity onto Main Street and the surrounding areas. The joint bookstore (as well as the downtown movie theater) opened at the start of my junior year, and was a great catalyst to spur development downtown. When I worked at The Times Leader in 2010 and 2011, the downtown was much improved and has gotten better since.

When it comes to young people leaving the area, I like to note that I've seen some good successes in my career (I'll be 32 next month) with friends and colleagues catching on with some of the technology-driven firms: TMG Health, Net Driven, PepperJam, to name a few. What would be great is if we could lock down about a half-dozen more firms like that, plus a few more high-skilled manufacturers. It's a tough topic to solve in one swoop, but I'll do my bit to keep trying!

G-manWU

Quote from: jmcozenlaw on January 07, 2018, 07:33:09 PM
Quote from: Pat Coleman on January 03, 2018, 06:10:02 PM
Dropping this story into a few spots where perhaps Keystone might eventually find conference affiliation:
http://www.d3football.com/notables/2018/01/keystone-adds-football-brings-total-to-252

I am not going to mention the name of the poster, who on several different occasions, has posted about a few PA schools adding football over the next 3-5 years (he is an astute poster though........and might even know a bit more, but can not post at this time as his sources would read it.........and cut him off :) )

Having nothing to do with potential DeSales/Arcadia/Messiah decisions over the next 12-18 months, I could potentially see the following:

MAC EAST:
DelVal, FDU, King's, Wilkes, Misericordia, Keystone

MAC WEST:
Lycoming, LebVal, Albright, Alvernia, Widener, Stevenson

- 5 games within MAC division
- 2 rotating MAC crossover games
- 2 out-of-conference games
- Championship game between top teams in each division / crossover games between the other five teams within each division (without playing an opponent a second time)

I so wish that I could tell you all what I've been told on the hush hush. Believe me when I tell you that there is more to come..................and the conference shuffle might also rear it's ugly head before any of this plays out!

Sorry for the late reply here! Good news to see Keystone adding football. The school has developed nicely over the years; my dad is an alum from the Keystone Junior College days, and I covered many events on campus circa 2008-2010 when working for a local newspaper. It's a beautiful campus located in the hometown of Christy Mathewson. Would be a great fit for the MAC from what I can see...

With that in mind, regarding future conference alignments, I remember my head spinning back in 2005 when I learned that Moravian, Juniata, and Susquehanna were leaving the MAC! Seeing changes in other Division III conferences since then, and I've learned to expect the unexpected. Who knows what shape the schedules will take in 2020, or 2025, and so on. I can imagine there is plenty of scuttlebutt out there, so stay tuned everyone.

G-manWU


tweisman5

Congratulations to Coach Johnson for earning his first head coaching job at William Paterson! He has done a remarkable job for our team at Stevenson since he arrived. The impact on-and-off the field he had will be forever lasting! He established a strong foundation within our program that I'm hopeful to see continue!

Link to story: http://www.d3football.com/notables/2018/03/johnson-takes-william-paterson-job
Go Mustangs!

bman

Quote from: jmcozenlaw on January 12, 2018, 11:03:27 AM
Quote from: @d3jason on January 10, 2018, 10:57:53 AM
Quote from: jmcozenlaw on January 07, 2018, 07:33:09 PM
Quote from: Pat Coleman on January 03, 2018, 06:10:02 PM
Dropping this story into a few spots where perhaps Keystone might eventually find conference affiliation:
http://www.d3football.com/notables/2018/01/keystone-adds-football-brings-total-to-252

Alvernia should, in theory, hurt Albright some over time. Lyco and LebVal have been blech for a while. Widener turned it around this year. So you're really talking about Stevenson and Albright vs. DelVal? I'm not sure that you blow it up over that, especially since nobody has a clue about the future (school vs. school financial aid packages........nobody currently sniffs what Albright & Lycoming give, facilties, etc.)

I can definitively tell you what packages Albright is offering, as well as WU, and Lyco, but will not post them here (nor anywhere), but JM, PM me and I will mention why)...

tweisman5

2018 MAC OOC Games

Week 1:
Alvernia vs. Gallaudet
Del Val @ Wesley
King's @ Moravian
Lycoming vs. Susquehana
Misericordia vs. Merchant Marine
Stevenson vs. Frostburg State
Widener vs. Rowan
Wilkes vs. Hartwick
FDU vs. TCNJ
Leb Val @ Franklin & Marshall
Albright @ Salisbury

Week 2:
Albright vs. UMHB
Del Val @ Mass-Dartmouth
Leb Val vs. Wilkes
Lycoming @ Widener
Stevenson @ Bridgewater
FDU @ William Paterson

Week 3:
King's vs. Hartwick

Week 11:
Alvernia @ University of New England

Missing:
Misericordia-Week 2

My Take:
The MAC has several quality matchups. The most enticing OOC schedule is Albright. When you evaluate their first three weeks it will be very telling what Albright team we'll see this season. Del Val's matchup against Wesley has always been intriguing; however, this matchup is more compelling for unfortunate reasons as Wesley's HC passed away. That game will be filled with heavy hearts for everyone playing and watching, but the talent on the field will be eventful as well. Stevenson's game against Frostburg will be intriguing to follow as last year's final score wasn't as straightforward as one would be lead to believe. I expect my Mustang to show up much better this time! Finally, the impact of the conference scaling back to eight conference games is already producing interesting schedules as the Lycoming @ Widener matchup won't be marked as an official conference game. These games are some of the highlights I pulled from the composite OOC schedule.
Go Mustangs!

bman

" Lycoming @ Widener matchup won't be marked as an official conference game."

That's pretty insane...

gordonmann

I'm glad they are still going to play each other. My understanding is that was left up to the individual schools who aren't scheduled to play each other in conference this year.