In the FCS Huddle: Keeler isn't the FCS' only FBS candidate
NCAA Football Betting Lines
01/26/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The ink seemingly wasn't dry on a contract that would send Greg Schiano from Rutgers to the head coaching job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and already there was potential fallout:
Delaware coach K.C. Keeler's name came up as a potential successor to Schiano at Rutgers.
Not surprisingly, either.
Keeler's hiring at Rutgers would be one of those rise-through-the-ranks-and- take-the-next-step stories.
It was just over a year ago that Keeler was considered to be a candidate at another Big East program, Connecticut.
Keeler, 52, has the track record to be in the conversation, having taken Division III Rowan and Delaware of the FCS to a combined eight national championship games in 19 seasons as a head coach.
He has the East Coast connections, and New Jersey ties, which would be attractive to Rutgers' decision-makers. He also thinks outside the box and has a terrific understanding of what goes into building and developing a program.
The glaring negative, of course, is Keeler has never coached on the FBS level, even as an assistant.
While Keeler seemingly has the ability to make the jump successfully, a leap to Rutgers, even with the Big East having slipped in the last decade, would have him skipping the lower tier of the FBS to a job which would pay well over $1 million annually, although surely less than Schiano's salary there.
Keeler is one of a small handful of FCS head coaches who have never been a FBS head coach to appear ready to lead a program on that level - the kind the FBS school would pursue as much as the coach will go after it.
FCS head coaches like Appalachian State's Jerry Moore or Villanova's Andy Talley would land in the FBS anyway if their schools move there.
Other highly regarded FCS head coaches don't factor here because they have past experience as FBS head coaches, such as Georgia State's Bill Curry, Harvard's Tim Murphy and Jacksonville State's Jack Crowe.
Still others who haven't been FBS head coaches seem more like perfect fits for their current schools, or whose age might be a concern to schools on the higher level, are Montana State's Rob Ash, 60; James Madison's Mickey Matthews, 58; and New Hampshire's Sean McDonnell, 55.
While Keeler seems ready to make that jump to the FBS level, here are five other coaches who have the resume to become a FBS head coach for the first time:
Beau Baldwin - The 39-year-old might have to become an offensive coordinator first on the FBS level, but he's a young coach on the rise, having already won a FCS championship at Eastern Washington. He's flip-flopped enough at EWU and Division II Central Washington that he fits best for a FBS program in the Pacific Northwest.
Craig Bohl - One has to believe this incredibly serious, driven coach, at 53, would be interested in one more big challenge now that he's taken North Dakota State to the FCS level and then the national title. He was defensive coordinator at Nebraska and has plenty of other FBS experience as an assistant.
Willie Fritz - The Sam Houston State mentor was said to be a candidate for Tulane when that job was vacant this offseason. At 51, he's been coaching for nearly 30 seasons, but may not have enough Division I experience without becoming a defensive coordinator first. Still it's hard to ignore the Bearkats' 14-1 run in his second season.
Jeff Monken - It would take the right school at the right time - perhaps a program that is overmatched and willing to run an option to lessen its gap - but the 44-year-old has highly sought-after values and the recommendation of Paul Johnson, whom he assisted at Georgia Southern, Navy and Georgia Tech.
Bobby Wilder - Don't be fooled by the 10-year contract that Old Dominion gave its 47-year-old coach in December. The long-time Maine assistant has shown an uncanny ability to build a program from scratch, seemingly overnight. ODU is 27-8 through three seasons and already a success in competitive CAA Football.
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Athletics have agreed to terms on a one- year contract with outfielder Jonny Gomes. Gomes, 31, split last season between Cincinnati and Washington, and hit .209 with 14 homers and 43 RBI in 120 games
<< Guadalajara names Ambriz new manager
Guadalajara, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Guadalajara named Ignacio Ambriz its
new manager Thursday, as the former Mexican international takes charge of his
third different club in his native country.
Ambriz, 46, made 64 appearances for Mex
<< Gronkowski to miss practice time
Foxboro, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski
is expected to miss practice time this week in preparation for next Sunday's
Super Bowl because of the ankle injury he sustained during last Sunday's AFC
Champio
<< Nationals add Lidge to bullpen
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nationals have agreed to terms with
reliever Brad Lidge on a one-year contract.
Lidge, 35, has been a closer for much of his career, but has struggled with
injuries and ineffectiveness in recen
<< Lille adds Argentine Cetto on loan from Palermo
Lille, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lille acquired defender Mauro Cetto on loan
for the rest of the season Thursday from Italian club Palermo.
The 29-year-old Argentine started his career with Rosario Central, but later
played in France wit
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers must have been serious about finding a new coach from the college ranks. After a strong flirtation with Oregon's Chip Kelly last weekend, the Bucs on Thursday have reportedly settled
Glenn restructures deal with Stamps >>
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Stampeders and newly-acquired
quarterback Kevin Glenn have worked out a restructured contract.
Glenn was dealt to the Stampeders on January 3 in a trade with Hamilton that
sent Henry Burris
Hawks waive Sloan >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks have waived rookie guard
Donald Sloan.
The Texas A&M product appeared in five games for the Hawks and averaged 1.2
points with 1.0 rebound in 4.0 minutes per game.
Sloan signed
Red Sox sign former NLCS MVP Ross to one-year deal >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox signed outfielder Cody Ross
to a one-year contract on Thursday.
Ross batted .240 with 14 home runs and 52 RBI over 121 games with San
Francisco last season.
An in-season acquis
Kilmarnock signs striker Van Tornhout >>
Kilmarnock, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kilmarnock signed Belgian striker
Dieter van Tornhout from Cyprus side Nea Salamis on Thursday on a deal through
the summer of 2013.
Van Tornhout, 26, becomes the fourth winter signing for Killie,
Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa
Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.
Should be in:
Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?
Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.
Work left to do:
Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.
Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.
Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.
Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.
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March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets
With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship. Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92. After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points. Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1. Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years. With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed. UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern. Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier. OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak. Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta. But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.
Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props. Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000. Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.
MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:
| EAST | National Championship | Region |
| Arkansas | 300-1 | 50-1 |
| Belmont | 1000-1 | |
| Boston College | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Eastern KY | 1000-1 | |
| George Washington | 75-1 | |
| Georgetown | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| Marquette | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Michigan State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| New Mexico St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| UNC | 6-1 | 6-5 |
| Oral Roberts | 500-1 | |
| Texas | 15-1 | 5-1 |
| Texas Tech | 200-1 | 5-1 |
| USC | 75-1 | 20-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Washington State | 40-1 | 15-1 |
| WEST | ||
| Duke | 50-1 | 10-1 |
| Florida A&M | 1000-1 | |
| Gonzaga | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Holy Cross | 300-1 | |
| Illinois | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Indiana | 75-1 | 40-1 |
| Kansas | 5-1 | 13-10 |
| Kentucky | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Niagara | 1000-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 40-1 | 8-1 |
| Southern Ill. | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| UCLA | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| VCU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Villanova | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| VA Tech | 50-1 | 15-1 |
| Weber St | 1000-1 | |
| Wright St | 1000-1 | 300-1 |
| MIDWEST | ||
| Arizona | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Butler | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | |
| Florida | 4-1 | 4-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 75-1 | 25-1 |
| Jackson State | 1000-1 | |
| Maryland | 30-1 | 6-1 |
| Miami-OH | 300-1 | |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| ODU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Oregon | 40-1 | 6-1 |
| Purdue | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Texas A&M CC | 1000-1 | |
| UNLV | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Winthrop | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wisconsin | 15-1 | 7-2 |
| SOUTH | ||
| Albany | 200-1 | |
| BYU | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Central CT St. | 1000-1 | |
| Creighton | 100-1 | 35-1 |
| Long Beach St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| Louisville | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Memphis | 30-1 | 4-1 |
| Nevada | 75-1 | 35-1 |
| North Texas | 500-1 | |
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 6-5 |
| Penn | 500-1 | |
| Stanford | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Tennessee | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 12-1 | 11-5 |
| Virginia | 75-1 | 18-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 40-1 |
Field 100-1
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