Boos is the "wiz"

[Keystonekid]

According to the BSU AD, Boos was running the show at Minn.

"He has the full package," Richardson said. "He has done and is doing everything a head coach does, he just doesn't have the title.

"He's been the head recruiter, the Xs and Os man, he runs practices. He's got it all."

Richardson said she spoke with Boos about increasing the amount of local recruiting.

[Deleted]

Mike gives his assistants a lot of responsibility, which also probably has something to do with the title they are given (see mervyn's remark in the other thread).

This is not a knock on Mike, nor should the comments above be a knock on Dave or the BSU AD. It's just the way things are.

Mike, however, oversees the program. Make no mistake about that.

[Deleted]

Full article (from the Star Press):

MUNCIE -- When Ball State athletic director Tom Collins fired women's volleyball coach Randy Litchfield on Dec. 4, the AD said he wanted to fill the position as soon as possible.

One month and a few days later, Collins has done just that.

The BSU athletic department announced Monday that Dave Boos will take on his first Division I head coaching job and become the fifth women's coach in school history.

Boos spent three seasons (1999-2001) as an assistant coach at Indiana before moving to Minnesota, where he stayed for the next five seasons and served as an associate head coach for the last three years.

With his experience at IU, the new Cardinal coach feels confident he knows what he's getting into at Ball State.

"I'm very aware of the talent around Muncie," said Boos, who is 31 years old. "It's known for producing some great athletes. It's going to be my role and my staff's role to make sure we get as many of those athletes as we can at Ball State."

While the Delafield, Wis., native explains he wants as much local talent on his team as he can get, he knows landing the top ECI players will be tough as a Mid-American Conference program.

"There has to be a belief that Ball State volleyball is going to get to a new level," Boos said. "I don't foresee the top player from Muncie staying at Ball State this first year or two. Maybe they will, but we have to work to get players to know what we are doing, and hopefully that will develop a want to stay here."

Boos, who expressed a good deal of interest in building relationships with local high school coaches for the sake of recruiting, will start on Monday. He said the focus of the first week will be looking forward after Litchfield's firing raised many questions from supporters and few answers from administrators.

"My Initial plans are to talk about the future," Boos said Monday. "The most important thing is to move on and talk about what our new program is going to be like."

Boos said he was pleased that Collins and, perhaps more importantly, associate athletic director Nona Richardson moved swiftly to fill the position. Richardson was put in charge of the hiring process when the administration realized using a search committee during the holidays would draw out the process.

"Now we can build relationships," Boos said. "We will have a full spring and summer to get used to each other and build that new philosophy."

Collins, who was at the BCS national championship game between Ohio State and Florida in Arizona on Monday, wasn't available for comment, according to those in BSU athletic communication office.

"We are very fortunate to have someone the caliber of Dave join the Ball State family," Collins said in a prepared statement. "He is one of the most talented young coaches of this generation and will be an excellent representative for the Ball State women's volleyball program."

Richardson said of the 30-40 applicants for the job, she interviewed eight, two of which had history with Ball State.

In the end, Richardson said, Boos was the man for the job.

"He has the full package," Richardson said. "He has done and is doing everything a head coach does, he just doesn't have the title.

"He's been the head recruiter, the Xs and Os man, he runs practices. He's got it all."

Richardson said she spoke with Boos about increasing the amount of local recruiting.

"We would love to get 50-60 percent (of the team full of local) kids that can take us to that next level," Richardson said.

Boos, who was the defensive coordinator at Minnesota, says he plans on focusing his team's play on defense and ball control. He also said he'll use a scheming defense to adapt to whoever is on the other side of the net.

"The idea is that we have more attention on best hitters, less on weaker hitters, making sure we aren't treating opposing athletes like they are all the same," Boos said.

The new coach said he knows solid defense has long been a tradition at Ball State, and he also recognizes that some of the state's best defensive players come from the area. It's one more reason, he notes, that he looks forward to recruiting in BSU's own backyard.

"There isn't a reason for Ball State to go very far to recruit," he said. "The surrounding area is going to supply enough players that we will be able to compete at a high level in the MAC with just those players."

Boos replaces Litchfield -- a 19-year Ball State veteran coach who led the Cardinals to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, seven MAC regular-season championships and six MAC Tournament titles.

The reason for Litchfield's removal was never officially made public by the BSU athletic department.

Litchfield has since told The Star Press he was dismissed for verbally abusing players, allegations he vehemently denies.

[Gorf]

I wonder how Dave's going to handle all the coaching responsibilities at Ball State and still run the Gopher Chalk Talks during the 2007 season.

[JT]

The chalk talks are only on home-weekend Saturdays. You'd hope that Boos would be willing to schedule BSU matches around those five or so dates.

[Deleted]

I'm not going to Muncie for no stinking Chalk Talk. I mean, I like them and all, and Dave's interesting, but c'mon!

[carlkeenar]

ruffda said:

I'm not going to Muncie for no stinking Chalk Talk. I mean, I like them and all, and Dave's interesting, but c'mon!

Are you disparaging Muncie, Giggles?

[Deleted]

Nope. How could anyone disparage Muncie? Let alone how could someone named "Giggles" do it.

[carlkeenar]

ruffda said:

Nope. How could anyone disparage Muncie? Let alone how could someone named "Giggles" do it.

Actually, it's quite easy to do it, but best left to the natives.