SLU WOMEN

[NOSPIN]

BOZO THE CLOWN WOULD BE A GOOD CHOICE COMPARED TO THIS CIRCUS THE LAST 5 YEARS.........

If not for Courtney Hulser and a few of her friends coming on board 2003 there would have been no success at this program from a soccer standpoint.

[dlw4634]

Most programs at the d1 level mistakenly eliminate coaches who played at places like Quincy or Truman so I think your safe guys. Collective mindset is that players will tune out people that couldnt play at least at their level. I disagree, but think that's how it goes. The days of say someone like Charlie Spoonhour who was a good hs b-ball coach becoming a D1 coach are gone. I would suspect it will either be someone who fits into 1 of 3 categories. A young D1 coach at another program who played D1 soccer, an asst. coach at a D1 program who played D1 soccer, or someone with SLU ties (like an alum) who is getting into coaching.
I dont see a Cannon or Musso even though I think both would be good. And I wouldn't see them to be like Albert if they took the SLU job. This is a step up to the big time, not just a move to a bigger market. I understand the loyalty to your respective schools, and since I played at a small school I get it, but when/if the big guys call it would be tough to turn it down.

I do not understand the whole DIV 1 / DIV 2 view. Quincy is one of the top tier Div. 2 schools. Any given day they could beat 50% on the Div. 1 programs...so why does coaching at a top Div. 2 school differ from a lower Div. 2?

[Huskies]

I'm sure Quincy would do fine against SIUE, SLU, Missouri State and many of the other D1 school's in our area and any where else. And Musso has done all of this with a majority of his players being from St. Louis.

[dlw4634]

Most programs at the d1 level mistakenly eliminate coaches who played at places like Quincy or Truman so I think your safe guys. Collective mindset is that players will tune out people that couldnt play at least at their level. I disagree, but think that's how it goes. The days of say someone like Charlie Spoonhour who was a good hs b-ball coach becoming a D1 coach are gone. I would suspect it will either be someone who fits into 1 of 3 categories. A young D1 coach at another program who played D1 soccer, an asst. coach at a D1 program who played D1 soccer, or someone with SLU ties (like an alum) who is getting into coaching.
I dont see a Cannon or Musso even though I think both would be good. And I wouldn't see them to be like Albert if they took the SLU job. This is a step up to the big time, not just a move to a bigger market. I understand the loyalty to your respective schools, and since I played at a small school I get it, but when/if the big guys call it would be tough to turn it down.

I do not understand the whole DIV 1 / DIV 2 view. Quincy is one of the top tier Div. 2 schools. Any given day they could beat 50% on the Div. 1 programs...so why does coaching at a top Div. 2 school differ from a lower Div. 2?

oops..lower Div. 1

[chuck44]

Dlw we agree on that point. I'm more or less saying that is the usual argument.
I guess we will find out if SLU breaks the mold or if it stays true to form.

[Tab Ramos]

First of all, are we serious when we say SLU's a big time program? They're nowhere near North Carolina, Notre Dame, Stanford, etc. and have never been. Don't get me wrong, it's a good job, but since its inception in 1995 SLU's women's team has only made 2 NCAA tournaments (2005 and 2006). If we go by that defintion, SEMO is a big time job because they've been to two NCAAs and Missouri State is right up there as well with their one NCAA tournament. I'm sure there will be D1 coaches interested in this job, but to automatically reject someone because they aren't "big time" is a bit ridiculous. Cannon at Truman has been to 9 NCAA tournaments in his career (although I've heard he won't leave Kirksville-don't blame him, it's a wonderful place to be), Musso at Quincy has been to 6 NCAAs in 6 seasons. Would a young assistant from a D1 school be better than them? Not necessarily. What smaller D1's in the Midwest have high quality coaches? SIUE, Drake, UMKC, Missouri State, SEMO, Murray State, Arkansas St, etc? I'd argue that Musso or Cannon would be just as good, if not better.

Honestly, I think players could care less where a coach played at or coached previously. Sure, it looks nice on a resume, but does it really mean anything?

I doubt that recruits for Mizzou basketball are saying, "I won't play at Mizzou because Frank Haith went to Elon College." Are the New England Patriots refusing to play for Bill Belichick because he went to Wesleyan College? Don't think so.

Tony DiCicco played at Springfield College, a D3 school. I doubt the Women's National Team cared about that.

Randy Waldrum, pretty much the second most successful women's collegiate coach behind Anson Dorrance played at Midwestern, a D2 school. Apparently that hasn't hurt him. His first head coaching job? Pitt State, a D2 program.

Becky Burleigh, the 9th winningest coach in D1 women's soccer history...played at Methodist College and coached at Berry College (D2) before going to Florida.

G Guerrieri the coach at Texas A&M started his head coaching career at Hardin-Simmons and then Richland College. Not real powerhouses there.

I get what chuck44 is saying, but I don't think SLU is in a position to look only for high-level D1 coaches. From what I've been told, SLU isn't the highest paying D1 job either.

[chuck44]

Tab your points are well taken. I dont think SLU is a big time job, it just seems that even low level jobs go to D1 players. I think the Diciccio hire is worth mentioning but I think the reference is outdated. Examples in the last 5 years? I'm sure their are some, but not many.

[wisekeeper]

Tab makes excellent point and after information I heard this weekend about the program it seems they are geared towards an individual looking for thier first big coaching assignment.

There are only a few full scholarships and only a few partials. Along with this the pay scale is lower than other progras of the same caliber and the ability to conduct camps has a shorter window. As we know salary of the coach is one thing but the camps are where a big portion of the coaches income comes from on a normal basis.

I don't think we should expect an established coach to be taking over unless they make adjustments to the current pitch they are giving coaches interested in the position.

Hopefully they will change.

[give and go]

well, since the WPS looks to be alive and kicking in 2012, I will revise and extend my remarks. maybe Musso would be a good fit considering the STL mayor is a Quincy alum (Quincy in the mid 70s could play with all-comers and had 2 players on the USMNT, Bick and Pollihan). IMO

[chuck44]

If word on the street is they are looking for a young coach I would suspect it will be a young former d-1 player.

[lewis07]

New coach hired...kat mertz. Sorry no abby wambach, lori chalupny, mia hamm, or courtney hulcer.

[dlw4634]

And no Musso!! Go Hawks!!

[Huskies]

Who is Kat Mertz? I did hear from several college coaches that SLU was going to hire a woman. Is she better than Musso or did she get hired just because she's a woman? Doesn't sound fair but that's how it goes.

[stinkyshinpads]

Who is Kat Mertz? I did hear from several college coaches that SLU was going to hire a woman. Is she better than Musso or did she get hired just because she's a woman? Doesn't sound fair but that's how it goes.

http://www.texassports.com/sports/w-soc ... 10aaa.html

[Huskies]

I saw that. I still never heard of her before. I hope she does better than the last coach they had and she can get them deeper in the NCAA playoffs. I'm sure she will recruit nationally but there are a lot of very good players just in the midwest alone that would help their program. Good luck to SLU!

[give and go]

ditto on well wishes to SLU. Mertz has a super resume. now if she can bring in a Chalupny or a recent SLU grad to assist her with local recruiting, etc.

[chuck44]

Musso has done a great job at Quincy. That is true. But as I said earlier D1 schools hire D1 players. Musso played at QUincy. The conventional wisdom is that D1 players will not respect a player who didn't play at the same level.
Again not saying Musso or anyone else from that matter couldn't make the jump, but rarely will you find a program take the leap. SLU had a credibility problem with the last coach. He looked less than qualified. Mertz is well respected in the US Soccer Community. She has worked with the U-20s at the national level and was an asst. at Texas. In my opinion SLU needed someone with a resume. If they want to appear serious they couldnt go with a coach who has overachieved at a lower level. They had to go with someone the USSF and ODP folks would recognize and approve of for recruiting purposes. Mertz may not be a better coach than Musso, but SLU didn't have a choice. I think if Mertz didn't apply they would have found someone closer to her than to Musso.
I wish coach Musso nothing but the best and Quincy is lucky to have him, I just dont think folks are being realistic.

[NOSPIN]

BOZO THE CLOWN WOULD BE A GOOD CHOICE COMPARED TO THIS CIRCUS THE LAST 5 YEARS.........

............
Can their be a downside with Mertz??????? I don't think so!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck young lady.

[partial1]

looks like 11 new recruits, only 3 from area, the rest are from over the country. how many girls quit program, any one know? also most recruits are honor students more academic money?

[Huskies]

SLU will have 34 players on their roster next fall. Not sure how many will dress out each game but that sounds like a lot of players. I hope they play better than they did the last several years. Should be interesting!