As the 2009 football season ended, the Bison left the field until next fall. Ending the season with a record of 2-9 after falling to Delaware State Saturday, it’s clear that Howard University’s football team has not made a dramatic turn-around from past seasons, but progress may not be too far off in the horizon.
“We made a change in the offensive line, and this year I think we might be in the top 16 in the country with sacks given up. It’s an improvement,” head coach Carey Bailey said.
“Over our first two years, we gave up a lot of sacks and a lot of tackles for losses, which I wasn’t pleased with.”
Difficult circumstances presented themselves early in the season. Due to medical problems, the team’s previous offensive coordinator had to leave the team, leaving the Bison in a delicate situation.
“We ended up putting in a brand new offense the first day of camp, so we were ‘Stuck like Chuck,’ as they say,” Bailey said. “I think that’s one reason why we struggled scoring the points, because we were still trying to figure out the offense mid-season. As the season’s gone on, I think we’ve been able to establish our offensive philosophy.”
Things seemed to be looking up for the football team during the beginning of the season. The Bison defeated Georgetown University and Winston-Salem State University in two consecutive games earlier this semester, but quickly lost steam.
The response from fans was somewhat less than forgiving.
“When I first heard that they started winning, it got my attention. Then they lost and I just was like, ‘OK, they’re just going to continue to lose,’” said Justin Frazier, a sophomore political science major.
Coach Bailey cites troubles during the recruitment progress for the football team’s poor record.
“Until we’re able to catch up in recruiting, we’re always going to be short-handed to a certain extent. I was hired after the signing day, so we lost that recruiting class,” Bailey said. “Then last year, due to ‘fiscal complications,’ we were only able to get out for about a week and a half to do recruiting, so we weren’t able to stay on top of guys and go out and evaluate and monitor throughout the course of the season.”
Lack of time is not the only challenge the football staff faces during recruitment season. Howard is historically under-equipped, and rumors of poor quality facilities lead some prospective athletes toward other schools.
“The parent of a kid we ended up losing to Hampton told me during the recruiting process, ‘Why would I send my son to a school where there is no upgrade from what he had in high school facility-wise?’” Bailey said.
Bailey also said that things that happen off the field determine what happens on the field.
“You have to have a solid weight room. You have to have meeting space, which we don’t have,” he said. “You have to make like you have it, but a lot of times, we’re working with a blackboard and chalk, and other people are using PowerPoints. You learn to do the best you can with what you’ve got.”
Some Bison fans feel otherwise.
“When my father was younger, he and his friends just played in a field. There are a thousand success stories where they have nothing,” said Caroline Smith, a sophomore public relations major. “Howard has more than I have heard about a lot of football teams having, and they have still had success. They should think of it that way.”
Coach Bailey’s plans for next year include positive thinking, but they also are to establish offensive philosophy, to have continuity and to establish an aggressive mind set in terms of defense.
“We take everything in strides,” Bailey said. “Fight the battles you can fight; do the things you can do, whatever is outside of your control, give it to God and keep it moving.”
3 comments
The only way that we will be able to change the fortune of our athletic program is for the Admin to committ to athletics just as it committs to academics. When will Howard's administration understand that athletics is an important aspect of the entire college experience?
An important ingredient for a coach is to be able to recruit the type of athletes necessary just to compete in the Meac. Athletes look at the facilities that they will be using in deciding where they are going to school. Well folks, I graduated from Howard over 30 years ago and believe me when I say that our athletic facilities have not changed significantly since I left. This as well as the lack of an adequate recruiting budget will insure that Howard will continue to bring up the rear in the Meac or wherever we conpete. Is this good enough for the Mecca?
If you want the Alums to give back...a lot of us have. But when one sees that there is no reciprocal giving from the Admin...well it gets to be pointless. Winning breeds pride. Alum pride could mean more giving.
I agree with Coach Bailey, wihout a state of the art weight room, film room, meetings rooms for the players and coaching staff, modern locker rooms and training rooms for rehab and treatment, the players he needs will not come.
Green Stadium is a joke and we dont garner enough fan interest to play games at RFK--thats on the sports marketing dept.
I cant remember our last winning season.
HU needs to take a gander at Hampton, Morgan, BCU and other MEAC schools that have investing in their programs, the success speaks for themselves.