Thursday, February 12, 2015

How About Nofri?


Mark Nofri

I wonder if more outstanding FCS coaches might be interested in the Columbia job.


After an historic 2013 season with the Pioneers, Nofri kicked it up another notch with a 9-3 record in 2014 and a top 25 ranking to end the year. 

Pros: He knows the general New York area and has really helped a program kick it up a serious notch.

Cons: Sacred Heart doesn’t have the admissions restrictions Columbia does and Nofri has only been a head coach for three years.


Anyway, he’s just another name to consider. 

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I caught a few Sacred Heart games (or parts of them) this past season and no doubt they are a decent program. From a coaching standpoint it is hard to tell what Nofri is made of since what made them so effective was an excellent QB-WR tandem. Without that they would have been pretty ordinary. They put up big points at times. Defensively they were ok.

If it makes a difference, SH looked almost but not quite as powerless against Fordham in their opportunities.

Coach said...

Jake: did Peter get to hire a search group for the Football job? If not, is the same football committee going to have input?
This new AD is from the far west. Does he really know these Eastern Schools and their coaches?
I don't get it.

Zero Dark said...

Over on the Voy forum it was posted that Columbia is looking for a week one game in 2016/17. I wonder if this is removing Fordham or moving them to week three?

Either way, I would hope the incoming head coach would be consulted. Needs to be a very winnable game, IMO.

oldlion said...

I hope we are dropping Fordham. They are going in another direction and are recruiting players we can't touch. I would prefer that we drop them now instead of having to,play them again at their place this September.

Columbia_Fan said...

If Fordham is upgrading, it does them no good to hammer us every year. Should be easy to agree to a change of schedule.
It this point,I am not sure who would be a sure win for us to schedule early.

DOC said...

Hard to believe that as recently as 2009, we thrashed Fordham 40-28,who at the time were led by an NFL-bound QB named John Skelton.

Coach said...

Fordham's 5 years of scholarships-
Columbia cannot compete with this situation.

Anonymous said...

Fordham would probably prefer to have a more suitable opponent anyway. The FCS playoffs only take a certain number of teams so strength of schedule matters.

It's only a 9-4 Fordham advantage in the Liberty Cup but the series has outlived its usefulness.

Coach said...

There is one FCS football team in the country without a football coach.

Coach said...

Does anybody know if the football committee involved?

Big Dawg said...

Quite frankly, and sincerely meaning no insult to the "Committee", I see nothing they can possibly bring to the table or have previously brought there.
These are nothing more than ex CU ball players, who have financially contributed for their CFPC membership. They have no more expertise or legitimacy than any other ex ballplayer, and certainly no more justification for involvement in decisions.

CFPC is a loyal and key group of supporters and cheerleaders which we need. The new AD and Lee understand full well that their careers depend on a wise FB choice. That choice will be made by experts, not well-intended part-timers.

Jake said...

Cronyism kills. And the CU football program has been plagued with it for years.

Zero Dark said...

I am surprised that names haven't leaked to this point. I know you mentioned Jake that you have heard some names that you cannot share but coming up on two weeks after Pilling's hiring there must be a few clear targets at this point.

We are a little over a day away from the public forum, less than a month from the anticipated start date of the new head coach. I have reached out to some well-connected football guys (generally well informed on college hirings, not specifically Columbia) but they haven't heard much at all.

Not saying it's bad or good, just surprised.

oldlion said...

Fordham wants to keep the game. Badly. And I want to drop it now. Badly.

Big Dawg said...

There is a particular satisfaction deriving from kicking the ass of the "uptown" rich kid that thrills the heart of the typical Fordham fan, regardless of how it affects power points or whatever. This is a blue collar vs. white collar thing, whether accurate or not (have you checked out FU tuition lately?). So there is lots of motivation to maintain the series, at least from their end.

oldlion said...

Big Dawg has nailed it, as usual. The fact that tuition is comparable is not relevant. There is a sense among Fordham alumni that they may not be in our league as a school but they can still kick us around on the football field.

Coach said...

Columbia cannot play scholarship schools- end of discussion. Forget it - maybe Harvard
and Yale , but not the Lions. Those days are over.

WOF said...

Penn plays Villanova every year.. Just sayin...

We should get them back on the schedule in a couple of years, and play them later in the season..