<p>please include football.</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Competitively, they range from fierce to “feh.” The lacrosse team was NESCAC champ last year; they have a loyal following as does women’s basketball, men’s baseball (Little Three champs, I think.) There’s also crew which has its own boathouse on the Connecticut River and finishes strongly in many regattas every season. I guess, “compettive” is the word I’m looking for. Football struggles to maintain a winning season, but, enjoys pride of place every year as the center of campus transforms itself into (literally) “the Oldest Playing Field in America”. This view of Andrus Field, published in Life Magazine in the 1950s, with a nip here and a tuck there, has been virtually unchanged since the 1920s:<br>
[LIFE:</a> View of football game between Amherst Co… - Hosted by Google](<a href=“http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=f7a94bf1c420353c&q=wesleyan%20source:life&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwesleyan%2Bsource:life%26hl%3Den]LIFE:”>http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=f7a94bf1c420353c&q=wesleyan%20source:life&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwesleyan%2Bsource:life%26hl%3Den)</p>
<p>Wes also has the distinction of having two alumni in the current NFL coaching ranks:</p>
<p>Bill Belichick '75, New England Patriots</p>
<p>Eric Mangini '94, Cleveland Browns</p>
<p>the NESCAC is widely regarded as the most competitive Division III conference. With Little Three rivals Williams and Amherst considered the two best D3 athletic programs in the nation, and Middlebury not far behind, Wes has stiff competition, but usually holds its own in most sports, especially the ones mentioned by johnwesley.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not quite. Williams and Middlebury are the two best DIII programs in the country, with Amherst not far behind. Just look at the Director’s Cup standings for the past 10 years to confirm this.</p>
<p>There’s a general consensus that Coach Hauser was relieved of his duties over Christmas holidays. The article doesn’t go into details, but, there’s always been a tension between athletic recruiting and academics, especially at LACs:[Wesleyan</a> Looking For New Football Coach – Courant.com](<a href=“http://www.courant.com/sports/other/hc-wesfoot1224.artdec24,0,4770528.story]Wesleyan”>http://www.courant.com/sports/other/hc-wesfoot1224.artdec24,0,4770528.story)</p>
<p>I guess the football program didn’t look so good compared with the wild success of soccer and lacrosse. probably time for a coach change after 18 years…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>What are your thoughts on this?</p>
<p>My impression is that, in the application process, academics have the upper hand for athletic recruits.</p>
<p>(My daughter has spoken to the Wes coach for her sport, and the word from him has been “make sure you do well on the SAT!” and “watch your GPA!”)</p>
<p>I think Wesleyan takes its athletic tradition seriously; it’s a NESCAC college; it was a founding member of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association (IAA) which was renamed the NCAA in 1910. It’s common knowledge that Wesleyan has the best sports facilities in NESCAC. That merely states the case for excellence on the field as well as in the classroom. But, no one should come to Wesleyan expecting to make a career as a professional athlete. The market simply doesn’t work that way. The few who have done so from Wesleyan, were single-minded in their pursuit of a sport that they truly loved. The rest have had to study just as hard, if not harder, than their non-athlete classmates because, essentially, they wind up pursuing very similar career paths (lots of teachers; lots of Peace Corps volunteers) that require the same social adaptability and intellectual curiosity that Wesleyan is known for. So, yea, as much as we Old Cards may yearn for a Little Three football crown, none of us wants it at the expense of doing good things on the widest possible stage.</p>
<p>My d certainly has no plans to become a professional athlete, so it’s all good…</p>
<p>[State</a> Colleges: Wesleyan Tops No. 10 Williams, 6-2 - Courant.com](<a href=“http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-regionaldigest0116.artjan16,0,7002252.story]State”>http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-regionaldigest0116.artjan16,0,7002252.story)</p>
<p>And let’s not forget about Men’s Soccer: 2009 1st place NESCAC finish; at-large bid to NCAA Championship (one of 4 NESCAC teams) and made it to Sweet 16.</p>
<p><a href=“Wesleyan University - Official Athletics Website”>Wesleyan University - Official Athletics Website;
<p>Tied for third place at NEWA. Two seniors, Dan Bloom and Greg Hurd, won their weight classes (125 and 174 respectively.)
[Dan</a> Bloom ’10, Greg Hurd ’10 Crowned N.E. Champions – Wesleying](<a href=“Wesleying: Wesleyan’s campus blog | wesleying.org”>Wesleying: Wesleyan’s campus blog | wesleying.org)</p>
<p>A friend and coworker of mine is going to nationals for wrestling (Dan Bloom as JW posted).</p>
<p>I have a feeling that wes is doing pretty well. Sports aren’t part of the ‘main’ culture here, but the teams really do a good job supporting each other and many of their friends show up to events as well. I’ve only been to a few games here and there, but I’ve enjoyed them. </p>
<p>The wrestling team also had the highest team GPA of all the competitors at NEWA. How’s that for being scholar athletes?</p>
<p>Mike Whalen, Class of `83 will return “home”:
[Whalen</a> ’83 Named Head Coach of Wesleyan Football](<a href=“http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2010/03/05/whalen/?ref_homepage]Whalen”>http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2010/03/05/whalen/?ref_homepage)</p>
<p>The folk on Ephblog think it will make Little Three football more “competitive” and that’s probably true:[Breaking</a> News: Coach Whalen to Wesleyan : EphBlog](<a href=“http://www.ephblog.com/2010/03/05/breaking-news-coach-whalen-to-wesleyan/]Breaking”>http://www.ephblog.com/2010/03/05/breaking-news-coach-whalen-to-wesleyan/)</p>
<p>I read in a comment in wesleying that Wesleyan is also getting a new assistant football coach (DiCenzo) and a new women’s crew coach from Williams. (But cannot find that info anywhere else.) Also, Wesleyan has appointed its lacrosse coach as head of athletic recruitment. Are these normal kinds of annual changes or is Wesleyan ramping up its athletic program?</p>
<p>Looks like it, don’t it?
;)</p>
<p>the women’s crew coach from Williams has been there since the beginning of the year, so that is old news. the lacrosse coach (Raba) has also been head of athletic recruitment for a few months now, I believe, so also old(ish) news. However, drawing both the head coach and defensive coordinator from Williams is significant for two reasons. First, the defensive coordinator doesn’t seem to have any ties to Wesleyan, so Whalen must have convinced him to come. Second, I’m betting Whalen takes over as head athletic director if/when Biddiscombe retires in a few years.</p>
<p>These are not normal annual changes, but I think Wesleyan is trying to take advantage of its increasing popularity (>10,000 apps two years in a row) and its beautiful athletic center (the only other NESCAC school that comes close in terms of facilities is Middlebury), which have created a perfect storm for athletic recruitment. I believe President Roth set better athletic programs as one of his goals, and he is simply carrying it out. </p>
<p>Also, I think Wesleyan (and its athlete alumni) are sick and tired of losing to Amherst and Williams in every sport (except lacrosse and soccer) every year.</p>
<p>I think your analysis is correct. This article ([Mixed</a> emotions surrounding Whalen’s exit - North Adams Transcript](<a href=“http://www.thetranscript.com/sports/ci_14632833?source=rss]Mixed”>http://www.thetranscript.com/sports/ci_14632833?source=rss)) says that Whalen wants to be an assistant athletic director and that wasn’t going to happen at Williams.</p>
<p>I saw this on another board posted by "Trin8-0’. </p>
<p>"Things just keep getting better for Wesleyan. Jack Siedlecki will be the O.C. and Williams alum Dan DiCenzo who is one of the best recruiters in the NESCAC will be joining Whalen in Middletown. The Cardinals are going to be legit in two years (if not sooner). "</p>
<p>As the parent of an incoming freshman, I hopefully agree.</p>
<p>For those who don’t know, Jack Siedlecki is the former head football coach at both Amherst and Yale, and he has been the Yale Assistant Athletic Director for the past few years. He apparently turned around Amherst’s program when they were downright pitiful (0-8), so it seems like a potent combination with Whalen + Siedlecki + DiCenzo. When Whalen takes over for Biddiscombe as Wesleyan AD in a few years, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with the coaching staff. I think the Little Three football games just got a bit more competitive.</p>