Football Interlude

I posted a while back that co-DC Joe Trainer had left BGSU (after not really being here) to be the head coach at Rhode Island.

The dominoes began to fall last week.

Mike Elko has been named the new DC, according to this story. There's nothing from our end yet, so it isn't clear if he will be the DC, or share the DC duties with Shannon Morrison, as Trainer was going to do.

Elko was preparing to be the DC at Tennessee-Chattanooga, where Russ Huesman is now the Head Coach. Huesman and Elko both worked for Clawson at Richmond, and Elko also worked with Clawson at Fordham.

FWIW, Huesman is not happy about it.

“I knew the defensive coordinator at Bowling Green left for Rhode Island, so I knew the job was open, but it is surprising in a couple of ways,” Huesman said Monday from Richmond, where he spent the weekend with his family. “It’s surprising that Dave Clawson would contact him, and it’s a little surprising that Mike left.”

Nice article on Coach Clawson in Toledo Free Press

Ryan Fowler has a nice article on Coach Clawson in the Toledo Free Press, talking about NFL talent he coached at Villanova and Richmond, including Tim Hightower, the Cardinals RB. Definitely worth a read.

Interesting article from Tennessee on Coach Clawson

I know it is just a media interview, but I continue to like what I hear from Coach Clawson. This is an article looking back on his one year at Tennessee. In it, I think he takes a realistic and humane approach to what happened during what had to have been an awful year.

"Too many people's lives were negatively affected by what happened last season, so I don't think it's appropriate to put it in terms of who has landed on his feet and who hasn't," Clawson says.

"It was different from what Tennessee had run before offensively, and that presented some problems," he said. "I knew it would take some time for the players to learn it, grow into it and execute it.

"I never anticipated that there was the possibility we would be one-and-done. If I had known that, maybe we could have adjusted some things."

One last thing, note that his offensive scheme is considered somewhat complicated, just in the "what can we expect" category.

Contract update

Here's the news....Clawson got a six-year deal (WOW!) at BG....salary info is listed.

Clawson has a six-year contract with a base salary of $200,000 per year, Christopher said. With incentives the contract could be worth between $290,000 and $400,000.

Also, some chatter on azz.com that QB verbal Patrick Nicely is taking a visit to Toledo. Just a quick note to the Nation--don't lose focus on one guy, even one as promising as Nicely.

Here's one thing....

Seems like the least he could have done was tell this guy he had tape on his helmet. I'm sure I would have wanted to know.

Clawson Presser--"A Degree and a Championship"

Humor-wise (and content-wise) these opening deals are usually a little bland--usually lots of thank yous and platitudes. With that in mind, we don't delay. Anything I outright make up will be in orange.

The presser began with the cheerleaders leading a cheer to the sounds of "Forward Falcons" which was kind of corny, but cool, too.

The Communications guy said that it was BGSU's first web-streamed athletic event. I watched it, and it worked pretty well.

He asked that no one stand and clap until it was over (winning today's award for presumption).

Greg Christopher talked.

The first reference to "the next level" came at 2:36. PM.

GC actually had some interesting things to say. First, he watched Richmond play App. State in the FCS semi-final "one year and five days ago," and filed away Dave Clawson's name in a "mental file," perhaps beginning a subliminal deatwatch to the Brandon tenure.

He said they met 10 days ago for three hours at the Montgomery Inn. They did not share ribs, as that would have been inappropriate. (no, he said that).

They noted similar philosophies. Then 5 days ago he did a full presentation about the program.

Christopher went on to say that he felt Clawson was committed to running a "total program," fitting his rationale for letting a nominally winning coach go two weeks ago.

He also dropped that Clawson has recruited Ohio.

Next, the new Coach came up.

To answer your main question--baseball cap, not jersey.

He complimented Christopher on being "close to the vest," (which he is), and that he didn't even think he was a serious candidate until 12 hours ago.

But he's ready to get into the "foxhole" with Greg Christopher.

Then, he mentioned his wife, and he actually choked up when he recalled what he had "put her through" over the last 10 months. This is worth thinking about...they pick up from Richmond, go to Knoxville, where the situation goes really bad. He had to have been abused in the media and the fanspace there this year. And then, out of that hell, one year later, you're heading to a new town. Also, it is possible he thought he wouldn't get back to head coaching, or at least so soon.

Said he turned down a BCS coordinator position.

He has recruited Cleveland and Youngstown (at Fordham, playing on the Catholic connection) and had Cincy for Tennessee.

He said BG must win recruiting Ohio. (Is this a reaction to the Brandon/Meyer more national perspective? My guess is that is the direction the school wants to go in).

He is looking for strong staff ties. When he went to Richmond, he knew nothing about Virginia. His first three hires were from Virginia.

He said to recruit Ohio well, we have to give players a great experience, so they go back home at talk BG up as "the best 4-5 years of my life." Here he dropped a great mission statement for our program:

"Each player should go home with a degree and a championship."

In my mind, you can't say it (or do it) any better than that.

Showing some self-deprecation that might seperate him from his predecessor, he said that he went to Fordham where they had 12 losing seasons, and the first year he "made it worse." Anyway, said he learned a lot, and has continued to learn right up until he learned about a big-time program last year at Tennessee.

Here is his to do list.

1. Take care of business "this weekend" (nice) on recruiting, keeping commits and filling the class. There is one week left in the open recruiting period.
2. Form a staff. Nothing more important.
3. Work with the existing players. He notes he is asking for their "blind trust."

His goal for any program is sustained success. No spikes.

He also noted that there is no need to gut the program here.

On offense, he said he is not a "system guy," another clear break from the previous coach. At this level, he said, your system has to flexible enough to make best use of your players. He said the players asked if we would use the spread and he said "if our four best players are wide receivers, then we'll be in a lot of 4 WR sets."

He has coached teams that ran well and teams that passed well.

His offensive goal is to get the ball to "playmakers in space." Another pretty good offensive mission statement.

He said the players, not plays, win games.

Then, he left the podium to the sounds of ay-ziggy-zoomba and more cheerleaders.

I am fired up. I don't know what it is, but I think this guy has it. He seems confident without being arrogant about himself or his "system." He has the right goals, and has already proven he can get there. I can't wait to see how he does.

Uninformed commentary on Dave Clawson

OK, what would the internet be without uninformed and occasionally tasteless commentary?

So, I've posted a couple times on our new football coach, and its time for me to "contribute" my perspective.

Everything feels right about it.

There. Now, it wouldn't be the Internet if I didn't bloviate about it until any (largely theoretical) reader cries for mercy.

I just think this is the right guy.

I like that he is a proven head coach, not a coordinator who might or might not be a head coach.

I like that he has won at places where it is hard to win, because at Bowling Green, it isn't easy. Many or most of the players wish they were elsewhere. We are the little brother to most of the football fans in the area. A guy who won at Fordham, you know, he doesn't expect to have it all handed to him. We weren't born on third base. Our team has to run.

Yes, all that was at I-AA. Two thoughts. I'd like to introduce you to a guy we know as "Jim Tressel." Also, good I-AA teams are probably competitive MAC level teams. With fewer scholarships.

He's young. I like that. You get a seasoned head coach and yet he's young enough to have plenty in front of him. I like that.

I like that he's an offensive coach. That's the kind of football I like to see us play.

I also like the talk at Tennessee about running a multi-set offense. This seems to be the trend in college football. A lot of spread looks but some variety in packages, and I think that promises to bring an easy transition to our team.

Anyway you slice it, he's been a part of some pretty good football players.

No, he doesn't have midwest ties. No one has every factor. If he hires the right assistants, that will take care of itself. And if he builds a kick-ass program, it will also take care of itself.

Finally, I don't care if he does well and moves on. If he does well, I'd love him to retire here.

But, as a rule, there are two ways a coach leaves BG.

• The way Urban Meyer did.
• The way Gregg Brandon did.

I hope he leaves by the first route.

Promise is just that. Just like you or I at our jobs, or a player or an athletic director or a guy who opens a bakery, you have to actually do the thing successfully. And that starts today. And I'll be screaming from the 50 next fall.

Presser will be at 2:30. You in theory will be able to watch live through this page.

More gushing on Dave Clawson

• He's 41.
• He was a defensive back at Williams College (small prestigious school, people study there). He also played basketball. And he studied political economy.
  
• The team's nickname is the Ephs.
• He was an assistant at Albany, Buffalo, Lehigh, Villanova.
• He coached for five years at Fordham (29-29) and four years at Richmond (29-20).
• He was 3-19 his first two years at Fordham, and then 26-10 the next three years, including a trip to the I-AA Quarterfinals.
• He was twice conference coach of the year with Fordham.
• Prior to his arrival, Fordham had 12 straight losing seasons.
• He was twice named I-AA coach of the year, once at each school.
• After a 3-8 first season, he was 26-12 with the Spiders. He made the I-AA semifinals with Richmond, and made the tournament one other season.
• His offenses there were huge, and he developed a highly ranked QB (Stacy Tutt, who is now with the Jets).
• According to the release on BGSUfalcons.com, here are some players he has coached...Brian Westbrook (Eagles), receiver Brian Finneran (Falcons), tailbacks Rabih Abdullah (Buccaneers, Bears and Patriots) and Tim Hightower (Cardinals), quarterbacks Stacey Tutt (Jets) and Kevin Eakin (Bills), and defensive lineman Aki Jones (Redskins).

Most of the above information courtesy wikipedia.

Some more stuff. ESPN had this on him when he took the Tennessee job.

"His multiple offensive system using the talents of the players available to their fullest has been impressive," Fulmer said. "He has a great passion for recruiting, which is important for Tennessee, and his experience as a head coach will serve us well."

He had big time offenses at Richmond. Check the numbers out in his bio, here.

The offense has combined for 8,817 yards over the past two seasons, which is the most-ever in back-to-back seasons in Richmond football history.

Here's the Blade article introducing Clawson.

To be fair, you do have to mention that the offense at Tennessee was dreadful this year. (They scored 7 points against Wyoming, a team BG, for example, rolled over). It doesn't sour me on this coach, however, given his track record as a head coach and an offensive coach.

Here's the USA Today article when he went to Tennessee.

Note that he did leave Richmond one week after signing an extension.

Breaking News--reports say new Coach is named

If you check out this link from Tennessee, you will see that the report is that Dave Clawson will be announced as Falcon coach soon.

Judging by the earlier responses on AZZ.com, I think its safe to say the Nation will be, well, orgasmic over this pick. He won the I-AA coach of the year at two different schools, so he is a proven head coach at schools where you have to fight to win. He has big school experience. I think it looks to me like a really good pick.

More coming, as it develops.