Rio Grande Bringing Back Football

[2quick2catch]

https://www.rio.edu/jobs-opportunities

Posting wants college experioence.

There will be 1,000 applicants with some college experience for that job. And the posting hasn't even hit FootballScoop yet.

Unless somebody has a good "in" with the people making the call at Rio, no HS coach in the area even gets a whiff of the HC spot.

1000? lol.

[madpolecat]

https://www.rio.edu/jobs-opportunities

Posting wants college experioence.

There will be 1,000 applicants with some college experience for that job. And the posting hasn't even hit FootballScoop yet.

Unless somebody has a good "in" with the people making the call at Rio, no HS coach in the area even gets a whiff of the HC spot.

1000? lol.

It's probably only a slight exaggeration. The number of guys who would take any first college HC job just to step to the next one is nuts, beacuse they believe EVERY JOB IS JUST A STEP ON THE WAY TO THE BIG TIME.

[Ohio1979]

https://www.rio.edu/jobs-opportunities

Posting wants college experioence.

There will be 1,000 applicants with some college experience for that job. And the posting hasn't even hit FootballScoop yet.

Unless somebody has a good "in" with the people making the call at Rio, no HS coach in the area even gets a whiff of the HC spot.

1000? lol.

It's probably only a slight exaggeration. The number of guys who would take any first college HC job just to step to the next one is nuts, beacuse they believe EVERY JOB IS JUST A STEP ON THE WAY TO THE BIG TIME.

This is why I believe a local HS guy is the best fit. Get a guy who you could plan on being there a decade. And lets be honest, NAIA is glorified HS football anyways.

[Lucky Charms]

Wondering if pay will be good enough to get a good high school to take the job.

[CuckooNest]

I think if contacted Woodward would have to take the call. His wife is a professor at SSU so maybe Rio tries to offer some kind of deal for everyone. He’s been a coach/teacher for more than 20 years, what does that do for retirement? Could he defer retirement? Didn’t he play at Ohio Wesleyan? So he does have college experience.

I think he has a Master’s degree so maybe could coach and teach some. I have no idea what his career goal is. But if he has any college aspirations and he’s contacted this may be the last chance.


Or, they hire Pendleton who knows.

[madpolecat]

1000? lol.

It's probably only a slight exaggeration. The number of guys who would take any first college HC job just to step to the next one is nuts, beacuse they believe EVERY JOB IS JUST A STEP ON THE WAY TO THE BIG TIME.

This is why I believe a local HS guy is the best fit. Get a guy who you could plan on being there a decade. And lets be honest, NAIA is glorified HS football anyways.

If you can convince a group of college admin. of this fact, more power to you. But my guess is that just like a lot of HS interview situations, name dropping has magical effects (I coached with ____, and he's at (Insert Big-time school) now).

[madpolecat]

Wondering if pay will be good enough to get a good high school to take the job.

anything less than six figures is essentially a lateral move to a tecaher with 20 years who is used to getting supplementals.

But the more I think about it, who can afford the job?

An experienced HS teacher/coach with a family? Move your family for no signif pay increase and significant hours/stress increase. If he can sell it to his family as "It's my dream to coach college ball"... maybe.

You'll end up with a young up-and-comer (3-4 years small colleg coordinator work) who will pass through, or an old timer working through retirement.

[madpolecat]

I think if contacted Woodward would have to take the call. His wife is a professor at SSU so maybe Rio tries to offer some kind of deal for everyone. He’s been a coach/teacher for more than 20 years, what does that do for retirement? Could he defer retirement? Didn’t he play at Ohio Wesleyan? So he does have college experience.

I think he has a Master’s degree so maybe could coach and teach some. I have no idea what his career goal is. But if he has any college aspirations and he’s contacted this may be the last chance.


Or, they hire Pendleton who knows.

I believe that they want college coaching experience. Lots of us have college playing experience (even if it was 30 years ago).

[formerfcfan]

Going for a high school coach isn’t going to accomplish anything. Coaching a homogenous group of high schoolers that you’ll have consistent upflow with from a JR high isn’t transferable to maintaining a program of adults (of various ages and backgrounds) — a program that you have to tie together, or else there’s upheaval in the locker room with adult personalities, with the added complications that the players can easily leave on their own (and they will) along with the resource exhaustion that comes with recruiting.

I don’t see SE Ohio being a fruitful area to emphasize recruiting in Rio’s case. There may be, what, 200 football-playing seniors annually across the region? That’s not a sizable number to concentrate recruiting towards when…

1) roughly half of those kids are going to be either in the trades, enlisting, intend on getting a degree through the OU system, or are going to bigger schools for undergrad;

2) there’s going to be overlap with the ‘I want to play X sport in college’ demographic in which those seniors are intending to play basketball or baseball instead somewhere in college;

3a) the marketplace of sub-FBS opportunities doesn’t bode well for Rio in recruiting whatever remaining percentage of kids want to keep playing football in college (20%? So, 40 kids in the region annually?) The abundance of D2 and D3’s in this state already is a challenge for RG. Those programs are more established and are in more geographically compact conferences. 3b) The NCAC and OAC schools are going to have generally more tools of persuasion (location; facilities; fraternities and network) than Rio for that pool of kids.

Adding football is going to be expensive. It’s bold, ambitious but very risky for a school like RG. The crucial part within getting the coach right is the coach has to be able to recruit, and retain, a roster of adults that otherwise wouldn’t be going to Rio. That’s going to require experience. Get the hire wrong and get someone who is inexperienced with the mores of small college football, and you have a disaster on your hands.

[Jeaux Burreaux]

Going for a high school coach isn’t going to accomplish anything. Coaching a homogenous group of high schoolers that you’ll have consistent upflow with from a JR high isn’t transferable to maintaining a program of adults (of various ages and backgrounds) — a program that you have to tie together, or else there’s upheaval in the locker room with adult personalities, with the added complications that the players can easily leave on their own (and they will) along with the resource exhaustion that comes with recruiting.

I don’t see SE Ohio being a fruitful area to emphasize recruiting in Rio’s case. There may be, what, 200 football-playing seniors annually across the region? That’s not a sizable number to concentrate recruiting towards when…

1) roughly half of those kids are going to be either in the trades, enlisting, intend on getting a degree through the OU system, or are going to bigger schools for undergrad;

2) there’s going to be overlap with the ‘I want to play X sport in college’ demographic in which those seniors are intending to play basketball or baseball instead somewhere in college;

3a) the marketplace of sub-FBS opportunities doesn’t bode well for Rio in recruiting whatever remaining percentage of kids want to keep playing football in college (20%? So, 40 kids in the region annually?) The abundance of D2 and D3’s in this state already is a challenge for RG. Those programs are more established and are in more geographically compact conferences. 3b) The NCAC and OAC schools are going to have generally more tools of persuasion (location; facilities; fraternities and network) than Rio for that pool of kids.

Adding football is going to be expensive. It’s bold, ambitious but very risky for a school like RG. The crucial part within getting the coach right is the coach has to be able to recruit, and retain, a roster of adults that otherwise wouldn’t be going to Rio. That’s going to require experience. Get the hire wrong and get someone who is inexperienced with the mores of small college football, and you have a disaster on your hands.

Very well said I was surprised to see them add football considering the success they’ve had at the NAIA level for both soccer and basketball. As you mentioned a lot of those D2 and D3 teams in our state will be what many will choose if they want to continue playing and are somewhat decent

[madpolecat]

Going for a high school coach isn’t going to accomplish anything. Coaching a homogenous group of high schoolers that you’ll have consistent upflow with from a JR high isn’t transferable to maintaining a program of adults (of various ages and backgrounds) — a program that you have to tie together, or else there’s upheaval in the locker room with adult personalities, with the added complications that the players can easily leave on their own (and they will) along with the resource exhaustion that comes with recruiting.

I don’t see SE Ohio being a fruitful area to emphasize recruiting in Rio’s case. There may be, what, 200 football-playing seniors annually across the region? That’s not a sizable number to concentrate recruiting towards when…

1) roughly half of those kids are going to be either in the trades, enlisting, intend on getting a degree through the OU system, or are going to bigger schools for undergrad;

2) there’s going to be overlap with the ‘I want to play X sport in college’ demographic in which those seniors are intending to play basketball or baseball instead somewhere in college;

3a) the marketplace of sub-FBS opportunities doesn’t bode well for Rio in recruiting whatever remaining percentage of kids want to keep playing football in college (20%? So, 40 kids in the region annually?) The abundance of D2 and D3’s in this state already is a challenge for RG. Those programs are more established and are in more geographically compact conferences. 3b) The NCAC and OAC schools are going to have generally more tools of persuasion (location; facilities; fraternities and network) than Rio for that pool of kids.

Adding football is going to be expensive. It’s bold, ambitious but very risky for a school like RG. The crucial part within getting the coach right is the coach has to be able to recruit, and retain, a roster of adults that otherwise wouldn’t be going to Rio. That’s going to require experience. Get the hire wrong and get someone who is inexperienced with the mores of small college football, and you have a disaster on your hands.

YES!!!

Rio will not be building a meaninful football program from just parts in SEO Ohio. Not that there aren't some good pieces here... there just aren't enough.

Look at URG hoops or track... see how many of those athletes come from with 50 miles.

[madpolecat]

Going for a high school coach isn’t going to accomplish anything. Coaching a homogenous group of high schoolers that you’ll have consistent upflow with from a JR high isn’t transferable to maintaining a program of adults (of various ages and backgrounds) — a program that you have to tie together, or else there’s upheaval in the locker room with adult personalities, with the added complications that the players can easily leave on their own (and they will) along with the resource exhaustion that comes with recruiting.

I don’t see SE Ohio being a fruitful area to emphasize recruiting in Rio’s case. There may be, what, 200 football-playing seniors annually across the region? That’s not a sizable number to concentrate recruiting towards when…

1) roughly half of those kids are going to be either in the trades, enlisting, intend on getting a degree through the OU system, or are going to bigger schools for undergrad;

2) there’s going to be overlap with the ‘I want to play X sport in college’ demographic in which those seniors are intending to play basketball or baseball instead somewhere in college;

3a) the marketplace of sub-FBS opportunities doesn’t bode well for Rio in recruiting whatever remaining percentage of kids want to keep playing football in college (20%? So, 40 kids in the region annually?) The abundance of D2 and D3’s in this state already is a challenge for RG. Those programs are more established and are in more geographically compact conferences. 3b) The NCAC and OAC schools are going to have generally more tools of persuasion (location; facilities; fraternities and network) than Rio for that pool of kids.

Adding football is going to be expensive. It’s bold, ambitious but very risky for a school like RG. The crucial part within getting the coach right is the coach has to be able to recruit, and retain, a roster of adults that otherwise wouldn’t be going to Rio. That’s going to require experience. Get the hire wrong and get someone who is inexperienced with the mores of small college football, and you have a disaster on your hands.

Very well said I was surprised to see them add football considering the success they’ve had at the NAIA level for both soccer and basketball. As you mentioned a lot of those D2 and D3 teams in our state will be what many will choose if they want to continue playing and are somewhat decent

100 new FTEs is still 100 new FTEs. That's what they are thinking.

[formerfcfan]

Going for a high school coach isn’t going to accomplish anything. Coaching a homogenous group of high schoolers that you’ll have consistent upflow with from a JR high isn’t transferable to maintaining a program of adults (of various ages and backgrounds) — a program that you have to tie together, or else there’s upheaval in the locker room with adult personalities, with the added complications that the players can easily leave on their own (and they will) along with the resource exhaustion that comes with recruiting.

I don’t see SE Ohio being a fruitful area to emphasize recruiting in Rio’s case. There may be, what, 200 football-playing seniors annually across the region? That’s not a sizable number to concentrate recruiting towards when…

1) roughly half of those kids are going to be either in the trades, enlisting, intend on getting a degree through the OU system, or are going to bigger schools for undergrad;

2) there’s going to be overlap with the ‘I want to play X sport in college’ demographic in which those seniors are intending to play basketball or baseball instead somewhere in college;

3a) the marketplace of sub-FBS opportunities doesn’t bode well for Rio in recruiting whatever remaining percentage of kids want to keep playing football in college (20%? So, 40 kids in the region annually?) The abundance of D2 and D3’s in this state already is a challenge for RG. Those programs are more established and are in more geographically compact conferences. 3b) The NCAC and OAC schools are going to have generally more tools of persuasion (location; facilities; fraternities and network) than Rio for that pool of kids.

Adding football is going to be expensive. It’s bold, ambitious but very risky for a school like RG. The crucial part within getting the coach right is the coach has to be able to recruit, and retain, a roster of adults that otherwise wouldn’t be going to Rio. That’s going to require experience. Get the hire wrong and get someone who is inexperienced with the mores of small college football, and you have a disaster on your hands.

Very well said I was surprised to see them add football considering the success they’ve had at the NAIA level for both soccer and basketball. As you mentioned a lot of those D2 and D3 teams in our state will be what many will choose if they want to continue playing and are somewhat decent

I think Rio’s calling card on football recruiting is going to be in the cities. Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Youngstown and perhaps Norfolk/Newport News/VA Beach. That, plus the suburbs.

With the “recruit the cities” you can get a swath of kids who are desperate to be spending their 20’s/adulthood somewhere else other than their neighborhood. Change of scenery aspect. You could lose some in the first year (‘this place isn’t for me’) but at the same time you’ll have seriously reliable dudes in that crop that will grow into leaders in your program. With the suburbs you have more of the demographic where the parents are keen on their kid playing football until they’re 22, regardless of where and how often they see the field.

It’s going to be a lot of push-and-pull in the program recruitment game. Have to understand how the school (specifically its location) may be perceived by different groups of high school seniors; have to know the causes of first-year attrition; have to have the wherewithal that is working with a melting pot of adults who all have different motivations for playing at yourprogram as opposed to somewhere else. Being the head man of a small college program is like being an HR administrator for a company (talent acquisition/retention; promotion/discipline; strengths, opportunities / weaknesses, threats.) X’s and O’s are ultimately secondary.

[CuckooNest]

In an average year you MAY have 10 guys from the region that could play at that level. Some years more or less but I’d say that’s about the average. Not near enough to build a program which I’m sure they’re aware of.

[Dundas]

TJ Carper would be a great hire for Rio imo. Not sure he would apply but he has the enthusiasm to build a program. Played at Marshall and has been successful everywhere he’s been.

[loganlocos]

They should hire Coach Penrod.

He knows SE Ohio. Could build an outstanding staff. Still knows how to connect with kids.

[Paulcrew]

Jackson will be a great temporary home for Rio. But hopefully Rio gets a decent on-campus stadium built quick to get the program established. Could make them less of a commuter school for their students.

Also hope Rio plans on investing real money into the stadium/practice facilities. Hard to get kids psyched up to play for your college if their high school facilities were nicer than the college facilities (which I've seen from some other small colleges around).*

Overcoming the attrition rate of incoming freshmen classes for the football program is going to be an uphill battle for this school.

small college football programs make money through generating FTEs

this is about survival, securing the scare resources that is students while the pool of possible college attendees becomes more Arakean

exactly! Rio, like many small colleges in Ohio are struggling economically. This is about increasing enrollment. I doubt there will ever be an on campus stadium built. With Jackson there close, with great facilities, it doesn’t make economic sense. Makes more sense to partner with Gallia on a new field and share the facility

[Fletchlives]

$5 says Mike Bartrum applies lol

[eagle25]

TJ Carper would be a great hire for Rio imo. Not sure he would apply but he has the enthusiasm to build a program. Played at Marshall and has been successful everywhere he’s been.

Who?

[GalliaGrad78]

"exactly! Rio, like many small colleges in Ohio are struggling economically. This is about increasing enrollment. I doubt there will ever be an on campus stadium built. With Jackson there close, with great facilities, it doesn’t make economic sense. Makes more sense to partner with Gallia on a new field and share the facility"

That is an interesting idea!