Doug Elgin

[PeKaph]

Once again: are we really secure with the current state of MVC sports? So secure that this discussion isn't worth having?

[Heinro]

I posted this in another thread:

On a slightly different note, I'm becoming a little frustrated with Elgin and not only because of the BB and the fact that he didnt make sure we got in the promo.
First off scheduling, how does ISU play SIU for the first time on the 16th conference game, how does WSU play Drake twice in the first month? In a league where every team plays each other twice, logically why would you not schedule every team to play each other in the first 9 and then the back 9 again.
Secondly TV, I think we have some good deals, but tv needs to be adjusted throughout the season. Why, when MSU, 1 in standings, plays at EU do they have SIU vs Drake on FSN? This isn't the only example. The good teams should be on tv for the betterment of the league, simple as that.
The RPI rule, which I think was pretty key to our success a few years ago, was also withdrawn. I may be alone but I think that has cost us a bid or 2, ISU the year Drake won the conference in particular.

I think he became satisfied with the status quo, and we the conference has consequently gotten worse.

[Snaggletooth]

Scheduling really isn't the issue for the mvc (conference played one if not the worst non-conference schedules in the nation and still sucked) - the problem is lack of talent in the league.

[BirdmanBB]

What recruit wants to come to a team in a conference where we play no one. I am surprised Jank has still been able to recruit some decent kids given the scheduling and lack of non-con tournament trips.

[bigdawg]

Who hires and fires a league commissioner? Is it the school presidents or the AD's?

[TylerDurden]

Doug Elgin is not even close to the problem.

The points you guys keep bringing up fall directly onto the coaches, ADs and, in some cases, Presidents of the league schools.

I don't want to be that guy who says he knows more about certain things than anyone else, but I do know about this.

If you think he's for the "status quo" you're just wrong. He's one of the most progressive-thinking commissioners in all of college sports, especially outside of the BCS.

I know for a fact that Elgin finds, arranges and flat out hands good-to-great non-conference games (outside of the MWC/BB) to teams in the MVC who flat our REFUSE to take them.

But the reality of scheduling is that he can't make the entire slate of games for a school. How in the world can you blame Elgin for scheduling when his ideas have given most of the teams in the league their best games?

The schools would rather play 18 home games against the SWAC than to play a slate that gets them in contention for an at-large berth. All you have to do is look at the schedules to see this.

Further, the problem isn't that there isn't a target RPI restriction, the problem is that the schools need a restriction to schedule a decent non-conference schedule.

People want to talk about a small-time "mindset" in this league...there it is. Why would a team need an incentive -- especially a good team -- to schedule so that they could make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large? That's the problem.

They're too worried about winning home games against the blind school to see the big picture. You can go 32-3 and it won't matter because you didn't play or beat anyone. People are putting all of their eggs in one basket and it's killing the overall profile of the league.

That falls on the coaches and ADs - and there are a lot of new ones since 2006. Heck, nearly all of the coaches are new and most of the ADs are new.

They all want to put their stamp on things and think they know more than a guy who's been doing it for decades -- they don't and they've proven as much.

They can give all the lip service they want about "nobody will play us" and "it's hard to schedule" but they routinely reject games against anyone who they think could beat them. It's self-preservation at its worst and it comes to a head when the teams aren't good enough to beat the lousy teams they schedule.

No one wants to think their favorite school is the problem but, this just in, your school is just as guilty as any other. If your school is a supposed "contender" they're probably more guilty since they supposedly have a team to beat some of the big dogs, yet won't even try.

Seriously, what more do people want from Elgin? The guy can't hire coaches or ADs and can't build the entire schedule for people and he isn't responsible for recruiting.

You should be directing your ire toward your own institution for its scheduling and hiring decisions. I don't understand this "Blame Elgin" mindset. Where is the personal accountability?

[pafan]

@MVJ:

Scheduling is the one major issue for which I give UE a lot of credit. If you compare this year's schedule against the one from Marty's first year as coach, I see a considerable improvement. In 2007, the highlight non-conference game was Princeton. That year's schedule featured 3 OVC teams (inc. the ESPN BB), 2 from the MAC, and two from the Horizon league.

This year, Marty's fourth: 1 Big Ten, 1 ACC, 1 Horizon, 1 MWC (the challenge), 2 Sun Belt (both against Middle TN St.), 2 SWAC , and 1 OVC.

Those first three series are all under multi-year contracts. And I can't tell you how much I would love it if UE-Indiana could become a regular thing again. IU isn't doing much for our SoS this year, but there is a strong consensus that Tom Crean knows what he's doing and will get IU back into the NCAAs.

[St. Sebastian]

I think a lot of people really don't understand that Elgin doesn't have the power at the schools to enforce anything if they don't agree to it. What can he do if no one's on board?

[MoValley John]

I didn't post in this thread, but I get the crossover. Therefore, as for Evansville and their scheduling this year, they did a great job. In fact, they scheduled tough compared to what the expectations were for the team. That does not mean that Evansville is off the hook for this weekend, either. Afterall, Evansville is a program that just a couple years ago some of their fans were opining that the Valley was too tough of a conference and maybe they needed to drop to a lower level.

That said, anyone that wants to get rid of Doug Elgin is in denial about the warts in the league and their individual program. What the weekend proved is that our bottom feeders can beat other bottom feeders but our flagship programs can't beat other programs. It showed nothing as to why Doug Elgin is a good or bad commissioner, just that the best programs in the league aren't that good. So the easy mob solution is to blame Doug Elgin. It may feel good, and it might detract from looking at what is really happening, but Doug Elgin is about the furthest thing from the problem. On another note, the Valley is nothing more than a group of 10, inependent schools that have an agreement to play each other, if your team stunk up the court yesterday, don't look at Doug Elgin as the problem, look at your team not being at the level you might have thought or hoped that they were.

As for the Valley and midmajors in general, basketball is the high level sport that schools in the Valley should be able to compete near or at the same level as teams in the BCS conferences. Competitive (not equal) budgets are doable and schools only need to find four good players a year. As teams build their profiles, they should be able to attract better and better recruits. Maybe not top 100 players, but top 250. In reality, that's not too shabby. A good recruiting class and a diamond in the rough every year or so and any Valley school should be able to compete with almost anyone. Unfortunately, Doug Elgin doesn't recruit, develop or coach players. He also has no say in individual athletic budgets and very little say in scheduling.

It's not his fault. Failure is the fault of the individual school.

[cpacmel]

Doug Elgin is not even close to the problem.

The points you guys keep bringing up fall directly onto the coaches, ADs and, in some cases, Presidents of the league schools.

I don't want to be that guy who says he knows more about certain things than anyone else, but I do know about this.

If you think he's for the "status quo" you're just wrong. He's one of the most progressive-thinking commissioners in all of college sports, especially outside of the BCS.

I know for a fact that Elgin finds, arranges and flat out hands good-to-great non-conference games (outside of the MWC/BB) to teams in the MVC who flat our REFUSE to take them.

But the reality of scheduling is that he can't make the entire slate of games for a school. How in the world can you blame Elgin for scheduling when his ideas have given most of the teams in the league their best games?

The schools would rather play 18 home games against the SWAC than to play a slate that gets them in contention for an at-large berth. All you have to do is look at the schedules to see this.

Further, the problem isn't that there isn't a target RPI restriction, the problem is that the schools need a restriction to schedule a decent non-conference schedule.

People want to talk about a small-time "mindset" in this league...there it is. Why would a team need an incentive -- especially a good team -- to schedule so that they could make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large? That's the problem.

They're too worried about winning home games against the blind school to see the big picture. You can go 32-3 and it won't matter because you didn't play or beat anyone. People are putting all of their eggs in one basket and it's killing the overall profile of the league.

That falls on the coaches and ADs - and there are a lot of new ones since 2006. Heck, nearly all of the coaches are new and most of the ADs are new.

They all want to put their stamp on things and think they know more than a guy who's been doing it for decades -- they don't and they've proven as much.

They can give all the lip service they want about "nobody will play us" and "it's hard to schedule" but they routinely reject games against anyone who they think could beat them. It's self-preservation at its worst and it comes to a head when the teams aren't good enough to beat the lousy teams they schedule.

No one wants to think their favorite school is the problem but, this just in, your school is just as guilty as any other. If your school is a supposed "contender" they're probably more guilty since they supposedly have a team to beat some of the big dogs, yet won't even try.

Seriously, what more do people want from Elgin? The guy can't hire coaches or ADs and can't build the entire schedule for people and he isn't responsible for recruiting.

You should be directing your ire toward your own institution for its scheduling and hiring decisions. I don't understand this "Blame Elgin" mindset. Where is the personal accountability?

Once again, I find myself agreeing completely with Tyler D.