Coaching pedigrees

[ngineerParticipant]

Not sure my ‘position’ on this, but it struck me last week that we do not have any former Lehigh players on the coaching staff for the first time in quite a few years, I think. While I think it is good to have a mix of experience on a staff, having ‘deep’ connections with the school can have intangible benefits with such a coach being able to ‘relate’ with the kids more so than some others. “I’ve been there, too” can help a lot frosh in transition. There is also a stronger communication of ‘tradition’ as well. While Andy has a strong tradition due to his prior stint here in the 1990’s, and Bot has a short prior stint, just seems a bit odd not to have any alums on the staff.

[RichHParticipant]

Think that lack due more to timing than intent. Expect as the low pay assts tirn over,we’ll see Alums in some of those slots.

[MillerParticipant]

What former players are in to coaching now? Chick may return, but are there others that are younger with the desire to return? I agree that a coach that played at Lehigh would be able to recruit and relate to kids that are baffled about the split campus.

[ngineerParticipant]

Chick has a former LU DB who is his DC, now. Ernie Moore came over from being the DC at U of Chicago for a couple years. Ernie is probably looking to ‘move up’, but having just got to Valpo it would be too soon for him to make an immediate move. Was sorry to see RJ Ryan leave.

[RichHParticipant]

Stambaugh,Borden are 2 . There are more but my memory is taking the night off

[munchkinsandwich2Participant]

I have expect as the low pay asst tern over,we’ll see Alums in some of those slots.

[MillerParticipant]

Maybe Sterrett should up the pay for assistants in football if you want a quality staff and program year after year. The difference would be made at the gate. A 3 win team sells less tickets than a 9 win team always.

[ngineerParticipant]

The number of tickets between 2014 and 2013 is modest. When only 3-500 students show up per game, big impact on atmosphere. Old farts don’t make noise, if you get my “drift” (;-)

[RichHParticipant]

Groan :):).Win with exciting football and more students will come. Probably not as many as at Taylor. Still think it was shortsighted not to gut and expand Taylor.

[MillerParticipant]

Rich, academics first,remember? Where would the business school had gone? Students today will only show up in droves to a night game………..so guess what?

[ngineerParticipant]

Student attendance is down nationwide, and the PL schools have become ‘geekier’. Along with so many more diversions today than 40 years ago when going to any game was THE diversion, plus I think there is less ‘bonding’ with the student body. Most athletes are no longer ‘on campus’ with frat brothers or dorm mates. Coaches dissuading fraternities, so the players move off campus with some teammates. They live in separate worlds from other students. Years ago, the frats showed up in force to support their brothers..that’s 500-1,000 guys right there. With the harrassment directed toward the tailgating students (must tear down and remove before going to game) they tear down, cart the stuff home and then stay to watch on TV and drink, which they can’t do at Goodman. A whole combination of factors at play, unfortunately.

[TheCobblerParticipant]

Blaming the decrease in attendance on the students is the easy thing to do but I would argue it’s not true. If EVERY student attends we’re talking about 4,500 people. I think we can all agree that never happened. From the LU website, in 2002 the average home attendance for 6 games was 10,179 and that doesn’t include Laf game which was played in Easton. The average attendance in 2014 was 6,248 with the largest crown being Fordham, 9,372. Even if we are talking about 2,000 more students going to games (which I would argue there weren’t 2,000 more students at games in 2002 than 2014), there are still 2,000 people (who are not students) that no longer attend games.

Since the move to Goodman, Laf games excluded, there have rarely been more than 1,000 students that actually go into games. The decrease in attendance isn’t due to the lack of students, it’s due to everyone else no longer going to games and I think that’s a fact.

My opinions why are the Lehigh Valley has grown and there are many other things going on than there were 15 years ago. Also the alumni base is no longer a “local” group that goes to games every week. As LU grew they admitted students from different parts of the country. Those students don’t stay in the Lehigh Valley after graduation anymore and don’t go to games.

Don’t blame the lack of attendance on the teams performance either because the attendance was just as poor in 2010-2013 when the team was good.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by  TheCobbler.

[RichHParticipant]

Excellent point Cobbler. Think your estimates pretty much on the mark. Among my group of old farts,few still live in the NE. Most still come in for Pards but not any other games. For alums ,an exciting winning team the essential magnet. Goodman a bonus for us. Not so much for students for all the factors noted by engineer. Better marketing,more reasonble tailgating rules and better transportation for students.

[MillerParticipant]

Cobbler hit it on the nail, very similar thread last year on AGS. The lack of attendance is due to lack of local interest and the games on TV.
To ngineer- the student body is VERY much different than 40 years ago as many Asians/Europeans now fill the campus and could careless about football. BTW most football players are brothers or hang out at K Psi or DU (the main 2 frats) on campus.In order to fill the stands, approach local schools and offer kids tickets for doing well in school. The family comes and buys food,gear,and has a great time. Many will return if the experience is family fun. To them a win doesn’t matter, but they are in the stands cheering.

[RichHParticipant]

LU does similar for Bball. Dont see why it wouldn’t work for Fball. Staff does it for various local football teams. Local support much smaller than in my day. Steel mills may have been ugly but the workers loved football and came to games. Southside Boosters were a very large group and influence. By mid 60s,with the deemphasis (read defunding),quality and crowds vanished. Cooley a great guy and good coach but had very few players. Hell,we started a 177 lb center. Dinlap started us on our decads of success with just a few clinkers along be way.

Population has changed drastically since then. LV ,as a whole still has great football and Bethlehem has regained a good portion of that . Still tough kids just the last names have changed.
On a side topic,see whete has 2 games scheduled with Cuse as well as there BC game. Very aggressive in locking up FBS games as has Gate. Us not so much. Is that a good thing or are we losing out on opportunities? Gotta figure that our reported negotiations with Cuse and PSU were fruitless.

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