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Post by gks on Dec 29, 2023 9:02:16 GMT -5
10 to Army, Navy & Air Force As Breezy makes some final revisions I now count 5 decommits in total from the service academies with 2 choosing elsewhere and 3 remaining UnCommited. Just something to monitor as some kids might use a verbal to an academy as a holding place even more so than other schools given their total roster and scholi flexibility. They are still clearly one of if not our biggest competitor with EIGHT headed there for now. I’ve also asked him to designate (PWO) as there are 5 total on the list choosing P4 PWO offers. This is a trend to monitor especially at a school (like a Penn State) where the NIL account is so massive they might be able to get a stipend to some of their top PWOs as a way to get around the 85 official scholarship limit. I currently count 19 of the 112 that remain UnCommited after the first signing period of which I see 4 names that we will likely continue to recruit in the 2nd period. Thank you for saying this. I'll said this in a different thread and was questioned. This is a big part of the NIL effect. While some get millions many will get their tuition taken care of and will basically be a non-scholarship, scholarship player. Just another thing the NCAA was unprepared for.
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Post by gks on Dec 28, 2023 9:41:44 GMT -5
It’s been raining overnight in Boston and 100 pct chance of rain between 11 and 2 - that natural turf at Fenway will take a beating Sure the field will be fine. The technology is there for excellent grass fields even in crappy conditions. This Fenway Bowl, and I like the idea, has a bit of a curse over it. Cancelled twice for COVID and now playing in miserable conditions. It's too bad.
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Post by gks on Dec 27, 2023 19:27:41 GMT -5
L/S, we may have a different "take" on this comment. I think that you think that he means he will retire from Holy Cross years from now. My read on that statement is he aspired to coach at Holy Cross and this is the perfect fit for him . . . . . now. Not necessarily 5-10 years from now if he is as successful as Chesney and has offers to go to higher paying/more "prestigious" jobs. A fine read. But do you also think Holy Cross is a special enough FCS school for a skilled coach to build a Carm Cozza or Buddy Teevens type long term career through to retirement here? The type of arrangement where the coach becomes identified with the program and the program with the coach? That's what we would have had with Ralph Willard if he stayed until retirement. It's hard to compare any other schools to the Ivies. Those jobs pay really, really well and have virtually no pressure or exposure. Sure someone could come to HC football and stay a lifetime. That's a rare breed in coaching circles. There's always something bigger and brighter.
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Post by gks on Dec 27, 2023 18:00:19 GMT -5
If you want to get MBB out of it's currant morass step one is to stop scheduling these games.
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Post by gks on Dec 24, 2023 12:08:43 GMT -5
Cripes! It's Christmas. Let Fr. Brooks rest in peace. None of us can change the past, including and especially Fr. Brooks. He's gone . . . . . literally. Keep it up, guys and I will start to re-litigate the Crusader mascot/logo/cognomen decision of the dearly departed Fr. Boroughs (yes, I know he's still alive but he's departed Holy Cross). You'll regret it, I promise! To be fair...people keep posting about Fr. Brooks and his decisions and the impact they had/didn't have. Others can't comment?
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Post by gks on Dec 24, 2023 10:54:12 GMT -5
Chesney put HC on the map of top FCS/low level FBS recruits. It's Curran's job to keep the talent train moving. So far, so good.
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Post by gks on Dec 24, 2023 10:17:16 GMT -5
Actually, Fr. Brooks was dead set against post season games. First hand I know he felt it was intrusive on academics. He recognized the seductiveness & dangers of overemphasis. I get a big kick from some of the comments. No sense re-litigating this for the umpteenth time. The past is past. We are what we are. As to the future? Who knows? How is that for a series of cliches? It is my hope HC will continue to maintain a proper perspective on the role of athletics in an elite academics setting. Return to the HC All Stars? Happy Holidays. HIs paradox was that he only felt this way with football. If you're dead set against post seasons then do it for all....and I'm talking hoops and hockey. Perspective is different for every school. HC knows what there's is.
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Post by gks on Dec 23, 2023 16:25:06 GMT -5
Just heard on Cover 3 (podcast) that 10 (!) portal guys from JMU are actually playing. That is odd. Who knows how many stay after all. Air Force hit a nosedive late this season. But no portal type issues I know of. JMU portal guys want to move up. Bowl season is a perfect 'prove it' time for them on a national stage.
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Post by gks on Dec 22, 2023 15:23:20 GMT -5
We should all relax. Coaching is a fraternity. No doubt in my mind that if Coach Zarkowski does leave that Coach Curran has someone in his pool of coaches to replace him. As we see with Chesney, guys left to go with him. The same is the case with Coach Curran. I think the concern here is that from a coaching perspective we're starting over when the expectation was to build off of the success of past 6 years. Obviously, this would temper expectations for the second signing period unless Coach Curran and the new staff are dynamic recruiters. Holding out hope. By hiring Curran Kit Hughes was banking/hoping on this not being an issue. IMO this is/was a risky hire for Kit. Not shocked that the younger coaches are leaving. Very easy for them to pick up and go. Really hope BV is the new DC. Some continuity is good and needed on the staff.
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Post by gks on Dec 22, 2023 12:32:36 GMT -5
This came from the Boston Herald, obviously only local players and not 100% complete. IIRC HC was involved at one point with Cooper Ackerman. Childs is the brother of the BU women's player HC competed against. And you'll also notice the name Reno on there. ALBANY: Jojo Uga (Weston/Worcester Academy) BOSTON COLLEGE: Charlie Comella (Xaverian) BROWN: Matt Childs (Medway/Milton Academy) BUCKNELL: Darius Day (Dexter Southfield), Tariq Thomas (Springfield Central/Williston Northampton) CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Sean O’Brien (Walpole/East Coast Prep) CORNELL: Adam Landry (Newton North/Phillips Andover) DARTMOUTH: Anthony Ndika (Loomis Chaffee), Kristian Strong (Avon Old Farms) DUKE: Derrick Brown Jr. (Avon Old Farms), Brett Elliott (BB&N) GEORGETOWN: Mike Bonsu (Dexter Southfield) GEORGIA: Ryan Puglisi (Avon Old Farms) HARVARD: Brandon Sullivan (Catholic Memorial) KANSAS STATE: Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder (Whitman-Hanson/Butler Community College) LAFAYETTE: Dominic Selvitelli (Lawrence Academy) LIBERTY: Jonathan Monteiro (Xaverian) MAINE: Will Grant (Milton Academy) MERRIMACK: Will Claude (Catholic Memorial) NOTRE DAME: Guerby Lambert (Catholic Memorial), Joe Vinci (Westwood) PENN STATE: Liam Andrews (Dexter Southfield) PITTSBURGH: Cam Monteiro (Brockton) PRINCETON: Connor Cronin (Marblehead/Avon Old Farms), Theo Bachelder (Pingree/Hun School) RICHMOND: Joe McCauley (Dexter Southfield) SACRED HEART: Matthew DeFeo (Xaverian/Williston Northampton) SOUTH CAROLINA: Dante Reno (Cheshire Academy) STONEHILL: Anthony Busa (Xaverian/East Coast Prep), Drew Eason (Methuen), Peter Fiumara (Belmont Hill), Jaylon Hebert (Springfield Central) STANFORD: Benedict Umeh (Avon Old Farms) TEXAS A&M: Miles O’Neil (Marblehead/Hun School) UCONN: Cooper Ackerman (Shrewsbury) UCLA: Henry Hasselbeck (Xaverian) UMASS: Keith Sarkodieh (Worcester Academy) UNC: Zach Gluckman (Avon Old Farms) UNC-CHARLOTTE: Dom Silvia (Bridgewater-Raynham/Dexter Southfield) UNH: Dajzuan Johnson (Minnechaug) USC: Elijah Newby (Cheshire Academy) VILLANOVA: Chris Colby (Pingree) VIRGINIA: KeShawn Adams (Avon Old Farms) WAKE FOREST: Jack Hines (Avon Old Farms) I'm a huge UConn fan (mostly basketball...lifelong CT resident), but man their football program is a dumpster fire. Honestly I have a hard time seeing the logic justifying a decision to play at UConn over HC. I know FBS blah blah blah, but really.... Dairy Bar.
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Post by gks on Dec 22, 2023 12:02:50 GMT -5
I forget who said "comparisons are odious" (Shakespeare?), but although I like JMU (and wish Chesney nothing but success) there are few areas it matches HC. Its endowment is about 150 million, it has a pretty high acceptance rate. Sometimes when I extol the virtues of HC I say: HC has two sitting US Senators, one member of the House, and a Supreme Court Justice. Few schools can match that. You cannot compare a public/state school with a small private institution. They serve completely different students. One thing they do have in common is football. Kids and vast majority of coaches want to compete of the highest level. People can debate whether that's right or wrong.
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Post by gks on Dec 21, 2023 20:56:36 GMT -5
We signed ten, two outstanding, one injured You do the math and review the JMU signatures peace and out Holy Cross did very well keeping what they did. Kids choose where to play football for these reasons and in this order. 1. The coach 2. The level of football 3. The school The anger towards a coach who dragged a dead program out of obscurity and onto the national stage is ridiculous. Everyone on this board should be thanking Bob Chesney.
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Post by gks on Dec 21, 2023 20:40:40 GMT -5
My Christmas thought While I have been silent, I am about to disturb 99% of the posters, and then go back to take a long winters nap Chesney was a wonderful coach, a friend to many of us, and reestablished Holy Cross as a legitimate NE football program. He enjoyed his HC opportunity and used his Assumption life to create a degree of bonafides with the HC/Worcester community We were so fortunate to have him as our coach He used Holy Cross like others use schools do as a stepping stone for the next opportunity He sprinted towards any opportunity to get him to the next level of coaching and financial stability And we know nothing, especially the good stuff lasts forever However, Bob was not committed to Holy Cross, he was committed to Bob I respect that and most all posters would take a similar approach We all knew he would go after graduate players and coaches that revered him and he knew they could deliver- all of that is good and understood What is so wrong is the way he and his staff poached our verbal commits and potentially other recruits on the board So love him, thank him, but don’t put him on a pedestal, he isn’t close to Mark Duffner, Rick Carter, or coaches that came before them, that truly believed at Holy Cross you could have it all! Let’s focus on supporting Coach Curren and his staff, create a new staff position-alumni liaison role or two so we are more engaged and aware of recruiting, fully financing the CAF, and creating an 1843 NIL that is the envy of the FCS The Chesney era is over-Thank you for your service, and let’s move forward Merry Christmas and God Bless you and your families Mark Duffner left when the going was about to get tough...and I don't blame him for it. Rick Carter wanted to leave but Fr. Brooks wouldn't let him. All coaches are concerned about themselves and their families first. It is there profession. They all strive to be the best. Merry Christmas.
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Harvard
Dec 21, 2023 16:42:06 GMT -5
Post by gks on Dec 21, 2023 16:42:06 GMT -5
Just not good enough.
That's the summary of HC men's hoop up and to this point.
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Post by gks on Dec 21, 2023 16:39:55 GMT -5
Could coach James post a signal to mark his intent to stay? I’m hearing James has resigned. Trying to confirm. IMO he'll end up at UNH so we'll see him in the fall. Would have been tough for someone that went for the head job and didn't get it to stay.
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Post by gks on Dec 21, 2023 8:52:04 GMT -5
I agree. Just not Stu Smith. Not yet anyway. Not every kid gets NIL money. He’s a PWO. He will get a small amount of NIL to cover costs. This is common place now. No one said he'll be raking in millions.
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Post by gks on Dec 20, 2023 18:32:18 GMT -5
I think you need to take into account the population of the state (using that as a surrogate for the number of people age 18-22) . Alabama's population is 5.1MM . The percentage of Alabamans going to U of Alabama may not be out of line with the percentage of Pennsylvanians going to Penn State, for example. As well, Alabama also has Auburn University and other state schools. 72 percent of the class of 2025 at UMass were in-state students.. At the University of Vermont for the class of 2026, in-state residents were 16 percent of the freshman class. Vermont is in a demographic free-fall, and very much depends on out of state students to keep the university functioning. In state costs at New England flagship universities are very expensive. Vermont may top the list. As a parent with two in school it was cheaper out of pocket to send to private schools outside of MA.
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Post by gks on Dec 20, 2023 18:27:50 GMT -5
Not his smartest move - IMHO. In state tuition, room and board is about $20,000. He is giving himself a shot at the Big 10. I am not going to criticize him. Stu won't pay a dime. NIL will more than likely cover this. A way to skirt equivalency rules. HC will be on board soon.
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Post by gks on Dec 20, 2023 12:29:05 GMT -5
Transfer portal talk is meaningless unless HC admissions is on board.
Been a big hurdle over the years when attempting this route.
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Post by gks on Dec 20, 2023 9:04:14 GMT -5
I don't get why people are obsessed with the Ivies. They are industry leaders in higher education and ancient football foes of the Crusaders. Just because we play them regularly like we have for over a century doesn't mean HC has any desire to boycott the playoffs, reduce their schedule to ten games, eliminate scholarships or start drinking tea with the baby finger extended. Harvard and Yale both were "RV" received votes in the final FCS Coaches Poll. Our only other FCS opponent ranked higher was Lafayette. Playing these teams does not bring HC down. Losing to Harvard hurt HC but you can't blame the IL for that. Sorry....I'll pass. I've had enough of the Ivies on many fronts.
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Post by gks on Dec 19, 2023 16:55:14 GMT -5
So many schools playing FBS football with admission rates in the 80's/90's pct /photo/1 So?
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Post by gks on Dec 19, 2023 16:42:13 GMT -5
This is a big hire for Kit. Kit seemingly went outside the box for this hire. Going outside of the Chesney "tree" is a gutsy move.
I'm assuming that most here and HC followers didn't have Curran high on their list....which is fine.
HC football is now back to being a known commodity. People are paying attention. Results are expected. Wish the new head coach well.
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Post by gks on Dec 18, 2023 18:30:43 GMT -5
How many HC alums would even think of making a trip to Missoula, Montana? I would set the over/under at 50 people? I can think of about 25 HC alums, family, friends etc just in my own friends cohort who went to the BC and Army games this year who would possibly go if it was marketed/promoted well. I could see a decent # of purple people making that trip. Hmmm....a game in one of college football's (any division) best atmospheres or play in front of 3k at Dartmouth, Brown, etc. No brainer.
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Post by gks on Dec 18, 2023 18:29:18 GMT -5
It may be that Grautski, a local guy, prefers to stay in Massachusetts rather than move to Harrisonburg. I think that being a local guy is great but for Coach Grautski to stay HC will probably have to up the ante a bit. He and Chesney have been together since Assumption. Tough to break that relationship. I do feel like Kit has a clue about how college football actually works so I'm optimistic.
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Post by gks on Dec 17, 2023 17:07:27 GMT -5
Interesting. How well did Monmouth football do in the last 6 years? Multiple championships? Who knows and who cares. Hunter's announcement says "due to recent changes"....says it all.
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