I received many reports today that last night's John Jay Awards Dinner was a great one for the many former Columbia athletes who were there.
Head Coach Al Bagnoli was in attendance and he continues to infuse everyone he talks to with a new spirit of optimism and enthusiasm for the future of Columbia football.
We've experienced optimism about Lion football in the past to be sure, especially in the weeks after we hire a new coach.
But this time it's different. It's optimism combined with relief, with a "wow we finally had a V-8!" moment thrown in.
We're still waiting to officially hear the names of all the incoming assistant coaches. One crucial question is whether Jon McClaughlin will be both the offensive coordinator and the offensive line coach or just the offensive line coach.
But the reported hiring of Paul Ferraro as defensive coordinator and the arrival of highly-regarded Jon Poppe from Harvard prove that Bagnoli and the new salary packages are attracting wide-ranging interest from top quality coaches.
Now the real test is whether Columbia will be able to attract wide-ranging interest from top quality players. The recruiting process for the 2016 freshmen class is underway and something tells me that is a higher priority for Bagnoli than almost anything else.
Speaking of good feeling, I must say I really enjoyed seeing Connor Nelligan's name appear on the roster page when it was republished earlier this week. Nelligan is an excellent wide receiver who has had bad luck with injuries over the past two seasons. He's graduating this May, but his status is listed as "graduate student" on the roster and I hope that means he will be allowed a medical 5th year this fall.
Another player I hope to soon see return to the roster is rising sophomore DB Devin Williams. Devin was a great recruiting "get" and he jumped out at me for his excellent overall play in the Yale game last year. I'd really like to see him back.
8 comments:
Just saw Joe D'Orazio tweet that he is on board.
Now we gotta get Coach D'Orazio on Twitter!
Jake,
Not to throw a wet blanket on your hopes for returning players who have quit, for whatever reasons, but some may not be welcomed back by the existing team members.
I say this after your insperational description
of the young men who stuck out "The losing streak", without quoting,
The best players are going to play. That's how it is in every program. If people are upset then they have to make decisions best for them. Also, with every program, there is going to be a lot of churn and change with a new coaching staff.
No one wants to hear the term "future" when we want to win now but this program is going to look very different in 2-3 years. Upcoming season will be baby steps, hopefully a win or 2 or 3 but really, the big changes are down the road with mostly different players.
Al,
You're forgetting the past 3 seasons when the best players did not always play.
Not sure what IL rules state about non-roster players participating in spring practice, but if quiters are allowed back, team moral will suffer.
I know that Columbia football is not a democracy, but I am sure that the new coaching staff will meet with the returning veterans to get their input, before making any dissions regarding returnees.
https://mobile.twitter.com/stongovalpo
New lb coach - Justin stovall
No Columbia fan, people's feelings are not considered when coaches make decisions for the best of the team. Your association with people in the program color your perceptions. Wishing doesn't make it so.
agree with wingman
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