Post by Coyote Fan on Oct 17, 2017 19:13:01 GMT -6
I have been meaning to write this post for awhile but am finally getting to it. It is getting close to a decade since the University decided to make the move to D1. Most especially the Football team and also Men's Basketball struggled to adjust but it sure seems like both programs have arrived.
I don't know others opinions but if I had to point to one moment where the D1 transition ended in spirit it would be the WNIT run in late winter 2015. That tournament and championship really energized the Coyote fan base IMO and it was the most significant accomplishment of a major team for USD since the move away from D2. Even though the NCAA tourney berth was big for the Women I don't think that alone trumped the whole WNIT run. For fan interest it definitely didn't. That championship got the University on a roll that it is still currently on. What a great way to say goodbye to the dome for basketball and at that time everyone was super excited about the new basketball arena nearing completion.
Ever since that day in April just look what has happened. The Coyotes immediately took off in Men's Basketball. There was hope for the program but still many questions needed to be answered and they were with an exclamation point. The team won the conference after never having finish above .500 in the Summit. With the momentum of the University it might have helped Craig Smith decide to stay instead of leaving for another program. Now the future looks excellent for this program.
Even the Volleyball team road the wave of momentum and became much better in their first year in the SCSC as well with a co conference title. Track and Field has been the rock of the athletic department for years and that is not changing. The pole vaulting program is obviously second to none in the country. Derek Miles gets his bronze medal as well.
The Women's hoops team who kind of started the success movement is suddenly flying under the radar of some sorts. (Pre 2017 Bob Nielson) Dawn Plitzuweit had done the greatest coaching job of any coach IMO. She was left with the skeleton of the program that ended the 2014-2015 season. Losing a great head coach and losing almost every significant player either to graduation or injury Dawn was able to not only just keep the program afloat but she had them striving. The end of the year was a bit of a thud but the job she did was incredible. If she could do what she did with what she started with, imagine the kind of improvement we might see this year. Remember just as Bob Nielson did she won a D2 National Championship. I was actually luke warm with her hire but that simmer turned to full blown 3 alarm fire very quickly, like just a few games quickly.
Now look what we've done this fall. Bob Nielson was a good hire and almost everyone agreed with it. I liked it as well but thought we were a little too tunnel visioned at first when it came to the process of considering all candidates. In his first year Nielson showed promise but the record just didn't show the improvement. Now this year, almost no Coyote fan could have envisioned the Coyotes being 6-0 and ranked #3 or 4 in the polls and being mentioned as possibly the team playing the best football of any FCS team in the country. Many people picked the Coyotes 8-3 or 7-4 but not many people had the Coyotes 9-2 or better. There is a very good chance now that they could indeed finish with that record or better. The Coyotes are shocking the nation right now. One thing I really like hearing from both the coach and players is how they don't take any days for granted and say they want to get better every single day. Those are the words of a definite winner. The Coyotes play on the field goes along way to proving how they don't take anything for granted and use every minute of time together to try to be as great as they can. Streveler is the most obvious example of this. Bob will leave no scholarship not wisely used and will use every available roster spot with the most amount of value that he knows how. When you really know that you have something isn't necessarily what you say yourself but when others start to take notice as has been the case.
So the last 18 months have been one of the best year and a half spans in USD sports history. Many good things are happening and the signs point to that trend continuing. I give a lot of credit to Dave Herbster. When he first got the job I was unsure if he was the right guy or not but he is doing a great job right now. The commitment has obviously risen significantly and the proof is in the new and upgraded facilities that we see around the sports complex. The Coyotes are obviously on the rise and we don't have to just hope that any longer because the results are now showing up in the Left hand column of the standings.
Now it is just a matter of continuing the rise and positioning athletics to be in the best position possible especially considering the changing conference landscape in D1 athletics. This program is now desirable if a better conference situation presents itself.
I don't know others opinions but if I had to point to one moment where the D1 transition ended in spirit it would be the WNIT run in late winter 2015. That tournament and championship really energized the Coyote fan base IMO and it was the most significant accomplishment of a major team for USD since the move away from D2. Even though the NCAA tourney berth was big for the Women I don't think that alone trumped the whole WNIT run. For fan interest it definitely didn't. That championship got the University on a roll that it is still currently on. What a great way to say goodbye to the dome for basketball and at that time everyone was super excited about the new basketball arena nearing completion.
Ever since that day in April just look what has happened. The Coyotes immediately took off in Men's Basketball. There was hope for the program but still many questions needed to be answered and they were with an exclamation point. The team won the conference after never having finish above .500 in the Summit. With the momentum of the University it might have helped Craig Smith decide to stay instead of leaving for another program. Now the future looks excellent for this program.
Even the Volleyball team road the wave of momentum and became much better in their first year in the SCSC as well with a co conference title. Track and Field has been the rock of the athletic department for years and that is not changing. The pole vaulting program is obviously second to none in the country. Derek Miles gets his bronze medal as well.
The Women's hoops team who kind of started the success movement is suddenly flying under the radar of some sorts. (Pre 2017 Bob Nielson) Dawn Plitzuweit had done the greatest coaching job of any coach IMO. She was left with the skeleton of the program that ended the 2014-2015 season. Losing a great head coach and losing almost every significant player either to graduation or injury Dawn was able to not only just keep the program afloat but she had them striving. The end of the year was a bit of a thud but the job she did was incredible. If she could do what she did with what she started with, imagine the kind of improvement we might see this year. Remember just as Bob Nielson did she won a D2 National Championship. I was actually luke warm with her hire but that simmer turned to full blown 3 alarm fire very quickly, like just a few games quickly.
Now look what we've done this fall. Bob Nielson was a good hire and almost everyone agreed with it. I liked it as well but thought we were a little too tunnel visioned at first when it came to the process of considering all candidates. In his first year Nielson showed promise but the record just didn't show the improvement. Now this year, almost no Coyote fan could have envisioned the Coyotes being 6-0 and ranked #3 or 4 in the polls and being mentioned as possibly the team playing the best football of any FCS team in the country. Many people picked the Coyotes 8-3 or 7-4 but not many people had the Coyotes 9-2 or better. There is a very good chance now that they could indeed finish with that record or better. The Coyotes are shocking the nation right now. One thing I really like hearing from both the coach and players is how they don't take any days for granted and say they want to get better every single day. Those are the words of a definite winner. The Coyotes play on the field goes along way to proving how they don't take anything for granted and use every minute of time together to try to be as great as they can. Streveler is the most obvious example of this. Bob will leave no scholarship not wisely used and will use every available roster spot with the most amount of value that he knows how. When you really know that you have something isn't necessarily what you say yourself but when others start to take notice as has been the case.
So the last 18 months have been one of the best year and a half spans in USD sports history. Many good things are happening and the signs point to that trend continuing. I give a lot of credit to Dave Herbster. When he first got the job I was unsure if he was the right guy or not but he is doing a great job right now. The commitment has obviously risen significantly and the proof is in the new and upgraded facilities that we see around the sports complex. The Coyotes are obviously on the rise and we don't have to just hope that any longer because the results are now showing up in the Left hand column of the standings.
Now it is just a matter of continuing the rise and positioning athletics to be in the best position possible especially considering the changing conference landscape in D1 athletics. This program is now desirable if a better conference situation presents itself.