New Gardner-Webb Head Coach

[Bulldogdad]

The players are meeting sometime today.

[Bulldogdad]

The players are meeting sometime today.

Wrong. Just talked to the son. No meeting today.

[G-Webb 90-92]

The players are meeting sometime today.

Wrong. Just talked to the son. No meeting today.

Unreal!
Thanks for the update though Bulldogdad. This is one slow painful wait.

[EagleDawg]

horseman23 - You are right that we tend to go in to Spring Ball with a relatively low number of OL. While this year's Spring Ball will be no different it's something that we need to change. If we were winning Conference Championships and by extension beating the Liberty's, Coastal Carolina's and Stony Brook's on a regular basis, status quo would be okay but unfortunately we're not. Just like a change at the helm of the program was deemed necessary, this is one area where our program needs to improve and that's in the depth department at OL and also other positions. Taking a quick glance at those 3 Big South Foes, Liberty returns 13 OL off last year's roster with 6 graduating for a total of 19 OL; Coastal Carolina returns 13 off last year's roster with 1 graduating for a total of 14 OL; and Stony Brook returns 10 OL with 3 graduating for a total of 13. We appear to be going in to Spring Ball with at most 8 returning OL and 7 at most can participate while we lost 3 to graduation. These numbers in no way reflect poorly on our guys but do point out a depth difference. Anyone that follows football knows that depth is a key to success. It's not a coincidence that those 3 teams finished ahead of us last season and past seasons. We need depth, it helps mask injuries, it creates competition in practice and it allows the coaching staff to simulate actual game situations in practice regularly without fear of losing a guy to a contact injury without having someone capable of stepping in. Some who watched some practices last year may recall we had coaches yelling at each other because of contact and fear of losing a guy to injury. It's pretty tough to tackle and block on Saturday's if you don't get to go full speed during the week.

I was also hoping that someone had heard of some of our verbal commits and could provide some info on the young men as to weight, ht., position, HS and where they hail from. All info welcomed.

Go Running Bulldogs

[fanzone]

there are no verbal commits

[EagleDawg]

Bulldogdad - Are you saying a meeting was scheduled for today with the players and then postponed and/or canceled. Hope it's not deja vu x 3. I'm hoping that it was some travel related snafu for Ron Dickerson, Jr. or some final details on staff retention but if it were to be something else, well I won't go there, I'm sure someone else will if that unfortunately were the case.

[EagleDawg]

fanzone - not a single one? Surely there have been offers extended, I've seen a couple on the Rivals site although the players have verbally committed elsewhere. I am curious as to whether offering a kid was restricted after the non-renewal of Coach Patton's contract and the announcement of the new HC and as to if that were the reason we have none or whether the absence of a HC is pause for any kid who was offered to withhold a verbal commitment.

[fanzone]

No offers extended and no verbals, no guarantee any of staff to be retained

[Bulldogdad]

Bulldogdad - Are you saying a meeting was scheduled for today with the players and then postponed and/or canceled. Hope it's not deja vu x 3. I'm hoping that it was some travel related snafu for Ron Dickerson, Jr. or some final details on staff retention but if it were to be something else, well I won't go there, I'm sure someone else will if that unfortunately were the case.

Heard there will be an official announcement and team meeting Wednesday with the new coach. He was told by someone that there would be a meeting Monday but I think they may have misinformed.

[Bulldogdad]

No offers extended and no verbals, no guarantee any of staff to be retained

Then why in the world have the assistant coaches been on the road recruiting? I find it hard to believe that we have not offered a single person.

[fanzone]

believe what you want to believe, but when you really think about it does it really surprise you after the way this process has been handled? Not being negative, just trying to be truthful.

[EagleDawg]

fanzone - so it's no, no and possibly more no, I get it. Would be nice if it were yes, yes and maybe. Coach D has got his work cut out for him. I had asked back in late November/early December whether or not our assistants who were out on the recruiting trail were authorized to offer. With your clarification, I guess we won't lay a goose egg but as someone else said, we may have a thin class this year. So much for meaningfully enhancing our depth.

[Bulldogdad]

believe what you want to believe, but when you really think about it does it really surprise you after the way this process has been handled? Not being negative, just trying to be truthful.

Nothing would suprise me at this point.

[BlueBandit]

signed a mid-year LB from Oak Ridge, Bradley Taylor. I believe there are offers out there.

[BlueBandit]

GWU really needs its own message board, that is for sure.

[elcid83]

Has anyone seen a formal announcement from the school yet?
It's still not on the Athletics website, on the school website, or anywhere else I have looked.

You will not see an official announcement from Gardner-Webb until there is a signed contract.

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!

[longtimegwufan]

You guys are seriously obsessed with the OL. How about keeping the other guys from scoring. As for Burch and Bonner, wow! If there has been a worse display of leadership, I haven't seen it. We still only know Dickerson is the guy because of leaks. How in the heck do you recruit with no power? Bless the kid that does sign.

[EagleDawg]

Hey Longtime - Please cut us OL Dad's a little slack. For the longest time since we all migrated over from Any Given Saturday when there was a disruption in their service around a year ago, we had around 5-8 regular posters and 4 of those were dads of the OL. If we could get more folks posting on here that were parents/extended family/friends/etc. of players at other positions then I'm sure the appearance of an imbalance in the discussion would disappear. This hiring process has brought on board many new posters. With that said, you will continue to hear lots of discussion about the OL, no apologies from me or any of the other dads. It is the one position where you put five guys on the field for every offensive play and we do have a depth issue compared to our competition, wouldn't you agree? If not for this drawn out hiring process and lack of an announcement many of us would have moved on to discussing our recruiting needs, prospects, verbal commitments, Signing Day, what new schemes will be put in on both sides of the ball and our schedule for Spring Ball and the Fall. So there is no lack of topics for discussion it's just that they all hang in limbo until the powers at be at G-Dubb make the annoucement of our new HC and he can lay out his plans for the program. Unless some other disaster befalls us, we'll get over that hurdle tomorrow.

[elcid83]

Longtime,

Eagle is a member of our tailgating crew along with BulldogDad. Our invitation for you to join us is still open. Spend a day with us and I think you will enjoy GW football even more than you do now.

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!

[huthuthut]

I continue to be amazed at the misguided scuttlebutt emanating from the keyboards of the misinformed and creative crackpots who inhabit this website.

There have been offers extended. Some verbal commitments are known. We have at least one BCS transfer on campus and enrolled. Several potential recruits are waiting to meet Coach Dickerson before making a decision. Coach Dickerson has indicated that he hopes to retain most of the staff.

[longtimegwufan]

There are no BCS transfers on campus. Time will tell who is misinformed and a crackpot. Thanks for the creative part though. I try.

[fanzone]

There will be an "official Meet and Greet" the new HC Ron Dickerson Wed. at 9:30 in the football center team room. Enjoy

[horseman23]

Eagledawg I totally agree that the numbers at the OL position need to be increased but for some reason they always end up low, either because a guy would quit or transfer.

[elcid83]

There are no BCS transfers on campus. Time will tell who is misinformed and a crackpot. Thanks for the creative part though. I try.

I did hear that we got a prep school LB [but not a BCS transfer].

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!

[elcid83]

There will be an "official Meet and Greet" the new HC Ron Dickerson Wed. at 9:30 in the football center team room. Enjoy

Official Press Conference is scheduled for 11:00 in the Football Center. How about a head count? I plan to be there.

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!