So, let's see. Jaggers takes a team that was a game over .500 last year, the best running back in the history of the school has graduated, and he wins a playoff game with a MC football team for the first time since 1988, all in his first year with the program.

Pardue takes a team that he has been an assistant on, and for the first time in what, 6 or 7 years, they don't make it to the championship game. Just doesn't seem to add up.

 

Thats what Im thinkin. It doesnt really make much sense to me either. Larry Vaught in one article before the playoffs even mentioned that he thought Jaggers was a shoe-in for the honor. At the sametime, Coach Pardue is very deserving of any award. But, the job Jaggers did with this team was above and beyond what I think anybody could've imagined.

I think Jaggers did a great job and deserved the honor. He took a team that most people did believe could do anything and made believers out of them in turn made them winners. Many people felt that Mercer had no chance this year but what they had was a bunch of determined players and a coach that made them believe they could do it. It would have been interesting where they could have went without the injuries they obtained this year. 2 starters with ACL injuries as well as another with shoulder tear. Seems like a lot to over come. But then again that's football.

http://www.amnews.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=17922&format=html

 

This is a great letter to the Danville Advocate that sums up my feelings about this team. how it could be missing Andrew Bertram is beyond me. Here's a guy who played LB as a soph and led the Rebels in tackles as they won the AAA title in 2003.

 

He was moved to the Oline and Dline in 2004 because there was no one else they could put there. Andrew sacrificed his natural position for the good of the team and they made it to the AAA final.

 

His senior year he was left in the line at the beginning. Then he was moved back to LB and put at Offensive Guard and the Rebels began to click. He later served at Center for Marshall and the Rebels offense continued to run and click even better than before.

 

When you look up the term "TEAM" in the dictionary, you'll find Andrew Bertram's picture.

I think Jaggers and Pardue should have at least been Co-Coaches of the year, it not Jaggers.