2008 Woodie Awards
Allen can revive football program
Ben Nielsen
Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
Keith Allen is the right choice.
There is no question that the decision made by Athletic Director Brent Good was the correct and accurate decision for this football program.
Allen is not your typical coach. If one needs evidence, look no further than this season's performance.
True, this season has not been pretty, but one can make a legitimate case that this team could have, at least, four wins. Four wins would surpass our total from the last two seasons combined under Peavey. Unfortunately, depth and poorly timed plays prevented SBU from winning any of them. Only the elite teams - Northwest Missouri State, Pittsburg State, Missouri Western and Central Missouri - truly dominated SBU.
There are many teams in the MIAA who could say the same thing.
By accepting this job, Allen is admitting three things: he wants to be here, he likes being here and he thinks he can win here.
These are three necessary traits a university must look for when looking for a coach to build a well run program.
If there was any hesitation on any of those three accounts, Allen would not have agreed to remain the Head Coach at SBU.
So what does Allen need to do if he wants to build a successful program at SBU? Recruit.
Allen needs to sell the positive things this University does provide from a football stand point. Allen has an excellent coaching staff and a drive to build a successful program. Allen may want to get in touch with another former Oklahoma coach, Mark Mangino, to pattern the SBU program after Kansas.
What Kansas has done has been very simple, but very difficult. First, they looked for kids who wanted to work hard and had a chip on their shoulder. One needs to have a desire to work hard if they intend on building a program from the ground up, and the players involved are no different.
Second, Mangino was among the first to develop a relationship with his targeted recruits. There is something to be said about the first person who comes out and says, "I want you to play football for me."
Even if the recruit chooses to go elsewhere, if things go wrong, he may turn to the first school who recruited him to transfer. Recruiting is all about connections.
Finally, SBU, like Kansas, must be patient and supportive. SBU could reap great benefits and rewards from having a successful football program.
Dr. C. Pat Taylor knows this because he is an admitted fan of the Southeast Conference (SEC), and one can not be a fan of the SEC and ignore what football has done for those universities.
Even Division II schools can benefit from great football programs, just look at the MIAA if one needs evidence.
When it all comes down to it, if there is ever a time to build a football program, it is now. Allen is the perfect candidate for building a successful program.
This may be SBU's best and only shot at being successful for a long time.
There is no question that the decision made by Athletic Director Brent Good was the correct and accurate decision for this football program.
Allen is not your typical coach. If one needs evidence, look no further than this season's performance.
True, this season has not been pretty, but one can make a legitimate case that this team could have, at least, four wins. Four wins would surpass our total from the last two seasons combined under Peavey. Unfortunately, depth and poorly timed plays prevented SBU from winning any of them. Only the elite teams - Northwest Missouri State, Pittsburg State, Missouri Western and Central Missouri - truly dominated SBU.
There are many teams in the MIAA who could say the same thing.
By accepting this job, Allen is admitting three things: he wants to be here, he likes being here and he thinks he can win here.
These are three necessary traits a university must look for when looking for a coach to build a well run program.
If there was any hesitation on any of those three accounts, Allen would not have agreed to remain the Head Coach at SBU.
So what does Allen need to do if he wants to build a successful program at SBU? Recruit.
Allen needs to sell the positive things this University does provide from a football stand point. Allen has an excellent coaching staff and a drive to build a successful program. Allen may want to get in touch with another former Oklahoma coach, Mark Mangino, to pattern the SBU program after Kansas.
What Kansas has done has been very simple, but very difficult. First, they looked for kids who wanted to work hard and had a chip on their shoulder. One needs to have a desire to work hard if they intend on building a program from the ground up, and the players involved are no different.
Second, Mangino was among the first to develop a relationship with his targeted recruits. There is something to be said about the first person who comes out and says, "I want you to play football for me."
Even if the recruit chooses to go elsewhere, if things go wrong, he may turn to the first school who recruited him to transfer. Recruiting is all about connections.
Finally, SBU, like Kansas, must be patient and supportive. SBU could reap great benefits and rewards from having a successful football program.
Dr. C. Pat Taylor knows this because he is an admitted fan of the Southeast Conference (SEC), and one can not be a fan of the SEC and ignore what football has done for those universities.
Even Division II schools can benefit from great football programs, just look at the MIAA if one needs evidence.
When it all comes down to it, if there is ever a time to build a football program, it is now. Allen is the perfect candidate for building a successful program.
This may be SBU's best and only shot at being successful for a long time.
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