Lehigh Football Nation

So much has been flying these days before Christmas it's been dizzying to keep up with it all. Here's my take on the latest developments in the Lehigh head coaching situation. Brace yourselves, this is going to be an awfully long post, but it's one you'll not want to miss. [Updated with Paul Solokowski's column link & quotes - how did I miss that?] (While I have no idea if former Lehigh head coach Kevin Higgins (picture to your left) is actually in the running for the head coaching job once again, at this hour it seems unlikely. Every indication is that he wants to remain at The Citadel to bring that program back to prominence.) The Allentown Morning Call has featured three articles on the developing head coaching situation, and the Easton Express-Times has also reported some information as well. Here are the links to the articles: Allentown Morning Call: Groller: Shadow of Higgins Unfairly Haunted Lembo Lembo Takes Over At Elon Easton Express-Times:

Today, Elon University in Elon, NC will be announcing that Lehigh head football coach Pete Lembo will be their new head coach . They will be getting a head coach who has enjoyed great success at Lehigh. Coach Lembo inherited Kevin Higgins' team in the 2001 season and guided them to their first home game in the I-AA playoffs (in which Lehigh beat Hofstra, 24-21, in overtime). For his efforts that year, he not only won a Lambert Trophy for Lehigh (for the best I-AA football school in the East), but he also won the Eddie Robinson award for the best coach in I-AA as well. Overall, the Lembo era had Lehigh in the playoff hunt every year, and had Lehigh in the national I-AA rankings almost every year. With a 44-14 overall record (incliding 2 playoff losses), you could almost always say "Lehigh is in the race for the Patriot League Title" and you'd have been right. Lembo is a very even-tempered, poised coach, who is a complete professional on and off the field. Elon will be

Normally I don't post rumors on here, or anything I cannot follow up independently elsewhere, but this one is serious.... footballscoop.com is saying that it's a done deal that Pete is taking the head coach position at Elon, with an 11:30AM press conference coming tomorrow. Elon scoop: Pete Lembo (HFC at Lehigh) has been hired by Elon as HFC Say it ain't so, Pete. Say it ain't so. Tune in tomorrow at 11:30AM. It will be an interesting day.