FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[The Mole]

November 2002, my college roommate (whose dad was my head coach at Fordham)and I watched Fordham play at Northeastern for I-AA playoff game. We walked to the top of the FU bleachers and there is The Legend in a purple jacket at the very top. "That's Coach Farley from Williams!" my roommate excitedly tells me. His dad had coached at Harvard, knew Coach Farley. We spent the entire game watching with Coach Farley, who was there to see his former player, Dave Clawson, take FU to their first ever I-AA playoff game. Could not have been anymore gracious, kind and down to earth. And of course, absolutely hilarious with his one-liner barbs during the game. RIP, Coach. Thanks for spending time with two nobodies at a game you drove a few hours to in order to support one of your guys. Kind of person you were, you cast a long shadow.

[Trin9-0]

In 2003 we were hosting Williams and trying to snap the longest Trinity losing streak against the Ephs in school history (six years). We were up late and Williams called a timeout. I was playing cornerback and happened to be on the Williams sideline right next to where Farley had gathered his offense; so I casually walked over and joined the huddle. When Farley finally noticed me he stopped, looked me dead in the eye and let loose a string of expletives that might get me moderated from the Board if I shared them here.

Rest in peace, Coach.

In his memory, here's the full list of NESCAC coaches with 100+ victories. While he ranks 7th in career wins, Farley has the highest winning percentage and most undefeated seasons. Truly a legend.
                     

COACH	SCHOOL	WINS	LOSSES	TIES	WIN %	UNDEFEATED SEASONS
Don Miller	Trinity	174	77	5	.689	1
Jim Ostendarp	Amherst	168	91	5	.646	2
E.J. Mills	Amherst	158	74	0	.681	4
Dan Jessee	Trinity	150	76	7	.659	4
Jeff Devanney	Trinity	135	25	0	.843	4
Mickey Heinecken	Middlebury	126	96	2	.567	0
Dick Farley	Williams	114	19	3	.849	6
Bob Ritter	Middlebury	112	61	0	.647	1

[lumbercat]

Seeing confirmation that several D3 Football programs have secured, or are raising, NIL money.
 
Just at the time when the NESCACs are finally eligible for championship play. Maybe it's time for Division 3AA-lol

[DagarmanSpartan]

Ya know, there's nothing that can legally be done to prevent NIL in D3.

But at the same time, I'm surprised it would be much of a thing given how little advertising value there would be in sponsoring athletes and programs that the media barely covers.

[lumbercat]

It's not about value- it's an avenue to buy wins.  Do you think alums who contribute money to NIL are looking for a return on their investment? It's a joke, a sham---just a way to funnel more money into these programs for wealthy zealot fanatics who want their program to win...at all costs.

[DagarmanSpartan]

Gee.

I never realized there were such RABID D3 fans!

[Tim Layden]

This is late, because I had not been lurking on the board. I'm part of a big Williams email group that includes a lot of guys who played for Dick Farley (as a defensive assistant under Bob Odell) in the mid-late 70s and early 1980s. Memories ran the gamut from Dick's well-worn one-liners ("If you can't play here, you can't play anywhere; there's no Division 4"), to, more poignantly, his tireless connections to the guys he coached over the years and willingness to help them in any way.

I did not play for Dick, except as a freshman QB playing against his very good varsity D. But I got to know him through my work, in later years. He loved talking about the coaches and players I covered and always sought me out when I was in town. He also sponsored a sports journalism Winter Study class I taught in 2013, and attended the first class.

Two memories: I wrote a story about Dick for SI.com when he retired in 2003. I talked to him on the Monday after the Amherst game. On that same day, his daughter, Colleen, had won the Western Mass championship with her soccer team at Mount Greylock HS. Dick said, emotionally, "She was in the right place, I was in the right place, but we weren't in the same place." As someone who gathers quotes for a living, that was a great one.

Also, many of the stories about Dick involve his passion and coaching on the practice field and on game day, deservedly so. But a few years after he retired, I interviewed him again, for a football book. At one point, he said, "I won most of my games watching film during the week, not on Saturday afternoon. That's where I did my best stuff."

Anyway... RIP Dick, truly one of a kind. When Farley-Lamb field was christened, both Dick and Renzie were alive, now both gone.

TL W '78

[BrownBagBowdoin]

Angus Leary—greatest athlete to walk through the program. Too soon?

[Patrick Coleman]

This is late, because I had not been lurking on the board. I'm part of a big Williams email group that includes a lot of guys who played for Dick Farley (as a defensive assistant under Bob Odell) in the mid-late 70s and early 1980s. Memories ran the gamut from Dick's well-worn one-liners ("If you can't play here, you can't play anywhere; there's no Division 4"), to, more poignantly, his tireless connections to the guys he coached over the years and willingness to help them in any way.

I did not play for Dick, except as a freshman QB playing against his very good varsity D. But I got to know him through my work, in later years. He loved talking about the coaches and players I covered and always sought me out when I was in town. He also sponsored a sports journalism Winter Study class I taught in 2013, and attended the first class.

Two memories: I wrote a story about Dick for SI.com when he retired in 2003. I talked to him on the Monday after the Amherst game. On that same day, his daughter, Colleen, had won the Western Mass championship with her soccer team at Mount Greylock HS. Dick said, emotionally, "She was in the right place, I was in the right place, but we weren't in the same place." As someone who gathers quotes for a living, that was a great one.

Also, many of the stories about Dick involve his passion and coaching on the practice field and on game day, deservedly so. But a few years after he retired, I interviewed him again, for a football book. At one point, he said, "I won most of my games watching film during the week, not on Saturday afternoon. That's where I did my best stuff."

Anyway... RIP Dick, truly one of a kind. When Farley-Lamb field was christened, both Dick and Renzie were alive, now both gone.

TL W '78

Thank you for posting! You registered quite some time ago!

[Tim Layden]

This is late, because I had not been lurking on the board. I'm part of a big Williams email group that includes a lot of guys who played for Dick Farley (as a defensive assistant under Bob Odell) in the mid-late 70s and early 1980s. Memories ran the gamut from Dick's well-worn one-liners ("If you can't play here, you can't play anywhere; there's no Division 4"), to, more poignantly, his tireless connections to the guys he coached over the years and willingness to help them in any way.

I did not play for Dick, except as a freshman QB playing against his very good varsity D. But I got to know him through my work, in later years. He loved talking about the coaches and players I covered and always sought me out when I was in town. He also sponsored a sports journalism Winter Study class I taught in 2013, and attended the first class.

Two memories: I wrote a story about Dick for SI.com when he retired in 2003. I talked to him on the Monday after the Amherst game. On that same day, his daughter, Colleen, had won the Western Mass championship with her soccer team at Mount Greylock HS. Dick said, emotionally, "She was in the right place, I was in the right place, but we weren't in the same place." As someone who gathers quotes for a living, that was a great one.

Also, many of the stories about Dick involve his passion and coaching on the practice field and on game day, deservedly so. But a few years after he retired, I interviewed him again, for a football book. At one point, he said, "I won most of my games watching film during the week, not on Saturday afternoon. That's where I did my best stuff."

Anyway... RIP Dick, truly one of a kind. When Farley-Lamb field was christened, both Dick and Renzie were alive, now both gone.

TL W '78

Thank you for posting! You registered quite some time ago!

Hah! Can't hang with the likes of nescac1, lumbercat, Nescacman, Trin9-0 or others on the hoops board like Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan), so I'll sit back and enjoy the conversations.Just wanted to shout out Farley, a friend and deserving NESCAC all-timer.

[jumpshot]

Yes, thanks Tim for posting. Your elegant writing ... profiles on Mike Reily '64, Curt Tong, Duncan Robinson, Dick Farley, and many other superb stories for Sports Illustrated qualify you for hanging out with anyone who loves athletics and people of character. Always value your ability for capturing the essence of the narrative ....