Opar was a good young coach, and it looks like SFPA got another one. But reading this just highlights everything we knew about that job. It could be the hardest FCS school in America to coach and win.

Good luck, as I'd be happy with .500 seasons from them.

St. Francis University has a good reason to be optimistic.

The athletic department hired a very qualified individual to take over a football program that flat out stinks.

Chris Villarrial - an 11-year NFL veteran - replaces Dave Opfar after one year as his offensive coordinator.

The Red Flash saw improvement with Villarrial in charge of the offense, and there's no reason to think he won't do a better job having the entire team under his control.

But this is St. Francis we're talking about - a school built around education, not football.

An enrollment of 1,500 undergraduate students. A small Division I-AA - I mean FCS - program with no tradition. No winning history whatsoever. In the middle of nowhere. A life-size snow globe in the winter months.

Who could possibly want to play football there? Unless, of course, you are already from Cambria or Blair County and have dealt with the area your entire life.

It's just not ideal with options like Penn State, Pitt, IUP, and Cal Pa. all within 100 miles.

Those are just a few of the reasons why Villarrial will have a difficult time, not only with recruiting, but with winning.

It's not his fault. It's not any other coach's fault. It's not the university's fault. It's just what everyone has to deal with having a Division 1 program in Loretto, Pennsylvania.
http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/co...id/525388.html