The State of the Current St. Xavier Football Program?

[TigerStripes]

Again, this is all my perception. I'm sure there are people with more knowledge who would disagree, and perhaps they are right. It would be hard for me to be convinced otherwise, however.

[thsrocks]

Male hasnt been allowing any students in from non traditional programs hence one of the reasons opening up ghens. As for Trinity that was the rough numbers given by a Trinity guy on this site

 

Yes, Male accepts CSAA kids.

[thsrocks]

Again, this is all my perception. I'm sure there are people with more knowledge who would disagree, and perhaps they are right. It would be hard for me to be convinced otherwise, however.

St Xavier's mission statement is vastly different from Trinity's. St. Xavier, by choice, has a cutoff number for for test results in accepting students. Also, by choice, St. Xavier gives out far less financial aid than Trinity. In fact, Trinity gives out more financial aid than the other Catholic schools in Jefferson County combined.

 

I was surprised the way Coach Glaser was "rewarded" for his decades of service at St. Xavier. I was equally surprised Todd Walsh was told not to apply for the head coaching position at Tiger Tech.

 

I am personally quite happy with the state of the St Xavier program. There is a "cleansing of sorts" of the St X student body in process according to a former player and donor. He prefers the "product (graduating seniors) not be cheapened" by less than gifted students.

 

Does the University of Notre Dame mind being known for football, academics and superior fund raising efforts?

 

This is a thread for St Xavier alumni to comment. I am trying to abide by this premise. I felt the need to interject my thoughts on this topic.

[LongTimeReader]

I'm a St. X grad, played on a championship team under Glaser, and keep an admittedly light handle on the football program these days (read: apathy). However, I still have some involvement with the school in various capacities.

 

My perception is that the school/administration is content with football sliding further and further away from being its "marquee" sport/activity, and would rather be known as a nationally recognized school with a comprehensive athletic program rather than a catholic high school with a dominant football team.

 

Based upon hirings, alumni event speeches, and overall lack of concern it's simply become obvious to me that the AD, President, and alumni board view the football team's success as being equivalent to, merely as an example, the cross country team's. There should be no "special" attention to the football team. Therefore, there really is no urgency with the drought in football state titles, or widening gap with Trinity or Male.

 

They simply refuse to accept, and likewise act upon, the football program's unique position of being so important to the school's identity. Until there is a shift in this mentality I wouldn't expect much out of the program. I, and many other former teammates, certainly are not. St. X football as we knew/loved it is simply a very fond memory (for now - I hope).

 

It's a strange and sad feeling for us to expect such beatdowns every time X plays Trinity, but even worse is the knowledge there's nothing we can do about it. :down:

 

This is the most honest and disheartening thing I've read. If football isn't going to be the top sport then the school has wasted a lot funds building their own stadium.

[LongTimeReader]

I think it is interesting that Trinity is winning with superior talent. Last year's State Championship team had exactly 3 Seniors that are playing College football this year and Donald Brooks who would have played but needed to work on his grades and plans on playing next year. I know for a fact that at least 6 St. X kids from last year are playing at Centre alone plus a walk on at U of L and a walk on at WKU. I know that Trinity's Senior class this year was a large contributor last year but really the talent gap is not as large as some might suggest. There was a much larger gap when Trinity had Hatcher, Quick, White, Dawkins and Travis Wright then there is this year and last. I contribute a lot of the success to Trinity's off season program especially in the summer. My son played on last year's team and his entire week up to about 3:00 was at Trinity for strength training, agility and football related stuff. I'm not sure X is doing the same. I think that is making a bigger difference than the talent gap IMHO.

 

As a high school football coach, I can say that any serious program is working year around. I don't know the insides of the X program, but I've learned at the high school it was quality over quantity. I coached at a program in KY and we had two workouts a week for 2 hours and competed at a very high level, so there are many ways to have a successful off-season.

[LongTimeReader]

I did not know Todd Walsh was asked not apply, but not shocking if the admin wanted to go in a different direction. If 7-5 is where the higher ups want the program and are ok with it then that is where the problem lies. There is no reason why X can not be a state contender in every sport. They have baseball and the country club sports locked down currently, but the money producing need to be reevaluated.

[bruin66]

I did not know Todd Walsh was asked not apply, but not shocking if the admin wanted to go in a different direction. If 7-5 is where the higher ups want the program and are ok with it then that is where the problem lies. There is no reason why X can not be a state contender in every sport. They have baseball and the country club sports locked down currently, but the money producing need to be reevaluated.

 

It wasn't just Walsh. None of the assistant coaches on Glaser's staff were interviewed for the job. There were several of them (Bruner, Chitwood, McCue, Walsh) who would have been quality candidates and who had "paid their dues" as an actual varsity high school football coach (unlike Wolford). To my knowledge, no one was actually interviewed. As far as I know, Wolford was approached, asked to take the job, and accepted it. The fact that that could actually happen at a program with the tradition of St. X completely baffles me.

 

As I have stated in other threads in the past, it is not entirely Wolford's fault. He simply accepted a job that was offered to him. What is CRAZY is that he was offered the job in the first place with no varsity experience or no other experience higher than that. His only coaching experience was 2 years of freshman assistant and one or two years of grade school.

[LongTimeReader]

It wasn't just Walsh. None of the assistant coaches on Glaser's staff were interviewed for the job. There were several of them (Bruner, Chitwood, McCue, Walsh) who would have been quality candidates and who had "paid their dues" as an actual varsity high school football coach (unlike Wolford). To my knowledge, no one was actually interviewed. As far as I know, Wolford was approached, asked to take the job, and accepted it. The fact that that could actually happen at a program with the tradition of St. X completely baffles me.

 

As I have stated in other threads in the past, it is not entirely Wolford's fault. He simply accepted a job that was offered to him. What is CRAZY is that he was offered the job in the first place with no varsity experience or no other experience higher than that. His only coaching experience was 2 years of freshman assistant and one or two years of grade school.

 

The football gods are showing their displeasure in the handling of the situation.

[TigerStripes]

That stadium was built for and is used by a lot of different sports. Football was not the primary focus of its design, and perhaps that was fair.

 

Personally, I wish we still played in Germantown. ;-)

[LongTimeReader]

Yes I understand it's a multipurpose venue, but football was the top sport when creating this venue obviously. So if you do that, you better put a top product on the field.

[TigerStripes]

Certainly don't disagree. Just don't ask about "fixing" the visitor's side. Even if they could, they wouldn't because it would "really only benefit Varsity Football."

 

We couldn't have that, I guess.

[Terp]

Yes, Male accepts CSAA kids.

 

Which players on the current Male team were CSAA kids?

[Jim Schue]

When you're trying to not be a "Football School" removing the tenured, widely recognized head football coach from his duties (and position of influence) is probably smart.

 

If that be the case, why bring in an alumnus with "ex-NFL player" on his resume? Unless somebody felt Wolford was destined to fail (or, at least, not succeed too much) and actually wanted that to happen. Otherwise, why not just promote a longtime assistant with actual head coaching experience like Bruner and just go that route instead of setting Wolford — who I'm sure has been a longtime, big-money donor — up for failure?

[TigerStripes]

The financial advisor with no head coaching experience who was formerly on the school's Board of Directors?

 

Not in the high school athletics game but imagine they received resumes from more qualified candidates.

 

They didn't set him up to fail, per se, but it wasn't an inspiring hire.

[Jim Schue]

The financial advisor with no head coaching experience who was formerly on the school's Board of Directors?

 

Not in the high school athletics game but imagine they received resumes from more qualified candidates.

 

They didn't set him up to fail, per se, but it wasn't an inspiring hire.

 

I had heard similar stuff about him positioning himself for the job in that fashion.

 

But would the X administration neglect to tell him that at the moment he got his after-playing "dream job" that the school was "de-emphasizing" football? Just seems kind of odd, unless he really ruffled some feathers by throwing a lot of money around.