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Post by Sons of Vaval on Dec 15, 2023 11:12:39 GMT -5
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Post by hc1996 on Dec 15, 2023 11:14:04 GMT -5
Let's go!!!! Welcome Coach Curran!
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Post by midwestsader05 on Dec 15, 2023 11:15:35 GMT -5
Checks every box what Kit and Co. said they wanted. I like it.
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Post by Ray on Dec 15, 2023 11:19:09 GMT -5
To our football alumni, parents, donors and season ticket holders, we want you to hear this official announcement from us.
Curran named Holy Cross football head coach
WORCESTER, Mass. — Holy Cross Associate Vice President for Athletics Kit Hughes announced the hiring of Dan Curran as the next head coach of the Holy Cross football team on Friday, Dec. 15.
Curran most recently spent 11 seasons as the head coach at Merrimack, guiding the program through its transition to Division I. He is the all-time winningest coach in Merrimack history with 53 victories, and led the Warriors to the Northeast Conference championship game in 2022 and 2023. Curran’s 2022 team also tied the school single-season record with eight victories, while posting a seven-game winning streak and receiving votes in the top 25 for four consecutive weeks in just the program’s third full season at the Division I level.
“Holy Cross football has established its reputation as arguably the best place in Division I to pursue both an elite undergraduate degree and compete nationally at the highest level,” Hughes said. “Worcester has become a place for outstanding students, athletes and people to develop themselves in every dimension of their lives, and I could not be more excited to enhance that reputation under Coach Curran's leadership. His deep understanding of Holy Cross, our values as a Jesuit Catholic institution, our commitment to academic excellence, and demonstrated ability to build and lead a quality and highly respected program helped him to distinguish himself throughout an incredibly competitive process. Coach Curran embraces not just the program that we are currently, but the one that we can be. His respect for the past, vision for the future and enthusiasm for the present will serve our student-athletes, College and community incredibly well moving forward.
“I would like to thank members of my team, including Deputy Athletic Director Nick Smith and members of our Search Advisory Board, for their thoughtful insight throughout this process. We were methodical with our search, and I could not be more excited with the outcome and opportunity to support Coach Curran and our football program moving forward.”
Throughout his career, Curran has recruited and mentored nine All-Americans, 50 all-conference players and 10 NFL free agents.
“It’s an absolute pleasure and honor to be named the next head football coach at Holy Cross,” Curran said. “I would like to thank President Vincent Rougeau, Kit Hughes and Nick Smith for this wonderful opportunity. Holy Cross is truly a special place, one where our student-athletes can have an elite academic experience, compete for championships and be a part of an amazing community. My family and I are thrilled to now be a part of the Holy Cross community, and could not be more excited to get to work and compete for championship number 12.”
During the 2023 season, Curran’s team tied for second place in the Northeast Conference, with wide receiver and kick returner Donovan Wadley earning first team All-American and NEC Offensive Player of the Year honors. The Warriors placed eight players on the All-NEC teams, while ranking fifth in the nation in total defense (283.2 yards allowed per game).
In 2022, Curran’s squad tied the program record with eight victories and finished in second place in the NEC. The Warriors had nine All-NEC and three All-New England selections, and led the conference in rushing defense (136.4 yards allowed per game).
In the Warriors’ inaugural season at the NCAA football championship subdivision (FCS) level and in the Northeast Conference (NEC) in 2019, Curran guided Merrimack to a 6-5 record, with the Warriors becoming one of just a handful of teams to have a winning record in their first year at the Division I level. Merrimack led the conference in sacks and ranked among the top three in scoring offense and defense in 2019. Individually, redshirt seniors Marquis Spence and Michael Mercuri were All-New England selections after superb debut seasons at the FCS level.
During Merrimack’s tenure at the Division II level, Curran led the program to several marquee moments, including the school's first victory over a Division I opponent when it defeated reigning Northeast Conference champion and Division I FCS Tournament participant Wagner (2013). Curran also owns signature wins vs. Division II regional powers LIU (four of the five wins in program history vs LIU) and New Haven (two of the three wins in program history vs New Haven, both on the road), as well as a winning record vs. old NE10 rivals Southern Connecticut and Bentley.
Under Curran’s guidance, the Merrimack program was named the Community Service Award winner at the 2014, 2017 and 2018 LEAD Awards for its work with Team IMPACT, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, Lazarus House, You’re With Us and Lawrence Literacy Night. The football team continually ranked among Merrimack's most active programs in terms of community service hours each academic year.
Prior to his time as Merrimack’s head coach, Curran spent three seasons as Warriors’ offensive coordinator from 2010-2012. Merrimack led the Northeast-10 Conference in total offense during each of his three years as offensive coordinator. During the 2012 campaign, the Warriors ranked first in the nation with an average of 399.2 passing yards per game, while standing second in the country in both total offense (525.8 yards per game) and 10th in scoring offense (41.0 points per game).
Curran came to Merrimack after playing eight years of professional football. He spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League, as well as the New Orleans Voodoo and Georgia Force of the Arena Football League.
As a player in the Arena Football League, Curran earned first team All-League honors and was named to the All-Ironman Team after leading the league in rushing and becoming just the third player in league history at the time to rush for over 20 touchdowns in a season.
A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Curran earned All-Atlantic 10 honors after rushing for over 1,000 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns in his senior season for head coach Sean McDonnell and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. The Chelmsford High School Hall of Famer was the Boston Globe Player of the Year as a senior after leading to a Super Bowl victory and its fourth consecutive Merrimack Valley Conference title.
Curran and his wife, Megan, have three children (Ty, Kaley and McKayla).
THE DAN CURRAN FILE
Hometown: Chelmsford, Mass.
Education: New Hampshire ’99
Wife: Megan
Children: Ty, Kaley and McKayla
CURRAN'S COACHING CAREER
2013-23 – Merrimack (Head Coach)
2010-12 – Merrimack (Offensive Coordinator)
ABOUT HOLY CROSS
The College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Massachusetts — the second-largest city in New England — is among the nation's leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 3,100 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. Holy Cross is one of a select group of colleges that meets 100% of each admitted student's demonstrated financial need. Holy Cross has made a positive impact in society since its founding in 1843 by graduating students who distinguish themselves as thoughtful leaders in business, professional and civic life.
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Post by hc1996 on Dec 15, 2023 11:20:05 GMT -5
Checks every box what Kit and Co. said they wanted. I like it. Same here! Let's win!
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Post by newfieguy74 on Dec 15, 2023 11:30:55 GMT -5
Well done, Kit Hughes.
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Post by newadvisor on Dec 15, 2023 11:35:07 GMT -5
Not to be Debbie downer, but loosing seasons last 2 out of 3.. Hope HC offers him more opportunities to grow and win.. We will soon see.
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Post by bringbackcaro on Dec 15, 2023 11:36:02 GMT -5
Chesney in NE10: 44-16 (.733) Curran in NE10: 29-35 (.453)
Curran 18 wins in last three year (6 per year) 3 vs non-D1 teams 1 vs team with winning record (HC in 2021) 14 against teams with a combined record of 46-104 (.307)
Unless he’s bringing in Chip Kelly to be his OC, this is an extremely disappointing hire.
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Post by Ignutz on Dec 15, 2023 11:41:12 GMT -5
Of all the names that have been bandied about, I kept coming back to this one. I've been at each of the three Merrimack v. HC games, and found the MC teams to be tough and hard-working (although I think this past season's HC win, on a pretty hot day, was largely a result of our being much better conditioned).
Curran appears to run a solid program. I believe he has the best chance to seamlessly move on from the Chesney era, and continue our PL dominance and our growing national presence.
A good, solid hire.
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Post by hc87 on Dec 15, 2023 11:41:48 GMT -5
Hard to argue with.....head coaching experience, lifted a program to FCS competitiveness, looks like he can recruit, player bona fides having played professionally, not that it matters significantly but has a lot of local ties, knows HC etc
Welcome to the Hill Coach Curran! Chu Chu Rah Rah!!!
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tj
Crusader Century Club
Posts: 144
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Post by tj on Dec 15, 2023 11:42:13 GMT -5
Also interesting NEC v Patriot League as place to be.
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Post by cmo on Dec 15, 2023 11:44:03 GMT -5
Chesney in NE10: 44-16 (.733) Curran in NE10: 29-35 (.453) Curran 18 wins in last three year (6 per year) 3 vs non-D1 teams 1 vs team with winning record (HC in 2021) 14 against teams with a combined record of 46-104 (.307) Unless he’s bringing in Chip Kelly to be his OC, this is an extremely disappointing hire. FCS now though. NEC. Chesney assumption teams were NE10 and D2.
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Post by bringbackcaro on Dec 15, 2023 11:49:23 GMT -5
Chesney in NE10: 44-16 (.733) Curran in NE10: 29-35 (.453) Curran 18 wins in last three year (6 per year) 3 vs non-D1 teams 1 vs team with winning record (HC in 2021) 14 against teams with a combined record of 46-104 (.307) Unless he’s bringing in Chip Kelly to be his OC, this is an extremely disappointing hire. FCS now though. NEC. Chesney assumption teams were NE10 and D2. Those records are apples-to-apples NE-10 D2 experience from 2013-2018 for Curran and 2013-2017 for Chesney Chesney beat Curran like a drum during his last four years at Assumption. 2017: 56-7 2016: 55-23 2015: 36-29 2014: 41-13 Listen, I hope the guy is the next Chesney/Dufner, but this is the resume of a coach who you hire when the job opened after Gilmore was fired, not the resume of a coach who you hire when you entered a season as a Top 5/Top 10 team with the Luth and everything else HC has going for it.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Dec 15, 2023 11:50:23 GMT -5
In prior games with Merrimack we discussed the fact that a huge percentage of Curran's Merrimack recruits have come from the DC area--my guess is we'll start seeing that area become more important to HC.
I'm no football expert, but this looks like a great choice to me
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Post by longsuffering on Dec 15, 2023 11:50:50 GMT -5
A safe but also exciting pick. That's a tough combination to achieve but Kit and Nick pulled it off. Safe because of his head coaching experience and familiarity with Northeast FCS and how to construct an FCS program, in his case from scratch in the portal and NIL era. Exciting for what he accomplished with modest resources converting a D-2 program to a competitive FCS one.
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Post by deep Purple on Dec 15, 2023 11:51:45 GMT -5
Not to be Debbie downer, but loosing seasons last 2 out of 3.. Hope HC offers him more opportunities to grow and win.. We will soon see. Could be that he had limited resources at Merrimack?
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Post by alum on Dec 15, 2023 11:52:16 GMT -5
In order to assess his record in the NEC and in the NE 10 before that, it would be helpful to be able to compare the resources (scholarships, assistants, facilities) he had at Merrimack relative to other schools in his leagues. Does anyone know anything about this? I think we can agree that at HC he will be at or near the top in resources vis a vis our opponents.
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Post by Ignutz on Dec 15, 2023 12:00:02 GMT -5
Has anyone been able to catch that elusive fly that was on the wall during the players' meeting (and thereafter)?
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Post by Chu Chu on Dec 15, 2023 12:06:37 GMT -5
Are there any players from Merrimack in the portal that we may want?
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Post by hc2020 on Dec 15, 2023 12:09:03 GMT -5
Curious to see how this plays out for Scott James. If he was seeking the job, I’m personally disappointed that he didn’t get a shot at HC. I guess there is a lot more to vetting process that many of us aren’t privy to, so there could be other issues at play in selecting the new coach.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Dec 15, 2023 12:10:02 GMT -5
Interview with Stone from last Spring.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Dec 15, 2023 12:12:04 GMT -5
Are there any players from Merrimack in the portal that we may want? There might be shortly.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Dec 15, 2023 12:14:32 GMT -5
Not to be Debbie downer, but loosing seasons last 2 out of 3.. Hope HC offers him more opportunities to grow and win.. We will soon see. Could be that he had limited resources at Merrimack? I was thinking just that. Perhaps Pak Phreek can investigate for us??
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Post by joe on Dec 15, 2023 12:16:36 GMT -5
Lateral move, no?
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Post by mm67 on Dec 15, 2023 12:17:55 GMT -5
Looks like a good man. I assume his players liked playing for him. Does he more than lead? Does he inspire?
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