Li'l Giant - great post!

# Coaching Matters!

How many teams have we seen in college football get the best recruits and then they don't win as exoected..  (Many examples of this in D1 over the years).

Good Coaching inspires their players to play at or above their potential as a team.   Bad or mediocre coaching can dilute, not motovate and create a culture of "going through the motions" as individuals.

I too believe the Wabash teams of the past two years have not lacked in talent..experience maybe but not talent.   I have followed the recruiting classes pretty close... and believe we are still getting a high quality of recruit.

What he said.....

Wabash's D did indeed play an inspired and gritty game.   They should all be very proud of how they played and kept us in the game. 

Quote from: wally_wabash on October 21, 2017, 02:12:01 PM
The punt return thing is incredible.  It really is. Wabash has forfeited at least 60 yards of field position today because they don't catch punts.

It's so consistent, it must totally be what the coaches are directing them to do..   Punters can't wait to play us..  good for their average.

Quote from: ExTartanPlayer on October 18, 2017, 10:26:52 AM

I don't have time to reply in detail, but I do want to note that concerns are about "structural" things like the quality of game management and schemes, and I applaud that.  It shows at least some level of critical thinking, not just looking at W's and L's.  I'm not at the (Wabash) games; you guys are; which means you're seeing stuff that I have no perspective on.  I merely wanted to provide at least one dissenting "is the sky really falling?" viewpoint, especially given that just last week was Wabash's best performance of the season against a preseason darling, and this week we're back to "time to clean house before things really fall apart!"

I understand that last year's 8-2 fell a little short of expectations given what the team had returning, but (again, as an outsider) it sounds like there's a lot more to worry about this year than last.

First of all,   always respect your posts ETP.      As you know,  many Wabash posters/fans,  are ex-players such as yourself,  or have been directly involved with the program in the past or are Super Fans that understand the game very well.   Many, have also been watching everything very closely for a long time.    I think Little Giant summed it up very well, at least for me,  a few weeks ago in his post:

Quote from: Li'l Giant on September 24, 2017, 06:24:25 PM

Sticking with my theme: Why do we need to wait until the truck is upside down and on fire in a bar ditch? We see where the truck is headed.

Do we want to be like Allegheny? Do we need an to go 2-38 like they did? Why wait until then to do something that we can see needs to be done?

Wabash fans have gotten used to winning,  even dominating most of our competition for awhile now.....   Speaking for myself,  did I ever think we could ever field a team that would be good enough to win a National Championship.   Maybe, but probably not, it is very hard.    Did I ever think that we could work ourselves into the upper crust, with a special class of players, and make it deeper then the Quarters or Semi's,  one year or two.    Yes.     That is what true fans do,   they hope for the best and want the best.  Right?

Quote from: wally_wabash on October 17, 2017, 01:24:16 PM

Ike James is the best player on the field 100% of the time.

AGREE..... And he doesn't start the game on the field.    #CoachingGenius -   James is Morel's secret weapon every game... like no one knows he will be coming in.    Avant and the other backs are quality and offer a different look,   but they are not Ike James.   

Having Played and Coached Pee-Wee League Football,   where you have one really good player on offense and they get the ball every snap...  in a nut-shell,   that is the Wabash offense.   Sure they may pass a few times or run the fearsome JET SWEEP..  (err.. fumble)  But when they begin to struggle,   they immediately close up and   run delay right....  delay left.   That is what we have ladies and gentlemen.   

Anyone that:   1. knows football   2. Actually has been watching the Wabash games this season can see it.  I mean really watching it  (following Live stats is not watching)
   

Congrats to the Bishops..  they played very hard and earned a huge win for their program.
It was easy to see they wanted that game more.

Now to the uninspired, outplayed and certainly out coached, Little Giants.

It is a little shocking where this proud Wabash program has gone in such a short period of time..
Upon ER's late exit from the program it seems the administration rushed to hire Morel.  Not place an interim label on him.. which they certainly could have.  At first, I believed this was just a panic move, but I now believe that it was exactly what their plan was.  Hire a coach that will not in anyway go against the grain of their ultimate direction..  CC and ER, with supportive administration, pushed the program to a very high level,  they successfully balanced winning on the field and in the classroom.  But I believe toward the end of ER's time,  there was increased friction with the administration.   In Morel,  the administration got there guy.  We are now seeing that translate on the field.  I had thought that the existing talent left on the team would be able to fight through possible coaching issues, at least for a little while.   I certainly underestimated the importance of coaching.  None of this is criticism of any of the players..  they are not at fault here in anyway.  If anything I feel sorry for them, especially the seniors.

My fear is nothing will change.  Why would it?  When the program has its first losing season in 2019, we will see what happens.

That video,  like many I have seen over the years from Depauw,  is at best high school level,  or at most,  high school graduate school,  if there was such a thing..  it gives D3 a bad look..  D3 is a division full of amazing hard hitting football.. and that is what they seriously want to project to recruits?

We need the Bell Back..  Now..  like before the Bell Game

Quote from: HCAlum86 on September 25, 2017, 10:39:37 AM
Having said that, I do believe Hiram ACTUALLY played very well - save some unwarranted penalties that I am more than embarrassed by. It might not hurt to give the Terriers some credit here...

Yes,  they did play very well.    The toughness that your team is showing is what stands out to me.    Now,  sometimes a side effect to playing with more toughness is drawing bad penalties at times,   but for a program that has been pushed around for so so long, it is finally hitting back and is competitive....  and this is great!       

I really think Hiram has created great momentum in the program.... I look forward to seeing this continue. 

No disrespect intended.

Again,  Hiram played very tough.   Their talent is getting there.

Feel bad for the Wabash seniors that have gotten to see the train wreck.

Seriously not trying to take anything from a Hiram team that played very hard today...  but What has happened to a proud Wabash Football Program?

In the Last 10 meetings between Wabash and Hiram..  Bash outscored Hiram...   534 to 64

Hiram's program is certainly on the rise.. which is great to see...  but Wabash seems to be falling quite fast.

No offensive plan..  no direction..  obviously not ready to play football  today.

Don't know what the reasons/answers are.. but Denison,  Witt and Depauw will beat us,  maybe handily,  if we don't get it figured out.  Heck, after today, I am concerned about all of the remaining games.

Thoughts are with Oliver Page and his family after his injury today.

Quote from: SaintsFAN on November 02, 2016, 08:47:50 PM

Quote from: 1837Tigers on November 01, 2016, 03:55:15 PM
11 days away from #123 and this just in from our partners at AXS TV - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw7D5IpZFjI

Thanks.  I just set the recording; best alternative to being there.  Any lists for watch parties?  I'd like to experience some of the atmosphere.

Here you go - 

http://www.wabash.edu/alumni/mononbell/

 

Ok..  then take Jim Harbaugh..as an example. Sure he brought in some significant talent early,  but I believe the culture he brought to Michigan was the most important thing in turning that program around in short order.

Or CC at Eastern Michigan... 

Culture matters. 

I believe that one of the largest responsibilities,  of a football coaching staff is to create a culture of toughness, discipline, respect and a winning attitude...  It's the biggest unknown of any coaching change.. what will their culture be? or more importantly,  how much will the culture change from what the returning players are used to?

Lastly,  if players don't have all of the above instilled in them or they lose respect, in any way, for the new coaching staff,  their overall talent can become secondary.. and a situation can develop where players begin to "go through the motions"

Sure,  injuries to key individuals matter,  but much of winning in the trenches comes down to toughness, discipline and execution.

In week 3, after losing their first two games, Washington State Coach went public and called his football team weak and as tough as a girls volleyball team.., like Coach Leach or not.. it worked and WSU has won 5 straight (4 PAC 12) contests and is now considered to have one of the top o-lines in the Country.  It is the same starting 5 that lost their initial 2 games.. (to lower rated opponents)  Same talent/different mindset.

Food for thought.

WAF!

Cool NCAC stat from today....

Hiram's 38 point margin of victory against Kenyon was their largest going back a long ways....    looking back to 1999 on this site I didn't find any wins this large.   Maybe a Hiram fan can look back farther and let us know.    Only one game I know... but still significant.   

Nice Job Terriers!