Possible Football Transfer and a nice 2003 playoff reference

First: Ryan Meyers is (or was anyway) a freshman QB from Tulane that is thinking of transferring to Colgate (and Yale or Lafayette). I think competition is a great thing, so bring him on!

Next: As is becoming customary, when I-A bowl time comes around and people are frustrated by the lack of a I-A playoff, they point to I-AA. We continue to get mileage out of our 2003 playoff run in this article. The reference to Colgate:

Weiberg went on to list several other tired reasons, such as a playoff is
not possible because of final examination schedules. That's an even bigger joke.
If the real "student-athletes" at Division I-AA Colgate and Division III
Washington & Jefferson can play four weeks in a row in December, then there
is no reason why the players at Penn State and West Virginia can't.

Gosh, I love to read that kind of stuff!

2006 Preseason Poll Results

Thank you to everyone who voted in my most recent poll, asking who will be the 2006 preseason Patriot League football favorite. The results:

Lehigh 39%
Colgate 28%
Lafayette 22%
Holy Cross 5%
Bucknell 4%
Georgetown 1%
Fordham 0%

As I'm sure it's no surprise to readers, the same three teams find themselves at the top again. I can only wonder though if anyone would have changed their votes if they voted before all of the coaching changes that have taken place. Anyone want to recant their vote?

A new poll is up, this time its very 'Colgate specific'. What era of Colgate football was better: the 1930's... or the 1995-2005 'Biddle Years'? (Thanks to Tunkmaster for the idea!)
My personal opinion: The Biddle Years. You cannot undervalue the 1932 season or the general greatness of Andy Kerr's teams back then. Wins against teams like Syracuse, Penn State or Brown (back in the day) are amazing accomplishments. But when I think of the consistency that Biddle has brought to Colgate and the feats that have been accomplished in a 'modern' era of football, the present time gets the nod by a nose.

Colgate Is Not Immune

This posting is a little late, but you have probably heard that Offensive Coordinator Mike Foley has left Colgate for UConn, filling the position left by Norries Wilson who left to become the head coach at Columbia. That means Colgate now joins every team except Holy Cross and Bucknell with some significant coaching changes this off season.

Foley, a Colgate grad, has been a great member of Biddle's championship staff and will be missed. He was a great professional and brought a wealth of talent and experience to this Colgate team. I think I can speak for all of Colgate that we wish Mike well and hope that he goes as far as his dreams may.

As this pertains to Colgate, we now have the task of finding a new architect to lead the Colgate offense. My gut tells me Biddle will promote Dan Hunt, currently the quarterback coach, to the role. Hunt has been with the program since the Sweeney Days and is an all around great guy. I think he's the right choice unless someone too good to be true lands in our lap.

Also, it is good to see the honors continue to roll in for senior linebacker Jared Nepa, this time being named I-AA Linebacker of the Year for the northeast region by Football Gazette. Jordan Scott, Chris Petrone and Geoff Bean also got second and third team honors by the same publication.

Sports Network Recognizes Jordan Scott

Matt Dougherty has done his final 'Extra Point' article for the season, handing out awards to the best of everything. Colgate's own Jordan Scott got some well deserved recognition, tying fellow running back James Noble of Cal Poly for (national) Rookie of the Year honors. Here's what Matt had to say:

Neither player began the year as the starting running back, but both ended the 2005 campaign by playing prominent roles to lead their team to the playoffs. Noble ran for 1,578 yards and 16 touchdowns, and averaged more than seven yards per carry for the Mustangs. He went for 248 yards and five touchdowns in the season finale at Idaho State to put the Mustangs in the playoffs, and followed that up with a four-touchdown day in Cal Poly’s first round win at Montana.

Scott’s yards per carry average wasn’t as sparkling, but he carried almost all of the offensive load to pace Colgate to seven wins in the final eight games and the Patriot League title. Scott broke the league’s freshman rushing record with 1,364 yards, with eight games over the 100-yard mark and three efforts of more than 200 yards. He finished eighth nationally with 124 yards per game, and had six games with 30 or more carries.

Another great honor for Jordan. Stay healthy and hit those books. We want you racking up the yards for another 3 years!

And Now Georgetown!

Wow. What a week! Georgetown's Bob Benson has resigned today from his head football position. Quite an interesting shake up going on. I think this is a good move for the Hoyas. They need a fresh start to get competitive in the Patriot League. I can only hope the purse opens up in conjunction with this move. More to come!

The Big News from Bethlehem

In case you've been under a I-AA rock, Pete Lembo, formerly head coach at Lehigh, takes the head coaching job at Elon.

Unless you're a I-AA diehard, you might find yourself repeating that name: Elon. Elon? Elon?!?!?!?

The short and sweet: it's a Southern Conference school in North Carolina with scholarships and fairly good academics. Want more detail? It's not been a good program of late and is coming off back to back three win seasons.

Why would Lembo take it? I think there are plenty of reasons from money (I bet it was a raise), different expectations (no one is going to be calling for his job with 8 win seasons), different challenges (it's the SoCon folks) and different advantages (scholarships and lower academic hurdles). The only real head scratcher is leaving a premier winner like Lehigh for a struggling program like Elon. Lembo is young; so if he turns this one around he's going to be going places I bet.

So what does Lehigh do? I think they've got about 3 weeks to get a coach announced or recruiting takes a hit. It might even be less than that. I bet the Mountain Hawks have moved fairly quickly on Dave Cecchini, offensive coordinator at Harvard and former Engineer All-American. Cecchini is young too (34) but he's got the resume and the Lehigh connection. There are other possibilities, most of them already floated by Lehigh Football Nation, but I'll also add newly hired defensive coordinator for The Citadel Isaac Collins. Collins was the defensive coordinator for Holy Cross in 2004 after leaving Lehigh with Tom Gilmore. He left the Crusaders (for reasons unknown) and turned up at Delaware this year. Former Lehigh head coach and current Citadel coach Kevin Higgins thought enough of Collins to hire him last week. Perhaps he'd be interested in a head job? It's risky since he's only been a coordinator for one season, but he might be on the list.

I'll also add a name that will make Leopard fans cringe: Bob Heffner. Heffner is across the valley at Lafayette as the offensive coordinator. Word is that Heffner has turned down a move up (most recently to Illinois last year) because of family concerns. A head coach job at a Patriot League school that did not require a family move just might make that Lehigh/Lafayette hatred dissipate.

It will be an interesting few weeks ahead and an interesting season in 2006 with both Fordham and now Lehigh dealing with new coaching staffs. More to come!

Nepa's an AFCA All-American!

That's an excellent recognition for such a great player. He's joined by Michael Ononibaku of Georgetown from the Patriot League and Steve Silva from Holy Cross as the return specialist.

He shares the linebacker honors with Villanova’s Brian Hulea, Furman’s William Freeman and Eastern Illinois’ Clint Sellers.

Well done Jared!!!!

Oh how I wish this man will be right

Mike Eidelbes over at www.insidecollegehockey.com has come out with his midseason article full of midseason awards and predictions. Sifting through it, you come to this:

4) Want a Frozen Four prediction? OK, but first, here’s a stab at the top seeds for each of the four regions. Wisconsin goes to the Midwest Regional in Green Bay, Vermont heads to the East Regional in Albany, Miami gets shuttled to the Northeast Regional in Worcester and Minnesota is sent to the West Regional in Grand Forks. As the No. 1 seed, Don Lucia will not exercise his option to evict the Fighting Sioux from their locker room, but stakes exclusive rights to the giant hot tub.

Meeting in Milwaukee the first weekend in April: Boston College, Colgate, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In case you missed it, I'll point this one out again:

Meeting in Milwaukee the first weekend in April: Boston College, Colgate, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

OK, I'll admit it. That made my heart skip a beat... How sweet that would be! We also move up to #11 in the polls. There's a long way to go, but that's a nice prediction that I hope comes true!

Rich Erenberg in the Press

A blast from the past shows up in today's newspaper in Beaver County, PA. The piece is about how Erenberg had a hand in spoiling the 49'ers try for a perfect season back in 1984.

A native of Chappaqua, N.Y., Erenberg played football at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. Colgate played Division I football when Erenberg arrived before dropping to Division I-AA. A four-year starter at running back, Erenberg got a taste of big-time college football in his first game.

Colgate opened the 1980 season at Penn State.

"Being from a small school like Colgate, you get the message real quick seeing Beaver Stadium," Erenberg said.

Erenberg and Colgate left Happy Valley impressed after losing, 54-10.

Nearly two decades since retiring from the NFL, Erenberg has done well in his real estate career, heading a company that bought the largest office building in Southpointe last year.

"We do real estate investment and development," Erenberg said. "We create real estate funds and invest that capital. We're a very small, private entity. We do things quietly, under the radar."

Erenberg, who received his degree from Colgate in economics and finance, and his wife Lynn, live in Peters Township. They have sons, Andrew, 12 and Michael, 10.

As a senior at Colgate, Erenberg had over 2,000 all-purpose yards.

"We set a lot of rushing records and I got noticed by pro teams," he said.

New Fordham Head Coach

Word out in Fordham land is Tom Masella, head coach of Central Connecticut State (remember them?), will be named head coach of Fordham soon. I think he's a solid pick for the Rams. He coached at UMass before CCSU.

The next question for us Colgate types is: will Ed Argast go with him as Offensive Coordinator or will he try to be the head coach at CCSU?

More to come...

This Warms the Cockels of My Heart

It sure is nice to read some praise for our beloved football program in the good old Maroon-News.

I love Colgate football. I love everything about it - the traditions, the energy, the snowy games, the tailgates and all of the incredible memories it has given me. I love the stadium, the field, the coaches and trainers; but I especially admire the players.

As a senior who watched the team play its final game last weekend, I would like to say "Thank You" to all of the players who made the last four years so exciting. Above all, I want to extend my utmost respect and congratulations to the seniors, the winningest class in school history. Three rings in four years makes for a heavy hand, and if anybody deserves that much bling, it's you guys.

From time to time you catch a story in a campus newspaper around the league (or at our sisters in the Ivy League) that has a fun time putting down a program that has lost some games or doesn't have great support. For those reasons among many, it is great to read something from a Colgate student who appreciates the effort made by these players. She sounds like a fan Colgate is lucky to have.

Some Weekend Thoughts

First, just how many games against Princeton can Colgate have in one weekend? Looking at the Colgate Athletics web page, you've got:

"Colgate comes back to beat Princeton"
"Women's Basketball Falls to Princeton"
"Tigers too much for Colgate"
"Men's Basketball Romps over Princeton"

I guess the general theme is that us Raider men can take care of those Ivy types, but our women still have some work to do!

Then, of course, the I-AA playoffs. The biggest deal: our conquerors have been conquered. Along with Richmond, it means the A-10 is done for the 2005 season. One the one hand, I'm bummed that the team that beat us has exited from the playoffs. On the other, it will be nice to silence the "A-10 is the best" crowd for a season. A 'three-peat' I-AA championship would have been a lot to handle!

Lastly, on my blog poll Lehigh is taking a bit of a lead as the preseason favorite. I for one think the Mountain Hawks lose a lot, too much to be considered the front runner (but always a contender for sure). For all of those voting Lehigh, hopefully with their head and not their heart, fill me in. Besides a full season of Sedale Threatt, what does 2006 Mountain Hawk football have going for it? Don't get my motives wrong; preseason favorite has been a kiss of death as of late in the Patriot League. Just trying to get a scoop on 2006!

Looking Back: Where Are They Now?

The subject of coaching changes is a pretty hot topic right now. Fordham, Columbia, Georgia Southern, VMI, Elon... all looking for new coaches. Now is the time of year when some programs decide to go in another direction. It therefore popped into my mind this morning that about ten years ago Colgate was going through a similar situation and, thankfully, we all know the positive results.

But it also got me thinking further about the previous Colgate staff. Former Head Coach Ed Sweeny is the butt of a few jokes now and again, and generally is not fondly remembered by Colgate alums. However, the staff he assembled actually turned out to be a pretty good crew.

Take a look at where these coaches are now:

Ed Sweeney

After leaving Colgate, former Head Coach Sweeney landed at Frostburg State University. He went 30-11 at Frostburg before heading to Mount Ida College in Newton, Massachuesetts. I believe he started the program there and, this year aside, has had some pretty good results as the program has started winning more. This season looks like a bit of a step backwards with a 1-9 record. However, last year saw Mount Ida with a 6-2 record and a regional Division III ranking.

Mike Whalen

Former Associate Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach Whalen landed at Williams in 1997 as their offensive line coach and took over offensive coordinator responsibilities in 2001. He succeed the retiring head coach in 2004 and led the Ephs to a 6-2 record for each of his first two years. More importantly, he has kept Williams home field domination of Amherst alive for 20 years with a 34-23 win this past fall.

On a side note, if anyone wants to take a look at a really bad athletics website, head on over to Williams. The lack of attention given to sports and the mid 90's look of the site is disgraceful for such a high profile school and athletic program.


Mike Gibson

Former Offensive Coordinator Gibson has had an interesting career since leaving Colgate. He first landed as a "Guest Coach" in the CFL for a year before heading to Rutgers for four years. He then went back to the CFL for another year before trying another stint in the collegiate ranks with the University of Louisiana. He is now back in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as their Offensive Coordinator. He spent one year earlier with the Blue Bombers as their Offensive Line coach and was part of a team that went 14-4 and made it to the Grey Cup.

Dick Biddle

No need to go into detail here, but former running back coach has taken Colgate from 0-11 to nationally ranked contender. He's never had a losing season.

Dan Hunt

Former tight end coach Hunt is another holdover still at Colgate from the Sweeney era. He's now coaching quarterbacks and, like Biddle, apparently very successful.

Todd Williams

Williams coached the wide receivers under Sweeney. I can find no mention of him on the Internet. If anyone knows if he's still coaching, let me know.

Mike Kelleher

Named New England Assistant Coach of the Year in 2003, Kelleher has been the defensive coordinator for Brown for five years. That is the same position he held at Colgate.

Needless to say, Brown won the Ivy League title outright this year and Kelleher's name is being thrown around for potential head coaching gigs at places like Columbia.




Ed Argast

Argast coached the defensive line in his days at Colgate and after spending a season with Biddle as head coach, left to become the head coach of Canisius. Unfortunately for Argast, Canisius dropped their football program which means he was headed on the road again. First stop was as the offensive coordinator at Wagner in the NEC. He now enjoys the same position at Central Connecticut State and has a nice feather in his cap by virtue of the upset win against Colgate earlier this year.

Scott Meserve

Defensive End coach Meserve hung around at Colgate after the end of Sweeney, leaving in 1997. Like Williams, I can find no current record of him coaching on the Internet. Updated information would be welcome.

So looking back at this staff, I think it goes to show that there can be some very talented and successful coaches that get together and, for whatever reason, just can't seem to produce the results on the field. I'm glad the current combination we've got works so well!