Leatherneck Nation

sealhall74 wrote:Presbyterian transitioned to DI in 2007. I cannot even imagine how tough it is to play DI football with an enrollment of about 1K. On the other hand, 1/3 of their students participate in athletics. That might be a little advantage as student-athletes generally support each other pretty well.

My bad he did that when he was @ Tennessee Tech but i read it in his bio @ PC.

ibleedpurpleandgold wrote:My guess would be that malone serves as OC reading his bio from when he was @ Presbyterian it stated he served as an assistant AD to marketing and sales when he was @ tennessee tech which is great to have someone with those traits on the team someone who should be able to reach all the fans rather there alumni students or macomb residents.

I don't think Doug will be the OC but most likely the O-Line coach and running game coordinator. That would be my guess...

Leatherneck57 wrote:

ibleedpurpleandgold wrote:My guess would be that malone serves as OC reading his bio from when he was @ Presbyterian it stated he served as an assistant AD to marketing and sales when he was @ tennessee tech which is great to have someone with those traits on the team someone who should be able to reach all the fans rather there alumni students or macomb residents.

I don't think Doug will be the OC but most likely the O-Line coach and running game coordinator. That would be my guess...

It just seems weird that he would leave the CFL for the same position @ the FCS

Here's some information on our new offensive assistant...looks like a high class guy!


WINGATE, N.C - Wingate University head football coach Doug Malone has resigned, University athletic director Dr. Beth Lawrence announced this morning.

Doug Malone spent five seasons as head coach at Wingate University. Prior to his appointment as head coach, Malone spent eight seasons as assistant football coach and offensive coordinator at Wingate University. He was named head football coach in the spring of 1994.

In 1997, Malone led the Bulldogs to an 8-3 overall record, the best season in school history. In addition, Wingate's 4-3 mark in the South Atlantic Conference was the Bulldogs' best effort in league wars. Malone has been a member of the Wingate University coaching staff every year since the institution revitalized football in 1986.

"Doug Malone went above and beyond the call of duty in every task he performed at Wingate University," Lawrence said. "He graduated student-athletes. He made sure his players were involved in every aspect of student life. He will be missed."

A native of Greeneville, Tenn., Malone holds a B.S. degree in physical education and health from Carson-Newman College and a masters degree from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Ala. While at Carson-Newman, Malone was a four-year varsity letterman, team captain, and two-time all-South Atlantic Conference offensive center. He was also a three-year letterman at Greeneville High, where he was team captain, MVP, and president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

wish it were time for spring practice already.

I'll admit I was not happy with the way things went this last year - I felt that we had a big letdown from the year before. I was expecting more development and polish than what I felt we got. At times I actually thought we had regressed.

I realize Nikko has graduated, but wonder if the board members who were rooting for the power I will get to see better action from the running backs next season. Not everybody can ground and pound like Nikko did....and even he had problems from time to time.

Wonder how the team is feeling. Are they as excited as we seem to be?

sealhall74 wrote:Presbyterian transitioned to DI in 2007. I cannot even imagine how tough it is to play DI football with an enrollment of about 1K. On the other hand, 1/3 of their students participate in athletics. That might be a little advantage as student-athletes generally support each other pretty well.

They play a nice schedule there...games next year with Central Michigan, Coastal Carolina and Florida

rocki wrote:wish it were time for spring practice already.

I'll admit I was not happy with the way things went this last year - I felt that we had a big letdown from the year before. I was expecting more development and polish than what I felt we got. At times I actually thought we had regressed.

I realize Nikko has graduated, but wonder if the board members who were rooting for the power I will get to see better action from the running backs next season. Not everybody can ground and pound like Nikko did....and even he had problems from time to time.

Wonder how the team is feeling. Are they as excited as we seem to be?

I hope the team is getting anxious about spending a whole lot more time in the weight room. I will never forget Bob's quote "When I first got here, I did not think we had the kind of bodies needed to play DI football" or something equivalent to that. After three years, I don't think too much changed. Maybe a little heaver but not much in terms of muscle from what I could tell. When I went to the Wisconsin game, it became really evident how undersized we were. Those line guys were huge very little body fat hanging over the top of the pants.

Good coaches continue to move up. Also, 9 years at Vandy, 5 years as a lower division HC...those are some pretty long stints in today's football world.
Almost nobody coaches in one place for more than 4-5 years (in the same position)...they either move up or down depending on how good they are.

I am not sure that your "continue to move up" comment really applies here. In the past 17 years since he last held a head coaching position, he has held only assistant coaching positions. Is leaving Vanderbilt to take the same position at Miami Ohio "moving up"? Is leaving Penn State to take the same job (QB coach) at Richmond "moving up"? Not in my opinion.

I also wonder why in the past 17 years has he not landed another head coaching job until WIU, especially since he has a national championship on his resume as a head coach with University of West Georgia? After Vandy, no head coaching positions available? After Penn State, no head coaching positions available? None??? I'd like to know how many head coaching jobs he applied for, and where, and was turned down.

Fisher said in his recent speech that he wants WIU to have a fast and physical team - as opposed to what, slow and complaisant? He also stated that he wants to take WIU football to a higher level. Since WIU football's record in conference over the past 5 years is a pathetic 12 and 28, is a "higher level" over the next 5 years a .500 team? That woud be an improvement, I guess.

I am all for WIU, trust me, but to me this all seems to be the same old song and dance any time any coach gets hired. Fisher said in the press conference: "You want to win championships, you want to take this program to the highest level on and off the field doing things the right way and achieve as much success as we can." WIU's AD said pretty much the same thing in the press release when Bob Nielson was hired: "As many of you know, football is one of our athletic signature programs and we have found a coach who will help us showcase our football program. More importantly, we have found a coach that will help us win games and to win national championships." Would I have rather them say something different? How about save the speeches and get to work, earn your money, and let your record do the talking. Everyone knows the coach is really happy to make over $200,000 just to coach football (when doctors in the local emergency room and teachers are likely making a fraction of that)...

Sorry that I am not that excited about getting a coach that, to me, appears to be a journeyman who held just one coaching job (which was 17 hears ago) in a 30 year career. Let's see how it goes after the school cuts other sports so it can afford to waste millions more on a program that has a .330 winning percentage over the past decade.

rocki wrote:wish it were time for spring practice already.

I'll admit I was not happy with the way things went this last year - I felt that we had a big letdown from the year before. I was expecting more development and polish than what I felt we got. At times I actually thought we had regressed.

I realize Nikko has graduated, but wonder if the board members who were rooting for the power I will get to see better action from the running backs next season. Not everybody can ground and pound like Nikko did....and even he had problems from time to time.

Wonder how the team is feeling. Are they as excited as we seem to be?

When it's all said and done we will be a better program. Coach Fisher said he likes to line up and play power football at times but if you read his bio you would see that his first year QB last year had the 2nd best passing numbers in school history. We will throw the football especially with the talent of our QB's and skilled players coming back. Nice problem to have wouldn't you agree? Another nice problem to have is that we have 4 offensive line starters back as well and a couple of more with playing experience.

I loved what Nikko Watson did for our team this past season as he carried us on his shoulders a lot of games but lacked break away speed. That's one thing we've lacked the last several years is a running back that once in the clear could take it to the house from 75 yards out...like a Marshaun Coprich at Illinois State. That guy killed us in the 4th quarter of the last 3 games we played them.

Speaking of Illinois State...that has been my hardest thing to overcome with the former staff. We were up 24-6 at half in 2014 only to lose 37-34, up 28-21 midway through the 3rd qtr. in the first game this year only to get blown out. Same thing in the playoffs this year...we can't seem to put points on the board in the 4th qtr. against them. I think it's safe to say we we're out coached in the second half of those games...

All the Tweets I've read from players say this is the year of the Leathernecks!

This new staff will give us some exciting football!

Some of us remember more than just the past decade - back to when WIU football was premier football.

We'd like to see it get back to that level, and if this guy is the kind who can get people interested in it again, more power to him.

I do get a completely different vibe from him than I did Nielson - this guy definitely strikes me as more personable.