Mcneely Asked To Resign Before Season, Report Says
Idaho State football coach Brian McNeely was asked by his boss, athletic director Kelley Wiltbank, to resign before the 1995 season started.
However, Wiltbank was overruled by his boss, President Richard Bowen, after he met with McNeely.
Wiltbank apparently wanted McNeely ousted after a grand jury indicted two ISU players of statutory rape in August. McNeely would have been permitted to coach out the year.
“We had an opportunity to talk at some length, and I decided to suspend that decision,” Bowen told the Idaho State Journal in Pocatello, of his discussion with McNeely. “I never regarded that as him being fired, but both him and Kelley say the term fired applies.”
It may apply again soon. Don’t be fooled by ISU’s 5-0 start. The Bengals’ only impressive win was over Idaho. Now 5-2, ISU faces Northern Arizona, Montana and North Texas before closing with Weber State.
That adds up to a probable 6-5 or 5-6 and McNeely - and/or Wiltbank - might still be headed to the unemployment line.
Longoria wants football
Idaho’s Dave Longoria has scored touchdowns in each of the last three games - on a run against Montana State, a pass against Eastern Washington and a fumble recovery versus Montana.
Not bad for a former walk-on who has developed into the Vandals’ second-leading tackler as a starting linebacker.
“There’s a rumor that I’m going to rotate with (Eric) Hisaw (at quarterback),” mused Longoria, who recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass against Montana.
New schools, new rules
The three Big Sky members-elect - Cal State-Northridge, Portland State and Sacramento State - must meet provisions, including:
Beefing up scholarships to 60 over the next three years. According to Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton’s rough estimate, Portland State is at 32 and Sac State and Northridge are between 12-17.
If they don’t boost scholarships, the league presidents “can do whatever they want,” Fullerton warned.
Adding certain “core” sports.
Not permiting Sac State to play basketball at its on-campus facility, which seats less than 2,000. The Hornets will play at Memorial Auditorium, or, in the unlikely event of a large crowd, at Arco Arena.
Upgrading Northridge’s football and basketball facilities.
Fullerton said the departure of Idaho and Boise State actually “crystallized the presidents’ thinking on maintaining our level at the top of (Division) I-AA. It’s almost like there’s more of a commitment now than before they left.”
The irony is that the tenuous standing of the Big Sky, created by the presidents’ decision a couple of years ago to cut scholarships, was partially responsible for driving BSU and UI to the Big West Conference.
Sky lines
A look at the career records of Big Sky coaches shows only one - Montana’s Don Read - over .500 in conference games. Boise State’s Pokey Allen and Idaho’s Chris Tormey are at .500. The other five range from EWU’s Mike Kramer (.167) to Weber State’s Dave Arslanian (.429)…
Speaking of Allen, his previous school, Portland State, has established a scholarship in Allen’s name. Allen, who continues his fight against cancer, joked that he’s glad it wasn’t in memoriam….
Weber State, Idaho’s opponent Saturday in Ogden, Utah, has three receivers rated in the top 34 nationally. Pokey Eckford is No. 4 at 102 yards per game, Norvel Young is No. 10 at 90 yards, and Joel PelagioWilliams is No. 34 at 71 yards.
, DataTimes