Lehigh Football Head Coach

[JD24]

Wouldn't make any sense to move from Valpo to Drake. Is there any history of coaches moving between PFL programs? I mean other than Harbaugh moving from San Diego to that team up north that is.

[VULB#62]

Between. Huh? He went from USD to freakin Stanford?  ......and killed it.

[vu72]

Between. Huh? He went from USD to freakin Stanford?  ......and killed it.

And then he went to Michigan and got KILLED by OHIO STATE!!!   

[usc4valpo]

Harbaugh, as well as more financial support from the university, turned Stanford around. They were at the bottom of the Pac 12 until he coached there.

[usc4valpo]

Years back, we pretty much thought this job for Cecchini was not long term but a stepping stone for greater things. Going to Drake is  not a step up in division, but there have have coaches at Drake that went on to bigger jobs. Drake has a better football tradition than Valpo and have better facilities to draw non-scholarship players. Recently, coaching at Valpo has not provided opportunities for better jobs.

[JD24]

Between. Huh? He went from USD to freakin Stanford?  ......and killed it.

Yeah but look at him now. Can't even beat Ohio State.

[JD24]

Years back, we pretty much thought this job for Cecchini was not long term but a stepping stone for greater things. Going to Drake is  not a step up in division, but there have have coaches at Drake that went on to bigger jobs. Drake has a better football tradition than Valpo and have better facilities to draw non-scholarship players. Recently, coaching at Valpo has not provided opportunities for better jobs.

I would be far more surprised if Cecchini went to Drake than I would Lehigh hiring Cecchini and I think that is a longshot.

[VUCRUSVU]

I have heard that he is looking for a way out.  I am not sure who would hire him other than Lehigh, unless he wants a step down. 

[FieldGoodie05]

Between. Huh? He went from USD to freakin Stanford?  ......and killed it.

Yeah but look at him now. Can't even beat Ohio State.

Joke? OSU is a national championship contender annually during Harbaugh's reign @ UofM...seems harsh?

[vu72]

Between. Huh? He went from USD to freakin Stanford?  ......and killed it.

Yeah but look at him now. Can't even beat Ohio State.

Joke? OSU is a national championship contender annually during Harbaugh's reign @ UofM...seems harsh?

Probably is but, if you live in Michigan, not beating Ohio State can end up costing you your job--not for a couple more years!

[vu72]

I have heard that he is looking for a way out. I am not sure who would hire him other than Lehigh, unless he wants a step down. 

If that were true i would think he would try to put together another good year next year, which should be possible unless the injuries continue.  Lots of talent coming back.

[usc4valpo]

If Valpo has another 2-9 or worse season, does that put Cecchini on the hot seat?

[VUCRUSVU]

TBH probably not.  Don't have a reasoning but just comparing to the past regimes he is definitely garnered more good will and wins.

[vu72]

If Valpo has another 2-9 or worse season, does that put Cecchini on the hot seat?

I would guess it would have to do with the nature of the 2-9.  If three of four captains are again out for most of the year or if games are competitive though losses, then most likely not.  Remember that when the plug was pulled on Carlson if was after losing to Butler, 72-12.  To the alumni, winning the Butler game makes it a "good" season, and Dave has done that, three times in a row. 

[FieldGoodie05]

Between. Huh? He went from USD to freakin Stanford?  ......and killed it.

Yeah but look at him now. Can't even beat Ohio State.

Joke? OSU is a national championship contender annually during Harbaugh's reign @ UofM...seems harsh?

Probably is but, if you live in Michigan, not beating Ohio State can end up costing you your job--not for a couple more years!

I know as well, lived there for 18+ years in the Detroit area.  Though as an ardent UofM fan, I haven't expected mastery of OSU since the Loyd Carr era...

[JD24]

Between. Huh? He went from USD to freakin Stanford?  ......and killed it.

Yeah but look at him now. Can't even beat Ohio State.

Joke? OSU is a national championship contender annually during Harbaugh's reign @ UofM...seems harsh?

I realized OSU/UM is serious business in certain parts of the country but, yes, my bringing Harbaugh into this thread at all was a joke.

[JD24]

I have heard that he is looking for a way out. I am not sure who would hire him other than Lehigh, unless he wants a step down.

If that were true i would think he would try to put together another good year next year, which should be possible unless the injuries continue.  Lots of talent coming back.

There was more talent coming back prior to this season. So I'm not sure how compelling that argument would be considering the disaster that was this season.

Reading some tea leaves, and I've mentioned this to other Valpo fans who did not disagree with me, I think something is up somewhere in the program involving the staff and overall program. What it is specifically I'm not sure but I don't sense the same enthusiasm moving forward as was clearly there at this point last year. I've felt this way since pretty early on in the past season.

[JD24]

If Valpo has another 2-9 or worse season, does that put Cecchini on the hot seat?

I would guess it would have to do with the nature of the 2-9.  If three of four captains are again out for most of the year or if games are competitive though losses, then most likely not.  Remember that when the plug was pulled on Carlson if was after losing to Butler, 72-12.  To the alumni, winning the Butler game makes it a "good" season, and Dave has done that, three times in a row. 

If the school actually gave a snit about the football program, a followup 2-9 season should have a change strongly being considered whether Butler is beaten or not. If the school doesn't care in any significant way, which is what I suspect, then they will throw the tired Carlson argument out there "at least it is not Carlson" and remain the loser program the school would be choosing to be.

[vu72]

If Valpo has another 2-9 or worse season, does that put Cecchini on the hot seat?

I would guess it would have to do with the nature of the 2-9.  If three of four captains are again out for most of the year or if games are competitive though losses, then most likely not.  Remember that when the plug was pulled on Carlson if was after losing to Butler, 72-12.  To the alumni, winning the Butler game makes it a "good" season, and Dave has done that, three times in a row. 

If the school actually gave a snit about the football program, a followup 2-9 season should have a change strongly being considered whether Butler is beaten or not. If the school doesn't care in any significant way, which is what I suspect, then they will throw the tired Carlson argument out there "at least it is not Carlson" and remain the loser program the school would be choosing to be.

Clearly Valpo has shown they "give a snit" via investments into the new weight room and locker rooms since Dave has come on board. Having said that, Valpo has always been a basketball school and as the flagship program, will always be so.  Do we want a winning football program?  Of course. The result of last season was disappointing but, given all the injuries, was pretty hard to avoid. As for the inward "vibes" I have know way of judging that.  It just seems like Dave had been making significant strides forward going into last year and the disappointing results from one season certainly shouldn't be a reason to question whether or not Dave would be on the hot seat.

[JD24]

Clearly Valpo has shown they "give a snit" via investments into the new weight room and locker rooms since Dave has come on board. Having said that, Valpo has always been a basketball school and as the flagship program, will always be so.  Do we want a winning football program?  Of course. The result of last season was disappointing but, given all the injuries, was pretty hard to avoid. As for the inward "vibes" I have know way of judging that.  It just seems like Dave had been making significant strides forward going into last year and the disappointing results from one season certainly shouldn't be a reason to question whether or not Dave would be on the hot seat.

Yes but the reference was to "after another 2-9 season" which uscvalpo posted and you answered. If the school didn't consider a change at that point, then it doesn't give a snit about the program which was my overall point....new locker rooms and a few new uniforms aside.

I don't think the staff as a whole should be in any jeopardy after this past year but I do sense, as do others, that something is up in that regard. In terms of the Lehigh job or any other job my first question to Cecchini would be why he has not changed his DC. There may be a logical retort to that which hamstrung him from doing so but if the answer is that he thought everything was ok I'd eliminate him immediately. A HC has to be able to make appropriate staff adjustments thoughout his career and this includes coaches who can recruit well.

[VUCRUSVU]

Clearly Valpo has shown they "give a snit" via investments into the new weight room and locker rooms since Dave has come on board. Having said that, Valpo has always been a basketball school and as the flagship program, will always be so.  Do we want a winning football program?  Of course. The result of last season was disappointing but, given all the injuries, was pretty hard to avoid. As for the inward "vibes" I have know way of judging that.  It just seems like Dave had been making significant strides forward going into last year and the disappointing results from one season certainly shouldn't be a reason to question whether or not Dave would be on the hot seat.

Yes but the reference was to "after another 2-9 season" which uscvalpo posted and you answered. If the school didn't consider a change at that point, then it doesn't give a snit about the program which was my overall point....new locker rooms and a few new uniforms aside. I don't think the staff as a whole should be in any jeopardy after this past year but I do sense, as do others, that something is up in that regard. In terms of the Lehigh job or any other job my first question to Cecchini would be why he has not changed his DC. There may be a logical retort to that which hamstrung him from doing so but if the answer is that he thought everything was ok I'd eliminate him immediately. A HC has to be able to make appropriate staff adjustments thoughout his career and this includes coaches who can recruit well.

Perhaps because DC has been looking for a new job?  I do know that one coach who started the year left the staff last month... Tulcin?  I don't even remember what he coached.  Either way, I agree with your comment, and it is concerning.

[JD24]

Perhaps because DC has been looking for a new job?  I do know that one coach who started the year left the staff last month... Tulcin?  I don't even remember what he coached.  Either way, I agree with your comment, and it is concerning.

Rob Tulcin was the LBer coach for two seasons and gave yet another Lehigh alum a coaching position. For whatever reason, LBer coach has been the coaching spot that has undergone the most change during Cecchini's tenure. Stovall, Mattix and Manalac each had the job for one season. Coach Greiner also coached the LBers.

[VULB#62]

Funny thing is that we have had consistently good LB play over time if you go by the stats in a general context (i.e., not knowing the exact system and responsibilities mandated by that system).   Our DL, on the other hand, has been a gradual work of progress over that same stretch. But there is an observable improvement in DL play over year one of Dave's tenure. And then, there's the secondary. We've had some good individual play, but over time, I've not seen this unit come together and establish a tradition of strong unit play.

Getting back to "the system" it could be that we had the personnel, but the system itself did not utilize them properly, although that, again, comes down to how the staff uses that system.

Just my 

[JD24]

Kurt Mattix took the DC job at Eastern Kentucky. Ryan Manalac went to Div II or III Ohio Dominion as DC. He is from Ohio originally. So those moves make sense.

Interesting that both also did not come out of the Lehigh connection.

As an aside, I didn't think the DL played particularly well this season. At least not as well as I expected. They were gashed way too often on the ground to be considered a good unit. 

[VULB#62]

While our offense has been mostly respectable in PFL competition, some on this board have had concerns about our ability to stop opposing offenses.

A famous Bear Bryant quote: Offense sells tickets; defense wins championships.