The BC Pipeline is Alive

6-1, 220-pound LB Christian Gonzalez from Bergen Catholic HS has committed to Columbia. 

He also had an offer from Lafayette. 

According to my LionFeeders database Gonzalez will be the 16th Bergen Catholic grad to come to Columbia Football. He was also join BG grads Christian Carti '27, Pat Colicchio '25, and Malachi Mercer '27 on the Lion roster. 

So the list of known commits grows to 12:

1) Rodrigo Diaz-Martorella DE/TE 6"4 255 lbs. Miami Palmetto HS Miami, FL 

2) Liam Donagher DB 6"2 200 lbs. Grafton Memorial HS/Choate (PG Year) Grafton, MA

3) Jeremiah Douglas DB 6"2 185 lbs. IMG Academy/St. Paul's HS Brooklandville, MD 

4) Christian Gonzalez LB 6"1 220-lbs. Bergen Catholic HS Oradell, NJ

5) Miron Magee DB 5"10 160 lbs. Lake Highlands HS Dallas, TX

6) Carter McCray DB 6"0 185 lbs Cornerstone Christian HS San Antonio, TX

7) Emanuel Nazy OL 6"4 280 lbs. Hackensack HS/Don Bosco Prep Hackensack, NJ

8) Casey O'Sullivan TE/DE 6"3 245 lbs. Seton Hall Prep West Orange, NJ

9)Sam Pearman K 6"0 180 lbs. Los Gatos HS Los Gatos, CA

10) Xavier Phipps WR 6"5 190 lbs. Dekaney HS Houston, TX

11) Benny Sasso OL 6"3 270 lbs. Wall Township HS, Wall, NJ

12) Caleb Solomon DB 6"1 180 lbs. Miramar HS Miramar, FL 

 

Welcome to 2010!

Coach Poppe's Twitter profile pic

One of the major adjustments we're going to have to make in the Jon Poppe era is that now we have a coach who is personally active on social media, in particular Twitter/X. 

This is hardly a new medium for college coaches, even in the Ivies. But Columbia has never had a football head coach who maintained his own active account.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm NOT complaining that Al Bagnoli didn't have his own accounts. At his age, it would been kind of transparently pathetic had he chosen to do so. AND I am aware that Mark Fabish was active on his account, both as an assistant for years and last season as interim head coach.  

But Poppe is a next-level social media guy, as he even reposts statements by recruits and makes it clear that he's watching. 

One of those Poppe reposts is an extremely promising looking QB recruit from Northern Calitornia. This tells me Poppe has his priorities straight. 

Okay, I know this is all old news for almost anyone else, but I applaud this bold leap into the last decade! 

Penn Exposed?

Speaking of things everyone's known for a long time, we know that offering coveted slots at Penn's undergrad Wharton program has long been one of the most effective recruiting tools in all the Ivies. 

But according to one disgruntled Penn donor, the Quaker athletics department has been doing more than offering slots. Saul Rosenthal is suing Penn for allegedly using some of his donations to improperly fund scholarships for athletes. 

As if Penn and all the other Ivy schools weren't under a lot of justified donor scrutiny as it is, this is the first instance of the recent Ivy controversies potentially touching athletics. 

Au Revoir Augie

We still haven't seen the official announcement that Seitu Smith will be the new offensive coordinator. But we have learned that Augie Hoffmann is leaving the pride to return as head coach of St. Joseph Regional HS in New Jersey. 

So, in addition to the official announcement on Smith's appointment still on the table we also await the names of our new defensive line and tight ends coaches... among other things. \

Post-It to the People

 

This pic snapped this weekend, would indicate that my sources have been correct with their reports to me that former Harvard star WR Seitu Smith has been hired to be Columbia's new Offensive Coordinator and QB coach. 

Since graduating in 2016, Smith has coached at Dartmouth, Brown, Yale, and with the Cleveland Browns. Smith's most recent work has been with the Elis, where he's worked as the assistant head coach and running backs coach. 

He is considered a serious up-and-comer in the coaching world, and rounds out what is definitely the youngest coaching staff in Ivy football history. 

Tall Receiver

A commitment I missed from two days ago is Xavier Phipps, a 6-5, 190-pound WR from Dekaney HS in Houston. 

Phipps had offers from Fresno State, East Carolina, Penn. and UT Rio Grande Valley (are we stealing their offerees or are they shadowing us?).

He will be the first Dekaney grad to come to Columbia Football. 

So the list of known commits grows to 11:

1) Rodrigo Diaz-Martorella DE/TE 6"4 255 lbs. Miami Palmetto HS Miami, FL 

2) Liam Donagher DB 6"2 200 lbs. Grafton Memorial HS/Choate (PG Year) Grafton, MA

3) Jeremiah Douglas DB 6"2 185 lbs. IMG Academy/St. Paul's HS Brooklandville, MD 

4) Miron Magee DB 5"10 160 lbs. Lake Highlands HS Dallas, TX

5) Carter McCray DB 6"0 185 lbs Cornerstone Christian HS San Antonio, TX

6) Emanuel Nazy OL 6"4 280 lbs. Hackensack HS/Don Bosco Prep Hackensack, NJ

7) Casey O'Sullivan TE/DE 6"3 245 lbs. Seton Hall Prep West Orange, NJ

8)Sam Pearman K 6"0 180 lbs. Los Gatos HS Los Gatos, CA

9) Xavier Phipps WR 6"5 190 lbs. Dekaney HS Houston, TX

10) Benny Sasso OL 6"3 270 lbs. Wall Township HS, Wall, NJ

11) Caleb Solomon DB 6"1 180 lbs. Miramar HS Miramar, FL 

Taking Shape

Before we get updated on the coaching staff hires, let's look at some recruiting news. 

The good news is 6-0, 185-pound CB Carter McCray from Cornerstone Christian HS in San Antonio has committed to Columbia. 

McCray had offers from Army, Dartmouth, Penn, Brown, Fordham, Colgate, Texas State, North Texas, and UT Rio Grande Valley. This appears to be a pretty big "get."

McCray will be the first Cornerstone grad to come to Columbia Football, according to my LionFeeders Historic Recruiting Database.

The bad news is that RB Brodey Berg has decommitted, saying in a Twitter/X post that he is opening up his recruitment again because of the coaching change at CU. 

So the list of known commits remains at 10:

1) Rodrigo Diaz-Martorella DE/TE 6"4 255 lbs. Miami Palmetto HS Miami, FL 

2) Liam Donagher DB 6"2 200 lbs. Grafton Memorial HS/Choate (PG Year) Grafton, MA

3) Jeremiah Douglas DB 6"2 185 lbs. IMG Academy/St. Paul's HS Brooklandville, MD 

4) Miron Magee DB 5"10 160 lbs. Lake Highlands HS Dallas, TX

5) Carter McCray DB 6"0 185 lbs Cornerstone Christian HS San Antonio, TX

6) Emanuel Nazy OL 6"4 280 lbs. Hackensack HS/Don Bosco Prep Hackensack, NJ

7) Casey O'Sullivan TE/DE 6"3 245 lbs. Seton Hall Prep West Orange, NJ

8)Sam Pearman K 6"0 180 lbs. Los Gatos HS Los Gatos, CA

9) Benny Sasso OL 6"3 270 lbs. Wall Township HS, Wall, NJ

10) Caleb Solomon DB 6"1 180 lbs. Miramar HS Miramar, FL

YOUNG GUNS

I can report that Head Coach Jon Poppe is very close to announcing his choice for offensive coordinator, which is clearly the most highly anticipated hire for this staff considering the Lions overall offensive performance in 2023. 

So far, we've had the announcements of a number of young coaches to fill Poppe's staff. They include, (as I reported) Justin Woodley '21 as the Linebackers Coach, A.J. Gallagher as Wide Receivers Coach, and the previously-reported news of Greg Skjold returning, this time as the Offensive Line Coach. 

The CU Football Twitter/X feed also announced the hiring of Kenneth Tinsely, the running backs coach from Georgetown, (which enjoyed a very good season on the ground this fall), to assume the same role here at CU. Tinsley has also served as the running backs coach at U. Maine. Tinsley will be one of the "older" coaches as he is over 30 years old! 

Speaking of older, and definitely wiser, the CU Athletics website still lists Augie Hoffmann as the Tight Ends Coach, which would be a big positive to balance out the overall youth in the staff. Hoffmann also impressed just about everyone in his first year at Columbia this fall and his New Jersey recruiting ties run deep. Here's hoping he really is staying on.

Of course, the defensive staff is still headed by DC Justin Stovall and CU coaching veteran Andre Kukesh, who is staying on as DB's coach. That still leaves the defensive line coach slot open in addition to the as-yet un-named OC. 

But this will definitely be the youngest coaching staff in Ivy football history, by far. If anything, it will be an interesting experiment for everyone to watch as the league has seen most of its older coaches move on. 

 

A Kafkaesque Lesson for Jon Poppe

Everyone who knows new Columbia Head Coach Jon Poppe also knows he's a very energetic man on a mission. I'm excited to see what his energy and experience will produce for the Lions in the years to come. 

But one of the things Poppe is going to face, like every CU head coach before him, is a chorus of naysayers and scolds who stand in the way of any new approaches and even calculated risk-taking.

I know this is a football blog, but it's also an IVY LEAGUE football blog so I ask you to indulge me as I use a hardcore literary reference to make my point. 

One of the most important works for any goal-oriented person to read is the short story "Before the Law" from Franz Kafka's book, The Trial. 

I'm sorry if I spoil the story now by saying that it is an elegant narrative explaining how we often handcuff ourselves by listening to the naysayers and scolds in life who are either ignorantly or intentionally providing us with incorrect advice. These are the voices who play a huge role in impeding bold changes, even for the people or organizations who most need that change.

As I've been saying here all year, Columbia Football is not in need of a significant rebuild thanks to what Al Bagnoli, Peter Pilling, and many others have achieved over the last eight years. But there is still bold innovation needed, especially when it comes to Columbia's current recruiting needs in the context of all the new rules in place for college football. 

To be more specific: COLUMBIA NEEDS TO BRING IN A QB!!! And Poppe is going to need to ignore any weak-minded or weak-willed naysayers who may discourage him from taking some bold steps in the face of that need. 

For example, you know there are going to be people who tell Poppe NOT to aggressively explore the transfer portal, NOT to scour the country for guys with preferred walk-on offers from bigger programs, etc. 

One prime example of the former is a recent Cardinal Hayes grad who got offers from Princeton and other Ivies, chose an ACC program instead, but is now in the transfer portal. I can just hear the usual naysayers telling Poppe not to bother with someone who already rejected the Ivies in the past. That's baloney of course. 

All head football coaching jobs are hard, but it isn't the workload that waters down the passion of obviously passionate coaches like Jon Poppe. Like a challenging workout, he'll likely be even more energized by that work. 

I also don't think he'll be overly discouraged by honest criticism of what happens on the field, whether it comes from the fans or anyone else. 

But our job as fans is to make sure those discouraging, scolding, and narrow-minded voices stay as far away from Poppe as we can keep them. 

A Stunning Display of Normalcy

There was something startling about today's introductory news conference for new Columbia Football Head Coach Jon Poppe.

It was an amazingly unique and almost radical first for a new CU head football coach:

It was NORMAL.

By "normal," I mean the speech Poppe gave was the kind of speech you're likely to hear from just about any new coach taking over a program. He talked about commitment, adaptability, strategy, and even a little bit of luck. 

While I came into the event thinking intently about how Poppe is the first Columbia Football head coach since Buff Donelli took over in 1957 who HASN'T had to spend most of his opening speech talking about how he needed to fix everything about the program from the ground up. 

That's because he doesn't. As Poppe said himself in a the Q & A session, the program is MUCH better off than where it was in 2015 and doesn't need to focus on starting over when it comes to facilities, recruiting, or overall team commitment. It's not that each of those things don't need improvement, it's that none of them are at rock bottom or even very close to it. 

It's one thing for all of this to be true, and it's another for a new head coach to realize it and have the humility to see he doesn't need to restructure every little thing. It's pretty obvious Poppe has that awareness. 

The other bit of new from the event is that it's clear Poppe has not finalized his staff and negotiations and other work behind the scenes is going on right now to get that done. Clearly, bringing in a quality offensive coordinator is a major part of the puzzle when it comes to staff. 

The other challenge via recruiting, existing player development, or the transfer portal will be finding a new starting QB for the 2024 season. Poppe doesn't have to do a rebuild, but he still has some major work ahead of him. 

But as his former players at CU have been telling me for weeks, Poppe will not lack for that enthusiasm and commitment that it will take to get these immediate and long term jobs accomplished. 

 

Poppe Presser Day Updates

As we await the official news conference to welcome new Head Coach Jon Poppe, here are some more updates and details:

-The event will be at 1pm today in the 2nd floor lounge at the Dodge Fitness Center. For those who cannot attend, I believe it will be streamed live, but the details on where to find that stream have not been posted yet. 

-You can expect most of the news conference to cover Poppe's biographical info and his coaching resume. I don't know if we'll be presented with a more clear picture of who is and isn't on his coaching staff, but we can hope.

-On that note, I can report that former Lion LB Justin Woodley '21 will be rejoining the staff as the linebackers coach. 

-Sources also tell me that will coach Greg Skjold is rejoining the staff, he will not be the offensive coordinator. That's despite Skjold serving in that role under Poppe at Union this past season. 

-I think I'm not alone in hoping that Al Bagnoli will be at the news conference and say a few words of welcome and encouragement for Poppe and the new staff. 

Poppe Presser Set for Wednesday

Multiple sources confirm to me that the official news conference to introduce new Head Coach Jon Poppe will be this Wednesday afternoon in the 2nd floor lounge of the Dodge Fitness Center and will be open to the public. The exact time has not been confirmed. 

I'm sure we'll get some of the questions about what Poppe's staff will look like during that news conference, etc. 

The response to Poppe's hiring has been very positive from every one of the members of the team I've heard from since Friday. That should play a role in convincing a decent number of players with options to return to Columbia next fall, as opposed to using their remaining year or years of eligibility elsewhere. 

 

It's Official... but still lots of unanswered questions

The Columbia Athletics Department has made the official announcement that Jon Poppe is the new football head coach.

But some of the info my sources provided me over the last several weeks has changed, (it happens in developing news stories). 

-Sources tell me Justin Stovall is staying on as Defensive Coordinator. 

-I can NO LONGER confirm that Princeton Wide Receivers Coach Brian Flinn is joining Poppe's staff at Columbia. I am now getting unconfirmed reports he will remain at Princeton.

-Gregory Skjold is returning with Poppe to rejoin the Columbia staff. Skjold served as the offensive coordinator under Poppe at Union this year, but I do not know what his job title will be at CU now. 

-Poppe informed some of his Union players Thursday night that he was going to Columbia, as reported by the local press in the Union area. 

As the official release reported, the official intro news conference for Poppe will be this Wednesday. Hopefully, we will have more answers then.

Of course, I have posted several thoughts about Coach Poppe over the years on this blog. As I re-read those posts last night, I realized they were ALL POSITIVE. That includes this post I made about how Columbia had the best secondary in the Ivies in 2017 and how that unit was going to miss Poppe as he went to Harvard. 

JON POPPE TO BE NAMED NEW HEAD COACH SUNDAY

Because I do this blog as a supportive tool for the football program and the players, I've held off on publishing this information that I've had confirmed for more than a week. But since the facts are now becoming known by more and more members of the Columbia community anyway, it's now time to "go with the story."

Jon Poppe will be the new head coach of the Columbia Football program, with an official announcement coming this Sunday. 

Poppe served as secondary coach and recruiting coordinator at Columbia under Al Bagnoli from 2015-17 before going to Harvard in those same two roles, (Poppe had been an assistant at Harvard before his time at Columbia as well). 

For the past year, Poppe has been the head coach at Union College, where the Garnet Chargers went 10-2 this year and made it to the 2nd round of the Division-III playoffs. The 10 wins were a record for a 1st-year coach at Union. 

Poppe is bringing with him the outstanding wide receivers coach at Princeton, Brian Flinn, who my sources tell me will be the offensive coordinator and associate head coach. Flinn's record at Princeton and Villanova before that speaks for itself. 

I'm also told that Augie Hoffmann  will remain at Columbia and likely take on the role of offensive line coach. There has been an effort to retain much of the defensive coaching staff, but I'm not sure if any of them will decide to remain. 

Getting back to Poppe, his Columbia connections run deep. His father Bill and brother Will both played for Columbia, and all of the boys in the family including the dad are Bergen Catholic alumni.

Poppe is an excellent recruiter. For Columbia, he was responsible for bringing in many of the players who turned the program around, most notably Cameron Roane '18 who remains the best cornerback CU has had in my lifetime. While it is true that recruiting for Harvard is a "different animal," Poppe had some major successes there as well. 

He is not yet 40, which may give some of us pause, but he will be surrounded by some older staffers and he's far from the youngest person to get an Ivy football top job, (he's about 8-9 years older than David Archer when he was made HC at Cornell). 

It's also a fact that the CU secondary has fallen off in quality since Poppe left. Hopefully, he can reverse that fast. 

The other key positive is Poppe's knowledge that the program needs an offensive mastermind to work with him is an excellent sign of his self-awareness and awareness of the Columbia challenge. As I've written before, this team/program now is NOT A RECLAMATION PROJECT! There is good talent on the roster, great facilities in place, and a tradition of winning over the last eight years now. 

Jon Poppe has what he needs to succeed at Columbia and there is no doubt he has the enthusiasm to go along with that. 

Sources: Coaching Decision Made

Multiple sources tell me the head coaching hiring decision has been made, though the official offer (no one likes to offer jobs or admission in the Ivies without a 100% guarantee it will be accepted) will take another few days to be made. 

We can expect some kind of announcement or more solid information on Friday.

Out of respect for the process, and as I await even more confirmation, I will hold off on publishing the name of the incoming HC. But I can say he has a number of positives on his resume AND he is reportedly bringing a top assistant with stellar offensive football credentials. 

Again, because of the way "search committees" and other official academic hiring processes work, you can expect to see some pushback on this news.

And perhaps most importantly, this will be the first new head coach coming to Columbia since 1957 who doesn't really have to do any significant rebuilding of the program. 

Although to be fair: After Norries Wilson was let go in 2011, Pete Mangurian had a decent well of talent in the program waiting for him but he clearly didn't think so and he tore it all down anyway. This new head coach will NOT need to, nor will he do that. 

MORE LATER.... 

Nunzio Now?

Jake's note: This and any other post I publish about potential head coaching candidates for Columbia are just provided here as food for thought. I have not been paid, fed, cajoled, or threatened into endorsing any candidate over any other, etc.  

Nunzio Campanile

Longtime Bergen Catholic coach Nunzio Campanile has often been mentioned as a possible head coaching candidate for Columbia Football.

In years past, the Columbia athletic department's intense dislike for any high school coaches (a sentiment that long kept former Don Bosco head coach Greg Toal from even coming close to getting the job at CU).

But it's been more than six years since Campanile left BC and he's been coaching to great reviews at Rutgers and now Syracuse ever since. In fact, he's been so respected at Syracuse that they named him interim head coach earlier this month.

The Orange appear to be close to getting a major "big fish" to take the permanent head coaching job, which means Columbia has another chance to consider Campanile and his still very strong recruiting ties to some of the very strong Ivy football feeder areas in the Northeast and his new experience in other areas of the nation thanks to his college experience. 

Will he get a chance this time during this search process? I'm not sure, but it would be a good idea to do so. 

Recruiting Update (UPDATED)

The tumultuous 2023 season and a rough news environment outside of football has left me behind he 8-ball on listing our committed recruits for next season. 

But here are some updates:

Sam Pearman

6-0, 180-pound kicker Sam Pearman from Los Gatos HS in Californing committed to the Lions after de-committing from Union in October. 

According to my LionFeeders database, Pearman will be the fourth Las Gatos grad to come to Columbia, but the first since Derek Smith and Scott Soucy (both class of 2005). 

Of course, if current Union head coach Jon Poppe gets the Columbia head coaching job, Pearman will end up playing for him anyway. 

6-3, 270-pound OL Benny Sasso from Wall Township HS announced his commitment to Columbia on November 5th. He also had an offer from Wagner. 

Sasso will be just the second Wall Township grad to come to Columbia Football. 

Next is 6-0 200-pound RB Brodey Berg from Anderson HS in Cincinnati. He also had offers from Brown, Dayton, Miami of Ohio, and others. 

Berg will be the first Anderson grad to come to Columbia Football.

But the big GET so fat may be 6-2 185-pound DB Jeremiah Douglas  announced his commitment to Columbia on Nov. 2nd. He is currently at IMG Academy in Florida for his senior season, but played three years at St. Paul's HS in Maryland. 

Douglas also had offers from Penn, Navy, Army, Air Force, UNH, Stony Brook, Bryant, Bucknell, Sacred Heart, and Towson, 

Douglas will be the third St. Paul's player to come to Columbia Football and the second from IMG Academy, (the first from IMG was Patrick Wade '25, who is now with the Columbia Baseball team). 

So the list of known commits grows to 10:

1) Brodey Berg RB 6"0 200 lbs. Anderson HS Cincinnati, OH

2) Rodrigo Diaz-Martorella DE/TE 6"4 255 lbs. Miami Palmetto HS Miami, FL 

3) Liam Donagher DB 6"2 200 lbs. Grafton Memorial HS/Choate (PG Year) Grafton, MA

4) Jeremiah Douglas DB 6"2 185 lbs. IMG Academy/St. Paul's HS Brooklandville, MD 

5) Miron Magee DB 5"10 160 lbs. Lake Highlands HS Dallas, TX

6) Emanuel Nazy OL 6"4 280 lbs. Hackensack HS/Don Bosco Prep Hackensack, NJ

7) Casey O'Sullivan TE/DE 6"3 245 lbs. Seton Hall Prep West Orange, NJ

8)Sam Pearman K 6"0 180 lbs. Los Gatos HS Los Gatos, CA

9) Benny Sasso OL 6"3 270 lbs. Wall Township HS, Wall, NJ

10) Caleb Solomon DB 6"1 180 lbs. Miramar HS Miramar, FL

Blasts from the Past

John Garrett

Two other names of coaches I'm hearing from Columbia Football alums these days are familiar indeed. 

Former Penn LB and Bushnell Cup/Ivy Player of the Year winner Tom Gilmore always seems to be in the mix whenever Columbia has a head coaching vacancy. Gilmore was an assistant under CU Head Coach Larry MacElreavy for two seasons before moving on to Dartmouth and head coaching stints at Holy Cross and Lehigh. 

I posted several thoughts about Gilmore in the past, and it's nice to see he's still interested in coming to Columbia, or at least consider it. 

Another name is really intriguing, former Columbia (and Princeton) WR John Garrett. Yes, he's one of the sons of former CU Head Coach Jim Garrett who was famously fired after one season at Columbia (and was essentially finished after he publicly blew up at the team after losing the 1985 season opener vs. Harvard). When the elder Garrett was fired, John was a player on the team and he was unceremoniously informed of the firing with the rest of the team. 

The younger Garrett is currently on the staff at Florida State, but had a mixed record as head coach at Lafayette before being fired by the Leopards after the 2016 season. 

If Garrett is offered and takes this job, AND does well here, it should poetically close the wounds for both the Garrett family and Columbia fans, (though Jim did pass away just a few years ago).

As of now, the job search does still seem wide open. I have no confirmation that the impression some potential applicants have about Ricky Santos being the frontrunner for the job is true. 

One thing I can confirm is that Columbia gets a little break from the calendar in this process. That's because due to the 2024 leap year, and just the usual calendar progression, the off season between the 2023 season and the 2024 season is as long as possible; 308 days. So Columbia gets essentially and extra eight days or so (Ivy football offseasons) are usually 300 or 301 days) to get the new coach hired and resume all the offseason work with as much clarity and leadership as possible.

Remember that Al Bagnoli did not come on board at Columbia until February of 2015, and I'm very confident we will have a new head coach in place well before that this time. 

Back to Bracketology?

Sean Bracket '13 has shown a commitment to the game of football that you rarely see from Ivy League grads.

After he graduated CU, he spent many years playing Arena (now indoor) Football. 

He spent one year as the head coach of the Waltham, MA High School in 2021, before taking his current position as QB coach for the Massachusetts Pirates. 

For a team like Columbia that's looking for a shot in the arm on offense, the Lions could do well to grab up Bracket as a coordinator or position coach in the new regime. While he is not a product of the Bagnoli regime, Brackett is still familiar with Columbia student life and the overall culture of the Ivy League. 

Brackett has remained close to his teammates and other people in the Columbia athletics world over the years and clearly has ambitions to return to the Ivies with the combination of his college and pro knowledge. 

Just a thought... 

Searching for a New Coach in a New World

Now that the Columbia Football coaching job is 100% officially open it's not only important to assess a list of possible candidates, but also to look at some of the realities that will face the new coach when the job is actually filled. 

Ricky Santos

Big Difference

The Columbia Football program is in MUCH better shape in every way compared to where it was at this point nine years ago the last time the head coaching slot was open. This is true for a number of subcategories, including player quality, facilities, program reputation, and recruiting reach. 

The Al Bagnoli/Peter Pilling effect on this operation has been undeniably positive. 

Bagnoli took over a team in 2015 that hadn't had a winning season in 19 years. He left after having achieved FOUR winning seasons in the seven total years he was on the sidelines, (of course one of his eight years, was the COVID year that was canceled). 

What that means is for the first time since Lou Little retired after the 1956, hiring a new head coach with a familiarity for and belief in the previous (non-interim) head coach's system will be a POSITIVE. 

That's why I believe there's a good chance coaches who worked under Bagnoli at Columbia in the past have a great shot of getting this job. 

Former CU QB's coach and current University of New Hampshire head coach Rick Santos is one guy who checks those boxes and more. He remains close with a number of players from his years at Columbia and he's at least maintained UNH as a competitive team. Perhaps more important than all, his Wildcat teams have remained offensive juggernauts during his tenure and offense is something the Lions need to improve immediately. 

Sources tell me Santos' candidacy is considered to be so strong, that some other potential coaches have decided not to apply for this job. 

Another coach from the Bagnoli/Columbia tree is Jon Poppe, who's still in the midst of a 10-1 season in his first year at the helm at Union College. His Garnet Chargers (yeah, that's the team name... don't ask) are getting ready to take on Johns Hopkins in the second round of the D-III playoffs this Saturday. Poppe also has some family connections to Columbia in addition to his years under Bagnoli; his father Bill '70 and brother Will '00 both played for the Lions. All three of them are Bergen Catholic grads. 

There's also Ryan Larsen who took over the QB coaching job under Bagnoli after Santos left before becoming the head coach at Carnegie Mellon in 2022. All Larsen has done in his two seasons for the Tartans is oversee a 21-2 overall won-loss record. 

WOW Factor?

But maybe the above scenario and names are only what everyone is expecting Pilling to do. 

Remember, Pilling knocked our socks off with the Bagnoli hire in 2015, and he's had ample time to set up something major like that again. 

Months ago, I learned that former Mississippi State and Florida head coach Dan Mullen had made some inquiries with the Columbia administration about the head coaching job. Just how serious those inquiries really were, I do not know. 

Pilling is also a guy with heavy connections to the Philadelphia area and Villanova in particular. A number of folks have mentioned Chris Boden, the current offensive coordinator for the Wildcats as a possible candidate for Columbia. 

Another trend in sports is for assistants for newly hot teams to become heavily in demand for open jobs elsewhere. That would make James Madison offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan an interesting possibility (no he is NOT related to the family of current 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan). 

I'm sure there are plenty of names I'm forgetting, but let the speculation begin! 

 

BREAKING: Fabish Dismissed

Sources confirm that Head Coach Mark Fabish will not be retained as head coach and a new head coach will be named by next month. 

I previously reported that the team was notified of this last night but that was apparently not true for the entire team, though some players were aware. 

I join many of you in feeling many mixed emotions about this news, especially because Fabish was an enthusiastic and strong supporter of the players. 

For those who have been strong detractors of Fabish for years, I realize many of you are angry that I did not lobby for his removal. But as I vowed when he was named interim head coach, I wanted to give him full support during the season. 

Now that the season is over, it's time to focus on finding a great new head coach for Columbia. 

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

Fast Finish

Columbia 29 Cornell 14

Why Columbia Won

The Lions had a near-perfect 1st half on both sides of the ball, moving quickly on offense and stuffing the Cornell attack. When the offense stalled in the 2nd half the defense bailed the team out with three interceptions, including a pick six that iced the game. 

Why Cornell Lost

The Big Red couldn't stop the Columbia run at all in the 1st half, and didn't get its own offense going until the 3rd quarter. But even as Cornell did finally move the ball, it couldn't overcome QB Jameson Wang's four total interceptions on the day. 

Key Turning Points

-After both teams missed field goal tries on their opening drives, the Lions started their second possession of the game at their 22 with seven minutes left in the 1st quarter. They proceeded to go on a hurry-up 10-play drive that included eight running plays and two passes for 78 yards and a TD. 

-On Cornell's ensuing possession, DB Aaron Brebnor picked off a Wang pass tipped by DB Jayden Marshall to give the Lions the ball on the Big Red 38. Columbia converted that opportunity into a FG, a 10-0, and a decisive grabbing of the game's momentum. 

-After Cornell scored a TD on a quick 75-yard drive to start the 3rd quarter, the Big Red started moving the ball well on its second possession of the half as well. But on the 10th play of the drive, Cornell faced a 3rd and six at the Columbia 21 and Wang was intercepted at the one yard line by DB Carter McFadden who returned to the Lion 33. Cornell's next possession ended in an interception by LB Rocco Milia.

-With the score now 22-14 and Cornell within striking distance, the Big Red took over possession at the Cornell 18 with 6:56 left in the game. They got as far as the Lion 36, when Wang forced a pass that DB Hayden McDonald picked off and returned 71 yards for the game-icing TD. 

Columbia Positives

-You'll be hard pressed to find a better 1st half performance in the history of this program. The offense moved the ball on every possession but one. The defense stuffed Cornell on every possession but one. The special teams excelled in every opportunity but one. The hurry up offense executed when it did and didn't need to. 

-Columbia's rushing attack was impressive, gaining 6.2 yards per carry and 222 total net yards on the ground. The offensive line had its best game of the year, getting a massive push on almost every 1st half run and one sack overall.

-On the other side of the ball, the Lions harassed Wang most of the day and recorded three sacks, two of which (both by DE Justin Townsend) resulted in Wang fumbles.

-Punter William Hughes was a key reason why the Lions never relinquished the lead, nailing two punts inside the 20, including one at the five yard line. 

Columbia Negatives

-The inventiveness and quickness the Lions offense showed in the 1st half disappeared in the 2nd. Luckily the defense picked up the slack. 

Columbia MVP

There are A LOT of Lions who could easily get this award this week, including McFadden and McDonald. But Justin Townsend's two strip sacks and two other tackles for a loss on the day stood out the most.  

Curtain Call(s)

Columbia Lions (2-7) vs. Cornell Big Red (3-6)

November 18, 2023 

Kickoff Time: 1:00pm

Schoelkopf Field

Ithaca, New York

Game Time Weather Forecast: 40 degrees and cloudy

The Line: Columbia is a 1 1/2 point underdog

Columbia Game Notes 

Cornell Game Notes 

Leading Story Lines

-This is likely the last game for both head coaches in their current positions. Someone is going to go out a winner.

-Columbia has won the last two games in this very tight series, (the last 30 games have gone 16-14 for Columbia), and neither team usually runs up much of a streak. 

-Cornell has been wildly inconsistent, while one of the only consistent entities in the Ivies this year has been the futility of the Columbia offense. Will one of these traits turn around?

3 Lions to Watch

-Senior RB Joey Giorgi #25 didn't have an explosive senior day game at Wien Stadium last week. Perhaps he'll have a better time against the Big Red's rushing defense, which is giving up 4.9 yards per attempt. 

-Senior LB Anthony Roussos #16 will have his hands full chasing down the often-running Cornell QB Jameson Wang. 

-PK Hugo Merry #33... does anyone else think this game will come down to a late FG? 

3 Big Red Players to Watch

-Big Red QB Jameson Wang #1 will of course be in the spotlight as all QB's are, but the point will be whether he is having one of his more accurate passing days or not. Wang has been inconsistent through the air, but at times very good. 

-When Cornell's passing game has productive this year, senior WR Nicholas Laboy #8 has been the top target. 

-It's been a rough year for the Cornell defense, and it got worse when veteran team captain LB Jake Stebbins was lost for the season in week 2. Senior LB Noah Taylor #52 has been trying to fill the void. 

Week 10 Picks

 

I went 5-1 straight up last week and 4-2 against the spread. That brings my season totals to 37-26 SU (.587) and 32-30-1 AGS 

Georgetown +21 1/2 at Holy Cross

The Crusaders have been faltering down the stretch. They will win but this game will be closer than expected. 

Lafayette -10 1/2 at Lehigh

The Leopards look to finish strong. 

Marist +17 1/2 vs. Bucknell

The Red Foxes will just barely cover. 

Dartmouth -2 1/2 at Brown

This could end up being the best game of the weekend. I wouldn't be surprised if it goes either way, but I think Dartmouth will bring it's A game on defense. 

Yale -1 1/2 vs. Harvard

Yes I am picking Yale to win and tie for the title, (and possibly pull Dartmouth into a 3-way tie for the championship too)

Penn -3 1/2 vs. Princeton

Home field advantage should do the trick here for the Quakers. 

Ivy Power Rankings

 

1) Harvard

The Crimson escaped with a win by the skin of their teeth against Penn, but that was good enough to keep them in the top spot. 

2) Yale

The Elis will have every chance to grab a tie for the title this Saturday in The Game. But will the defense be up to the challenge?

3) Dartmouth

The Big Green should be proud and giddy about their very decent chances of tying for the Ivy title if they can beat Brown. 

4) Penn

The Quakers have been a good team this year, but they didn't make the jump from where they were last year.

5) Princeton

The Tigers have been a tough out all year long. 

6) Brown

The Bears are slowing improving, and they have a lot to play for vs. Dartmouth. 

7) Cornell

The Big Red still don't have most of the tools

8) Columbia

Who knows how far this team could have gone with a competent offense? 

 

Lost at Home

Brown 21 Columbia 14 (OT)

Why Brown Won

The Bears offense moved the ball consistently in the most clutch situations, while the defense held the Lions in check most of the day. 

Why Columbia Lost

The Lions offense was mostly punchless, ruining a great effort by the defense and the special teams. 

Key Turning Points

-With the score tied 7-7, and about 4:30 left in the 3rd quarter, Columbia got a pass completion and 15-yard facemask penalty tacked on to it for a 1st down at the Brown 36. The next three plays netted CU just one yard, and the Lions chose not to go for it on 4th down at the 35 and punted the ball away. Brown got the ball from that punt and went on a 14-play TD drive that included a 1st down on a 4th and 11 play. 

-With under 30 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 14. the Lions had a 4th and 3 at the Brown 32. The coaches obviously didn't think PK Hugo Merry could hit a 50-yard FG into a slight wind and elected to go for it, but did not get the 1st down. 

-In OT, Brown faced a 3rd and 9 at the CU 11, and Bear QB Jake Wilcox made a nice throw to WR Graham Walker short of the 1st down, but the Lions could not make the tackle and he slipped into the end zone for the winning score. 

Columbia Positives 

-The Lions committed no turnovers.

-DB Aaron Brebnor made an athletic block of a short Brown FG attempt at the end of the 1st half. 

-CU had a consistent pass rush, netting three sacks and three holding penalties that were the direct result of the strong rush. 

Columbia Negatives

-The Lions had some flashes on offense, but little consistency. The opening drive was filled with well-executed plays and imaginative play calling, but it took forever for that fire to rekindle itself.

-The Lion pass defense continues to leave too much of a cushion for opposing WR's to make easy catches for 5-8 yard gains. 

Columbia MVP

-In his final home game 5th year senior WR JJ Jenkins had an awesome day, with 4 catches for 70 yards and two TD's. The first TD catch was an acrobatic masterpiece. 

Last Exit from New York

Columbia Lions (2-6) vs. Brown Bears (4-4)

November 11, 2023

Kickoff Time: 12:30 (but will actually be later due to the senior recognition ceremony)

Robert K. Kraft Field at Wien Stadium

New York, NY

Game Time Weather Forecast: 53 degrees and partly cloudy

The Line: Columbia is a three point favorite

Columbia Game Notes 

Brown Game Notes

Leading Story Lines

-Will this be the last time we see interim Head Coach Mark Fabish and the rest of the staff Al Bagnoli assembled at Columbia? Chances are, it will be and a new staff will be in place the next time the Lions take the field at Wien Stadium.

-Brown's high-powered offense stumbled at Yale last week, can Columbia make it two bad outings in a row for a Bear squad that still has a shot at a winning season?

-Will the Columbia offense, which showed some belated signs of life last week against Harvard, show more progress Saturday?

3 Lions to Watch

-The final home game for senior RB Joey Giorgi #25 could be a special one as CU has a tradition of sending off senior ball carriers with a bang. 

-DE Justin Townsend #36 has been quiet the last several weeks, but may catch Brown's pass-happy offense napping with a rejuvenated pass rush. 

-P William Hughes #11 will likely have a bullseye on him as Columbia's punt blocking has been found lacking again this year. Will he be ready? 

3 Bears to Watch

-Senior WR Wes Rockett #84 will be targeted and make at least seven or eight catches, but will he get a big one?

-Senior LB Ethan Royer #9 is a great pass rusher and pass defender. 

-Sophomore LT Hayden Bozich #72 is a big reason why the Bears have allowed just nine sacks all season. 

Week 9 Picks

 

I had another woeful week in week 8, going 1-4 straight up and 2-3 against the spread. My season totals are now 32-24 SU (.571) and 28-28-1 AGS (.500)

Yale -2 1/2 at Princeton

With good weather in the forecast, I think the Yale offense will do enough to win in New Jersey by a FG or more. 

Penn +9 1/2 at Harvard

I like the Crimson to win, but Penn will cover. 

Cornell +10 1/2 at Dartmouth

The Big Red will cover, but also lose. 

Lafayette -2 1/2 vs. Fordham

I like the Leopards to bounce back after last week's shocking loss to Colgate in OT. 

Georgetown +1 at Bucknell

I'm not sure why Georgetown isn't favored, but I like the Hoyas to win. 

Marist +1 1/2 at Dayton

Red Foxes bounce back and win. 

Ivy Power Rankings

 

1) Harvard 

Two tough tests remain for the Crimson, but they're poised for a strong run to the finish.

2) Dartmouth

The Big Green have the clearest path to a 5-2 final conference record. If they can win these last two, they'll finish a strong second. 

3) Yale

The Elis have two very tough contests left to finish the season, and the odds are they will lose at least one of them. 

4) Penn

The Quakers are also facing a pair of games where at least one loss seems very likely.

5) Princeton

The Tigers finished weakly last year and seem likely to do so again.

6) Brown

I still like this Bears offense to do some damage.

7) Cornell

The Big Red are just too inconsistent. 

8) Columbia

Now the Lions defense is starting to look bad too.

Undefensive

 Harvard 38 Columbia 24

Why Harvard Won

The Crimson shot out to a 17-0 lead thanks to some big plays on offense and special teams. Then Harvard's defense slowed down any chance of the game becoming a shootout with some key interceptions. 

Why Columbia Lost

A huge mental error early in the game led to a long Harvard TD, and then another blocked punt for a TD put the Lions in an impossible hole. The defense never pressured the Harvard QBs and the offense woke up a bit too late to really threaten the Crimson.

Key Turning Points

-After both teams went three-and-out on their opening possessions, Harvard began its second possession at its own 17. On 2nd down and 10, TE Tim Dowd inexplicably got behind the entire defense and executed an 83-yard catch and run for a TD.

-After CU went three-and-out on the ensuing possession, the Lions failed to block a massive Crimson rush on the punt. The inevitable block was snatched up for another Harvard TD. 

Columbia Positives

-There were some decent individual performances, especially a brilliant TD run by RB Joey Giorgi, some nice exhibitions of speed from WR Edan Stag, and great concentration on the TD grab by WR JJ Jenkins. PK Hugo Merry hit a very pretty looking 42-yard FG. 

Columbia Negatives

-In addition to the mental mistakes that led to the first two Harvard TD's, the inexplicable soft zone coverage led to numerous wide open completions for the Crimson. The secondary allowed an incredible 14.1 yards per Harvard passing attempt.

-QB Joe Green had some good moments, but he made the same mistake twice by throwing deep balls into double coverage. Both passes ended in interceptions. 

Columbia MVP

In addition to his amazing 23-yard TD run, Joey Giorgi finished the day with 92 yards rushing against the stingy Harvard run defense. 

Spoiler Saturday, or Playing out the String?

Charles DePrima has revitalized the Crimson

Columbia Lions (2-5) vs. Harvard Crimson (6-1)

November 4, 2023

Kickoff Time: 12:30pm

Robert K. Kraft Field at Wien Stadium

New York, NY

Game Time Weather Forecast: 54 degrees and cloudy

The Line: Columbia is a 13 1/2 point underdog

TV/Radio: The game will be streamed live on ESPN+

Columbia Game Notes

Harvard Game Notes

Leading Story Lines

-Columbia remains the only Ivy team without a conference win, and it appears the coaching staff is firmly in the lame duck zone now.

-Harvard lost a close one in Cambridge to the Lions last year, and revenge will likely be on their minds. 

-The Crimson have to guard against the "trap game" scenario with crucial games at Penn and then Yale ahead. 

3 Lions to Watch

-For the second straight week, the Lions face a QB with great running ability, which means LB CJ Brown #0 will likely be doing a lot of the chasing. 

-LT Luke Painton #65 may be under the gun all day against Harvard's excellent D-line.

-RB Joey Giorgi #25 will need to prove he's fully recovered from injury to run against the Harvard brick wall. 

3 Crimson to Watch

-DT Thor Griffith #50 gets a lot of press, but is he overrated? Watch him tomorrow and decide for yourself. 

-DB A.J. Lopez #27 can disrupt the Lion passing game in a big way. 

-WR Cooper Barkate #2 is a receiver who can help diversify the Crimson attack.