Cecchini PFL Coach of the Year ....AND NOW FCS Reg. 4 COY

[VULB#62]

http://www.valpoathletics.com/football/news/2017-18/17828/cecchini-wins-pioneer-football-league-coach-of-the-year-award/

Well deserved.  Congratulations Coach Cecchini   

[covufan]

Yes, very well deserved.  Congrats to Coach Cecchini and the whole football coaching staff!!

[VUOR63]

Great for Coach C AND the team!  It appears they are dialing in the type of kid who will be successful at Valpo as a football player.  I really hope that these guys can keep the chip on their shoulder through the off season and be better next year.

[vu72]

Fantastic turnaround from the Carlson shipwreck.  Very well deserved!!   

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/BrandonVickrey/status/935359807187488768

Valpo's Dave Cecchini named Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year
Jim Peters jim.peters@nwi.com, 219-548-4363  Nov 27, 2017 Updated 53 min ago

Asked in jest Monday if he had heard from any of the Southeastern Conference schools about their coaching openings, Dave Cecchini got a good laugh.

No, the Valparaiso University coach isn't on that radar, but he's certainly become a respected commodity in the Pioneer Football League, which named the four-year Crusaders boss its coach of the year.

................ http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/valparaiso-university/valpo-s-dave-cecchini-named-pioneer-football-league-coach-of/article_fe3ccda0-580d-540f-8f12-c251d1d4d937.html

[usc4valpo]

Very well deserved. Dave stuck with his I plan and has really turned this program around.

[vusupporter]

It's a good thing Coach Cecchini got Coach of the Year, seeing as how apparently Valpo has no First Team and only three Second Team All-PFL worthy players.

Also, how in the heck does Seewald not even garner Honorable Mention?

[VULB#62]

Re Seewald:  That's good for us -  chip on the shoulder factor. He'll work 2x harder in the off-season.

[VULB#62]

Nice to see three 2nd teamers.  We were lucky to get 1 in years past.  Surprised that Snouffer did not get picked.  He had slightly better tackle stats (106 to 101) than Nick.  Nick had 3 more TFLs.  And I share the HM snubb reaction on Seewald.  Teams had to game plan for him. He averaged 236.5 yards passing per game this season and will be a major PFL factor next season.

[vu72]

Valpo and its players continue to be snubbed.  This time via the All Academic teams.  Two of our players received 2nd team honors, that's it. So as an example of the snub, Eric Rentschler, our Junior starting guard, who holds a 3.86 gpa in Computer Engineering, was passed over for the first team by a Sophomore OL player from Marist, holding a 3.55 gpa in Communications.  Really?? 

[VULB#62]

... and the chips pile up   

[JD24]

Nice to see three 2nd teamers.  We were lucky to get 1 in years past.  Surprised that Snouffer did not get picked.  He had slightly better tackle stats (106 to 101) than Nick.  Nick had 3 more TFLs.  And I share the HM snubb reaction on Seewald.  Teams had to game plan for him. He averaged 236.5 yards passing per game this season and will be a major PFL factor next season.

Considering Jeske and the MSU QB were named HM, it is absurd that Jimmy wasn't also named HM.

[VULB#62]

Got that right.

[valporun]

I wonder if some of our snubs on the All-PFL teams and Academic Honors were due to year in school for the players we feel were snubbed? I mean Seewald is a sophomore, so he'll have time to get on the list next year and the year after. Academically, the 3.86 vs. 3.55 might have been a year in school issue, and not a reflection on the major or the school the gpa was acquired from. Yes, it sucks that we were snubbed, but you have to look past the numbers, and consider the "time" put in to getting to where these players are today, both athletically and academically.

[VULB#62]

I wonder if some of our snubs on the All-PFL teams and Academic Honors were due to year in school for the players we feel were snubbed? I mean Seewald is a sophomore, so he'll have time to get on the list next year and the year after. Academically, the 3.86 vs. 3.55 might have been a year in school issue, and not a reflection on the major or the school the gpa was acquired from. Yes, it sucks that we were snubbed, but you have to look past the numbers, and consider the "time" put in to getting to where these players are today, both athletically and academically.

If a year in school thing with Seewald, then what about Valpo Jr. with 3.86 in Engineering vs. Marist Soph 3.55 in Communications = Soph gets 1st team?

[valpofb16]

Valpo got jipped in preseason poll for coaches in terms of projected standing. It does not surprise me they got jipped when it comes to all-conference selections. Next year i bet Marist, Morehead State, Stetson, Butler, Dayton do not vote us in the bottom half of conference. Not saying it wont happen, just have a hunch

[VULB#62]

We are the newbies to the party (if we sustain our progress -- that is Dave's challenge going into 2018 and beyond).  Just look at what happened in the FBS playoff picture - Alabama without a top 10 win, and a loss going into conference championship weekend (of which they were not a part) and Ohio State with two losses (one of which was a blow-out) were still getting more respect than Wisconsin which was undefeated (and also had not beaten a top 10 team) going into this weekend.  VU will need another 2-3 yers in the middle-to-top of the pack until we get that "automatic" respect that we are missing today.

[talksalot]

I didn't see a lot of conversation about San Diego in the FCS Playoffs... they won their first game last week at Northern Arizona convincingly , 41-10 and then yesterday got the #2 see, North Dakota State, and lost 38-3.  NDSU into the quarters, against Wofford next weekend.

all in all "not a bad performance" considering...

[VULB#62]

Losing to NDSU 38-3 is "kind of" a statement for USD cuz they lost last year 45-7.  NDSU is in the top tier of FCS and being the number 'last' seed it will always be a tough road upward.  But USD has done a great job of representing a conference that gives zero scholarships -- especially crushing NAU.  They have beaten scholly programs two years in a row to get to game #2. That kind of progress can't help but help attract 'scholar' student-athletes that will raise the level of all PFL schools -- including Valpo.  Those scholly kids who ride the bench in pure FCS FB programs or those PFL second stringers who see some action, but end their career listed as "depth," might now consider signing on to be a PFL stud and have a full career as a starter.  PFL coaches have to figure out how to leverage that to our advantage.  I would also suggest that our showing against Montana (and Duquesne for that matter) also is a leverage point for recruiting. 

[covufan]

Losing to NDSU 38-3 is "kind of" a statement for USD cuz they lost last year 45-7.  NDSU is in the top tier of FCS and being the number 'last' seed it will always be a tough road upward.  But USD has done a great job of representing a conference that gives zero scholarships -- especially crushing NAU.  They have beaten scholly programs two years in a row to get to game #2. That kind of progress can't help but help attract 'scholar' student-athletes that will raise the level of all PFL schools -- including Valpo.  Those scholly kids who ride the bench in pure FCS FB programs or those PFL second stringers who see action , but end their career listed as "depth," might snow sign on to be a PFL stud and have a full career as a starter.  PFL coaches have to figure out how to leverage that to our advantage.  I would also suggest that our showing against Montana (and Duquesne for that matter) also is a leverage point for recruiting. 

There were some on the previous board that said that no PFL team would win a game in the FCS championship.  I somehow knew that the champion could be, but not always, competitive with scholarship teams.  Good for USD!  We have a new goal!!!

[VULB#62]

And now FCS Region 4 COY!!

http://www.valpoathletics.com/football/news/2017-18/17846/cecchini-named-fcs-region-4-coach-of-the-year/

[bbtds]

And now FCS Region 4 COY!!

http://www.valpoathletics.com/football/news/2017-18/17846/cecchini-named-fcs-region-4-coach-of-the-year/

When he gets to being named Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" then I'll really be impressed.    

[VULB#62]

This landmark does three things.

1) It gives VUFB increased recruiting leverage. 

2) It gives Dave increased leverage to extract additional funding from the Athletic Department  to improve our program. 

And...........

3) It gives Dave increased leverage to move on to a scholarship program. 

[VULB#62]

As a quick follow-up, on the PFL Fan Board there was a comment that mentioned that Dave was already being rumored for HC jobs elsewhere.  I haven't heard that rumor out here in the Midwest, but with Dave's deep FB roots on the east coast (Lehigh, Harvard, Citadel) that could be where those rumors are originating.

But rumors like this pop up all the time after a coach does something notable.  I'm pretty sure that any offer would come from another school that has had a long-time miserable record, and that would mean the new coach would be back in the rebuild-from-scratch mode, and I don't think anyone would want to make a career of that. Dave has some unfinished business here at Valpo and doesn't seem to be the carpetbagger kind of person.

[valpotx]

I now see him leaving for an FCS scholarship program in the coming months.  With this most recent accolade, he is going to get calls...