Lamar's first football coach

[Guest abovetherim]

This is the perfect reason Lamar can't afford to go with a HS coach to start our football program

FAU wins the New Orleans Bowl.

Howard Schnellenberger

Hometown:

Louisville, KY

Last College:

Univ. Kentucky '56

Position:

Dir of Football Operations/Head Coach

Experience:

42+ Years

At Florida Atlantic

Schnellenberger has resurrected two programs from virtual extinction. He joined the FAU staff May 1, 1998, with an unheard-of opportunity: build a collegiate football team from scratch. Since then, he raised more than $15 million and hosted an FAU football television show, a weekly radio show and has been a regular at luncheons and gatherings. In January of 1999 the Board of Regents approved FAU adding football. Twenty-five recruits signed in his first FAU class. Since that time each recruiting class is better than the last, each schedule is more difficult than the last and each milestone is one step closer to the program's first bowl appearance.

 

When the team took to the field for its first practice, Aug. 12, 2000, 164 players were dressed. FAU played its first scrimmage Sept. 23, 2000, and took to the field Sept. 1, 2001. It only took two games for FAU to have its first upset, defeating the No. 22 ranked team in the country, 31-28. Following three seasons, FAU holds the record for the fastest start-up program to earn a Division I-A victory, and is the fastest program to reach the Division I-AA playoffs. Schnellenberger was named the Sports Network South Coach of the Year following the 2003 season. The 2004 season was more of the same. The Owls stormed into Hawaii, with a hurricane hitting Florida's coastline at game time, and handed the Warriors their only home-field loss in 2004, defeating a bowl participant in just the 36th game of the program's existence. Proving it was not a fluke, the team defeated perennial Sun Belt power North Texas the next week. FAU then rattled off five-consecutive road victories to enter the 2004 home schedule 5-0. The Owls finished their first transitional season 9-3, and bid farewell to the senior class with a third consecutive "Shula Bowl" victory over FIU. 2005 was the first full season of Division I-A play, facing Kansas, Oklahoma State at home, Minnesota and Louisville, along with a full Sun Belt

 

schedule. The young squad put together several outstanding performances sending Kansas into the locker room with a 9-7 lead, Oklahoma State with a 13-3 margin at the half, and Louisville, who entered the game ranked no. 14 at game time, with a 10-point cushion, 20-10. Florida Atlantic began 2006 picked as the second worst team in the country. With this as a motivation, the Owls used what Schnellenberger calls advanced training, its non-conference schedule, to finish with a 4-3 Sun Belt record and were in the hunt for the Sun Belt title deep into the season. The jump from a preseason eighth place finish to third in the Sun Belt was not as drastic as the prediction of finishing last in the country to defeating the last team in the country 31-0.

[KFDM COOP]

Good read!!! Good points!!

[Tiger90]

I sense it will be a "name" coach that is past their prime but has the ability to create an immediate splash recruiting and via media.  This person will have connections and put together a solid foundation with good asst coaches and then turn the program over in 2-3 years to someone he has groomed.  I say this based on the contacts Tubbs has and the "money" people supporting the program.  I think we all know who those people are and their reputations are not to be associated with losing.

[westendfirst]

I sense it will be a "name" coach that is past their prime but has the ability to create an immediate splash recruiting and via media.  This person will have connections and put together a solid foundation with good asst coaches and then turn the program over in 2-3 years to someone he has groomed.  I say this based on the contacts Tubbs has and the "money" people supporting the program.  I think we all know who those people are and their reputations are not to be associated with losing.

I think you are probably right on this but I'm not sure it's the route I would go.  Unless, of course, we could do something like abtr said.  Hire this name guy for looks and someone like Stump as the heir apparent.  I think the best thing would be to hire a proven winner at the college level...of course it would have to be at the small college level.  Or we'd have to hire a proven winner with a lot skeletons in his closet like Schnellenberger.  I hope we DO NOT hire some hot shot assistant coach from anywhere.  Again, I want someone that's proven they can win at some level.

[justafan1]

Ken Pope highly interested and would love this opportunity

[Guest abovetherim]

Glad to hear a man like him is interested! This job could interest a few quality coaches and he is definitely one of them.

[BLUEDOVE3]

[quote name="abovetherim" post="306842" timestamp="1198300654"]
I agree with doc here. I have some information about money already pledged for Lamar University football and there is NO WAY LU hires a HC from high school. If they do, then I question the research Billy Tubbs recently stated they have invested into the possible return of football at Lamar University.

Question, would do start a multiple million dollar company with a sharp young man with a bachelor's degree or would you hire an experienced older man with a master's degree? I say, hire both with the promise of promoting the younger man once the older man decides to move on or retire.
[/quote]

Thats already been done with the present day basketball coach & Tubbs. The jury is still out on this move.

[westendfirst]

Glad to hear a man like him is interested! This job could interest a few quality coaches and he is definitely one of them.

Who is Ken Pope???  The only Ken Pope I find on the internet is some assistant Aggies coach that was recently fired with Franchione.  If that's him...I suppose he would be interested.  Employment is a necessity for most of us.

[justafan1]

Has anyone heard on who the may be considering yet?

[KFDM COOP]

Not yet.