Rumor Mill

[stuball888]

Here is my take on the situation
I hope I am wrong
Over the next two years might be the final years of Hofstra at the D1 level
In two years, I believe, Speedy and Rick Coles contracts will end
At that time each will be making over $600,000 a year
Also in two years, I predict Richard Nuthall and Seth Tierney will retire
There is no way to justify the salaries of speedy and Rick if we drop to D3
The money saved by dropping to D3 will probably be an ex of $40 million

[BringBackFootball]

I hate to say it, but all of this (resignations, thin staffing, difficulty recruiting) may be foreshadowing a large scale downshift in the program?

Probably. It's been a straight line down since the cut football. Hofstra was a rather prominent sports program in the late 90s and early 2000's. They are just about at poverty level now. Some of us have seen this coming for a long time. Id suggest the wishful thinkers start to read the room and see what's actually going on. If not the gut punch you received when they cut footbll (if you were around back then) will seems like child's play when you receive word that they are folding up sports altogether or dropping to d3/club.

[Mikey77]

i unfortunately agree with the above comments. After Shuart and Margiotta passed away the Rabinowitz administration paid lip service to athletics. Poser seems the same. Hofstra made tremendous strides in the late 90's and early 2000's that is now being nullified. I don't understand what Hofstra's administration doesn't see about athletics that other university administrations do see and support and endorse. Of course the alumni will never know because Hofstra's administration (including Cole who just collects checks in my view) never says anything. In less that ten years historic Hofstra/Shuart Stadium will likely be a parking lot and the Mack part of the med school. This is all very disappointing.

[Pbdutch]

I agree and see where everyone is coming with these comments. It’s starting to make sense, but I hope this isn’t the new reality.

A lot of truth behind it too. I’m in the south and when people ask me where I went to school
And respond with Hofstra (graduated in 2014) I always get the “don’t yall have a good basketball and lacrosse team”’or I’ll even get a football comment HA. I’m afraid of what’ll happen when everything crashes.

They’d be better off not wasting their time with sports at the D3 level. I wish we had a super wealthy alum on these boards that could make something happen!!!

[Cards]

I wish we had a super wealthy alum on these boards that could make something happen!!!

Someone like the St Johns guy ( the water/beverage guy). We can all only hope! Wishful thinking!

[Mikey77]

Yeah, where is our Mike Repole?

[HUSID74]

As far as I know there has been no reduction in support for the program...so a softball coach with a mediocre record decides to resign? That's an important indicator for the demise of the program? Nonesense!
The current President Susan Poser is MUCH MORE supportive of athletics that Rabinowitz EVER WAS!
If you went to the Hall ofFame dinner...and I'm sure most of you didn't, you would have seen tremendous support for our athletic programs.
Also take a look at the athletic dept roster of staff...much larger than in the past!
Yes these are difficult times for mid-majors like Hofstra due to NIL and recent congressional decisions but I do not detect any wavering in support for the program.
If you're so concerned, donate some money! Now even NIL is tax deductible.

[Mikey77]

Saying that Susan Poser is MUCH MORE supportive of athletics than Rabinowitz EVER WAS isn't saying much. Moving from outright hostility to indifference is not moving me. I donated money in the past for football and was stabbed in the back in 2009 without any notice whatsoever. Then was told it had nothing to do with the med school and then months or years later told it had everything to do with the med school. Frankly, I just don't trust anyone there. I still go to games and buy a ticket and a $10 hot dog and coke but not sure about donations at this point.

[stuball888]

Husid74 I have to take exception calling this softball program mediocre
Adrienne Clark took over a program that was a total mess and within two years one CAA championship the year after that, got to the finals and was beaten by a very good Campbell team this year after losing our best pitch to Florida State. We started the season with one win and 18 losses and wound up 20 wins and 27 losses.
She rebuilt a pitching staff with a struggling, junior and a freshman
I don't think many coaches in all of the NCAA could've done a better job than Adrian did
Yes, the budget wasn't cut, but nothing was added to the budget
What are you going to pay assistant coaches $30,000 a year is that what it's going to take to get to get two of them because there's only $60,000 overall in the budget for assistant coaches that's not going to fly on Long Island
By the way, take a look at Stoney Brooks website. They have three assistant coaches for their softball team.

[HUSID74]

Husid74 I have to take exception calling this softball program mediocre
Adrienne Clark took over a program that was a total mess and within two years one CAA championship the year after that, got to the finals and was beaten by a very good Campbell team this year after losing our best pitch to Florida State. We started the season with one win and 18 losses and wound up 20 wins and 27 losses.
She rebuilt a pitching staff with a struggling, junior and a freshman
I don't think many coaches in all of the NCAA could've done a better job than Adrian did
Yes, the budget wasn't cut, but nothing was added to the budget
What are you going to pay assistant coaches $30,000 a year is that what it's going to take to get to get two of them because there's only $60,000 overall in the budget for assistant coaches that's not going to fly on Long Island
By the way, take a look at Stoney Brooks website. They have three assistant coaches for their softball team.

Right now there is only one coach listed on the Hofstra website softball website...let's see who we hire and waht support the program gets.
I say the program was mediocre compared to when Bill Edwards was here. Stu you can't deny that!

[triplec2195]

Husid74 I have to take exception calling this softball program mediocre
Adrienne Clark took over a program that was a total mess and within two years one CAA championship the year after that, got to the finals and was beaten by a very good Campbell team this year after losing our best pitch to Florida State. We started the season with one win and 18 losses and wound up 20 wins and 27 losses.
She rebuilt a pitching staff with a struggling, junior and a freshman
I don't think many coaches in all of the NCAA could've done a better job than Adrian did
Yes, the budget wasn't cut, but nothing was added to the budget
What are you going to pay assistant coaches $30,000 a year is that what it's going to take to get to get two of them because there's only $60,000 overall in the budget for assistant coaches that's not going to fly on Long Island
By the way, take a look at Stoney Brooks website. They have three assistant coaches for their softball team.

So true Stu she was doing a very good job getting to the NCAA's two years ago and doing some very good recruiting. The team this past year was comprised of mostly sophomores and a couple of freshman. For anyone who follows our softball program we not only lost Apsel to FSU but our best pitcher before she got hurt hasn't been able to pitch on a regular basis Haley Venturini. We had a freshman pitcher that made the all freshman team and pitched to a low ERA. The other part of this equation that hurts is that coach Clark is an HU ALUM who had a successful career here and that really hurts letting her walk.

[stuball888]

Husid74 if you are going to compare every coach to Bill Edwards success here you might as well take a look at 90% of all the coaches in the NCAA and they don't match up to what he did you do realize that he still holds the NCAA record for 10 consecutive years winning the conference no other coach has done that

[BringBackFootball]

As far as I know there has been no reduction in support for the program...so a softball coach with a mediocre record decides to resign? That's an important indicator for the demise of the program? Nonesense!
The current President Susan Poser is MUCH MORE supportive of athletics that Rabinowitz EVER WAS!
If you went to the Hall ofFame dinner...and I'm sure most of you didn't, you would have seen tremendous support for our athletic programs.
Also take a look at the athletic dept roster of staff...much larger than in the past!
Yes these are difficult times for mid-majors like Hofstra due to NIL and recent congressional decisions but I do not detect any wavering in support for the program.
If you're so concerned, donate some money! Now even NIL is tax deductible.

Donate Money? Thats like donating money to save a house thats already 90% burned down. I would recommend memecoins like fartcoin to investbin before you go ahead and do something silly like that. At least see some short term results before all your moneybis gone with nothing to show for it.

[HUSID74]

Lots of hot air on these boardswith no action. Unhappy with the program call Cole, meet with him or send him an email to express your dissatisfaction.

[Mikey77]

Finding the above post a little hard to understand. Expressing concern about the state and future of the athletic program is "hot air?" How so? What specifically is incorrect or objectionable? Most of the posters are long supporters of Hofstra athletics going back beyond the current administration. I graduated in 1975. Seems to me that insulting the most ardent supporters is not great marketing. Email or meet with Cole? What for? Is he going to say Hofstra athletics is going in the wrong direction? To D2 or D3? I doubt it. He'll likely be polite and say nothing. Really don't get this post.

[triplec2195]

Just an anecdote re meeting with Rick and I'm not casting aspersions but I met with him during basketball season in 2023 in the Pride lounge in reference to an e-mail I had sent to him regarding paying homage to the "NCAA" 2020 basketball team. After having a lengthy talk he assured me that there was change in the works re all the signage there. He said there will be a display congratulating that team and I also brought up that was JAM's last year. So having said that have we seen any tribute being paid to the accomplishments of that team??

[Mikey77]

No. Nothing. By the way, what is the status of the Pride Club? Is it part of the athletic department or independent of it?

[triplec2195]

I don't have the answer to that not sure but people on these boards I'm sure have the answer.