Monday, September 5, 2011

Patience People

This is a process. This process takes time, and I would think there will be bumps, many bumps along the way. Ferrum College football is going to endure growing pains, but there are things out there that as fans, we should be very excited about. For me I am very excited about the following:

The Norton Center. This is a facility that has been needed for years, and will be first rate. This 5.5 million dollar facility is likely the largest single campus expansion in the last 40 years, and may be the in the history of the college. This facility will be a showcase to the glory days of the past where football is concerned, and will serve as a building block for the future success of the program.

Hiring of Coach David Harper- Coach Harper is a proven winner, He should be allowed an adjustment period to implement his system, and the players will have a lot to learn and adjust to also.

Hiring of Ralph Isernia- Coach Isernia has a great track record at schools that he has worked at before. This was Coach Harper's first hire, and I think he scored big with this move.

The return of Chris Warren- This is bound to be a positive for the Panthers. Holder of many of Ferrum's rushing records, Chris has been brought in to work with the Panther running backs. He is volunteering his time to the program.

Recruiting- This has already improved as Ferrum had 160 in fall camp.

Overall, what this says to me is a complete commitment to the program by the administration. Ferrum is moving in the right direction, and while the loss to Emory and Henry is disappointing, the program is going to be successful. Maybe not in their next game, or maybe not in their next after that, but it is a process. It is a building process that takes time. I did not expect the loss to Emory and Henry, but it is one game. It is important for Ferrum to take all of the lessons they can from that game and make adjustments to improve. The program is moving forward, but it is a process. Be patient.

2 comments:

  1. You can recruite them in but can you keep them. Ferrum has a history of running players off. Not to mention as they have done in the past tell them fairy tales to get them there only for the player to see and hear from other players that they have been told lies. End result low senior retention. Always rebuilding.

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  2. Player retention is a problem. This is not only a problem at Ferrum, but at many schools in the conference. With nearly 100 on the team, all but 11 will be on the sideline. Most teams at the college level play the best players that give the team the best chance to win. Ferrum is no different in that regard. If winning is the only sign of success, then you will be disappointed after their second game also. I doubt they will beat HS-C. But I think that you will see improvement. Ferrum does have a difficult time retaining players, but it can be for a lot of reasons.....I doubt they are being lied too, and I am betting they are putting the best 11 they have on the field. I hope they win soon, but I do think they are on the right road.

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