John Troxell (LC 94) New Lafayette Head Coach

[Pards Rule]

For years at Franklin and Marshall Diplomats. Congrats coach

[Franks Tanks]

This will make a lot of Pard faithful happy. Trox is and will be very popular amongst former players, many of which have the means to back the program financially. He will bring donations and will also engage the community. He’s from P-burg and everyone in the Easton/P-burg area knows the Troxell family it seems.

On the field, he has 16 years as a head coach, and probably outlined an impressive vision for the program. Most of all he is smart and a good decision maker. He won’t be clueless from a schematic standpoint like Frank, and won’t be a stubborn ass like Garrett who imposes his specific and complicated system. He will act as a head coach should, with input on every aspect of the program, while being adaptable and allowing his assistants to do their jobs. Maybe not a “home run” but a very solid and respectable hire who will bring some juice back to Lafayette football. I am eagerly anticipating what his staff will look like, and I think we’ll see a few familiar faces.

[crusader11]

This looks to be a good hire for all of the reasons Tanks stated.

I'll be curious how he rounds out his staff.

[gravalico]

Trox is a great Coach and a better man. He's been a part of some very impressive turnarounds. I'm confident the streak will continue. For the first time in a long time I'm genuinely excited to get back to campus for some games and follow the Leopards. Congrats John! Go Pards!

Sent from my SM-F707U1 using Tapatalk

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Sherryta got a Lafayette man through and through.

[Franks Tanks]

Sherryta got a Lafayette man through and through.
Unless she pulled a “big name” out of her hat (whatever constitutes such at a Patriot League school), she almost had to go with Trox or Loose. Former players are very happy. I think Trox will really connect with locals who still remember him from his days with the Stateliners and on the Hill. There is genuine excitement around the program for the first time in nearly a decade. We will also have a well respected and steady hand guiding the ship. It’s a great day in Pardsville!

[crusader11]

Tanks, do you know if Troxell was calling plays at F&M? If he was, wonder if he will as head coach at Lafayette.

[Franks Tanks]

Tanks, do you know if Troxell was calling plays at F&M? If he was, wonder if he will as head coach at Lafayette.

I don’t, but Leopardball10 probably has some insight. John is an offensive coach, at least for most of his tenure as an assistant, but I don’t think calling plays is his forte. I’m assuming he will have his OC as the primary play caller.

[gravalico]

Just reserved my room for Lafayette vs. Lehigh as did both of my brothers.

Sent from my SM-F707U1 using Tapatalk

[RichH2]

An excellent choice by Freeman. Admittedly a bit biased as I favor Clements for Lehigh next year if Joe makes the change.
Troxell is a very capable Head coach.The polar opposite from Garrett. Pards more hamstrung bt Garrett's "genius" O than by lack of talent.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Meh, just another PL "inbred" hire who will come in and walk the company line. You need guys like Chesney to come in and upset the apple cart/status quo. The whole "players love him" line is the most overused hiring reason in college sports.

I see this going nowhere....

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

An excellent choice by Freeman. Admittedly a bit biased as I favor Clements for Lehigh next year if Joe makes the change.
Troxell is a very capable Head coach.The polar opposite from Garrett. Pards more hamstrung bt Garrett's "genius" O than by lack of talent.

Exactly! Hopefully Clements is still there after next year.

If I read Troxell's bio correctly he never made the D3 playoffs during his time at F&M? Only some bowl games I never heard of? Only 1 league title and 1 second play league finish in 15 seasons? He had solid success in Lancaster but nothing that knocks anyone's socks off imo....

[DFW HOYA]

With the exception of Dave Cecchini's four years at Valpo, the PL coaches have next to no coaching experience outside the Northeast. How is this good?

Cecchini (Bucknell): Lehigh, Harvard, Citadel, Valpo
Dakosty (Colgate): Colgate, Amherst
Conlin: (Fordham): WV Tech, UNH, Harvard, Yale
Sgarlata (Georgetown): Georgetown
Chesney (Holy Cross): Norwich, Delaware Valley, King's, Johns Hopkins, Salve Regina, Assumption
Troxell (Lafayette): Columbia, Muhlenberg, Lafayette, F&M
Gilmore (Lehigh): Penn, Columbia, Dartmouth, Lehigh, Wake Forest (1 yr)

[Bill]

[QUOTE=DFW HOYA;3027689]With the exception of Dave Cecchini's four years at Valpo, the PL coaches have next to no coaching experience outside the Northeast. How is this good?

They play football outside of the Northeast? Shh. It's Ok to live inside of Plato's cave.xchinscratchx

[Pard4Life]

I don’t know, have mixed feelings. Then again the savior is not one until he/she is.

[leopardball2010]

I don't disagree with a lot of the points made here already. Trox is a Lafayette man through and through, knows the area, knows the players. He has turned around a couple of different programs. And I am sure he is nice on the budget coming from D3.

I also think that everyone in the Patriot League was hoping for some kind of big pull like Delaware got with Carty. Bottom line is we just can't afford it. So your best bet is to either go with a gamble on a young up-and-coming coach or find the Lafayette guy who you know can be successful. I think that's exactly what they've done here. Troxell knows how to earn the respect of his team and his staff. That is what has been missing on the hill for a long time. That's how he'll win. He also has ties to just about every coach who has ever played or worked in the PL, Ivy, or Centennial.

As far as his play calling, I don't think he has called place for a long time. Ever since I have known him, he is not been at hung up on scheme as he is on execution. He is also a top-tier administrator. What you get with him is a great leader who knows how to build a staff to support his culture. He is a family man, a moral man, and a person that other people like to be around.

I expect him to build his staff in that same manner.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[Go Green]

Gilmore (Lehigh): Penn, Columbia, Dartmouth, Lehigh, Wake Forest (1 yr)

Pretty big gap missing there.

:)

[DFW HOYA]

Pretty big gap missing there.
:)

Assistant coach roles only.

[CHIP72]

Good hire though not great hire; I think Jim Clements (Kutztown HC) would have been even better. Franklin & Marshall has become one of the better programs in the Centennial Conference under Troxell's watch. He obviously knows Lafayette's culture and will likely be a good fit.

[CHIP72]

Exactly! Hopefully Clements is still there after next year.

If I read Troxell's bio correctly he never made the D3 playoffs during his time at F&M? Only some bowl games I never heard of? Only 1 league title and 1 second play league finish in 15 seasons? He had solid success in Lancaster but nothing that knocks anyone's socks off imo....

It is HARD to make the D3 playoffs if you don't win your conference - there are typically only about 5-6 at-large bids nationally, with the remaining 25+ bids going to conference champions. The Centennial Conference, especially over the last 4-5 years, has become one of the better conferences in D3; the conference (or at least the top half of the conference) has likely surpassed the MAC (Middle Atlantic Conference) quality-wise. And Johns Hopkins has been THE power in the conference since the late 2000s while Muhlenberg has won at least 8 games every season since 2012 (and has gotten roughly equal with JHU in the last three seasons and made the D3 quarterfinals in each of those seasons). Susquehanna has also become a high quality program in the last five years (should have been selected for the D3 playoffs in 2019 IMO but were not).

It should be a bit of a concern from a Lafayette point of view that F&M only had one conference champion team during Troxell's tenure (in 2017 when they went 9-1 in the regular season and were CC co-champs with Johns Hopkins but wasn't selected for the D3 playoffs), but Troxell did build F&M into a good program. The Diplomats only had one losing season and one .500 season in Troxell's last 12 seasons as F&M's head coach.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

When I read his bio I see things that stand out that make him a token, status-quo hire..

- He played for the beloved and recently passed Bill Russo. That's a great bridge to older supporters/loyalists. Especially with sentiment being high for Russo...
- He was an assistant under Lafayette's renaissance from 2001-2005 under Frank Tavani. 2004 and 2005 were without question the peak of Lafayette football the last 30+ years. He saw what it took to build the program with terrible facilities and the D3 "cloud" into a 3-peat PL program. That's a great selling point in an interview. What did he learn from that rebuild that can be applied to Lafayette's current situation?
- Lafayette and Franklin & Marshall are similar institutionally (obvious differences) in several key aspects which will allow for a rather seamless transition in terms of program management/operations. Troxell's handling of budgeting issues, D1 recruiting and the "Lafayette Stigma" (no "traditional" winning seasons since 2009) and obvious internal apathy/constraints will be fascinating to watch.

He can clearly sell himself to the spoon feeders, but can he actually win on College Hill?!?

[Leopard Loyalist]

Any hire is something of a gamble. There is a lot to like here, but also some obvious unknowns.
Would a couple of consecutive 6-5 seasons be considered "turning the program around"? Given our recent history, I suppose so, in some quarters, especially if 6-5 includes beating Lehigh and snagging a share of the PL title every now and then.
If in fact, "culture is destiny," and Troxell can change the culture, perhaps that is reason enough for hope right now.

[Pards Rule]

So the others were Loose, Clements, and who? Fein? And?

[ngineer]

Overall,I think a good hire for Lafayette. He knows the culture and doesn't need a primer on what Lafayette is about. F&M is very similar academically, so he has experience dealing with such demands. He has remained 'local' (Eastern PA) meaning that, from a recruiting standpoint, he will be familiar with many high school programs in PA/NJ/MD and those programs/coaches familiar with him. He's also 'really' local and while I am a transplant Eastonian, I have lived here for 44 years and know that PBurg guys are tough. I suspect he'll bring a no-nonsense, straight-shooter, toughness to LC's program. Of course, a lot of the alums will love the hire and could generate more $$. I think he was the best they could get, for the money they can pay. I doubt Loose would have come in this direction. Too much of pay cut and I see him looking to the "next level".

[leopardball2010]

So the others were Loose, Clements, and who? Fein? And?We don't really know at all. I know loose interviewed and McFadden. I think we can assume the intell on Jafar from VT is good.

I think Loose was probably top but was priced out. Maybe even Fein was too pricy as the OC in Harvard if he did end up interviewing.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[Bill]

We don't really know at all. I know loose interviewed and McFadden. I think we can assume the intell on Jafar from VT is good.

I think Loose was probably top but was priced out. Maybe even Fein was too pricy as the OC in Harvard if he did end up interviewing.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

I do not know the details or accuracy of this...but if PL schools cannot afford a high enough salary to attract Ivy league coordinators, that is NOT a good sign for the future of this league!

[leopardball2010]

I do not know the details or accuracy of this...but if PL schools cannot afford a high enough salary to attract Ivy league coordinators, that is NOT a good sign for the future of this league!I may actually be changing my tune on some of this when it comes to the budget numbers. Based off of a conversation on the new Lafayette board, it seems like the decision to go with troxel has a lot more to do with development cash than initially thought.

Everyone knew that fundraising was going to have a big impact on this higher. But after a recent TV interview with Troxell that had Frank Tavani and several large donors present it's getting more apparent that the old man, best in fundraising Tavani may have been behind the petition for Troxell with commitments from the large donors who pulled their funds after Tavani was pushed out.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[IslandPard]

I may actually be changing my tune on some of this when it comes to the budget numbers. Based off of a conversation on the new Lafayette board, it seems like the decision to go with troxel has a lot more to do with development cash than initially thought.

Everyone knew that fundraising was going to have a big impact on this higher. But after a recent TV interview with Troxell that had Frank Tavani and several large donors present it's getting more apparent that the old man, best in fundraising Tavani may have been behind the petition for Troxell with commitments from the large donors who pulled their funds after Tavani was pushed out.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

+1

Fron Lafayette’s point of view, they got the best of all worlds. Local boy, alumni, proven winner, the backing of large donors, and proven fundraiser.

I love reading the posts stating LC whiffed on the choice. Ha! In whose eyes? You’re living in la la land if you think some coach with no ties to PL or the school is going to come in, demand admin changed and bow to the program, fluff up fundraising, and take a PL team consistently deep into the playoffs. Not until PL rules change will this ever become a reality.

IMO is LC fball won big with this choice. We’ll see if it translates into W’s.

[gravalico]

+1

Fron Lafayette’s point of view, they got the best of all worlds. Local boy, alumni, proven winner, the backing of large donors, and proven fundraiser.

I love reading the posts stating LC whiffed on the choice. Ha! In whose eyes? You’re living in la la land if you think some coach with no ties to PL or the school is going to come in, demand admin changed and bow to the program, fluff up fundraising, and take a PL team consistently deep into the playoffs. Not until PL rules change will this ever become a reality.

IMO is LC fball won big with this choice. We’ll see if it translates into W’s.I completely agree. In truth it was a no no brainer for the administration. Even if Trox was unsuccessful (which I highly doubt) it was an obvious choice for all the reasons you listed. It's almost as if the choice comes with a built in pass if it doesn't go well. What we know is Trox knows football, he knows how to lead men and he knows how to be an effective face of the program to alumni, investors and fans. That is well more than half the battle. Here's to hoping the decision goes as well as it really should.

Sent from my SM-F707U1 using Tapatalk

[crusader11]

You’re living in la la land if you think some coach with no ties to PL or the school is going to come in, demand admin changed and bow to the program, fluff up fundraising, and take a PL team consistently deep into the playoffs. Not until PL rules change will this ever become a reality.


Chesney's basically done this.

[Franks Tanks]

+1

Fron Lafayette’s point of view, they got the best of all worlds. Local boy, alumni, proven winner, the backing of large donors, and proven fundraiser.

I love reading the posts stating LC whiffed on the choice. Ha! In whose eyes? You’re living in la la land if you think some coach with no ties to PL or the school is going to come in, demand admin changed and bow to the program, fluff up fundraising, and take a PL team consistently deep into the playoffs. Not until PL rules change will this ever become a reality.

IMO is LC fball won big with this choice. We’ll see if it translates into W’s.
Yup, we tried the “big name” interloper and that failed big time. Although nearly everyone was skeptical of that hire (thanks again Bruce). When Polian’s name was floated people freaked out.

I suppose the other option would be some young hot shot on the way up. Those type of guys would be potentially good hires in the PL, but it’s not like there is an over abundance of truly special young coaches out there.

Overall, John is a very solid football coach. He’s been a head man for many years and developed many young coaches over the years who have moved up the ladder. Players and the coaching community genuinely like him and think highly of him. He is not a fancy “scheme” guy, but a culture builder who develops players and coaches execution. I also think this is key. Schemes come and go, get figured out and fall out of favor. Culture and player development is a constant.

[leopardball2010]

Bottom line is we have a coach. he has support from admin, boosters, and most alums.

We'll see how he rounds out his staff, but there is a lot of ground to make up in recruiting after a relatively quiet signing day. It takes time to build culture, and that's what he needs to do.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[Southsider]

I'd trade Gilmore for Troxell today! Good Luck Pard's. At least you folks had the stones to do something!