# [Ball State Coaching Search] Who will they land?



## TJames

Per footballscoop.com.....

Ball State: Head coach Stan Parrish will not return.


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## TJames

Sources: BSU, Parrish work on separation
By DOUG ZALESKI
Muncie Star-Press

MUNCIE -- Ball State appears ready to pull the plug on the brief Stan Parrish football coaching era.

Parrish just completed the second year of a four-year contract. His salary this season was $350,672.

He is due to receive just over $700,000 to coach the team through the 2012 season.

Parrish's contract has no clause for reassignment within the university. For termination without cause, the contract spells out that the university would "pay to (Parrish), as liquidated damages, an amount equal to (Parrish's) base salary for the remainder of the term of this appointment."

One source told The Star Press that one part of the negotiations between Parrish and the university would allow Parrish to announce his resignation or retirement in exchange for a reduced amount of the $700,000 that remains on his contract.

Two sources told The Star Press that negotiations haven taken place between the coach and university officials this week to determine parameters for a separation.

The sources asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak about the situation.

Parrish did not return multiple messages seeking comment on his status.

Cardinals athletic director Tom Collins also did not return a message. Instead, he issued a statement Monday afternoon through the university's communications office. Collins confirmed he met Monday with Parrish, but the statement did not indicate specifics of the discussion.

"At the end of each season for each sport, I sit down with the head coach and discuss the program," Collins' statement read. "That's what Stan and I are doing today (Monday)."

Later Monday evening -- once rumors began to circulate online that Parrish had been fired -- Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Tony Proudfoot once again reiterated a message from Collins via e-mail that "no personnel action has been taken with coach Parrish."

ESPN.com reported Monday evening that Parrish would not return as Ball State's coach next season.


Parrish conducted his final weekly press conference Monday afternoon. His future with the program was not addressed.

Parrish finished his second season as the Cardinals' head coach Saturday with a 59-21 defeat at home against Northern Illinois. The rout represented the highest point total ever allowed by the Cardinals in a Mid-American Conference game.

Parrish was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach in December 2008 after Brady Hoke accepted the head coaching position at San Diego State. Parrish coached the nationally ranked Cardinals in a 45-13 loss to Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl. He followed by leading Ball State to a 2-10 record in 2009 and 4-8 this year.

The Cardinals have a 5-11 record in Mid-American Conference games under Parrish.


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## 4Q_iu

Wow -- only a 2 year leash in Muncee???

Is it me or have the ISU-M Hoosieroons demonstrated zero patience?


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## Bally #50

4Q_iu said:


> Wow -- only a 2 year leash in Muncee???
> 
> Is it me or have the ISU-M Hoosieroons demonstrated zero patience?


His hire was a mistake from the get-go. According to BSU friends I have, the guy was NEVER a good fit and although he had some success in the past, his stock had lowered tremendously. Man, it seems that Brady should have been retained and paid accordingly because when he left, they were obviously heading in the right direction. JoAnn Gora will be blamed for this fiasco, you wait. Tom Collins as well. Hate to see it.   (*NOT*)


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## 4Q_iu

Bally #44 said:


> His hire was a mistake from the get-go. According to BSU friends I have, the guy was NEVER a good fit and although he had some success in the past, his stock had lowered tremendously. Man, it seems that Brady should have been retained and paid accordingly because when he left, they were obviously heading in the right direction. JoAnn Gora will be blamed for this fiasco, you wait. Tom Collins as well. Hate to see it.   (*NOT*)



Had they ponied up and paid Hoke -- how much longer would he have stayed?


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## Bally #50

4Q_iu said:


> Had they ponied up and paid Hoke -- how much longer would he have stayed?


Agree 4Q, but it's back to my old analogy of Big Fish in a small pond or visa versa. You and I are BOTH enjoying the BSU football "fall from grace" but it certainly could have been handled differently. Being 4-8 at a middle tier 1-A school (SDSU) isn't always preferable to being a hero at a school that loves your ass and where you are a hero.


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## 4Q_iu

Bally #44 said:


> Agree 4Q, but it's back to my old analogy of Big Fish in a small pond or visa versa. You and I are BOTH enjoying the BSU football "fall from grace" but it certainly could have been handled differently. Being 4-8 at a middle tier 1-A school (SDSU) isn't always preferable to being a hero at a school that loves your ass and where you are a hero.



Not disagreeing -- I'm still wondering about spurrier's departure from UFLA, pitino's from uk, r. williams from kansas, etc, etc

ego, ego, ego


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## Bally #50

4Q_iu said:


> Not disagreeing -- I'm still wondering about spurrier's departure from UFLA, pitino's from uk, r. williams from kansas, etc, etc
> 
> ego, ego, ego


Big Fish in a small pond could hold true for Sycamore Nation as well at some point, i.e. Trent, Greg and RP! For Rick and Roy at least, the move worked out pretty well however. It doesn't always, i.e. Barry Collier, Steve Alford, Bruce Pearl and well see about Dana Altman.


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## bent20

But how hard would it have really been to keep Hoke a while longer? He "moved up" to San Diego State. You could argue that's a lateral move if the pay is equal. If you believe Whitlock, and others, Gora and Collins are the worst thing that ever happened to BSU athletics.


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## Bally #50

bent20 said:


> But how hard would it have really been to keep Hoke a while longer? He "moved up" to San Diego State. You could argue that's a lateral move if the pay is equal. If you believe Whitlock, and others, Gora and Collins are the worst thing that ever happened to BSU athletics.


I have heard Whit often on the subject. The hiring of Stan Parish had more to do with BSU self-destructing than Brady leaving or at least that is my opinion. I have seen an equal amount of people jumping to the promise land and not succeeding as I have those who have succeeded. My gut feeling that Ron Prettyman will be the first to leave us, but I sure hope that everyone sits still for the near future and beyond. I beleive that many good things are happening at Indiana State and I want the momentum to continue as long as it can!


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## 4Q_iu

bent20 said:


> But how hard would it have really been to keep Hoke a while longer? He "moved up" to San Diego State. You could argue that's a lateral move if the pay is equal. If you believe Whitlock, and others, Gora and Collins are the worst thing that ever happened to BSU athletics.



Well, I'd recommend NOT listening to Whitlock; he's as bad as Kravitz, he just has a national podium


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## Bally #50

4Q_iu said:


> Well, I'd recommend NOT listening to Whitlock; he's as bad as Kravitz, he just has a national podium


Like your 15-year old scotch 4Q, here is an acquired taste.


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## bent20

4Q_iu said:


> Well, I'd recommend NOT listening to Whitlock; he's as bad as Kravitz, he just has a national podium



I know.


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## TJames

*Would a coaching change at Ball U helped Indiana State's in-state recruiting?*

If they promote from within the current coaching staff, things would probably remain the same.

But if they do a national search, then it could help the Sycamores in recruiting.


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## TJames

*It's official according to the Muncie Star-Press...Breaking News....*

BREAKING NEWS: Source confirms BSU fired Stan Parrish today

By DOUG ZALESKI • dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com • November 23, 2010 

MUNCIE — Ball State fired football coach Stan Parrish today as negotiations to reach a settlement on the final two years of his contract broke down.

A source, who asked not to be identified, told The Star Press the news on the school’s decision was delivered to Parrish shortly after noon today. The source wasn’t authorized to reveal details of the decision.

The Star Press is continuing to seek confirmation on the university’s decision. Messages have been left for athletic director Tom Collins and Parrish.

Parrish had $700,000 remaining on his contract to coach the Cardinals in 2011 and 2012. Negotiations between the university and the second-year coach to reach a settlement on buying out the contract for a reduced amount began Sunday.

When the sides couldn’t agree on the terms, the university fired Parrish, the source said.

Parrish took over the football program in December 2008 after Brady Hoke left to coach San Diego State. Parrish coached the nationally ranked Cardinals in a 45-13 loss to Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl in January 2009.

He followed by leading Ball State to a 2-10 record in 2009 and 4-8 this year. The Cardinals had a 5-11 record in Mid-American Conference games under Parrish.

He lost his final game 59-21 at home Saturday against Northern Illinois. The rout represented the highest point total ever allowed by the Cardinals in a Mid-American Conference game.


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## TJames

*BU player confirms Stan Parrish firing*

BREAKING NEWS: Player confirms BSU fired Stan Parrish today
By DOUG ZALESKI • dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com • November 23, 2010 

MUNCIE — Ball State fired football coach Stan Parrish today as negotiations to reach a settlement on the final two years of his contract broke down, and a player has confirmed that news.

A source, who asked not to be identified, told The Star Press the news on the school’s decision was delivered to Parrish shortly after noon today. The source wasn’t authorized to reveal details of the decision.

Just after 3 p.m., players received messages from position coaches informing them of the news, according to Davyd Jones, a senior outside linebacker who just completed his eligibility.

The Star Press is continuing to seek confirmation on the university’s decision. Messages were left for athletic director Tom Collins and Parrish after 1 p.m. and have not been returned.

Parrish had $700,000 remaining on his contract to coach the Cardinals in 2011 and 2012. Negotiations between the university and the second-year coach to reach a settlement on buying out the contract for a reduced amount began Sunday.

When the sides couldn’t agree on the terms, the university fired Parrish, the source said.

Parrish took over the football program in December 2008 after Brady Hoke left to coach San Diego State. Parrish coached the nationally ranked Cardinals in a 45-13 loss to Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl in January 2009.

He followed by leading Ball State to a 2-10 record in 2009 and 4-8 this year. The Cardinals had a 5-11 record in Mid-American Conference games under Parrish.

He lost his final game 59-21 at home Saturday against Northern Illinois. The rout represented the highest point total ever allowed by the Cardinals in a Mid-American Conference game.


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## Jason Svoboda

TJames said:


> If they promote from within the current coaching staff, things would probably remain the same.
> 
> But if they do a national search, then it could help the Sycamores in recruiting.


Possibly. Of their class, they only have 4 kids from Indiana in it. 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/notredame/football/recruiting/commitments/2011/ballstate-48


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## bent20

Not being able to reach an agreement with him is only going to hurt them financially. It's not like Ball State has the money to throw around like ND.


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## TJames

*Offensive coordinator named interim head coach at Ball U*

MUNCIE — Ball State announced late this afternoon that head football coach Stan Parrish has been fired after coaching the Cardinals to two losing seasons.

A news release issued by the school read Parrish was “terminated without cause.”

Athletic director Tom Collins said in a statement that it was decided change was needed “after evaluating the on-field performance and the football program in its entirety.”

Offensive coodinator Eddie Faulkner will serve as interim head coach until a permanent head coach is hired.


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## TJames

*From footballscoop.com*

Ball State: Our sources tell us that Ball State AD Tom Collins is interested in Oregon offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach Mark Helfrich.


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## TJames

*today's update from the muncie paper*

Ball State fires football coach Stan Parrish
By DOUG ZALESKI • dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com • November 24, 2010 

MUNCIE -- One of Stan Parrish's pet phrases to describe a successful football play is to say, "We dialed that one up." In the end, not enough good plays were dialed up to produce enough victories to save his job as Ball State's football coach.

Ball State informed Parrish on Tuesday afternoon that he was being fired after coaching two years of a four-year contract that he signed after the 2008 season. The Star Press was the first media outlet to report the decision at 1:30 p.m., and the school made an official announcement four hours later.

"I think we've underperformed on the football field in terms of wins," Cardinals athletic director Tom Collins said in explaining the firing.

Parrish took over as coach in December 2008 after Brady Hoke left to coach San Diego State. Parrish was the offensive coordinator on the team that was 12-0 in the regular season, molding Ball State's high flying offense into the Mid-American Conference's No. 1 unit in scoring and total offense.

But when a group of five highly skilled players from that team went to the NFL the next year, including third-round draft pick Robert Brewster, an offensive tackle, and fifth-round pick Nate Davis, a quarterback, the magic was gone.

Parrish started his coaching stint with the Cardinals by losing the 2009 GMAC Bowl 45-13 to Tulsa. That was followed by a 2-10 record in the 2009 season and 4-8 this year.

Negotiations began Sunday between Collins and Parrish to buy out the coach's final two years of his deal at a reduced price. The sides couldn't agree on a settlement and Parrish was fired Tuesday with Ball State owing him $700,000 for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Parrish left Ball State with a 6-19 overall record in two seasons and $1.4 million in his pocket: the $700,000 he earned the past two seasons and the $700,000 the school will pay him during the next two years.

Tony Proudfoot, Ball State's associate vice president for marketing and communications, said the payoff amount will come from funds provided by private donors.

"It's safe to say the university is prepared to meet that obligation," Proudfoot said.

Multiple messages left for Parrish were not returned.

The last time he spoke to the media in an organized session was Monday, when ironically he was involved in discussions with Collins about his tenure coming to an end.

Parrish was asked about his team's record the past two seasons, and whether he overestimated its capabilities when the Cardinals were 2-10 in 2009.

"Like everything else, looking back, I probably overrated what we were going to do, and what I was going to do, and the reality was we weren't good enough," he said. "I think in a very positive way my exuberance was manufactured by what we had done (in the past), and I had been here for what we had done. We quite simply didn't get off to the start you needed to."

Ball State's players learned about Parrish's dismissal through text messages from the football staff about two hours before the school released the news.

Senior linebacker Davyd Jones said he was disappointed that the staff of assistant coaches had lost their jobs.

"But that's the business everybody signs up for when they decide to coach at this level," Jones said. "No one talked bad about him. ... I can't speak for other people, but coach Parrish is a good coach. It's just that we didn't win, and players don't get punished like the head coach would."

Senior tailback Quale Lewis, who was a key part of the 2008 season with a school-record 1,736 rushing yards, managed just 1,285 the past two seasons. The school's No. 2 all-time rushing leader, and a team captain this year, posted harsh words about Parrish on his Twitter account Monday:

"He will get a coaching job in the NFL. Good coordinator. Horrible head coach though."

Offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner was named interim coach until a new coach can be hired. Collins said he expects the candidate pool to be good, and the search would run its own time frame.

"It's not something we're going to rush into," Collins said. "It's not going to be a week, and I hope it's not a month. Somewhere in between is where I hope it falls."

All of the assistant coaches were notified their positions would end in 90 days. Collins said they must maintain a regular work schedule at Ball State to be paid for 90 days.


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## TJames

*Muncie paper lists possible candidates to replace Parrish*

BSU coaching candidates could have ties to Cardinals
Former coordinators, position coaches and players might be in the mix.
By DOUG ZALESKI • dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com • November 24, 2010 

MUNCIE -- Ball State athletic director Tom Collins believes there will be a deep candidate pool from which to select the school's next football coach.

The Cardinals are searching for their 16th head coach after firing Stan Parrish on Tuesday two years into a four-year contract. Parrish produced a 6-19 record with the Cardinals.

"I expect there to be a good group of people applying for this job," Collins said. "This is a wonderful university, a great place in the MAC. It's a good job."

Collins wants to have a new coach in place before Christmas but said he wouldn't rush the process. He also didn't rule out the next coach having Ball State ties.

"I don't know if that will be a factor, but it's important to understand who we are, meaning Ball State, and to understand Midwest ties as we recruit the majority of our kids from the Midwest," Collins said. "To understand the MAC is important."

Here are six potential candidates, listed alphabetically, with a Ball State connection who could be interested in becoming the school's next head coach -- 


Jeff Hecklinski, assistant head coach/running backs coach/recruiting coordinator past two seasons at San Diego State. Coached wide receivers 2004-08 on staff of Brady Hoke at Ball State. Became Cardinals recruiting coordinator in 2008. Also coached offensive positions at Central Missouri State, Fort Scott Community College and Benedictine University.

Rick Minter, linebackers coach, Indiana State. Coached seven seasons at Ball State (1985-91) as defensive coordinator/assistant head coach. Was head coach for 10 seasons at the University of Cincinnati, compiling 53-63-1 record and leading Bearcats to four bowl games. Interim head coach at Marshall at end of 2009 season, led Thundering Herd to a win in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Was defensive coordinator at South Carolina and in two stints at Notre Dame.

Mike Neu, former star quarterback at Ball State. Currently in second season as an area scout with the New Orleans Saints, evaluating college players in the northeast U.S. Compiled a 33-31 record as head coach of the New Orleans VooDoo in the Arena Football League from 2004-08 (coach of the year in 2004). The Indianapolis native also was head coach of the Carolina Cobras in the AFL for two years.

Bernie Parmalee, Ball State's all-time leading rusher when he finished his career in 1990. Currently tight ends coach for Kansas City Chiefs. Played nine seasons in the NFL (1992-2000) with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. Coached special teams and tight ends for the Dolphins for three seasons. Was tight ends/assistant special teams coach at Notre Dame 2005-09.

Brian Polian, special teams coordinator, Stanford University. The son of Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian technically has no tie to Ball State, but his father and the Cardinals football program have a close bond. Brian coached at Notre Dame 2005-09 and was a nominee for the American Football Coaches Association national assistant coach of the year in 2008. The same year was named one of Rivals.com's top 20 recruiters and the Big 10/Midwest recruiter of the year. Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming named Polian one of the top three recruiters in the nation in 2008.


Don Treadwell, offensive coordinator, Michigan State. Brady Hoke hired him as the Cardinals' offensive coordinator in 2003. Left after one year to join Mark Dantonio's staff at Cincinnati, and then went to Michigan State with Dantonio in 2007. Was named the Spartans' interim coach this year while Dantonio recovered from a heart attack. Led the Spartans' offense to a No. 2 ranking in the Big Ten last year and No. 4 this season.


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## 4Q_iu

*Any odds posted...*

on Minter pursuing the opportunity??


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## TJames

*from footballscoop.com this morning.....*

Ball State: our sources tell us that Ball State offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner wants the job.


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## Jason Svoboda

4Q_iu said:


> on Minter pursuing the opportunity??


Not sure, but I'd imagine that would also have us losing Jesse Minter as well as I'm sure dad would have a spot on his staff for him.


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## 4Q_iu

Jason Svoboda said:


> Not sure, but I'd imagine that would also have us losing Jesse Minter as well as I'm sure dad would have a spot on his staff for him.



Agreed -- let's hope the hoosieroons stay in the current 'house.'


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## TJames

*Interim coach wants job full time*

From the Muncie Star Press....

A day after being named Ball State’s interim head football coach, Muncie native Eddie Faulkner intends to seek the job on a permanent basis.

Faulkner is the first person to publicly declare his interest in become the Cardinals’ 16th head football coach. The position opened Tuesday when Ball State fired Stan Parrish after two seasons at the helm.

“I love Ball State, I love the program, I love the kids, and I think we can build on this foundation that’s here,” Faulkner said. “I understand if you look at it on paper the apprehension some people might have about how long I’ve been coaching and this and that.

“But I’ve held virtually every position from grad assistant to offensive coordinator. … I know the inner workings of the program and the people who have influence on campus. I think I can continue to build on those relationships. I want to get us all on the same page.”


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## Gotta Hav

*BSU Head Coach Candidates (Trent is one)*

From the Fort Wayne News Sentinel.

Wow...I would really hate seeing Trent leave.....but this is what happens when you're successful.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101124/SPORTS/11240319/1002


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## Jason Svoboda

All it would be about is the money, right? Otherwise, it is a lateral move at best. Most coaches that coach there don't get another head coaching gig.


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## Gotta Hav

Jason Svoboda said:


> All it would be about is the money, right? Otherwise, it is a lateral move at best. Most coaches that coach there don't get another head coaching gig.



Yes, and Yes, and Yes, and I agree...yes....but in the end, if we lose Trent, we lose Trent, and that's a big loss.

Yep, a guy like Trent would have to look at the down side consequences of accepting that job.....it could turn out to be a Dead End....and like you're inferring...then what does he do after that, if he doesn't win there?

The cool thing about the article was, it does recognize Trent's and ISU success in football this year...and to get a positive message out of Fort Wayne News-Sentinel Sports Editor Tom Davis about ISU Athletics....now that's a significant event!!!!!!!!!!


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## niklz62

Unless Ball State is where he wants to be, Id hold out for one more year.  sure 6-5 is good but he did that with a few seniors and a bunch of underclassmen.  I think he would have more choices than Ball State.


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## bent20

We have to realize that Trent will likely move on at some point. He's too good of a coach and you have to understand why he would want more money and a bigger opportunity. That said, please, please, please don't go, Coach!!! At least not yet! And especially not to Ball State, not because I consider them a rival, but because better opportunities will come.


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## egc1985

Jason Svoboda said:


> All it would be about is the money, right? Otherwise, it is a lateral move at best. Most coaches that coach there don't get another head coaching gig.



if a coach moves from fcs to fbs football how is it lateral?  Indiana State was probably considered a program that was dead end too when Trent took the job. Saying that i hope he stays and at least see's what his first two recruiting classes can accomplish.


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## TreeTop

egc1985 said:


> if a coach moves from fcs to fbs football how is it lateral?



I gotta agree, the potential to play in a bowl is much more appealing than the 1-AA tournament (and I say 1-AA, cuz lets face it, that's what it is).

But with that said, I don't think Trent is going anywhere right away, he'll stay in  Terre Haute a couple 2-3 more seasons at least.


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## Bally #50

I tend to agree but obviously, you never know!


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## IndyTreeFan

I could be wrong, but I hope I'm right.  I'll bet you see Trent Miles in Terre Haute for longer than a couple more years.  The guy has been at the top of college and professional football.  He knows what that's like, and he's obviously got enough connections that he didn't have to come to ISU when it was time to leave Washington.  But, he came to ISU because 1) it's his alma mater, and 2) it's his hometown.  That can be a powerful draw!  If we could just find a way to pay him more money...


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## Jason Svoboda

egc1985 said:


> if a coach moves from fcs to fbs football how is it lateral? Indiana State was probably considered a program that was dead end too when Trent took the job. Saying that i hope he stays and at least see's what his first two recruiting classes can accomplish.


Because the Ball State job has been proven to be a death knell for head coaches outside of Brady Hoke. The pay is lower among FBS schools, the football program has limited resources and it's a program in the state that would be 4th tier (ND, IU, Purdue) for most kids in a weaker football talent producing state as it is.

If I'm moving on to FBS, I select my job carefully.


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## Jason Svoboda

Quabachi said:


> I gotta agree, the potential to play in a bowl is much more appealing than the 1-AA tournament (and I say 1-AA, cuz lets face it, that's what it is).
> 
> But with that said, I don't think Trent is going anywhere right away, he'll stay in Terre Haute a couple 2-3 more seasons at least.


I'd agree with you if we were still in the 80s when bowls meant something. However, there are like 35+ bowl games and you can go to a bowl with a subpar record.

Is it worth it to go to Ball State, get into the GMAC Bowl, get boatraced by some C-USA team and then end up on the unemployment line when you go 2-9? I don't think so, but that may just be me. Ball State has been to 5 bowls since 1989 and hasn't won a single one of them. Again, I hold out for a better opportunity and there will be one if he builds up this program.


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## Callmedoc

I heard a rumor that Trent was one of the front runners for this job...to be honest I would be greatly suprised if he takes it...the guy once told me during one of my first activites, I wore a pair of red basketball shorts there and he took special exception to that saying "Hey, you...Red shorts...we don't wear red shorts around here, don't do it again." True Story... would love to see Trent stay one more season...I can see him getting some serious play at bigger schools like C-USA...


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## BankShot

Ahhhh...so you're the ONE that broke into the Princeton basketball locker storage room!


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## BigBlue79

Well he took a chance coming here when we had limited resources...700k is a lot of money and it isn't far from his hometown...that is a tough decision...I wish him good luck either way....But of course I want him to stay for selfish reasons but him being in his hometown plays a role also...interested to see what happens...


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## Callmedoc

BankShot said:


> Ahhhh...so you're the ONE that broke into the Princeton basketball locker storage room!



?


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## Kosor77

Hey Big Blue 79 correct me If I'm wrong but Coach is already in his hometown. He graduated high school from South. Either way He's a great coach, and a great person for ISU. WE NEED HIM more then he NEEDS US. I think he'll stay though. ISU-M just isn't real attractive in my opinion for him to leave us.


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## Cap'n Cat

Don't tell anyone, but Indiana State has contacted Cap'n Cat's agent, Mort Silverbaum, to begin preliminary discussions on taking over the HC position for the Sycamores, should Miles bolt.

Keep it to ourselves for a while, please, guys?



:sycamores:


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## IndianaState45

I think Miles will stick around and take us to the playoffs. He knows he can get us there with his formula so far. I think he knows he'll have a better opportunity set if he waits and other 3-4 years and builds a consistent championship program. I sure wouldn't go to BSU. It's a dead end job for him I think. Can't recruit in sate whereas at ISU he can compete for the same kids that will likely go to Ball State with no 1AA competition. I'd rather recruit the way he’s doing it now. The kids he's bringing here is a major factor in the success. Take that ability away and all the solid coaching in the world can't win a game with a team of subpar players.


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## IndianaState45

Also if Trent passes or doesn't get the job he can certainly go after the dissatisfied or "let go" BSU recruits! We might pick up a few players!!!


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## TJames

*Ball State's possible search process*

Search for new BSU football coach will be a process
By DOUG ZALESKI • dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com • November 30, 2010 

MUNCIE -- Ball State's search for its next head football coach will heat up in earnest this week as the school dives into the process after a holiday weekend.

Former Cardinals athletic director Bubba Cunningham provided some insight into how he approached the search when Brady Hoke was hired in 2002. Some of the same principles could be in play this time as AD Tom Collins seeks a replacement for Stan Parrish, who was fired last Tuesday after two seasons.

Cunningham, the athletic director at Tulsa University, said the first step will be to identify the process of the search. Ball State must decide whether to use a search firm to identify potential candidates, form a search committee, or rely on a small, focused group.

Colorado's search, for instance, has been taken out of the hands of the athletic department. The school's faculty athletics representative is leading the search.

"I've never heard of doing it that way," Cunningham said. "They want the faculty to buy into this decision."

One direction the Cardinals could go in their search is to focus on a coach with ties to Ball State. That happened when Hoke was hired, but Cunningham said that was only about the third or fourth criteria he outlined.

One of Cunningham's chief concerns was to find a coach who could immediately connect to Cardinal constituents. Ball State's fan base certainly needs to be energized after the brilliance of the 2008 undefeated regular season quickly faded as the Cardinals posted 4-8 and 2-10 records the past two years with Parrish in charge.

"We were looking for somebody who could re-engage alumni, former players, students, and just had a real passion for Ball State," Cunningham said of his search in 2002. "That's why Brady was such a good fit. But I didn't go into it thinking we had to have an alum."

Ball State's search this week and next likely will focus on identifying anywhere from a handful of candidates to perhaps a dozen or more.

Cunningham said his preference was to make the scope a broad one and burn up the phone lines seeking information.


"I really felt like getting input from other people was important," he said. "I liked to spend a lot of time talking to people, whether they were coaches, agents, ADs or people in the professional ranks.

It was our opportunity to ask questions about how Ball State was perceived. That helps guide the process. Then you try to identify candidates."

Through that process, Cunningham and associate athletic directors Ken Brown and Joe Hernandez met in central locations with about a dozen candidates for face-to-face meetings.

That list was pared to three coaches, and Hoke stood out. He was the only coach brought on campus to interview.

"I was convinced everyone would settle on Brady if we brought two or three people to campus, and I asked we not do that," Cunningham said. "If we agreed he was the right person, we would offer it to him, and that's what happened."

Cunningham said Ball State likely would benefit from only three coaching openings being available in the lower tier of Division I-A. Kent State and North Texas are the other two other schools in that group with a vacancy.

The likelihood Ball State finds a coordinator from a BCS school to become its next coach is small, Cunningham said. The salary Ball State is likely to offer -- Parrish made $350,000 a year -- isn't necessarily attractive to a coordinator at the BCS level.

"Your pool is somewhat narrowed by the pay scale," Cunningham said. "Those coordinators are going to make about what the head coach (at Ball State) is going to make, and some of them make three times as much.

"I'm worried what our pool would look like if we lost our guy (at Tulsa) because we don't have BCS money (to attract) guys. And the next step with that is your assistant coaches pool. What will that look like, what kind of guys can they attract?"


----------



## Jason Svoboda

North Texas is already filled I do believe -- they got Florida's defensive line coach, Dan McCarney.


----------



## TJames

*you are correct jason.....*

he was introduced to the media on monday.....


----------



## niklz62

footballscoop.com is fun to watch sometimes.  it has some good info sometimes.


----------



## TJames

*brian polian supposedly interviewing for ball state job....*

according to footballscoop.com....

Ball State:  We have confirmed that Stanford special teams coordinator Brian Polian is interviewing for the head job at Ball State.


----------



## niklz62

TJames said:


> according to footballscoop.com....
> 
> Ball State:  We have confirmed that Stanford special teams coordinator Brian Polian is interviewing for the head job at Ball State.



does this make anyone think Harbaugh may take another job?


----------



## Jason Svoboda

niklz62 said:


> does this make anyone think Harbaugh may take another job?


Not really. This was Polian's first year on the Stanford staff. He was fired from ND last year when Weis was let go. That said, I think Harbaugh will be a very popular name in NFL jobs that are going to open up -- most likely San Fransisco. He also has always been tied to the Michigan job.


----------



## Callmedoc

Polian is a perfect fit for Ball State's job...I wish the best for Ball State...afte the Ball State game I dropped a line to their AD who promptly returned my email and was very polite...


----------



## Jason Svoboda

Dgreenwell3 said:


> Polian is a perfect fit for Ball State's job...I wish the best for Ball State...afte the Ball State game I dropped a line to their AD who promptly returned my email and was very polite...


Perfect fit how? He's been a special teams coordinator and position coach. He's never been an offensive or defensive coordinator at any level and the last thing Ball State needs is to grab another inexperienced guy to be their head coach. I'm afraid he is getthing this on his name and name alone.

The best candidate I've seen attached to the Ball State job is Don Treadwell from Michigan State.


----------



## Callmedoc

For these small conference jobs I have always thought that if you find a young position coach that you like the looks of you should always take him high...I mean when we hired a coach with no head coaching experience it ended up turning out OK...Aka Trent Miles...


----------



## landrus13

I don't really care for Ball State, so I don't really care who they get as their coach, unless they get Bill Lynch. Then that becomes a whole new matter.


----------



## Jason Svoboda

Dgreenwell3 said:


> For these small conference jobs I have always thought that if you find a young position coach that you like the looks of you should always take him high...I mean when we hired a coach with no head coaching experience it ended up turning out OK...Aka Trent Miles...


I can see where you're going with that, but experience levels are no where near equal.


----------



## Jason Svoboda

jlandrus23 said:


> I don't really care for Ball State, so I don't really care who they get as their coach, unless they get Bill Lynch. Then that becomes a whole new matter.


So why comment?


----------



## Callmedoc

I have just heard sooooooo MANY good things about polian that I think alot of success can be attained by being the first person to take a chance on a guy...Think bowling Green state when they hired some unknown...his name was Urban Meyer...


----------



## Jason Svoboda

Dgreenwell3 said:


> I have just heard sooooooo MANY good things about polian that I think alot of success can be attained by being the first person to take a chance on a guy...Think bowling Green state when they hired some unknown...his name was Urban Meyer...


It's way premature to compare Brian Polian to Urban Meyer. If you watched any Notre Dame football, you would know how terrible his special teams coaching was. Since that is pretty much all he has ever done, I'm not sure his coaching prowess is something I'd hang my hat on. He was one helluva recruiter while at Notre Dame though.


----------



## Callmedoc

Not what I meant...I was just saying sometimes guys like that turn out to be great coaches...


----------



## TJames

*notre dame assistant interested.....polian may or may not be interested....*

from footballscoop.com....

Ball State: A source told us yesterday that Stanford assistant Brian Polian was no longer a candidate at Ball State.  We have now been told by a person closer to the situation that Polian is still indeed a candidate.

Ball State: Our sources tell us Notre Dame defensive backs coach Chuck Martin is interested in the Ball State head coaching job.


----------



## TJames

*Per footballscoop.com as of today (12/9/10)*

Ball State: Our sources tell us that Ball State is interested in Northern Iowa head coach Mark Farley.


----------



## ISUCC

I bet UNI fans would love to see this happen at this point. 



TJames said:


> Ball State: Our sources tell us that Ball State is interested in Northern Iowa head coach Mark Farley.


----------



## landrus13

Why don't we play Ball State in football?


----------



## Callmedoc

Because they aren't on our schedule...


----------



## IndianaState45

We played them in 02 and almost won...lost 21 to 23. Today I think the thought is to play a bigger money game to fund the program and help with recruiting


----------



## 4Q_iu

IndianaState45 said:


> We played them in 02 and almost won...lost 21 to 23. Today I think the thought is to play a bigger money game to fund the program and help with recruiting



Have to remember that ISU-M is not interested in losing a game to an FCS school, ESPECIALLY their parent!


----------



## TJames

*It's not that ISU won't play Ball State.....*

it's that Ball State won't play ISU in a home-and-home series.....anymore.....if the Sycamores played at Muncie all the time, they'd be interested.....its that ego thing that BSU has going for it.....they think they're better than Indiana State in everything.....


----------



## TJames

*from footballscoop.com today (12/10/10)*

Ball State: We hear Akron defensive coordinator Curt Mallory has interviewed at Ball State.


----------



## TJames

*Sean Payton endorses former Ball State quarterback Mike Neu for job*

Saints coach: BSU should consider Mike Neu for coach
Super Bowl winning coach Sean Payton says Mike Neu is capable of leading a program.

By DOUG ZALESKI • dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com • December 10, 2010 

A Super Bowl championship coach e-mailed Ball State Athletic Director Tom Collins this week seeking the opportunity to provide a recommendation for a former star Cardinal player to become the school's next football coach.

Sean Payton, who coached the New Orleans Saints to a victory over Indianapolis in the Super Bowl last February, told The Star Press he believes Mike Neu should receive strong consideration in the Cardinals' search for a head football coach.

Neu was a star quarterback for Ball State in the early 1990s, leading the Cardinals to the 1993 Mid-American Conference championship. He held the school's all-time records for passing yards, pass attempts, pass completions and touchdown passes when he finished his career.

"I have no doubt he has a future, whether it's in the NFL or collegiate ranks," said Payton, whose father-in-law and sister-in-law attended Ball State. "He has the intangibles I look for if I had a position open here (with the Saints).

"In a leadership role, he's very comfortable because he's been in that position before as a coach in the Arena League and as a player. ... That's what makes it easy for me to recommend him."

Neu, who declined an interview, has had an association with the Saints since 2004. He was head coach of the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League for five seasons. The VooDoo were owned by Saints owner Tom Benson.

Neu was the 2004 AFL coach of the year. He also was head coach of the Carolina Cobras in the Arena League for two seasons.

Neu has worked for the Saints the past two years as an area scout after the Arena League folded. He also participated in practice sessions with the Saints during offseason workouts and preseason camp.

"He's one of those employees who gets it," Payton said. "Having done this long enough now, his presentations in meetings are thorough.

"He's talented with the football part, as an offensive coach, no question. And he's one of those guys who has all the other attributes that you sometimes take for granted."


----------



## TJames

*from footballscoop.com today (12/13/2010)*

Ball State:  Sources tell FootballScoop that Mike Neu, Bob Eliott and Ron Vanderlinden are all in the mix.


----------



## TJames

*ball state ready to make a hire?*

according to footballscoop.com today (12/15/2010)

Ball State: There is a report that Ball State has come to an agreement with a coach. Our sources tell us it's not Brian Polian, Curt Mallory, or Mike Neu.


----------



## IndianaState45

I head it was Landrus...


----------



## Sycamore Proud

IndianaState45 said:


> I head it was Landrus...



4Q is going to be his volunteer associate head coach--his only stipulation is that they MUST wear black uniforms.


----------



## Bally #50

Sycamore Proud said:


> 4Q is going to be his volunteer associate head coach--his only stipulation is that they MUST wear black uniforms.


....too funny!


----------



## TJames

*from today's muncie star press*

Another candidate that appears to have moved on from being a Ball State candidate is former BSU assistant coach Rick Minter.

Minter, who served on the Cardinals coaching staff in the 1980s and 1990s and was reportedly very interested in the current opening, has accepted the defensive coordinator position at Kentucky, according to reports online.

Minter, who once spent 10 years as a head coach at Cincinnati, was on the Indiana State staff last season.


----------



## TJames

*from footballscoop.com tonight (12/16/2010)....*

Ball State:  Our sources tell us Elon head coach Pete Lembo has emerged as the leading candidate for the Ball State head job. 

I am also hearing this from a friend of mine who has strong connections at Ball State.


----------



## Bally #50

Another stellar job done by BSU AD Tom Collins.


----------



## Jason Svoboda

Bally #44 said:


> Another stellar job done by BSU AD Tom Collins.


Is this sarcastic? This hire is a real head scratcher to me. East coast guy with no midwest connections that I could find. Of all of the guys they spoke about over the last month, this was the best guy they could find?


----------



## Callmedoc

not only that but...is Elon really that good?????


----------



## 4Q_iu

Dgreenwell3 said:


> not only that but...is Elon really that good?????



He was / is 35-22 (.614) at Elon; 79-36 (.687) overall; 2 Patriot League titles, 2x Conf CoY and the 2001 Eddie Robinson Nat'l CoY

He's taken them to 2 playoffs; finished in the Top 25 a couple of times.

Southern Conference isn't the OVC...  arguably the toughest in FCS


----------



## Bally #50

*Is this sarcastic?*

SARCASTIC. Tom Collins has been all over the place on this and we'll see how the new coach does, but IMO, they need more than this coach. (I guess for us BSU-haters--it's a GREAT pick). I had a strong negative vibe when he hired Stan and this one seems more of the same~


----------



## Callmedoc

Anyone ever notice that there are AD's who make some amazing hires and then ones that make boneheaded "what were you thinking?!?!?!?!?!?!" ones???...no in betweens lol


----------



## TJames

*from today's Muncie Star-Press....*

Reports: Ball State hires football coach
By GREG FALLON • gfallon@muncie.gannett.com • December 17, 2010 

MUNCIE -- One Ball State official denied late Thursday night that the university has hired its next football coach, despite multiple reports online that the school has hired Pete Lembo, head coach at Elon University.

The Star Press could not confirm the reports.

Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Tony Proudfoot said, "We have not made a hire and have no current plans for a press conference or an announcement."

Ball State Associate Athletics Director of Media and Alumni Relations Joe Hernandez also said Thursday that, to his knowledge, no announcement was planned for today.

A message left on Lembo's cell phone by The Star Press was not returned.

Elon Director of Media Relations Erica Roberson was unable to reach Lembo for comment, and Roberson was unable to provide Elon Director of Athletics Dave Blank for questioning.

A message left by The Star Press for Ball State interim head coach Eddie Faulkner on Thursday evening was not returned.

With 10 years of head coaching experience at both Elon and at Lehigh, where he spent five seasons, Lembo has a career 79-36 record. In five years at Elon, Lembo was 35-22.

The programs at Elon and Lehigh play in the Football Championship Subdivision -- formerly Division I-AA.

Lembo has had only one losing season as a head coach -- in 2006, his first year at Elon.

Elon finished the 2009 campaign with a 9-3 record and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the first time, ending the year ranked in the top-10 in both major FCS polls. The program's seven Southern Conference victories in 2009 were the most during Elon's seven-year tenure in the league.

This season, Elon finished with a 6-5 overall record, 5-3 in conference play.

Before becoming the head coach at Lehigh, where he went 11-1 in his first season (2001), Lembo was an assistant coach at the school for three seasons. He previously assisted at Hampden-Sydney, Dartmouth and Albany.


----------



## Bally #50

Again, any confusion here rests on Tom Collins. This guy is (and always has been) over his head at BSU.


----------



## 4Q_iu

Bally #44 said:


> *Is this sarcastic?*
> 
> SARCASTIC. Tom Collins has been all over the place on this and we'll see how the new coach does, but IMO, they need more than this coach. (I guess for us BSU-haters--it's a GREAT pick). I had a strong negative vibe when he hired Stan and this one seems more of the same~



What's the negative vibe on Lembo?


----------



## Callmedoc

they just hired a coach that really wasnt overly that good this season...or these past few seasons...could have went after Farley or another higher FCS coach if that's what they wanted...


----------



## niklz62

im not sure they got their first or tenth choice.  weve had 8 pages of reasons why people shouldnt take this job.


----------



## 4Q_iu

Farley:  http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_year_by_year.php?coachid=3239

Lembo:  http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_year_by_year.php?coachid=3047

We'll if you're using the past season or two; Lembo has been better (according to W/L)

Maybe Farley had no interest?

Perhaps this moves blows up in ISU-M face and WE reap the fallout?!


----------



## Bally #50

4Q_iu said:


> What's the negative vibe on Lembo?


4Q, no specific negative vibe, but at some time, they have to think outside of the box on coaching and this would seem to be a "bland" pick. My nephew is a Lehigh grad and we'll see if he can enlighten me. I believe that Billy Taylor also coached at Lehigh.


----------



## SycamoreFan317

Over on the ISU-M board they are actually praising this hire.


----------



## Bally #50

SycamoreFan317 said:


> Over on the ISU-M board they are actually praising this hire.


....they're Cardinals.....what do you expect.       It really doesn't mean a thing to me any way you look at it. When it comes to BSU stuff, it usually is a "who gives a sh**" scenario anyway! Let them continue to stink in football. It helps us in recruiting. Who knows....they might just have discovered the new Jimmy Harbaugh, but I doubt it.


----------



## SycamoreFan317

Bally #44 said:


> ....they're Cardinals.....what do you expect.       It really doesn't mean a thing to me any way you look at it. When it comes to BSU stuff, it usually is a "who gives a sh**" scenario anyway! Let them continue to stink in football. It helps us in recruiting. Who knows....they might just have discovered the new Jimmy Harbaugh, but I doubt it.



I could care less who they hire. They spent $700K to get rid of SP so they can not have much to work with capital wise. On their board they say that the Norther Illinois coach was interested but they could not come together on salary.


----------



## Jason Svoboda

SycamoreFan317 said:


> I could care less who they hire. They spent $700K to get rid of SP so they can not have much to work with capital wise. On their board they say that the Norther Illinois coach was interested but they could not come together on salary.


They're pleasuring themselves... Kill wouldn't take a step down to go to Ball State when he had multiple Big Ten teams calling.


----------



## TJames

*an updated story on the ball state coaching situation from the muncie paper*

BSU football, updated: Elon spokesperson says Lembo is still the coach there
By GREG FALLON • gfallon@muncie.gannett.com • December 17, 2010 

MUNCIE — Ball State University’s stance on its open football head coach position remains the same this hour as it did Thursday evening.

Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Tony Proudfoot reiterated to The Star Press just after 1 p.m. that the school has not made a hire to fill its open position and that no announcement has been planned.

Reports that BSU has hired Elon University head football coach Pete Lembo as its next coach surfaced Thursday evening online.


The Star Press has been unable to confirm the reports, which cited unnamed sources.


Elon Director of Media Relations Erica Roberson said this afternoon that Lembo is still the head coach at Elon and that neither she nor school officials have been informed otherwise.


The hire was first reported by Steve Wiltfong of 247sports.com. Wiltfong tweeted the news when he wrote, “Hearing Pete Lembo from Elon will be the next head coach at Ball State. He has a career record of 79-36. Also coached at Lehigh.”


Shortly thereafter, www.overthepylon.net and FOX 59 in Indianapolis reported the news, citing overthepylon.net as a source.


Messages left Thursday evening and Friday morning on Lembo’s cell phone have gone unreturned.


The Ball State board of trustees is to hold a regularly scheduled meeting today at 3:30 p.m., something that could potentially factor into Ball State’s decision to hold an announcement if there is news to announce.


----------



## TJames

*looks like it's official at ball state......*

according to footballscoop.com today (12/19/2010):

Ball State:  FootballScoop has confirmed that Ball State has hired Elon head coach Pete Lembo as their new head coach.


----------



## Bally #50

whoppeee. Now we can go on with our lives. More drama than GENERAL HOSPITAL~


----------



## TJames

*I know most of you don't care, but -- again -- we need to keep on eye....*

on other in-state schools.....because it could affect recruiting in the state......just my opinion......


----------



## Bally #50

I am truly interested. I am just amazed what a soap opera it turned into.


----------



## TJames

Lembo introduced as BSU's new football coach
THE STAR PRESS • December 20, 2010 

MUNCIE — Ball State University athletics director Tom Collins made his opening remarks brief this morning when introducing the school's new football coach, Pete Lembo.

Lembo takes over the program after two years under the direction of Stan Parrish, who was hired to replace Brady Hoke after Hoke left for the top job at San Diego State. The Cardinals were 6-18 in Parrish's two seasons.

Lembo said this morning that he is excited to build relationships in Indiana.

"Everywhere I've been I believe in a strong commitment" to local talent, he said at the introductory press conference.

Terms of the contract were not immediately available.

The room at Worthen Arena was mostly full for Lembo's introduction, with many program supporters on hand. President Jo Ann Gora was not in attendance, as she is in Cancun traveling with the women's basketball team, which will compete today and Tuesday.


----------



## TJames

*Comments from Lembo's Monday morning press conference.....*

from footballscoop.com.....

Pete Lembo talks about his plan at Ball State  

Ball State introduced new head coach Pete Lembo just moments ago.  Lembo was 35-22 in five seasons as the Elon University head coach.  He was 44-14 in the five previous seasons as the head coach at Lehigh University.

Lembo said, “This is not about me.  This is about the Ball State program and all the different constituents in it.  My focus is to maximize the potential of the players.”

“I want our team to be the tightest knit team on the campus and in the MAC.  We will work hard to develop trust and build intangibles. We will be heavily involved in the players’ lives.”

“Character and fit are huge components for me.”

“I have extensive recruiting in Florida and Georgia, if we need to go outside our region, that’s where we’ll go.”

“The MAC is an outstanding league.  It has risen in recent years.  It’s been a long-term goal of mine.  There are so many parallels between the community we are leaving and this community.”

“I think in any profession, who you work for is half the battle.  I learned a lot of Tom (Collin) in this process.  He likes to hire people he can trust and then hand them the keys to the car and support them.”

“This is not going to be about Pete Lembo bringing in his guys.  Everyone is going to have a clean slate.  We are going to embrace all the players.”


----------



## SycamoreFan317

Bally #44 said:


> I am truly interested. I am just amazed what a soap opera it turned into.



Check this article out, notice ISU-M attendance for the last two games.

http://www.thestarpress.com/article...0335/Ball-State-president-opens-up-on-Parrish


----------



## Bally #50

I had checked out their athletic website those weekends to find those figures so I was aware of them. I figured they would end up last in the FBS with a few MAC schools tucked right in behind them. Sad, actually.


----------



## SycamoreFan317

Bally #44 said:


> I had checked out their athletic website those weekends to find those figures so I was aware of them. I figured they would end up last in the FBS with a few MAC schools tucked right in behind them. Sad, actually.



They need to come back to AA (though I know it won't happen) to right the ship Division A is a losing proposition all the way around their expenses are higher and they get invited to bowl games that cost them money. They will never be a national champion of anything in football. IMHO if you are not big enough to be a contender in BCS then AA is the place to be. If Gora thinks Parrish is going to go out of his way to find a job with 700K coming in over the next two years then she is truly naive. I wonder how ISU-M would monitor his job searching? ISU-M athletic department is self destructing.


----------



## TJames

*Lembo salary information.....*

per footballscoop.com today (12/21/2010)

Ball State: Pete Lembo agreed to a 4-year deal worth $350,000 per year.


----------



## SycamoreFan317

TJames said:


> per footballscoop.com today (12/21/2010)
> 
> Ball State: Pete Lembo agreed to a 4-year deal worth $350,000 per year.



The board of trustees won this battle.


----------



## TJames

FALLON: Hire will define Collins' long-term reputation
By Greg Fallon • December 21, 2010 

Sometimes it's hard to tell when you are in the moment just how weighty of a situation you're witnessing. Minutes pass and the breadth of it all in terms of a big-picture moment can be lost quite easily.

But in the case of Tom Collins, Monday's proceedings will likely rank -- one way or another -- at the top of his big-picture when, one day, he's all said and done as Ball State University's athletic director.

With a room full of program supporters and interested media members who had waited for this moment for nearly a month watching, Collins stood behind a podium and began with, "Good morning, we've got a big crowd here. There must be something important going on here."

That something was Pete Lembo: The man charged with not only restoring glory to a football program but -- as we will see it play out over the next few years -- good standing to an administrator's reputation, too.

Above all else, this is the hire that will define Collins' time as the Cardinals' leader.

"It's an important hire," said Collins, who admits his most important duty as AD is hiring coaches. "Pete and I are tied at the hip here. As Pete goes, so goes me. I understand. That's part of the territory. That comes with it."

One of the more publicly criticized individuals at the university, Collins has taken his fair share of shots over the years. His job, by nature, is one that draws heat from impassioned fans. But much of the criticism toward Collins specifically has come as a result of people he's hired.

There was Ronny Thompson and there was Stan Parrish, to name a couple -- a horrible couple.

Thompson -- still to this day, in many respects -- has been the biggest strike against Collins' career at Ball State. Helping to ease that in some regards, though, Collins replaced Thompson with Billy Taylor -- a highly-respected individual whose program continues to improve.

Time, too, helped to ease the discontent over the Thompson debacle.

Then along came Parrish.

While he didn't create near the public relations mess that Thompson did while here, he certainly helped to tank a program. And in the same time, he pushed the Cardinal faithful's tolerance of Collins to the brink.

On Monday, we met Collins' answer. And in the coming months and years, we'll find out if Collins -- like he did with men's basketball -- was able to answer the challenge of hiring a better coach the second time around.

This time, it's crucial that he did.

Unequivocally, football is the program that matters the most. It's the one that brings in the most money, that one that can provide the university with the most exposure.

And now, it's the one that will ultimately define how Collins is viewed down the road.

"I'm sure that's the way people will perceive it," the AD says when asked if Lembo is a make-or-break hire for him personally.

But does he perceive it that way?

"No, I don't perceive it that way," he said. "I always try to do two things when I'm making a decision. What's in the long-term best interest of Ball State University, and what's in the long-term best interest of our student-athletes? Both of those, I think Pete fits that bill."

Whether Collins admits this hire is make-or-break does not change that it is.

"There is no question that when you are a Division-I AD, and you are hiring a football coach or a basketball coach, those are very, very visible hires," Lembo said Monday. "In time, you are going to be judged on the success or failures of those hires. I don't think that is anything revolutionary ...

"My job is to make sure that years from now, people look back and say they made a great decision."

On Monday, watching a personable Lembo and a smiling Collins work a room full of supporters, early returns suggested the decision is a good one.

It was the first day of many left to play out, all of them weighty now for Tom Collins, to determine the impact this decision will have on his lasting big picture.


----------



## TJames

Ball State president opens up on Parrish
Gora: Loss to FCS Liberty was "very troubling"
By DOUG ZALESKI • dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com • December 21, 2010 

MUNCIE -- When Liberty quarterback Mike Brown ran over Ball State linebacker Theon Dixon at the 1-yard line for a touchdown in the Cardinals' second game of the season last Sept. 11, it wasn't just a victory-clinching play for the Flames.

The result sent up an early red flag in the mind of Ball State President Jo Ann Gora in just the 15th game of the Stan Parrish coaching era with the Cardinals.

When Gora didn't see adequate improvement the remainder of the season, Parrish was fired after compiling a 6-19 record with the Cardinals. That move paved the way for the hiring of Pete Lembo as the new coach of the Cardinals.

"You never try to pre-judge, especially that early in the season, but that was very troubling," Gora told The Star Press in her first interview since Parrish was dumped with two years remaining on his contract. "We saw that as a winnable game. It was tough to lose that game.

"We had a great crowd at Scheumann Stadium, and we knew the students would come back if we continued to win. When we lost that game, it was like all the air went out of the season."

Ball State's season flat-lined after that. The Cardinals won just three of their final 10 games, and fans stayed home by the end of the year. Ball State, which finished last among 120 FBS schools in attendance, drew crowds of 5,524 and 5,377 for its final two home games.

Parrish was fired three days after a season-ending 59-21 home loss to Northern Illinois.

"We lost too many games we thought we should have won," Gora said. "That was a bad sign. It was a sign things were not working well.

"There were some bright spots as the season went on, but there were too many games that we didn't win that we seemed to have a really good shot at winning."

Gora said multiple donors have given money to the Ball State Foundation to pay off the $701,000 the school owes to Parrish for the final two years of his contract. She would not identify the donors.

Under terms of his contract, Parrish will be paid on a monthly basis until the contract ends Jan. 31, 2013.

He is required to make "reasonable and diligent efforts" to obtain similar employment as soon as reasonably possible. If he obtains employment as a football coach, Ball State's financial obligations will be reduced on a monthly basis during the remainder of the term in which he is employed by another collegiate or professional team.


----------



## TJames

Pete Lembo takes reigns of BSU football program
New Cardinals coach brings up-tempo passing game
By DOUG ZALESKI • dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com • December 21, 2010 

MUNCIE -- When Pete Lembo's name emerged last weekend as the apparent choice to become Ball State's football coach, a common question arose from many in the Cardinal fan base.

Who is Pete Lembo?

Lembo, the head coach the past five seasons at Elon University, had a chance to personally answer the question Monday morning when Ball State introduced him as the 16th coach in the program's history.

"I really don't feel any pressure," he said of being an under-the-radar hire. "Hopefully, you can sense today what I'm about. This is what I do, and this is who I am. I love it.

"I like to think of myself as a sincere guy, an up-front and honest guy. If history proves anything, I'm pretty easy to get to know, and people learning about me now hopefully will find I'm an easy guy to figure out."

And they hope the 40-year-old coach can win games on Saturdays at a rate like he has throughout his career.

Lembo has a demonstrated record of success at the FCS level, posting a 79-36 career record in 10 seasons at Lehigh and Elon universities. He posted nine winning records in those seasons.

He received a four-year contract at $350,000 a year, and the university holds an option for a fifth season.

Ball State President Jo Ann Gora said she believes Lembo will connect with people and re-energize a fan base that became disinterested in the program during two hum-drum seasons under Stan Parrish, who was fired as coach last month.

"He wanted to meet alumni and the fan base when he came in on Sunday," said Gora, who is attending Ball State's games in the Caribbean Classic women's basketball tournament in Mexico. "I sense he's willing to go that extra mile and engage in the program. I think he'll be very good with donors."

Gora and Athletic Director Tom Collins preferred a candidate with head coaching experience. Both said it was hard to ignore Lembo's record and the recommendation of others that he was a polished leader in a sport that includes more than 100 players, coaches and support staff.

Collins conducted telephone interviews with nine candidates before trimming the list to Lembo and Muncie native Eddie Faulkner, a full-time assistant coach with the Cardinals since 2005. They received separate interviews last Wednesday in Indianapolis.

Collins offered the job to Lembo on Friday, and the offer was accepted Saturday night. Collins said the consistency of Lembo's teams on the field and in the classroom stood out.

"As we did our reference checks and talked to student-athletes who played for him ... everything kept adding up," Collins said.

Lembo said Ball State men's basketball coach Billy Taylor helped him in learning about his new school, providing insight throughout the process. Lembo and Taylor coached at Lehigh from 2002 to 2005.

Taylor said he didn't match Lembo and Ball State but he offered opinions about each with the other.

"I just tried to share with (Collins) that Pete was a man of integrity, character, has great values, and is someone who also is a heck of a football coach," Taylor said.

The on-field trademark of Lembo's teams is a productive, up-tempo offense that averaged more than 400 yards a game the past four seasons. Elon averaged 435.2 yards a game in 2010.

Lembo said his offense is multiple, which allows him to utilize areas of strength. The Cardinals will have several young offensive weapons in the pass game in 2011, headed by quarterback Keith Wenning and receivers Jack Tomlinson and Otis Brown, and a good stable of running backs, led by leading 2010 rusher Eric Williams.

"I think we're known for throwing the football," Lembo said. "If you talk to people who have played against us (at Lehigh and Elon), that's probably one of the first things they would talk about.

"But it's not just a drop-back passing game. It's a very sophisticated screen game. It's a fun offense to watch. At the places we've been, it allows you to do more with less."

Lembo said the Cardinals' defense will be aggressive and fundamentally sound.

Free safety Sean Baker, the school's all-time interceptions leader going into his senior season next year, listened to Lembo lay out his plan when Monday's press conference was streamed live on the school's Web site.

"He seems like a smart guy who loves football," Baker said. "He said besides his family, football is his life, and that's a good sign.

"He's going to be about players and the program, and I'm happy we got a guy who's excited and on the rise. I'm excited because he's a winner, and he seems to have good values and morals."

Lembo said his first order of business will be to hire assistant coaches, seeking to aggressively complete his staff by the middle of next week.

He'll meet with his full team when students come back for the start of the spring semester on Jan. 10.


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## SycamoreFan317

Lembo salary info:

http://www.thetimesnews.com/sports/coach-39602-elon-lembo.html


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## Jason Svoboda

Miami of Ohio got Michigan State's Don Treadwell.


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