by beepbeep, MEAC/SWAC Sports Main StreetThe Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) 2007 Coach of the year Pete Adrian interviewed on December 12, for the head coaching position at Colonial Athletic Conference member University of Rhode Island. The Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1-AA) Rams were 3-8 this past season, marking their sixth consecutive losing season.
Adrian is one of four candidates for the position, along with Darren Rizzi, an associate head coach at Rutgers; Maine coach Jack Cosgrove; and Robert Talley, head coach at Stonehill College.
Former URI head coach Tim Stowers was fired after an eight year term on November 19, with one year remaining on his contract. He posted a 33-57 record during his tenure with the Rams and had only one winning season in 2001.
University of Rhode Island paid Stovers $196,027 in 2006.
The Rams home facility, Meade Stadium was constructed in 1928 and seats approximately 5,180 fans. Yes, that is no typo--5,180 maximum capacity.
Photo: URI Meade StadiumCoach Adrian has been at Norfolk State for three years posting records of 4-7, 4-7 and 8-3 for the Spartans. He currently earns $102,750 (base pay) and just signed a contract extension on September 13, 2007, that presumed would keep him at NSU until 2010. Adrian had a record of 9-14 at the time the contract extension was executed with NSU athletics director Marty L. Miller.
Adrian current career record for the Spartans is 16-17 (.484), but he is a finalist for the 2007 Eddie Robinson Award given to the top Division I-AA coach, for his 8-3 breakout season.
NSU home facility, William "Dick" Price Stadium has a seating capacity of 30,000 and was built in 1997. It is recognized as one of the largest sports and entertainment venues in the Hampton Roads region and one of the 10 largest Division I FCS football stadiums in terms of capacity. Dick Price Stadium is also one of the best facilities in the MEAC along with the football facilities at North Carolina A&T State University and South Carolina State University.
The Spartans was tops in historical black college and university (HBCU) football for accumulated home attendance in 2007. The Spartans are ranked #7 of 119 schools in the total Division I Football Championship Subdivision, with 103,320 accumulated attendance for six home games. NSU average game attendance was 17,220 and the Spartans had two home games with Virginia State University and Hampton University that had 26,970 (#19) and 27,756 (#16) in attendance, respectively.
Norfolk State's first game in history with a football bowl championship team--Rutgers University on September 15, had 43,712 in attendance. This game's attendance was greater than the Scarlett Knights games against FBC foes, West Virginia (43,620), Pittsburgh (43,531), Navy (43,514) and Buffalo (43,091). The Spartans were beat by Rutgers 59-0, but earned $250,000 for this money game. NSU will play University of Kentucky in Lexington in 2008 for the same fee.
For comparison purposes, University of Rhode Island had an accumulated home attendance of 17,181 for five total home games in 2007. Their average home game attendance was 3,436, for a ranking of #98 of 119 FCS programs. This was worst than Howard University (#96) and Savannah State University (#94) home attendance for the past season.
So, what would make Adrian talk with Rhode Island about its vacancy when he is on the verge of building a powerhouse at Norfolk State with the very best facilities, great fan support and a tremendous recruiting area in Richmond, Norfolk and Virginia Beach? It is no accident that Norfolk State had a school record ten Spartans named to either the first or second-team All-MEAC squads. He was also only one win from the MEAC championship and the automatic berth to the NCAA FCS playoffs.
It is all about the money!
Under Adrian current contract, he can earn a maximum of $147,750 with performance bonuses, for winning the MEAC title and FCS national championship.
Rhode Island is offering a base of $155,300 and up to $196,027 if targeted performace incentives are met. URI has shown unusual patience for just one winning season in eight years. The 59 year old coach has experienced success with the Rams as an assistant coach in the 1980's winning three Yankee Conference championships and making the NCAA playoffs. Adrian salary is at or slightly above the average for the MEAC and SWAC conferences and based on his career winning record at NSU.
We wish Coach Adrian the best of success at Rhode Island, if the position is offered. If more money is his focus--go to Rhode Island with their tiny stadium, little fan support and history of being a loser in the Colonial Athletic Conference. He can change the latter two by just building a winner. The stadium expansion will take some time.
Our advice to Marty Miller--let him go!
The nature of the coaching business today is a contract does not really obligate the coach to fulfill it, if more money is offered elsewhere. No one will blame him for jumping for the money and the opportunity to move up to a perceived difficult conference.
NSU fans love Spartan football and average 17,220 in home attendance in 2007 to lead MEAC & SWAC.Expect more Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference athletic directors to be contacted more frequently in the future about their head coaches for lateral coaching opportunities in the FCS. Both conferences currently are at the bottom in average head coaches salary compared to others, especially programs seeking an instant winner, like University of Rhode Island.
Rhode Island's former coach had a strong resume in FCS coaching circles. He served previously as an assistant coach at Temple; and head coach at Georgia Southern for six years, winning the NCAA I-AA national championship in 1990. Stovers career record is 84-80, but he was unable to compete in the CAA with the Rams facing a difficult schedule of six playoffs teams and one I-A team. Adrian will have the same difficulties as Stovers. But, one winning season can be a stepping stone to a mid-level FBC position and the increased earnings.
Adrian is just the start of this migration of HBCU coaches as other FCS conferences and FBC teams begin to value the coaching talent and experience that exists in the MEAC and the SWAC. Transitioning programs will be willing to pay more for that proven talent of winning head football coaches. Expect more lateral transfers in the near future as MEAC and SWAC coaches prove themselves as builders of financially successful programs.
Imagine that! The MEAC and SWAC are now proving grounds and career launching pads for new head coaches with the opportunity to step up to more lucrative positions in the FCS and FBS coaching ranks--and that's the way it should be for all. Just win, ba-by!
NOTICE: 7:35 PM - Norfolk State University football coach Pete Adrian announced on Thursday evening that he has withdrawn his name from consideration for the head coaching position at the University of Rhode Island and will remain with the Spartans.
NSU athletic director Marty L. Miller said he is in the process of finalizing a new contract for Adrian, which would increase his salary to at least the middle of the MEAC scale, which reaches $175,000. He anticipates having the contract complete by the holidays.
Spartan Nation can now relax until the Spartans record goes under .500 next season...
Photo: Norfolk State William "Dick" Price Football Stadium
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