MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

Dr. Acula · April 29, 2025, 08:09:13 PM

Just saw on the MIAA board that according to Whitnable Trine is hiring VanderWal. Massive blow to the Pios. With JCU leaving and VanderWal heading north Fuline is licking his chops moving forward.

Dr. Acula · May 02, 2025, 10:01:18 AM

I completely missed the news that Young left ONU also. He is changing gears and becoming a financial advisor. One of the current assistants who had prior HC experience was hired as the new HC. Lots of change in the OAC hoops universe this offseason.

Onward on, John Carroll · May 10, 2025, 05:25:33 AM

So does anyone have more insight on why Vanderwall left Marietta. The easy answer seems to be that he wanted to be closer to home, but is there more to it? He has been away fromnhome for a very long time. After all that time in Marietta, why was he looking? Was it a financial thing (which is rare, admittedly, at the D3 level, that one school can pay substantially more than another)? Was he not feeling the commitment to basketball by the administration? Just curious.

scottiedawg · May 10, 2025, 12:54:37 PM

Marietta is in bad financial trouble right?

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · May 11, 2025, 08:00:29 AM

This is entirely from my impressions in conversation with Vanderwal and nothing he's specifically said, but as much as he and his family appreciated Marietta, the school and the town, and all the things they've done to welcome and appreciate him, he's still a Michigan kid at heart and if the right MIAA job came open, it always felt like he'd have a hard time saying no.

Now, couple that with the financial issues Marietta's been having and the fact that his kids are just getting to HS age - timing makes sense. Trine is a better gig is pretty much every conceivable way, closer to home, more room for advancement, if he's still thinking about coaching at a higher level someday.

Heck, he's already had some success recruiting kids from NW Ohio down to Marietta. Really, really tough to say no to that one - especially when it sounds like Trine went after him pretty hard.

mc1983 · May 12, 2025, 01:12:12 PM

Quote from: scottiedawg on May 10, 2025, 12:54:37 PMMarietta is in bad financial trouble right?

No more than most similar schools. I'd rather be Marietta than several others in the OAC (BW, Berg, Wilmington, etc.), if you look into the financials, endowment, etc.

18 years is a long time to be at the same place. One thing missing from this discussion is that the last 3 seasons for Vanderwal have not been good. 5-13 record in the conference last season. I think it's a case of get out before your stock gets too low and have a chance for a fresh start.

Honestly, it's probably best for both sides. Sometimes you just need a change of scenery. Marietta fans will be forever grateful for how he built the program. Rumors are there are some pretty big D3 names interested in the position. Marietta basketball will be just fine.

Pat Coleman · May 12, 2025, 04:04:58 PM

As described to me once by a previous coach, Marietta is super dependent on athletics for enrollment (no surprise) and there was a stretch that now is probably more than a decade ago where the school tried to raise its academic profile and enrolled a string of smaller classes of first-years. That was a negative from the financial standpoint. Now the general downturn in demographics of college-bound students will hurt them as well as just about everyone.

mc1983 · May 13, 2025, 08:04:54 AM

The obituary for Marietta basketball was written a bit prematurely. Andy Bucheit is an OUTSTANDING hire.

Dr. Acula · May 13, 2025, 09:35:03 AM

Good hire for Marietta. He's done a nice job at Berg and if it was me I'd definitely jump at this job too so you certainly can't blame him for making the move. As an OAC fan the only thing I don't love is cannibalizing our own talent in the conference. Marietta will be fine. Will Berg though?

mc1983 · May 13, 2025, 11:14:04 AM

Bucheit has frankly out-recruited Marietta consistently over the last 4 seasons. Much higher talent level overall on those recent Berg teams. Will be curious if any of his guys hit the portal and follow.

It is a tough time for Berg to be looking. The dominos continue to fall from the Brooks Miller to CMU move. Would Keandre Graves be under consideration for the promotion?

Dr. Acula · May 13, 2025, 04:44:52 PM

Man, Graves would be pretty green to be a HC I'd think. I don't know how desirable the Berg job is at the moment. They are building a new indoor athletics facility which is a positive for recruiting.

mc1983 · May 15, 2025, 04:46:56 PM

Bucheit now official: https://pioneers.marietta.edu/news/2025/5/15/mens-basketball-marietta-college-names-andy-bucheit-mens-basketball-head-coach.aspx

The big question now...will there be any portal transfers to follow?