Cat in SoDak Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Van Diest has to be the fan favorite because he's a known commodity in Montana. The question is will the higher-ups at MSU feel that it would be too big of a jump to go from NAIA to what is often expected to be a Top 20 FCS program? Van Diest is the sentimental choice among Bobcats fans, due to his Montana roots. I'd prefer Lennon, as he's proven himself at the upper echelon of D-II, which is basically the same as I-AA, in my opinion. Plus, based on the few things I've read and heard, he seems like a great guy. The off the field situation is a little messy in Bozeman, to say the least. The APR issue will probably be most urgent for the new coach coming in, as we've lost scholarships in the past. The ongoing criminal investigation is bad PR, but hopefully won't end up affecting the current roster too much. On the field, there is a lot of talent back from a team that went to the I-AA quarterfinals. The defense should be especially good. Facilities wise, MSU has a stadium that seats around 14,000, which I believe is similar to the Alerus Center. At Montana State, football is king, which may or may not be a factor for Coach Lennon. Lastly, Bozeman is a beautiful place to live. It's a classic college town, similar to Grand Forks in that regard, I imagine. I certainly wish no ill will towards UND, but I'll be pulling for Dale Lennon as the process plays out next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star2city Posted June 2, 2007 Author Share Posted June 2, 2007 Van Diest has to be the fan favorite because he's a known commodity in Montana. The question is will the higher-ups at MSU feel that it would be too big of a jump to go from NAIA to what is often expected to be a Top 20 FCS program? What Montana State needs more than anything is a coach proven to run a clean and academically disciplined program. Throw in the 3-4 defensive alignment factor, not liking our chances of retaining Lennon. The press release mentions "five" finalists. Did Kill at Southern Illinois withdraw at the last minute? He might have been the favorite if he stayed in contention. From my perspective, the committee did a good job getting through nearly 80 candidates, Rimpau said. It was tough taking to 11 the telephone interviews, and even tougher to take it down to five finalists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat in SoDak Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 What Montana State needs more than anything is a coach proven to run a clean and academically disciplined program. Throw in the 3-4 defensive alignment factor, not liking our chances of retaining Lennon. The press release mentions "five" finalists. Did Kill at Southern Illinois withdraw at the last minute? He might have been the favorite if he stayed in contention. Must've been something like that, as Kill was the only other name I heard mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeauxSioux Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 The folks over at Bobcat Nation are saying it is Van Diest's job to lose. I sure hope they are right. Sorry Dale, I don't want you to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bison Dan Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 The folks over at Bobcat Nation are saying it is Van Diest's job to lose. I sure hope they are right. Sorry Dale, I don't want you to go. I would take that with a grain of salt. They also were very PO at Fields for firing Kramer too. I think the better and more serious question for Sioux fans is why Lennon would be interested in the job in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choyt3 Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 I would take that with a grain of salt. They also were very PO at Fields for firing Kramer too. I think the better and more serious question for Sioux fans is why Lennon would be interested in the job in the first place. Those of us that are able to read have seen many innuendos from different posters about tension between UND's coaching staff in many sports and the athletic administration. That Lennon, or anyone else, is looking isn't a huge surprise. However, there can't be many fans out there that actually want him to go anywhere. Thanks for your concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 I would take that with a grain of salt. They also were very PO at Fields for firing Kramer too. I think the better and more serious question for Sioux fans is why Lennon would be interested in the job in the first place. I don't think Lennon would consider this job had UND moved to DI 4-5 years ago when NDSU, SDSU, and UNC left. Had we done it at that time, there is a good chance UND would either be in the Gateway conference or Big Sky by 2008 which is where those 3 schools ended up respectively. He has been in the pro-DI camp all along. UND football is going to be in the best position of any of our sports during the transition, but long-term, they'll likely be stuck in the non-autobid Great West. Although UND football will likely be the first UND sport to have a conference home in the Great West, by the end of the transition when we are playoff eligible and hopefully have a conferecne for the other sports (best chance is the Summit, which probably means GWFC membership for the long-term) it is likely that at that time UND football will be in the worst shape conference wise being in the Great West with still no auto-bid coming in the forseeable future and probably still only 5 members or six at the most. Dale has to do what is best for Dale. Football-wise, I think that going from UND to Montana St. would be considered a lateral move. But big picture career-wise it would really be very attractive for a great coach like Dale to take a job that would make him the Big Cheese at a school where football plays second fiddle to no other sport (unlike UND) and coach in an established auto-bid leauge in which Montana St. is already competetive in year in and year out. I wish Dale the best of luck whichever way he goes. I would hate to see him leave UND, but I could certainly not fault him for pursuing this opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 From today's Herald Lennon was nominated as somebody the school should consider by a person in the football industry. He said the school then contacted the Sioux coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yote 53 Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 3 years from today UND will have two seasons left of "transition", while MSU will be in an autobid conference (I am guessing both schools will have the same amount of schollies [57-63]). Bozeman vs Grand Forks = no contest I think a good working relationship with the AD would be the biggest impetus for change- I have heard Bunning and Lennon are not exactly "peas and carrots". That being said I think Lennon stays at UND if offered the job or not USD won't do "jack" in FCS- you heard it here first I wouldn't be too sure about that. If that is what you think of USD then how do you feel about UND's chances. Right now USD and UND are football programs on pretty equal footing, if Lennon leaves...who knows? You guys may be in for some rocky times, while we are firing on all cylinders. See you Vermtown, Nov 10, 2007. Right it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star2city Posted June 2, 2007 Author Share Posted June 2, 2007 I wouldn't be too sure about that. If that is what you think of USD then how do you feel about UND's chances. Right now USD and UND are football programs on pretty equal footing, if Lennon leaves...who knows? You guys may be in for some rocky times, while we are firing on all cylinders. See you Vermtown, Nov 10, 2007. Right it down. Yote53: The writer of USD won't do "jack" in FCS- you heard it here first is a Bison fan, definitely not a Sioux fan. It's also seemingly a pun on what some of us (including me) said about SDSU's chances in IAA football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat in SoDak Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 I would take that with a grain of salt. They also were very PO at Fields for firing Kramer too. I think the better and more serious question for Sioux fans is why Lennon would be interested in the job in the first place. The fact is there's going to be a lot of pressure on Fields to hire Van Diest. Whether that influences his decision remains to be seen. I truly believe Lennon is the best candidate. But Van Diest might be the right candidate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn-O Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 The fact is there's going to be a lot of pressure on Fields to hire Van Diest. Whether that influences his decision remains to be seen. I truly believe Lennon is the best candidate. But Van Diest might be the right candidate. That sums it up very nicely. Can I use that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MplsBison Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Maybe this should be a new thread... who is next in line if he leaves? Mussman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn-O Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Maybe this should be a new thread... who is next in line if he leaves? Mussman? http://www.umdbulldogs.com/mens/football/coaching.php Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bison06 Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 I wouldn't be too sure about that. If that is what you think of USD then how do you feel about UND's chances. Right now USD and UND are football programs on pretty equal footing, if Lennon leaves...who knows? You guys may be in for some rocky times, while we are firing on all cylinders. See you Vermtown, Nov 10, 2007. Right it down. I think that even if Lennon leaves, UND has a much better chance at success early in their transition than USD. True, USD has had recent success on the field, but I am not convinced yet that they can sustain that long term. In terms of recruiting,I think that football wise USD will be playing second fiddle to SDSU for many years to come. I am well aware that this isn't necessarily a reflection on their programs, but you have to remember these are young kids making these decisions on where they will play football. Alot of kids make that decision based on who is the most well known school in that sport. I believe the same case could be made for UND vs. NDSU. More to the point though, It would be a major loss for UND at this point in the transition to lose Coach Lennon. IMO, he has single-handedly kept that program competetive during his tenure. I also believe that he won't take the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MplsBison Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Even though they should, I don't think MSU will offer it to Lennon. I think they'll be pressured into offering to Van Diest who would no doubt accept. For some reason if they did offer it to Lennon, though, I do think he would accept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Walrus Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Maybe this should be a new thread... who is next in line if he leaves? Mussman? Depends on "Betty and Tom's" criteria......They may need to have been a head coach at a High School in Illinois Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westsidebison Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Even though they should, I don't think MSU will offer it to Lennon. I think they'll be pressured into offering to Van Diest who would no doubt accept. For some reason if they did offer it to Lennon, though, I do think he would accept. I can't say I know a whole lot about the other coaches, but I have no doubt that Lennon is the best coach on that list. Montana State would be crazy not to offer the job to Lennon. This is the D-I drawback. Successfull coaches don't stick around too long. The clock is ticking for Bohl, another 9 or 10 win season and we could be in the same position next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDog Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Maybe this should be a new thread... who is next in line if he leaves? Mussman? I think Bubba would get the first crack at it. Then possibly Mussman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat in SoDak Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Even though they should, I don't think MSU will offer it to Lennon. I think they'll be pressured into offering to Van Diest who would no doubt accept. For some reason if they did offer it to Lennon, though, I do think he would accept. Yep. Unless Van Diest drops f-bombs and confuses Montana St. with the University of Montana in the public forum, he's probably the guy. If I were the MSU AD, it would take me about as long to offer Lennon the job as it takes to type "Dale Lennon" on the contract. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coyote Fan Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Just to add a bit. When talking about which programs will succeed and which ones will not is not exactly an easy thing to predict. When comparing the XDSU's to the UXD's traditionally the power in football has been north of the border and the power in basketball has been south. NDSU traditionally has probably been the weakest of the four in basketball and either USD or SDSU in football depending how far back in the past you want to go. Look at NDSU in mens basketball. They have their program currently in much better shape than SDSU but who would have ever guessed that 5 years ago. Look at SDSU in womens basketball and who would have thought 10 years ago they would be heads and shoulders better than NDSU. In football NDSU has remained on top of SDSU for much of the last several decades. UND withouth a doubt has a better football tradition than SDSU but you couldn't hardly convince a handfull of Jacks fans that SDSU isn't a better program than UND. I still believe the Sioux are the better program but sometimes the D1 title goes to peoples heads. If you asked NDSU fans right now about comparing their basketball team to USD's they would probably laugh eventhough USD has been better for the most part of the last 20 years. The programs are probably very similar right now. USD football was one of the biggest laughing stocks of the NCC for much of the 90's and lost to SDSU the majority of the last 15 meetings. Those SDSU fans that think USD isn't competitive might be right but they also forget that USD had the upper hand big time in the 80's and 70's and went deep into the playoff twice whereas SDSU has never done that at least for 40 or 50 years. Now USD is just an eyelash behind UND right now, not traditionally but currently. The point is you can't just assume that one program or the another will remain over another just because of past history or even recent history for that matter. Just over a span of 3-5 years one program may go from being heads and shoulders below to being heads and shoulder above. One just can never know. Just because it was or is doesn't mean it will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MplsBison Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 The thing about USD and SDSU is that, facilities wise, they're behind NDSU and UND. USD especially, the facilities need upgrading. Dakota dome is fine for football. But a new arena at least would go a long way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UND92,96 Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 I think Bubba would get the first crack at it. Then possibly Mussman. I think it would go 1. Tibesar; 2. Bubba; 3. Mussman or Hedberg. The "x" factor in my mind is this--if the perception is out there there Lennon left primarily due to not wanting to work for Buning anymore, how likely is it that any of his friends and/or current or former colleagues would really want to try work for somebody if Lennon couldn't? And regardless of what Lennon says publicly, I firmly believe that if Wanless or RT or Rob Bollinger or any number of other people were a.d. right now, he would have said "thanks, but no thanks" when Montana State called. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star2city Posted June 3, 2007 Author Share Posted June 3, 2007 Depends on "Betty and Tom's" criteria......They may need to have been a head coach at a High School in Illinois So IYHO who is more of a problem, Ralston or the LtC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UND92,96 Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 So IYHO who is more of a problem, Ralston or the LtC? The thing that I personally don't like about Ralston's position is that she's married to somebody who holds a pretty high position at UND--Don Kojich, whose title is Executive Assoc. V.P. for University Relations. Maybe this doesn't give her more power than her job warrants, but on the other hand, it could. From the outside looking in, she certainly appears to wield a heck of a lot more power than her predecessor did. Let's be honest here, the fact that a seemingly unqualified candidate made the list of finalists for the men's basketball job due to Ralston having once worked with him at Eastern Illinois certainly didn't make her (or by extension the LTC) look very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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