Cecchini Returning to Lehigh?

[ngineer]

It has been reported and reference on LFN's blog that former Citadel OC, Dave Cecchini, will be returning to Lehigh shortly. It is thought he may have the title "Asst. HC/OC". Where that leaves Trey Brown, the OC for the past 4 seasons, is unknown.

This should certainly give the ol' "Air Lehigh" crowd a shot in the arm, as "Chick" was a big proponent of the Pro-Spread. It was a stagnant offense last season that mired Lehigh in a less than stellar performance, going 4-7 (4-2 in the PL), the worst season since 1997. Seventeen starters return in the fall, with 10 on offense.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Lehigh fans are in a dither over the prospect of Cecchini's return to South Mountain. Other than Morning Call rumors, is this confirmed?

[Franks Tanks]

Cecchini offensive "genius" could have been a function of the fact that Lehigh just had really good players, and were more talented than their opponents from 98 to 2005.

Either way he's probably better than Trey Brown.

[RichH2]

Heck Tanks you or I would be better than Brown. There is a solid basis for Groller's column, whether the numbers work is another matter. My source is confident they will be.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Hmmm . . . . A new OC plus new big uglies up front for the Engineers. Does this mean that the Pards might have to put in the first team when the game returns to Easton in November?

[hawkineer]

Hmmm . . . . A new OC plus new big uglies up front for the Engineers. Does this mean that the Pards might have to put in the first team when the game returns to Easton in November?

2008 31-15 Good Guys, 2009 27-21 Good Guys http://www.tiptopglobe.com/skin/smile/s10745.gifhttp://www.tiptopglobe.com/skin/smile/s9860.gif

[ngineer]

Cecchini offensive "genius" could have been a function of the fact that Lehigh just had really good players, and were more talented than their opponents from 98 to 2005.

Either way he's probably better than Trey Brown.

That, alone, is enough to be in a 'dither'!:D

[ngineer]

Lehigh fans are in a dither over the prospect of Cecchini's return to South Mountain. Other than Morning Call rumors, is this confirmed?

I received an email two weeks ago from a Citadel alum who said this was 'going down' with the triple option and Higgins 'letting it be known' early so Chick could start setting the wheels in motion. He and Coen have been very friendly for the past 15 years.

[RichH2]

Kevin has always been a stand up man. I have no doubt there were calls between Andy Joe and Kevin concerning Dave's situation. Joe certainly putting Andy's replacement on staff if it proves necessary as Cecchini will not be around for us next year

[carney2]

Do I understand this correctly?:

Brown will be out, possibly forced out without Coen's wholehearted support.

and

Cecchini will be the new OC without Coen's wholehearted endorsement.

and

Coen will be forced to look over his shoulder at a possible in-house successor who is also an adored alumnus.

Talk about your poisoned waters. Should be a great atmosphere to work and make progress in. Everyone - coaches and players - should find it a joy to report each day.

[Syntax Error]

Just the name Cecchini makes me want some patsy - errrr pasta. xlolx

[ngineer]

Do I understand this correctly?:

Brown will be out, possibly forced out without Coen's wholehearted support.

and

Cecchini will be the new OC without Coen's wholehearted endorsement.

and

Coen will be forced to look over his shoulder at a possible in-house successor who is also an adored alumnus.

Talk about your poisoned waters. Should be a great atmosphere to work and make progress in. Everyone - coaches and players - should find it a joy to report each day.

From afar that would certainly be an understandable observation. However, Chick was an assistant under Andy in the mid-to late 90's while Coen was the OC under Higgins. He took over OC when Coen left for Penn. By all accounts, the "Higgins Group" (Higgins, Coen, Lembo, Cecchini and Gilmore) have always stayed in contact and supportive of each other. Coen brought Brown with him from Penn, and, yes, letting him go would certainly be a difficult decision, but a necessary one and if Coen has any real plans of staying a HC here, or elsewhere, then he has to hold his people accountable and make the 'tough decisions' if people don't perfom. Cecchini is not that old (class of 1994), so he as time to become a HC, whether at Lehigh or elsewhere. But, if he's like a lot of Lehigh alums who love the school, he may well be willing to be an Asst HC/OC for a lot longer than one would be willing at 'just another school'. Look how long some of the assistants have stayed at Penn State 'waiting for Paterno'. And, I seem to recall that LC has had some coordinators stick around 'longer than usual'.
Also, if the responsibilities and salary are commensurate, then the 'formal title' may not be as important.

[Bogus Megapardus]

the "Higgins Group" (Higgins, Coen, Lembo, Cecchini and Gilmore)

Sounds like a syndicate. Someone should call for an investigation. :)

[ngineer]

Sounds like a syndicate. Someone should call for an investigation. :)

I thought it sounded more like one of those corporate law firms in Delaware. Cue, Ivytalk...:)

[TexasTerror]

It's official...


BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head football coach Andy Coen has announced the hiring of former All-American wide receiver Dave Cecchini ’95 as the Mountain Hawks new Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach. Cecchini, who spent the previous four years serving as Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach at The Citadel, previously served on the Lehigh coaching staff in a number of capacities, including Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator from 2001 through 2003. “It’s a special feeling to be back at Lehigh,” Cecchini said. “Anytime you have a chance to come back to your alma mater and a place you love is special. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to get to work”

Credit: Lehigh Athletics (http://www.lehighsports.com/sports/football/release.asp?release_id=8669)

[Ivytalk]

Positive development for the Mountain Hawks!xnodx

[ngineer]

Yes! Dave was introduced tonight at the Football Dinner. Very warm reception. With 10 offensive starters coming back, we are looking forward to April 24 Brown & White Spring Game!!

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

This might be what Lehigh needed to finally climb the mountain back to the top. With 17 starters back the expectations will be very high. The pieces are in place imo.

[RichH2]

Guess the Offensive Gameplan of the week philosophy of the last couple of yrs is finally done. I am a happy man. Nice to see Ernie Moore back also. One of the best at LU .

[Lehigh74]

I'm sorry that Trey Brown got a pink slip. However, when you choose coaching as a career you know that if you don't perform you will lose your job. This could be the best thing to happen to Lehigh Football in a long time. The offense has underperformed ever since Andy Coen became head coach. Improvement on the offensive side could help the defensive tremendously. With the offensive struggles we have had, the defense has had to spend way too much time on the field which has caused them to wear down late in games.

[ngineer]

Guess the Offensive Gameplan of the week philosophy of the last couple of yrs is finally done. I am a happy man. Nice to see Ernie Moore back also. One of the best at LU .

Yes, Ernie spent the past 2 years as an assistant db coach at F&M under Troxell. He hit a ton when he was in a safety at Lehigh. We'll now have 3 former Lehigh players on staff: Cecchini ('94), Ryan ('99) and now Moore ('08). While you can have too many alums on a staff, I think having a few is important for instilling the tradition of Lehigh football from those who actually helped create it as opposed to just talking about it.

[RichH2]

Yup, Ernie one of the hardest tacklers we've ever had at LU. Imagine tackling techniques will improve

[ngineer]

Do I understand this correctly?:

Brown will be out, possibly forced out without Coen's wholehearted support.

and

Cecchini will be the new OC without Coen's wholehearted endorsement.

and

Coen will be forced to look over his shoulder at a possible in-house successor who is also an adored alumnus.

Talk about your poisoned waters. Should be a great atmosphere to work and make progress in. Everyone - coaches and players - should find it a joy to report each day.

Following up on my prior comments to your observation. I spoke with Chick the other night, and consistent with what was reported in the Morning Call and on the Website, this is something that had been discussed for a few years. He and Coen had stayed in contact several times a month for the past few years since Coen was selected over Cecchini back in late 2005. So I wouldn't expect there to be too many problems. The real problem is figuring our why our QBs haven't improved...and that problem may just have left.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Young head coaching for the future: Cecchini soon assumes the reins in Bethlehem and Troxell comes to Easton when Tavani retires. This will intensify the Rivalry even further.

[ngineer]

T'will be interesting...If Andy gets us turned around and starts winning and maybe making a noise or two in the playoffs, he could move on, on his own if the opportunity came along. At the same time, if he doesn't have a decent season this year, he maybe searching for a new gig. I would expect Frank will go for at least another 5 years, if not more. Will all be up to him, unless the bottom would fall out, or something unexpected occurs.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Just in case people didn't read my blog postings on the matter:

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2010/02/familiar-face-returning-to-lehigh.html

And:

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2010/02/cecchini-officially-this-time-returns.html

There's no doubt that the hire is interesting, and there's no doubt that the mere thought of reuniting a key portion of the coaching "dream team" from the 1990s is compelling stuff. But I stand by my original blog posting when it was still a rumor - the key will be how this coaching arrangement together in practice. While I wouldn't put it in the same way carney did, his point is extremely well taken.

Speaking of which - is Tavani's position all that secure? For the last two years he's had his team on the bring of FCS playoff berths and wins over Lehigh and for the last two years he's been unsuccessful. Will it take a third loss to heat up the waters, or will his success in the early Noughties be enough to keep him around?

[Bogus Megapardus]

There's no doubt that the hire is interesting, and there's no doubt that the mere thought of reuniting a key portion of the coaching "dream team" from the 1990s is compelling stuff. But I stand by my original blog posting when it was still a rumor - the key will be how this coaching arrangement together in practice. While I wouldn't put it in the same way carney did, his point is extremely well taken.

Speaking of which - is Tavani's position all that secure? For the last two years he's had his team on the bring of FCS playoff berths and wins over Lehigh and for the last two years he's been unsuccessful. Will it take a third loss to heat up the waters, or will his success in the early Noughties be enough to keep him around?

Not to worry - it looks as if Tavani and Coen both will have life after football (http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/home.jsp?id=2772).

[Franks Tanks]

Not to worry - it looks as if Tavani and Coen both will have life after football (http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/home.jsp?id=2772).

Frank seems so natural as a bartender.

They also have a guy who is a wedding photographer-- I guess they are using celebrity pretty loosely here

[Franks Tanks]

Just in case people didn't read my blog postings on the matter:

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2010/02/familiar-face-returning-to-lehigh.html

And:

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2010/02/cecchini-officially-this-time-returns.html

There's no doubt that the hire is interesting, and there's no doubt that the mere thought of reuniting a key portion of the coaching "dream team" from the 1990s is compelling stuff. But I stand by my original blog posting when it was still a rumor - the key will be how this coaching arrangement together in practice. While I wouldn't put it in the same way carney did, his point is extremely well taken.

Speaking of which - is Tavani's position all that secure? For the last two years he's had his team on the bring of FCS playoff berths and wins over Lehigh and for the last two years he's been unsuccessful. Will it take a third loss to heat up the waters, or will his success in the early Noughties be enough to keep him around?


Frank is winning more than enough games to stay as long as he wants at Lafayette.

We have a womens basketball coach who has won less than 20% of her games in about a decade.

[DFW HOYA]

Tavani and Biddle are the closest thing to tenured coaches that the PL has to offer.

[ngineer]

Not to worry - it looks as if Tavani and Coen both will have life after football (http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/home.jsp?id=2772).

Yes, I got the e-mailer the other day. Don't know if I can make it over there, but will likely send a donation in to help Andy out!;)

[ngineer]

Tavani and Biddle are the closest thing to tenured coaches that the PL has to offer.


Agreed. There would have to a major fall-off or incident to result in a sudden termination. Both Biddle and Tavani are at an age where I doubt they'd be looking to go anywhere as well.

[ngineer]

Just in case people didn't read my blog postings on the matter:

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2010/02/familiar-face-returning-to-lehigh.html

And:

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2010/02/cecchini-officially-this-time-returns.html

There's no doubt that the hire is interesting, and there's no doubt that the mere thought of reuniting a key portion of the coaching "dream team" from the 1990s is compelling stuff. But I stand by my original blog posting when it was still a rumor - the key will be how this coaching arrangement together in practice. While I wouldn't put it in the same way carney did, his point is extremely well taken.

Speaking of which - is Tavani's position all that secure? For the last two years he's had his team on the bring of FCS playoff berths and wins over Lehigh and for the last two years he's been unsuccessful. Will it take a third loss to heat up the waters, or will his success in the early Noughties be enough to keep him around?

There is the old adage, "be careful what you wish for"; but here, we got our our wish and it is a move that had to be made. Yes, there is always the potential that things 'don't work out', but that is a risk you take anytime you change personnel. Here, Andy and Joe know what they are getting with Dave, and likewise, Dave knows what he's walking into. All three are 'upfront' type people, so if there was any concern about the 'chemistry' I am sure it was discussed over the preceding weeks.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

All three are 'upfront' type people, so if there was any concern about the 'chemistry' I am sure it was discussed over the preceding weeks.

Agreed. The quotes on the original release are very telling, and speak to "Chick's" and Andy's upfront-ness.