Looks like we found our coach.......

[Oak Grove]

I have said from the beginning that the success of this hire would hinge more on retaining the present staff than the choice of HC. I still feel that way. Keeping my fingers crossed that JC keeps everybody!

[Eyes of Old Main]

Uncharted territory here. I can be either positive or negative about this depending on the perspective I choose to look at this from. There much be something about Coach Conklin that caught RJ's eye. My guess is we'll know more after Wednesday's presser. Hopefully the staff stays as intact as possible, but I expect some departures (although I expected that with an internal hire as well). Either way, welcome back to Wofford, Coach Conklin.

On a totally unrelated side note, Coach Conklin appears to prefer a baseball cap on the sidelines. I'm so glad he's not a visor guy. Yes, that's ridiculous, I know.

[youngterrier]

Well he is bald Eyes,


One indicator that staff is probably staying is that a couple of them have already followed him on twitter

[boulder3m]

Guys- Here's the hard fact: There aren't many Mike Ayers' out there waiting to coach Wofford. Besides, turnover at the top is not such a bad thing. It is the norm rather than the exception. Our personnel has been recruited for the Ayers/Wofford offense, and it is unlikely to change very fast. We have the pieces in place to be a good team, and hiring a defensive minded head coach is not bad at all. A new, young, energetic Head Coach is certainly going to be a boost to the recruits, and I think he will keep the coaches he thinks will help us keep moving forward. BRAVO!!!

[lawdog]

True Boulder. It is a tribute to Coach Ayers that Conklin wants to come to Wofford, after his earlier experience here. He seems to have a strong work ethic; I think he is going to like what he finds. The right fresh eyeball can be a big boost.

[dungeonjoe]

I think this was the best hire given some of what I have seen on this very board. Some wanted an outsider while others wanted someone from the current Ayers coaching tree. In the venn diagram of wants, Conklin is that shaded area in the middle. He coached here a couple of years and has had experience with other programs.
The press conference on Wednesday will fill in most of the unknowns about staffing.

[Ruckus]

I really like his demeanor in the interview posted (thanks Lawdog). Positivity exudes from him. Sharp guy. Personable. Players should love him.
I don’t see a ton of staff changes coming, but I could be wrong.
Boulder hits hammer directly on the nail: there ain’t no more Mike Ayers out there. This is about as close as we are going to get from all appearances.
I am getting really fired up about this especially if we keep the key folks on staff. Don’t see much changing offensively but we may well see some tweaks on D.

[CarolinaDog]

Really like this hire. I may be a little biased as Conk was on staff during my time at Wofford, but I can tell you he has a high motor, attention to detail type of guy that players gravitate towards. The key is that understands the "Wofford Way," and understands our opportunities and obstacles as a program.

From a coaching standpoint his mind seemed to be on another level than others within that staff at the time he was at Wofford, the reason why he has developed quickly in his career. I look forward to the experiences he will bring from the Power5 schools he spent time with. I certainly believe he will retain some of our current guys on staff as he has worked extremely well, and coached a few of them in his previous life at Wofford, but it is no guarantee.

Biggest thing, as Dungeon eluded to, is that we have a guy that has Ayer's experience, yet has left the "nest" of Wofford to garner some experience with different programs to bring in an outside perspective. Exciting times, but the shoes will always be tough to fill.

[WocoSix]

I like the hire! Hopefully he brings some principles from the 4-3 quarters defense that Narduzzi was known for at Michigan State and Pitt. He also ran a 4-3 at FIU. As for our Offensive staff, one would speculate that side of the ball will have minimum changes especially if he wants to keep the Wofford style of offense in place. Coaches Lang and Nash are cornerstones to that offense and would probably be least likely to change. On the defensive side of the ball is where I expect Coach Conklin to put his fingerprint on the program. Our corners coach Rob Greene worked under him at Pitt so he is most familiar with his style. Coach Riase and Gasparato are probably our most productive and our better recruiters. But question would be does Conklin bring someone who is familiar to his schemes to Coordinate or does he take on position of HC / Coordinator as Narduzzi does for Pitt.

[Hobo]

from the college

http://woffordterriers.com/news/2018/1/ ... coach.aspx

I found this part interesting
" His brother-in-law, Al Clark III, was a four-year letterman at Wofford and graduated in 2002, while his father-in-law, Al Clark, Jr., was also a four-year football letterman at Wofford and graduated in 1976."

Did his wife Molly also go to Wofford?

[SmallTownTerrier]

Hearing 2nd hand that Gasparato is headed to Appy State

[lawdog]

Mark Hauser interview; Mark does his usual great job. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqa7kapHIIs