Compared to last year’s extravaganza, this year’s first round was inordinately mundane. For certain players to compile breathtaking highlight reels, and establish their name in football legacy, they rely on their offensive and defensive lines. And in this year’s first round, those lines were replenished. The first seven picks were such players, as were 18 of the total 32 first-round picks, an astonishing 56 percent. It was the first draft since 1963 that no running backs were taken in the first round. Making things even odder was the Buffalo Bill’s sixteenth overall selection, E.J. Manuel of Florida State. He was the first and only quarterback taken in the round, and not exactly the one analysts and scouts had predicted. Similar to March Madness, the science behind predicting NFL draftees, well, isn’t exactly much science at all.

Following the primetime rounds, the remainder occurs over the course of the next day, Saturday afternoon. The selections come much quicker, and even diehard fans become unfamiliar with the names running across the screen. The first round was a nearly four hour event, while the final four rounds occurred over about five hours. Trading is ubiquitous in all rounds, and results in some teams having less, or more, picks than others. Teams also will deal such picks to maneuver throughout the rounds themselves, allowing other teams to draft prospects that would near certainly be unavailable, had they not done so. Last year’s ascend to the overall second pick, the acquisition of Robert Griffin III, all but assured the Washington Redskins wouldn’t have a first round pick this year, and next. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the Minnesota Vikings had three first round selections. Innately possessing two entering the draft, they dealt their second, third, fourth, and seventh picks to the Patriots, for their first round, 29th overall pick.

The draft has become a greatly anticipated event, and provided excellent entertainment for several days. However, immediate contributions from draftees of any round are few and far between, and collegiate football success in no way translates to professional football success.  The odds were against every draftee of ever becoming a professional player, and now that they have, they now submit to new odds, that of remaining on a pro roster and contributing. Their road to greatness is hardly over.

The team’s victory became, for them, a celebratory ending to the loss of sophomore guard Kevin Ware from tournament play.  The injured Ware watched his team from the sidelines, having sustained a nasty compound fracture in his right leg in an Elite Eight game against Duke.

Louisville included Ware in the tradition of cutting down the basketball nets at the end of the game.  After each player had his go, the net was lowered for Ware who, leaning forward on his crutches, took the final snip and looped it around his neck.

While Louisville’s story has a happy ending, Witchita State contains the underdog heroes of this year’s tournament.  The ninth seed team is the true Cinderella story to remember here.  Beating out the likes of first seed Gonzaga, who didn’t even make it to the Sweet Sixteen, and second seed Ohio State, the team made it to the Final Four where they lost in a tight game against Louisville.

Louisville was, in fact, the only first seed team that made it to the Elite Eight this time around.  Kansas and Indiana both got kicked out in the Sweet Sixteen round.

Another upset earlier in the tournament was second seed Georgetown, known for building up solid teams, the Huskies fell to fifteenth seed Florida Gulf Coast University in the first round of play.

Neither team scored in the second period, holding each other off defensively.  The third period picked up with a quick score by the Hurricanes to put them in the lead 3-2.  The Penguins answered at roughly the ten-minute mark with back-to-back goals from Bennett and Malkin mere seconds apart.

In the last seconds of the game, Du Puis picked up a fifth goal, taking advantage of the Hurricanes’ empty net.  The Pens finished up with a 5-3 victory, their second win in a row.

The Pens were on fire for the entire month of March with a nonstop fifteen game winning streak, tying the New York Rangers’ record for second most consecutive wins.  The boys were just two shy of setting a new NHL record.  On top of the impressive chain of victories, the Pens shut out opponents the Canadiens, the Jets and the Islanders three games in a row.  The drought came thanks to a combination of Vokoun’s goaltending and Cooke and Glass slamming the offense into the boards.

Notably, all of this was achieved with the loss of hometown hero Evgeni Malkin for nine games and temporary loss of superstar goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury for injuries.  Vokoun stepped in for Fleury and stepped up his game to keep the shutouts coming.

Such record-breaking play could not be sustained for much longer.

The Pens struggled through two of their last three games.  The April 2 game against the Sabres resulted in a 4-1 loss, and the next day’s game against the Rangers set them back with a harsh 6-1 fall.  The Pens took back a win against the Rangers at home on April 5 with a narrow victory of 2-1.

A great deal of the struggle may be attributed to the adversity the Pens are facing with multiple injured players.  Goal scoring guru and hometown hero Sidney Crosby took a puck to the face in March 30’s game against the Islanders.  Suffering from a jaw injury, the forward has gone on record saying he is feeling better but is unsure when he will return.  Paul Martin has been out with a hand injury and will debatably be back in time for play offs.  Kris Letang is still out on injured leave as well, and James Neal, whose game has been top-notch as of late, is out indefinitely with a concussion.

The Pens’ next game will be on the road against the Lightning tonight at 7:30 p.m.

 The win against Pfeiffer took the team’s record to 9-1.  The team’s offense was led by Taylor Mansfield who scored 7 goals. Dylan Gelven scored 2 goals and Matt Delmonico added three goals and two assists. Additional goals were brought on by James Delaney and Kevin Cala, each scoring one goal apiece.

This game was Mansfield’s highest scoring of the season bringing his total goals for the season to 27. The team has won all five of its conferences matches and has a 4-1 record outside the conference.

“Goaltender Christopher Ilse recorded 13 saves in the net for Seton Hill. The Griffins will travel to Lindenwood on Friday for the next contest at 7:00 p.m.,” according to the Seton Hill athletics press release.

“Due to concern for the physical health and emotional well being of our student-athletes, Seton Hill University and its Athletics Department has decided to cancel the remainder of the 2013 women’s lacrosse season.  The team had five games remaining to be played on its schedule.”

Both teams hosted Shepherd University and West Virginia Wesleyan College on Feb. 14 and 16 respectively. On Feb. 14, the women won with a five point lead while the men won with a seven point lead. Their following Feb. 16 game left the women with a 30 point win and the men with a four point win.

“The past two games we’ve just been playing together and working off one another,” said Mallory Sanner, junior guard/forward. “We’re playing our game and doing what we do best.”

Their next home games are scheduled for tonight against Fairmont State University: Women’s at 5:30 p.m. and Men’s at 7:30 p.m. This is also scheduled to be Senior Night on The Hill.

The last game of the season is scheduled for Feb. 22 as the teams travel to play the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.

As their indoor season comes to an end, SHU has managed to sustain their habit of breaking records. The women were able to set three new marks, while the men also tied with one.

Sophomore Alexis Hawkins began by placing third. Her jump of 7.46m set a new SHU record. The NCAA provisional qualifying mark was only four centimeters away. Sophomore Megan Cala also ran her personal best with a seventh place finish in the 400m.

Close behind was senior Chelsea Cavanaugh with a fourth place finish. In the 200m, senior Nina Gladysiewski finished in sixth place. Freshman Martina Milcic finished in third overall, becoming a new personal best. Milcic also threw at a distance of 12.5m, becoming the first female thrower to throw past 40 feet in the program’s history.

Sophomore Anthony Phillips tied the school’s record in the 60m hurdles with his time of 8.37. Not far behind, in fifth overall, was freshman Terry Jackson. In the long jump, sophomore Richie Padviasek placed fifth, while sophomore Steve Carr placed sixth in the 200m. Not far behind in the 400m, finishing in eighth, was sophomore Algeron Johnson.

Following a vacancy after Joel Dolinski was relieved of his coaching duties, the SHU community welcomed the newest addition to their sports staff. In December, Isaac Collins was named head coach of the Griffin’s football team.

“He brought a balance of everything we were looking for. Academics, structure, discipline, mentoring and then proven success on the playing field. His success at places like Columbia [University] and The Citadel really illustrated that he was open to challenge,” said professor of sports management and selective panel member Robert Zullo. “Some coaches just focus on their team. But Coach Collins looks at how he can be a part of the Seton Hill family, the Greensburg family, as well as having young men enjoy their time playing football. Some coaches say you can’t have all three, but he looks at it and says, ‘Why not?’ That’s part of what college is all about.”

Collin’s beat out upwards of 120 applicants for this position. His coaching philosophies, diverse background and academic improvement plan were just some of the things that appealed to the selective panel.

“His experience with recruiting quality students was very, very high on our list to get here,” said Snyder in an interview with WSN. “Anybody can tell you that players will win the games, but you have to have players who are going to be with you for four years. And they have to be academically prepared to succeed at Seton Hill.”

Hailing from Geneva, N.Y., Collins went to play running back at the University of Rochester, also serving as captain in 1993. His coaching career began shortly after with positions at The Citadel, Lehigh University, Columbia and the College of the Holy Cross. In addition, Collins gained NFL experience with the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles through the Minority Fellowship Program.

“One of the things along the interview process was that some might perceive me as a ‘hopper,’ but I see myself as an ‘experienced gainer’ because every place I’ve been, I’ve learned something and have developed things that the university will benefit from,” said Collins.

Through Collins’ time at Widener University, he rebuilt their athletic and academics standards in their football team. In his three years with them, their record consisted of 25-8.

Coming into SHU’s football program, Collins approached the task at hand with an optimistic and future-oriented mindset. “I don’t want to know what they did in the past. I want to know what they can do going forward,” said Collins.

Collins began his job at SHU just in time for the recruiting process. They will be focusing on the local area for young men interested in playing at SHU. “It’ll take some time to catch up on the interworking of the team and the players we have. But we’ve spent a lot of time in the community recruiting some new young men for the coming year,” said Collins.

The football team will begin their spring conditioning, as well as academic and social reformation, this semester.

Isaac Collins: “I’ve been very impressed. When I came on the interview, you know, sometimes looks can be a little deceiving. You’re driving in thinking, ‘Am I going to like it?’ ‘Will it be good for my family?’ But as I drove up the hill and walked into this building—from the very first person I met ‘till the last person I met—just a bunch of amazing people who are really passionate about our young people.”

OG: Now for the obvious question: What are your plans for developing our football team?

IC: “Well I think the first thing is to look internally at who we are and build on why we’re in the current state we’re in—not just in terms of wins and losses, but what we’re doing academically and socially. There are the obvious things, like developing them in the weight room. But there are things with building them as successful young men that will benefit them past their time with us. The first thing to tackle is leadership—how to be better leaders, what is good leadership and how to learn from bad leadership. Everyone thinks it has to be rosy and clean, but it doesn’t. There are going to be tough times, but they will endure. These young men have been through alot, so we’ll start with their core, work on building them up into the young men that their families can be proud of—young men that this university can be proud of.”

OG: What personally made you want to be a coach and mentor in a leadership position?

IC: “Anyone that has known me long enough, there was talk when I was five years old that I would make a pretty good leader. I don’t think I ever set out to be a leader. I’ve been blessed that people have looked to me because I tried to treat people the right way. It became a natural trait for me. If you talk to anyone about what it takes to be a leader, one of the first things they’ll tell you is you have to learn to follow and serve. Growing up, that was my demeanor and the way I was raised. Good bad or indifferent, I think you can learn from someone every single day. For me it was a case that until I got on the coaching job, I hadn’t realized that I really wanted to coach. It was an opportunity that I got to sink my teeth into and made me realize what I wanted to do, and here I am, 18 years later, still doing it.”

OG: On a larger scale, who is your biggest influence, biggest inspiration?

IC: “It would have to be Tony Dungy. I’ve got a closet full of books on him. I’ve met him in passing, but I’ve had an appreciation of him from afar. His ‘The Mentor Leader’ book is incredible and focuses on leadership and developing a team. A big thing is leading by example. It’s a great concept.”

OG: You said in the Westmoreland Sports Network interview that “you work so hard to build a house for someone else to move in.” What prompted that decision to leave?

IC: “It was a combination of things. The thing that intrigued me was when I came out, my mindset wasn’t that I was going to take the job. It was more to see who Seton Hill was and explore. And then you get on campus and you meet people and you start to slowly get excited and say ‘this is going to be the next step.’ When you factor in the people, the opportunities, the challenges and the resources—they were all things that made it okay to walk away from a pretty good situation with some amazing kids and players. From that standpoint, I can say that I didn’t actually have a point where I decided to leave. It was more steps along the way to it. I was very, very happy at Widener, so it wasn’t a situation where I was unhappy. But it goes back to saying when God opens doors, you don’t really ask questions. I felt there was a need for my leadership here and that young men in the program could benefit from this plan. It’s a great opportunity to work with another great administration.”

OG: If you could be doing something else, another profession, what would it be?

IC: “I think I would be a lawyer. But I don’t know how far I would’ve made it in that—you can’t really keep me in an office very long and I can’t be indoors. I’m a guy who likes to be on the go, so coaching is an easy fit. In my 18 years, it has never felt like work. If you can wake up in the morning, be passionate about what you do, and feel like you’ve never worked a day in your life, then you’ve got the right profession.”

OG: You’ve mentioned a lot about your faith. Did Seton Hill being a Catholic university affect your decision to come here?

IC: “Any time you can be associated with an environment that’s going to foster spiritual growth is something that’s important to me. In my previous experiences, we’ve tried to provide activities that develop spiritual growth in whatever religious belief they may have and getting them to understand that that’s where it all begins. If our young people leave us and they don’t have a true understanding of what unconditional faith is, it’s going to be hard for them to be leaders in their household. Being in this environment and culture here will be a good fit. And it’s good for them to be ‘double-dipped’ as they say—when they leave me they’ll also hear it from Sister Maureen or someone else. Hopefully in the time their four years are up, we’ve built up a man that can endure the challenges of this world.”

OG: Does this also play into your coaching strategies?

IC: “When you begin to coach, you kind of start to emulate the way you might have been coached. I grew up being coached by some very tough people. They got after me. So early in my coaching profession, that was kind of who I was, too. As you get older and start to have kids, you reflect a little bit that you can be tough but compassionate as well. I think my transition to leaning more on my faith as I got older certainly helped me endure and learn how to handle players or situations. That’s how Jesus was—he had to be compassionate, and he was very tough. It helped things become full circle to me. It isn’t until you’re older that you gain appreciation for all those times going to church and things you do as a kid. It wasn’t your parents trying to drive you crazy—they were trying to give you something to take with you that will last a lifetime. And now, I get an opportunity on a bigger scale to try and do that over the course of four years with the young men I coach.”

OG: You’re from New York originally, and have been down to The Citadel in South Carolina, to Delaware and now here—do you enjoy traveling or is it just part of the job?

IC: “I hate traveling. I’ve been blessed that my wife happens to like moving, so it doesn’t affect her. But I’m a creature of habit. In the profession I’ve chosen, though, there are a lot of times where you can’t control that. The biggest burden is just being away from the family. Just to kind of show you how we’re a football family, my kids opened their gifts on Christmas morning, then went to pack their bags to come up here and visit. Instead of playing with their toys over their break, they came and ran around the building here, calling it a ‘castle.’ That’s the toughest part of a transition, but I think they’re also excited about coming to Greensburg.”

OG: I noticed in your resume that you have worked through the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. Tell us a little more about that.

IC: “Well I worked through the Minority Coaching Fellowship program, founded by the legendary Bill Walsh. It gave opportunities to minority coaches to be exposed to the workings of an NFL football team. I worked with some incredible people there, sat in on staff meetings, and helped coach for about two weeks with the Giants. With the Eagles, I worked with them through their training camp. I focused a lot on both team’s defensive programs.”

OG: The Seton Hill community now knows you as a professional football coach—but what about you as Isaac Collins? Do you have a nickname?

IC: “Well, my friends call me ‘Ike.’ Growing up, my uncle Sam used to call me ‘ikenbug’ and the name kind of stuck. My buddies caught on and it’s been that way ever since.”

OG: What’s your favorite NFL team?

IC: “Hmmm. Steelers. [Laughs] Behind that would be the Cowboys—but don’t tell anyone.”

OG: It looks like the 49ers and the Ravens are in the Super Bowl this year. Who will you be rooting for?

IC: “[Laughs] That’s tough. I’ve got tremendous respect for both Harbaugh brothers. Part of me would really like to see Ray Lewis go out on top since he’s retiring, but it’s hard. I guess I would have to say that I’m just rooting for a good game. I’ll remain neutral.”

OG: Being in Steeler country, you’ll notice that a lot of people are rooting against the Ravens—they just want the other guys to win. But, the Ravens have played a great season.

IC: “[Laughs] Hey, they’ve played well enough to get to the Super Bowl. It’s funny actually; I hadn’t put that connection together until I witnessed Steeler fans watching the last game. Any time the Ravens did something, they ‘boo-ed’ and then it clicked—there’s a little bit of a rivalry there I see.”

OG: Now for some favorites—favorite movie?

IC: “Hmmm. You know being a sequels guy, I’d probably say ‘Lethal Weapon.’ I couldn’t tell you which one; I enjoy them all for different reasons.

OG: Not a football movie?

IC: “I mean, I enjoy them. I enjoyed ‘The Blindside.’ But let’s put it this way. If I’m walking through a store and ‘Lethal Weapon’ is on, I’m probably going to stop to watch it before I stop to watch, oh, ‘Any Given Sunday.’ What can I say, ‘Lethal Weapon’ is a classic.”

OG: How about your favorite TV show?

IC: “Easy—‘Criminal Minds.’”

OG: Do you happen to watch “NCIS?”

IC: “I watch the Los Angeles version, yes.”

OG: You remind me of Director Vance—and now a little of LL Cool J.

IC: “[Laughs] Okay, I can see it all now.”

OG: What’s your favorite genre of music?

IC: “Well, if you got in my car, you’d hear gospel—big gospel fan. But I listen to it all. A lot of R&B, some hip-hop; but the guys I coach don’t really know the hip-hop artists that I grew up listening to. They don’t even know Run-D.M.C.. [Laughs] Hey I even listen to some country. I just don’t think I could listen to opera. I listen to it all—even though my kids call it ‘old-people-music.’”

OG: That being said, who’s your favorite artist?

IC: “I’d have to say for gospel, I love Shirley Caesar. In terms of R&B and hip-hop, I like New Addition, some Keith Sweat and the Fugees. If it’s rap, I prefer obviously Run-D.M.C., some LL Cool J, Eric. B & Rakim—they were the ones grew up on. Today’s age, I can appreciate some of the stuff Jay-Z does.”

OG: Just for fun—if you could be an animal, what would you be?

IC: “[Laughs] Well I’m a big fan of lions, but that’s too easy. I should dig in—I could probably see myself as a badger. Just one of those small, fierce guys.”

OG: Is there anything you’d like to say in general to the SHU community?

IC: “Well I am just excited beyond belief to be here. My hope is that they’ll join me in building this program and its prominence. I don’t plan on judging these guys on wins and losses on the field. I want to focus on off the field—are they doing well in classes, engaging in the community, displaying leadership, etc. It truly takes a village to raise a child, so to build a football program that we can all be proud of is certainly going to take the help of the SHU community.”

OG: That’s one of the great things about the SHU community—regardless of the outcome of the games; our fans are devoted to the Griffins.

IC: “Hopefully people will come out on Saturdays—rain, snow, sleet or hail—to support our guys, and will them into victory. We are excited and dedicated to making a product to put on the field that’ll make it enjoyable to watch.”

Following the final football game of the season on Nov. 10, the decision was made to release head coach Joel Dolinski and his coaching staff.

The decision had been a long time in the making. While they remain grateful to Dolinski for his work with SHU since implementing the football program in 2005, it was felt that aspects of the program were deficient.

“It’s easy to assume that it’s because of the record this season, but our athletics aren’t about winning and losing,” said Athletic Director, Christopher Snyder. “They’re about academics and developing outstanding student athletes.”

Making academics a priority is one of the qualities they’re looking for in a new coach. Potential coaches also need to be experienced in recruiting, be able to retain quality and be ready to begin a strong season in the new Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) division. Snyder hopes to have a new coach in place by the first of January.

“We joke about this, but there is some truth behind it. If we could have a clone of Tony Dungy, that’s who we’d want as an ideal head coach,” said professor of sports management and panel member, Robert Zullo.

“It’s going to be a good start with new ideas and philosophies,” said junior criminal justice major and football player Aaron Prescott. “It may be rough at first, but every bad ending will have a rough beginning, but it’ll have a great result.”

Since the job opening was posted on Nov. 12, there have been over 100 applicants. Because of SHU’s recent switch to (PSAC), Snyder is anxious to begin a new season with a fresh start and new direction.

“Seton Hill is a diamond in the rough, honestly. There’s a lot of potential here, and it’s good to know we’re a desirable school,” said Snyder.

Zullo and Snyder are adamant about getting opinions from the SHU community. They ask that students, faculty and staff email them with thoughts on what they would like to see in a new coach and program.

Defensive assistant Marcus Patton will remain to aid the transition until a new coach is selected, at which time he can interview to stay.

SHU made the decision to switch to the PSAC after an invitation to join the conference. This switch, new program potential and advantage of both grass and turf fields make SHU a desirable choice for impending recruits.

Sidebar:

Why Seton HIll University is a very attractive position for the future of our football program

1. Southwest Pennsylvania is a recruiting hotbed full of tradition and talent.

2. Free iPad and Macbook for each student plus the chance for coaches to utilize iPads in their recruiting – SHU is a national leader in mobile technology.

3. Seton Hill has small classes with exciting new majors including sports management and the forthcoming exercise science program.

4. The family atmosphere at Seton Hill affords students, faculty and staff personal attention instead of merely being a number.

5. SHU Football will have access to both grass and turf football fields to better prepare.

6. The new Dick’s Sporting Goods field and the forthcoming lights.

7. The Westmoreland Radio Network allows recruits and current players’ families to watch games online.

8. 92% of Seton Hill students move UP to careers or graduate school.

9. Students are afforded academic support in terms of the CAPS program, writing center, and tutoring center.

10. Great community service opportunities in Greensburg, site of the home stadium in the heart of the city.

11. Seton Hill is 35 miles from Pittsburgh.

12. The dietetics and nutrition program is a rising player in preparation of healthy bodies. The LECOM and PA programs offer additional programs that emphasize the importance of health and wellness.

13. Quality food options with our dining hall, the Cove, Griffin Advantage and the future Starbucks. The dining service also excels in personable theme nights such as Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas on the Hill, Sweetheart Dinner, Midnight Breakfast, et al.

14. Our school is growing as demonstrated by an upcoming health sciences facility, visual arts center and other campus projects.

15. The move to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) means the football program will compete in the premier Division II conference in America. No conference placed more teams in the playoffs than the PSAC.

All of these offer the head coach a chance to be part of a school that continues to aspire to be a national leader in liberal arts in higher education.

Contact information:

Robert Zullo: zullo@setonhill.edu

Christopher Snyder: csnyder@setonhill.edu

Men’s Soccer at West Virginia Wesleyan College at 7:00 p.m. in WVIAC Tournament

Saturday-November 3

Men and Women’s Cross Country at NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships-TBD

Saturday-November 3
Men’s Football vs. Saint Anselm College at 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday-November 20
Men’s Basketball vs. West Virginia State University at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday-November 24
Men’s Basketball vs. Washington Adventist University at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday-November 29
Men’s Wrestling vs. Penn State Allegheny at 6:00 p.m.