Wedgebuster

Coach Gumm has been one heck of an assistant coach for the Cougars and a key reason for all of the success! What is going on that is driving these coaches to look elsewhere? Or is it just a coincidence that these two coaches leave around the same time?

Is there something we are missing here? Coach Curtis, Coach Radtke, and Coach McKim all leave NP after having what most would consider HUGE Success. What gives? Is the pay an issue? Admin problems? Parent Problems? Could be a different reason for all of them, but it makes you wonder what the common thread could be?

Were there any openings that could get a coach into the building? Small schools sometimes struggle to hire you typical "teacher coach" when they don't have a position to offer with the job or that position is one that is nontraditional for a coach to have on their teaching license.

At some point, does HS football cross into a space where it's "just different"? In some sports....and no offense intended here, you can roll the balls or mat out and it will at least look like that sport. The numbers are smaller, the sport is more intuitive, the demand for organization, schematic knowledge, solid assistant coaches, the difference in position specific skills, etc, etc is all lesser than football. Example: A school has their head basketball job open, and they can't find someone that fits any teaching opening they have. They can hire a lay coach, maybe a parent that has a kid that is in the MS and wants the program to be good when their child comes through so they apply and take the job. They aren't a coach, they played the sport in HS and that's about as deep as their schematic knowledge goes. They will roll the balls out and it will at least LOOK like basketball. That's not ideal, but its not the end of the world. The kids will go and compete, and as long as you can find 5 kids with a talent level close enough to most of your competition, you stand a chance to be somewhat competitive. Same scenario in Football, and you're talking about 1-2 wins, getting beat by 35+ in most of your losses, kids getting put in a position where they could possibly have an increased chance of injury, etc. Football, without someone that really KNOWS what they're doing schematically, and has had the experience of being on a Varsity level staff before, seen that kind of organization and attention to detail, is set up for failure....no matter how talented or committed the kids of that school system may be. If we can agree that football is "different", how many school districts treat the hiring of that position differently than another Varsity coaching opening? Where they would possibly "create" a position for the right candidate, put together a pay package that is more than just a few thousand dollars greater than another sport that only works with kids 3 months out of the year (Varsity Football HC is now a year round gig), tailor the candidates schedule to allow them to do all "the things" that have to happen in order for a football program to be successful, etc? We know that some schools do treat football "differently" but why do so many act like its the same as any other sport?

I don't think most people understand that most schools are somewhat limited when hiring a new HC with what teaching positions the school has open. Coaches typically need a teaching salary to make a move, and schools have budgets, teachers unions, and the constant nagging questions of other sport coaches and parents of "why did football get X,Y, or Z?" It's not always as simple as "the best coach that applies gets the job".

Hobart seems like a place where they probably have several solid assistants loaded up and ready to go for this opportunity. Years upon Years of consistency doesn't just happen without multiple coaches that really know what they are doing.

What districts have benefited from the population shift? If someone is a "loser" then their has to be a "winner" right?

Mishawaka probably likes their messy field at the end of the year when they are usually playing opponents that have more speed on the field than the Cavemen. It's football smart. Not in vogue, but smart.

What's your take on that situation?

Just years and years of kids not seeing and therefore not expecting any success? The last winning season was in 2016 and before that you have to go back to 01 and 02 to find back to back winning campaigns. What does Goshen need to do to hit the "reset button" in football? If coach Wogomon couldn't see a way forward.....that speaks volumes.

Anyone have a take on how much of Goshen's struggles are purely due to the demographic changes in that community vs lack of support/vision by administration?

The issue with long drives isn't fans or Varsity Football on Friday nights.....its kids spending 2.5 hours in a bus on a school night to play a JV Tennis Match and all the other sports that don't exclusively play on Friday night. Commuting for football doesn't bother me at all......but go talk to the baseball coach that has to play a double header 80 minutes away and then teach the next day. That burns out coaches and their families very quickly

It seems like schools and AD's get really weird about not having complete control over their non conference games. I always liked the idea of slated conference crossover games in Week #9 based on regular season success. Takes care of AD's worries about scheduling a 3rd or 4th non conference game but not getting to choose who that is, seems to be a big hang up for people. I wonder why? Seems like you could use the idea of slated crossover games to make your ideas in the post above work even better!

Does the TRC have an All Sports trophy? Is there a comprehensive record somewhere of where each Valley Team finished in the TRC last year and in the years prior? Be interesting to see how they compared to the rest of the TRC in all sports. Also, I've heard that some of the frustration for the former NIC schools was lower level games being cancelled over and over again by certain other league teams. I wonder if Valley ran into any of that in the TRC?

People forget that these decisions are made by schools for their overall athletic department, not just one or two programs.

What's the reasoning behind only 32 in 5a? I get the problem that 6a is and why they have 32. Doesn't 32 in 5a only kick the problem down to 4a?

I didn't realize the gap percentage wise from the bottom to top of 4a. Greenfield Central is basically double the size of Norwell.

Is the link not working for anybody else?

Day #1 of Michigan State Finals and Private Schools go 3-0 vs Public Schools winning by an Average score of 46-9.......with no enrollment multiplier or success factor. Seems crazy to me

If Mishawaka can stay in 3rd and 4th and short, get a turnover or two, force FGs and not give up TDs, and have Snider end the first half with the ball but not score........ This could be the type of game that is 35-28 and no one punts or stops the other team.

Any thoughts on why Barron left Plymouth? Things wore thin over time? He read the writing on the wall about where that program is at? Conflict with parents and/or administration?

From what I've seen on TV 46, Hudl Highlights, and the Michigan state championship games the last decade or so, the typical Edwardsburg team would be a handful for any 4 or 5a opponent in Northern IN. I don't think they want to schedule Penn, but they would have the same punchers chance that Mishawaka always seems to have. I think you have to think of Edwardsburg almost like a parochial school. Your going to have high numbers of 2 parent households (discipline, structure, nutrition are all there), athletics matter at home, and they've been good for a long time now (they catch some move-ins that at least have athletics in mind).

Is it hard to find kids that are "Football Guys" and interested in the Fine Arts? Seems like that would be a tough fit.

The Edwardsburg being a "part" of South Bend is interesting. The Eddies have certainly been hyper successful lately. Do a lot of kids who would be Penn or Mishawaka players move north to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond?

You just wish that the SB schools could play some more competition that deals with some of the same struggles as them. When Riley has played those teams this year, they have fared well. When they play John Glenn, New Prairie, Bremen, and Jimtown they won't. Just too many cards in the deck stacked against them. Now....if SB schools had a legit plan in place to develop their athletes, hire coaches, keep some long term continuity in programs, helped foster a youth league, etc. they would stand a chance......but.........