December 16, 2010
Now that we have had a chance to catch our breath following a very busy fall sports season, the timing of this writing is perfect. On Friday, December 17th, I will provide a summary report to the Western Illinois University Board of Trustees. For the most part, I truly enjoy these annual presentations as it affords me a perfect opportunity to brag about our coaches and student-athletes, athletic accomplishments and academic achievements. Those who have followed Leatherneck Athletics should already know one solid fact: We have terrific coaches and wonderful student-athletes. Our coaches, staff and student-athletes are the best ambassadors for Leatherneck Athletics and the entire University.
Looking back on the past few months, the women’s soccer program, under the leadership of Head Coach Tony Guinn once again dominated the Summit League, advancing to the final game of the Summit League Championship Tournament. Unfortunately, your Leathernecks fell by a score of 3-1 to North Dakota State. Tony continues to do great things with our women’s soccer team. But, let’s not forget about the men’s soccer team under the guidance of Dr. Eric Johnson. His team was young and inexperienced this year and was under the radar, but just wait until next year, as Coach Johnson will surely have them ready to regain a Summit League Championship. They closed out their season with a 2-1 win over the regular season champion UMKC.
Kudos to our new Head Track/Cross Country Coach, David Beauchem. Despite limited scholarships, his men’s and women’s cross country teams produced some very, very impressive times during the season. Looking ahead, our indoor and outdoor track teams are poised to surprise the Summit League competition.
With no disrespect to our other fall sports, who can argue that the most remarkable storyline in Western Hall is the resurgence of the Leatherneck Football team. We had 17 terrific seniors who provided the type of leadership a successful football team needs. The other most significant dynamic is the leadership of Mark Hendrickson as our Head Coach, and our two coordinators, Tom Casey and Doug Ruse. Both Tom and Doug have truly had a significant and positive impact on this year’s team. Along with a few others, I have been fortunate to be an “insider” with regard to our football program. Two important factors stand out.
First, the coaching staff shares a mutual respect for each other, they truly respect the head coach and the head coach respects them. He values their input and involvement, and there is true sense of “TEAM” within the staff. Second, the players have confidence in the coaching staff and they have a mutual respect for each other. Yes, we had some great players, and they were well coached and motivated, but the “behind the scenes” intangibles certainly played an important part in the success of the season. Some would argue these “intangibles” are immeasurable, but I would offer that these intangibles are measured in wins and losses… specifically: in 8 wins and an invitation to the NCAA FCS Playoffs, the most victories in seven years, the first winning record in conference play in seven seasons, and the first playoff appearance since 2003. The other measurable intangible is the academic success of our football team. The football team’s GPA and NCAA mandated APR scores have improved to all-time program bests.
Speaking of senior leadership, congratulations to Matt Barr and Kyle Glazier, as they earned MVFC Player of the Year honors. Both are finalists for a National Player of the Year award (Walter Payton Award and the Buck Buchanan Award). As one of three finalists for the Payton Award, Matt will attend the Sports Network banquet on January 6th in Frisco, Texas. All three candidates have put up worthy statistics, however, Matt’s year was outstanding and hopefully will become the first Payton winner in Leatherneck history.
Both Matt and Kyle spoke at the Macomb Downtown Athletic Club luncheon recently. They are the epitome of the true meaning of “student-athlete”. Both spoke highly of Mark Hendrickson and the coaching staff, even recalling their recruiting process. Mark Hendrickson was the only coach to recruit them, he sat at their kitchen table, and they came to Western because of him. Recruiting funds well spent, indeed! Many people have commented to me about their disappointment that Mark did not win MVFC Coach of the Year award. Not taking anything away from Trent Miles, Mark Hendrickson was also a very, very deserving candidate. He is still in the running for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year, an award he also deserves.
In previous writings, I mentioned the ever-changing conference affiliation landscape as the membership dominoes continued to fall into place. As predicted, the membership of both The Summit League and the Missouri Valley Football Conference has changed. Again, Tom Douple and Patty Viverito have provided steady leadership for our respective conferences. The University of South Dakota will join The Summit League in July 2011 and join the Missouri Valley Football Conference in July 2012. Also, Centenary College will leave The Summit League in June 2011, and Southern Utah University will leave and join the Big Sky in July 2012. The University of North Dakota declined an invitation to The Summit League and has accepted full membership into the Big Sky. As it stands for next year, The Summit League will have 10 members, then in 2012 nine members. The MVFC currently has nine members and will have 10 members in 2012. Scheduling has now become a top priority for both conference commissioners, so buckle-up as we will probably see some changes in our scheduling for both leagues. We are still trying to finalize our 2011 football schedule. We hope to release the schedule sometime in early February.
Also mentioned in previous writings was the prospect of an artificial playing surface on Hanson Field. Well, the speculations have now become fact, as we expect a new artificial surface on Hanson Field in the fall of 2011. A new video/scoreboard is also in the works. Over the next several weeks, we will work closely with various departments on campus to coordinate the purchase process. Special thanks to the leadership and membership of the Student Government Association, as the SGA has provided $1.3 million to upgrade Hanson Field. Regarding the turf, obviously football will use the turf (practice and competition) along with several other outdoor sports (men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, and softball). In addition intramurals, recreation, and club sports will also have access to the field. Hanson Field is the only lighted outdoor facility on campus, and an artificial surface will provide 12 month outdoor athletics and recreational use. The expenditure of these monies is truly an investment in improving the quality of life for students and student-athletes.
Some other projects we are working on include an on-campus wood floor for men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball to use as an alternative practice site. As Western Hall is used for many, many other activities and events throughout the year, our student-athletes are many times displaced from both practice and competition. Another practice location keeps Western in the competitive arms race and in the recruiting race. Also, with revenues generated from the Purple and Gold Gala and Auction, we are purchasing approximately $50,000 in new weight equipment. This new equipment will be more efficient and will provide a much safer conditioning environment in the Leatherneck Strength and Conditioning Center.
The Christmas and New Year’s holidays are fast approaching and January 2011 will soon be here, so flip the calendar and you will find many Leatherneck men’s and women’s basketball scheduled in January and February. Please come to Western Hall and support your Leathernecks, and follow all our sports on www.GoLeathernecks.com.
Thanks for reading… until next year remember: It’s a great day to be a Leatherneck.
