Takedown Report

College Coaching News # 4

1 } – CCCAA Board of Directors announces implementation of Contingency Plan for return to sports in 2020-21
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The CCCAA Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved implementation of its Contingency Plan on Thursday, providing a return to intercollegiate athletics for the 2020-21 academic year that shifts all sports, including football, to the spring season. The Contingency Plan was among three potential scenarios approved by the Board in early June. Each plan was wholly dependent on which phase of reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic the state of California was in on the CCCAA’s previously announced July 17 decision date. The return to athletics in January will only occur if it is safe to do so, a decision that will be guided primarily by state and local health guidelines. The Contingency Plan can be viewed here. The most ambitious was the Conventional Plan, which kept all sports except men’s and women’s basketball in their traditional places on the calendar. However, it was reliant on California being in Phase 4 of its reopening by mid-July, a likelihood that’s diminished in recent weeks. The Board, based on a recommendation from the CCCAA’s COVID-19 Work Group, decided to approve immediate implementation of the Contingency Plan rather than wait for July 17. “I know I speak for the entire CCCAA Board that moving Fall athletics to Spring 2021 is a huge disappointment,” said Dr. Erika Endrijonas, Board Chair and President of Pasadena City College. “However, the need to keep our student-athletes and the amazing coaches and athletic trainers who work with them safe was simply the only option available with the virus spiraling out of control across the state.” The Contingency Plan originally had men’s and women’s cross country, and women’s golf competing in the fall but was slightly modified in its latest version to move those three sports to the spring with the remainder of the CCCAA’s 24 sports. They’ll start practice in mid-January and … rest of story at _{https://www.cccaasports.org/coronavirus/Contingency_Plan_announcement?mc_cid=35441de679&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

2 } – Musings on Stanford’s recent sports cuts
Apparently, everyone thinks I should speak to whether Stanford cutting sports makes economic sense or not.
Stanford is not in the category of the schools I normally assess, like Akron, with chronic declining enrollment and a lack of willing customers to fill the slots. If Stanford cuts a sport, it is in a position to fill those classroom (and dorm) slots with willing, paying customers. Conversely if it keeps a sport, it has to say no to those customers. That’s not true at Akron.
But there is a big caveat to that.  As far as I understand it, every single scholarship at Stanford is fully endowed. Meaning when Stanford lets in a women’s volleyball player, it gets money from the endowment equal to the full-freight Stanford price for tuition, fees, room and board.  This means that if Stanford lets in a upper middle class robotics student, or a WVB athlete, Stanford gets about the same level of revenue (and costs). If Stanford admits a lower middle class robotics student, the athlete likely brings in more cash b/c of the endowment.  However, what I don’t know is whether Stanford has the ability to repurpose those endowments if the sport is cancelled. Imagine if there is the Andy Schwarz Endowed Scholarship that provides a 50% Grant-in-Aid (or GIA, NCAA slang for an athletic scholarship) to a member of the Sailing team, in perpetuity. It may be the case that as long as Stanford has a Sailing team, my endowment cannot be used for anything else, nor can Stanford touch the principal, which exists to generate earnings to cover the annual cost. But, perhaps if the team is cancelled, the school can do that.  If that’s the case, then cancelling a sport saves you the operating expenses and generates a one-time windfall as all of those endowments effective escheat to the university, swelling the general endowment. … rest of story at _{https://sportsgeekonomics.tumblr.com/post/623185838733393920/musings-on-stanfords-recent-sports-cuts-a?mc_cid=35441de679&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

3 } – Dartmouth’s Retreat Shows Rising Pandemic Toll on College Sports
By Janet Lorin and Brandon KochkodinJuly 9, 2020 About 240 programs have been cut since virus started spreading.
Stanford is eliminating 11 teams including rowing and sailing.
Dartmouth College has become the latest school to do the previously unthinkable: close some of its sports programs for good. It joins Stanford University and Brown University, among the wealthiest institutions in higher education, which have said in recent weeks they’re ending participation in programs including golf, rowing, fencing and squash. While few expect major sports such as football and basketball to be eliminated at most places, the cuts announced so far signal a change to decades of tradition at American universities. … rest of story at _{https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/dartmouth-sports-cuts-show-pandemic-s-mounting-toll-on-colleges?mc_cid=35441de679&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

4 } – Navy Wrestling Fans Can’t Wait for Next Season . . . and Coach Cary Kolat Is the Reason Why
The Navy Wrestling program began a new era on March 20th, 2020. That was the day Chet Gladchuk announced Cary Kolat as the new head wrestling coach. Kolat had spent the previous six years as the coach at Campbell University. When I first read the news, it didn’t come as a complete surprise. But it wasn’t because the program had hit rock bottom. So before we start talking about why Coach Kolat is such a great fit, here’s a little history on the team to provide some context.
The Navy Wrestling Backstory
There can’t be any hard core collegiate wrestling fans out there who don’t know the names Ed Peery and Bruce Burnett. They are both in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. And the Naval Academy was truly fortunate to have these two legends lead the Navy Wrestling program for a combined 40 years. Ed Peerywas synonymous with the Navy Wrestling program for 27 years. He took over in 1961 and retired in 1987. Sadly, he passed away in 2010 at the age of 75. Coach Peery is Navy’s all-time winningest coach, going 311-90-14, including a 22-2-3 record against Army. Bruce Burnett arrived in Annapolis in 2001. According to him, he initially viewed the coaching position as a five to seven year commitment. It turns out he stuck around for 13. … rest of story at _{https://navysportsnation.com/navy-wrestling-fans-cant-wait-for-next-season-and-coach-cary-kolat-is-the-reason-why/?mc_cid=aa0bad43f6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

5 } – St. Cloud State mourns the passing of Coach Steve Grimit
St. Cloud State University mourns the loss of Coach Steve Grimit (1962-2020), who passed away on Wednesday, July 22. “On behalf of St. Cloud State University and Huskies Athletics, we offer our sincere condolences to the Grimit family.,” St. Cloud State Director of Athletic Heather Weems said.  “Steve’s personality on the field was bigger than life and he made a significant impact on hundreds of student-athletes. He loved coaching and helping young men develop as people and players. He will be remembered by many for his passion and big voice on the sidelines.” Grimit served as the Huskies’ defensive line football coach for 27 years and was also SCSU’s head wrestling coach for 12 seasons.  He coached numerous All-Conference and All-America players, helped the SCSU football win two conference championships, earn four NCAA playoff bids and positively impact the lives of SCSU student-athletes during his tenure with the Huskies. “I have lost a great friend and am having a difficult time thinking about what things will be like for me and all those who came in contact with Steve,” said Scott Underwood, who worked at SCSU with Grimit since 2001 and went on to serve as the Huskies’ head football coach from 2008 to 2019.   “His passion, drive and caring for his players was unmatched.  For as demanding and tough as Steve could be in pushing players to reach their best, he was also the first one to provide you the biggest hug in victory or defeat.  His teachings and legacy will live on in the countless stories we share with a tear, a smile and a laugh.  My heart goes out to Kim, Jimmy, Nicole & John as we all grieve with them.” As SCSU’s wrestling coach, Grimit led the Huskies from 1993 to 2006.  He coached 14 All-America wrestlers during his tenure at SCSU and also coached SCSU NCAA Division II champion Gene Hanemann in 1995, who was the Huskies’ first NCAA DII individual champion. … rest of story at _{https://scsuhuskies.com/news/2020/7/24/st-cloud-state-mourns-the-passing-of-coach-steve-grimit.aspx?mc_cid=a3e4678353&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

6 } – NJC hires Arsenia Barksdale to be Plainsmen’s head wrestling coach
Former national champion wrestler replaces Adam Fierro
NJC won’t be having any live sports until January, but that hasn’t stopped them from making sports headlines. NJC announced the hiring of Arsenia Barksdale to be the Plainsmen’s new head wrestling coach. The announcement came via the team’s social media page. “We are happy to announce the hiring of @northeasternwres Head Coach Arsenia Barksdale,” read the Instagram post from NJC athletics. Barksdale comes to NJC with a strong resume. He was most recently a wrestling coach for Northwest Kansas Technical College. In 2018, the Mavericks finished in the top 10 at the NJCAA National Championship under his tutelage, with 3 All-American selections and one national champion wrestler. Barskdale was first hired at NKTC in 2015. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Adams State University for 3 years. In that time, he helped coach one national champion wrestler and multiple All-Americans. Barksdale was familiar with Adams State already, as he wrestled at the Division II college from 2006-2010. He was selected as an All-American all four years and won a national championship in 2009 wrestling in the 125 lbs. weight class. Originally from Virginia Beach Virginia, Barksdale was both a state and national champion wrestler at Kempsville High School. Barksdale also had a brief career as a professional MMA fighter, going 1-0 in his career. Barksdale will replace Adam Fierro, who was named interim head coach in 2019 following the departure of Mike Mendoza. … rest of story at _{https://www.journal-advocate.com/2020/07/27/njc-hires-arsenia-barksdale-to-be-plainsmens-head-wrestling-coach/?mc_cid=84274241b0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

7 } – Keenan Hagerty Named Head Wrestling Coach
LIBERTY, Mo – William Jewell Director of Athletics Tom Eisenhauer has announced that Keenan Hagerty has been hired as the head men’s and women’s wrestling coach, beginning August 1. Hagerty will be tasked with building the Jewell wrestling programs as the women will be competing for the first time in 2021 while the men’s program is restarting after a 27-year hiatus.  “Keenan comes highly recommended by people all over the college wrestling community,” said Eisenhauer. “His familiarity with GLVC wrestling will help position us for success in a very competitive league.”  
Hagerty comes to the Cardinals from Maryville University where he has spent four years as the top assistant on the Saints staff. During that time, he has helped Maryville to 19 All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selections, 15 NCAA-II national qualifiers, seven All-Americans and one national champion. Additionally, the Saints excelled in the classroom with Hagerty on staff having won three straight National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic Team National Championships, including setting a new Division II wrestling GPA record with a 3.556 mark in 2020.  “I am excited to join William Jewell College … rest of story at _{https://jewellcardinals.com/news/2020/7/31/mens-wrestling-keenan-hagerty-named-head-wrestling-coach.aspx?mc_cid=18dff864d7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

8 } – PSUAC Suspends Fall Sports In Response to COVID-19
Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) postpones fall sports for intercollegiate athletics
Penn State Commonwealth Campuses Beaver, Brandywine, DuBois, Fayette, Hazleton, Greater Allegheny, Lehigh Valley, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Scranton, Schuylkill, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, York to follow national movement among small conferences and push pause on play this fall due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In response to the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and with the health, safety and well-being of our campus and athletic communities being paramount, the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) Executive Council has unanimously voted to postpone all fall sports athletics competition and championships. The PSUAC has determined that, based on campus facilities and staff sizes, it is in the best interests of student-athletes, coaches, staff, and fans to postpone all fall sports competition. A decision on winter and spring sports competition will be made at a later date.   “We have been closely monitoring the national landscape regarding intercollegiate athletics on smaller campuses as well as the developments related to the coronavirus and its impact on our students at all Penn State campuses for the fall semester,” said Director of Commonwealth Campus Athletics, Maureen Cooper. “The health and safety of our student-athletes is first and foremost and developing safety protocols has been the utmost priority the last several months, but unfortunately, there are too many factors that prohibit the PSUAC and its campuses from safely delivering a competitive atmosphere that our student-athletes deserve.”   The University established a Commonwealth Campus Athletic Safety Subcommittee that continues to monitor University, national organization, state and local guidelines relative to resocialization of sports on our campuses and will work with campus athletic directors and medical personnel to seek alternative opportunities to provide a meaningful student-athlete experience throughout the fall season. … rest of story at _{https://psumontalto.prestosports.com/general/2020-21/releases/20200731i8164k?mc_cid=18dff864d7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

9} – DIVISION III TEAM SITES
The 2020-2021 season is set to have 113 Division III teams. … story andupdates at _{https://www.d3wrestle.com/division-iii-team-sites/}

10 } – CoVID Sports Cancellations at _{http://almanac.mattalkonline.com/covid-19-sports-cancellations/}

August 3, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment