Jeff Braido Resigns at Easton
- Thread starter RoverNation05
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The two examples that stick out in my mind are Dan Waechli and Ryan Nunamaker.
Waechli was one of the best baseball coaches in eastern PA, essentially got forced out by Parkland parents over how they thought their kids were getting playing time based on their American Legion program. Waechli finally didn’t want the headache anymore and quit, joined the staff at Emmaus as their pitching coach, and took them to a state final and a bunch of D11 titles.
More recently, Ryan Nunamaker quit as Parklands wrestling coach after going to a state final, winning a pair of D11 titles (unheard of outside the power group of Easton/Northampton/Nazareth/Bethlehem Catholic). He said all the right things publicly, but it was behind the scenes politics with Parkland parents that essentially made him say “f this”. They installed a very young head coach (who was the son of one of the problem parents) and Parkland wrestling kind of imploded after that.
All that saying, it wouldn’t be the first time a very successful Parkland coach would leave what seems like a plum job over behind the scenes headaches. Every place is messed up in its own special way.
I think I mentioned in the Head Coaching Vacancies thread about Senneca resigning. It sounded like his wife essentially said “football or your family” and he made the right choice. I know he had a kid born during his first season at Whitehall that I think he’s said has some health problems, so I believe hkm when he says he needs to step away for a while. If Easton was waiting a few years to hire a coach, I would have said Senneca would be one to go after, but I don’t see him returning to coaching for a few years. He’s still also a young guy, lot of career ahead of him.
The new hire Marino sounds like a good one. I thought Tony Trisciani was excellent at Whitehall, I wasn’t surprised he moved on to be a good college assistant. And it sounds like he had a lot to do with Marino making the move out of college and to Whitehall. On paper, seems very strong.
The new hire Marino sounds like a good one. I thought Tony Trisciani was excellent at Whitehall, I wasn’t surprised he moved on to be a good college assistant. And it sounds like he had a lot to do with Marino making the move out of college and to Whitehall. On paper, seems very strong.
He played quarterback at Penn State in the early 2000s. He went to Allentown Central Catholic, he was the QB that demolished Downingtown in the ‘96 season opener, then Downingtown went on to run the table and win states. He was the QB coach at Liberty when they went to state finals and won their title. He was the OC at Emmaus before taking Whitehall.
His dad is a longtime Lehigh Valley football figure, he coached at Freedom, then was Jim Morgans DC during their run in the 1990s before taking the AD job at Liberty.
Skinner,
Some great stuff here... Got a chance to play against "Skins" (if I can say that) my freshman and soph years (74 & 75- last time we met before 2004). Both tough games.
Workout with a Falcon out here in Ohio every week. We reminisce often...
Miller -
Back-to-back wins for the Dawgs in '74 and '75 (9-6 and 17-3 in a home and away for you). And that year of 1975 was the end of the Big 6, Big 7 and Big 8 league and Neshaminy and Easton playing every year from 1959 through 1975.
As I already said somewhere on here beside Neshaminy the two other high schools I first became aware of were Pennsbury and Easton.
Those were great days for scholastic ball in PA.
Now you're hanging out in Ohio and working out with a Dirty Bird.
My oh my!
Back-to-back wins for the Dawgs in '74 and '75 (9-6 and 17-3 in a home and away for you). And that year of 1975 was the end of the Big 6, Big 7 and Big 8 league and Neshaminy and Easton playing every year from 1959 through 1975.
As I already said somewhere on here beside Neshaminy the two other high schools I first became aware of were Pennsbury and Easton.
Those were great days for scholastic ball in PA.
Now you're hanging out in Ohio and working out with a Dirty Bird.
My oh my!
Ha ha ha! Yeah I miss those days. Hope Dawgs get the right coach. We need to get some MoJo back. Be Well!
How solid are the Moncman rumors? I certainly heard from lots of people that he coveted the Easton job in the early 2010s when he was thinking about getting back into coaching, before Morgans added him on the Parkland staff - he and Bret Comp were going to come in as a package deal with Bret running the offense and Tim running the defense. Obviously that actually happened...at Parkland, but with Morgans as the head coach on that 2015 team that went to the state finals.
Very. Might have backed away by now. Trying to find that out. Many times the first shot is best shot but if it takes too long then, well you know what happens.
Hearing Moncman is a very real possibility, but that their first choice is Harold Fairclough and there is interest on both sides.
Don't know Fairclough, I have seen what Tim has done. Know his character and know he Really wants to coach in Easton. I also think he could pull some good Asst's with him
Fairclough was the head coach at Allentown Central Catholic when they won the state title in 2010. They were in the 3A eastern finals three of his six years as head coach and won the LVC twice. He left ACC when his teaching position got cut in Allentown. He got a job in Whitehall and joined their staff as the DC during the Saquon era. He’s now at Emmaus, where he has that program winning ten games a year. He’s won three EPC titles at Emmaus, which I think are the only three conference championships that program has ever had in football.
Longtime readers will know how highly I think of Moncman, both as a football coach and as a guy. I agree with you he’d be the home run of home runs. But if this is actually the candidate pool (which I feel pretty confident in the person I talked to) then they’re doing way better than I would have anticipated.
I haven't heard anything about Fairclough, but you're knowledge of these things surpasses mine. I did hear, and was very shocked at this info, that the applicant pool was less than impressive.
A little disappointed to be honest. If this guy can restore the hardnose tradition with modern football O, I'm all IN! Hopefully can develop some QBs. Watching from afar seems like QB development has lacked for a Long Time. Always good RBs but QB, not so much....
It's starting to go public public - D11 sports just picked it up - so I'll put up a separate thread about the hire (I learned my lesson after getting burned on running with "Steve Mytych is the next Easton wrestling coach" then Jody Karam being hired became official an hour later).
I'm slightly disappointed if Moncman really did have interest in the job, because again, massive Tim Moncman fan here. Ditto on Fairclough. But if those two wanted to stay at their current spots (which would be understandable, Tim's school is the defending D11 champ and Faircloug has won 3 of the last 5 conference titles) then I think Senneca was the best candidate on the board in the Lehigh Valley. He way overachieved at Whitehall - I forgot they were picked last in the EPC this year and ended up winning a state playoff game (plus beat 6A champ Parkland and 4A champ ACC). And even thought it was a while ago, his work developing Dan Persa and Anthony Gonzalez is something Easton has frankly never had.
He's got college coaching experience, he's been a top assistant for Moncman, Fairclough, and Jim Morgans, and not that being a high level player makes you a great coach, but he was the quarterback at Penn State and a four star recruit coming out of Allentown Central Catholic. My biggest criticism of Braido was the only football thing he knew in his life was Easton football, Senneca is going to be the exact opposite. His dad is kind of a legendary Lehigh Valley football figure, he played for Jim Morgans at ACC, then Joe Paterno at Penn State, then coached with Tim Moncman at Liberty, Morgans at Parkland, Jeff Pukszyn at Moravian, and Fairclough at Emmaus. His only hiccup was a very bad two years at Wilson, though they were 5-25 in the three years before took the job (including 0-10 immediately preceding him) and he did not get it turned around in his two seasons. But, Whitehall was also in a ditch when he got there (2-8 before, 0-10 his first year), and he won two D11 titles the next three years.
I think your assessment from afar is partially correct. Easton has not had an elite, next level quarterback since...Terry Bartolet in the late '50s? What they had at their most successful was a power run game and excellent defenses. The last hire was supposed to change course and bring them into a more modern era of football, what actually happened was they totally lost their physicality and discipline without adding any schematic advantage (I always thought it looked like they were trying to do a million things they saw at a coaches clinic on offense, but didn't have a philosophy or deeper understanding behind any of it, so they just ran a million different unconnected formations and forgot how to block). I'd kill for good running backs, and I bet you'll see real development under center - and probably your best athletes playing there, which hasn't happened since Justin Pacchioli (who led them to two state-playoff appearances and got drafted by the Padres).
Fact- Moncman wanted the job! We failed on that front!!!!!!!
Pukszyn interviewed and a few others.
Most other alums I talk with who live in Easton and attend games are extremely disappointed in overall play. Too undisciplined and that was Never the Easton way. When we got beat, the opponent knew they earned it, not so much the last few years. Oline coach under Shiffert was going to stay, but (long story) didn't get the job. My understanding is Oline has not been good since.
Rovers always have top line RBs. All the way back when I played. Today's game can't just run the ball. Have to have adequate QB, not necessarily elite. Solid D has been trade mark for last 100 years.
Hopeful outside set of eyes can bring a new look to a great, PROUD Program. Disappointed the AD didn't get The MAN! List of candidates that interviewed was very underwhelming.
Pukzyn would have been a weird hire.Fact- Moncman wanted the job! We failed on that front!!!!!!!
Pukszyn interviewed and a few others.
Most other alums I talk with who live in Easton and attend games are extremely disappointed in overall play. Too undisciplined and that was Never the Easton way. When we got beat, the opponent knew they earned it, not so much the last few years. Oline coach under Shiffert was going to stay, but (long story) didn't get the job. My understanding is Oline has not been good since.
Rovers always have top line RBs. All the way back when I played. Today's game can't just run the ball. Have to have adequate QB, not necessarily elite. Solid D has been trade mark for last 100 years.
Hopeful outside set of eyes can bring a new look to a great, PROUD Program. Disappointed the AD didn't get The MAN! List of candidates that interviewed was very underwhelming.
Honestly, it sounds like Moncman was interested, but Easton didn't actually start the process of hiring a coach until Baltz officially took over as the AD. Dumb, and I guess Jim Pokrivsak's last gift to Easton is missing out on that possibility.
Your alum friends are right, it's as bad as I've ever seen it. And Scott Byrd was probably the most impactful assistant in the Valley in the '00s, and it's not an accident that since he left Easton and got hired at Nazareth, Nazareth has been one of the elite teams in the Valley. Their line play was the missing piece and he totally fixed it.
Now we hopefully get to see a rebirth.
Baltz could have gotten a deal done with Moncman. Don't want to say too much there. Being new AD and not knowing the ropes, or how much he could get done on his own but now we sit back and watch............................
Yes (wanted to make sure he was in the building), some teaching spots for assistants, and a few other minor requests. Nothing out of the ordinary. New AD couldn't get it done is bottom line.
This is not surprising. Matt is a nice guy, he’s not going to rock the boat, he’s not aggressive. He has more on the ball than Pokrivsak, who was a joke, and there are parts of the job Matt will do well. But in the words of Steven Godfrey, he’s not a “gangster” AD (and if you love college football and don’t get that reference, I can’t recommend Split Zone Duo enough).
