Lehigh Football Nation

There have been an awful lot of Lehigh quarterback "controversies" the past few years. But last year, after being anointed the starter in preseason camp, senior QB Chris Lum took control of the starting quarterback job, and didn't let go. Not fighting for a job this summer is a pleasant change of pace for the Lake Orion, Michigan native as preseason camp is about to open for Lehigh. (more)

On Friday, November 20th, 2009, Lehigh head football coach Andy Coen appeared to be playing for his job, following a 3-7 season going into the big game against Lafayette. His Lehigh team would win that game, 27-21 in overtime . Back then, Coen was in a polar opposite place as to where he is today. Strangely enough, that same guy that seemed to be at the edge of losing his job in 2009 didn't seem too different than the coach I saw and interviewed at Media Day this week. Coach Coen's offseason couldn't have been more different than the others - but the guy coaching the team, refreshingly, isn't different at all. (more)

As the opening speeches concluded on Patriot League Media Day 2011, I turned to Forhdam head coach Tom Masella , who was situated behind me, for my first interview on the day. Unlike the other schools in attendance, however, Masella was surrounded by a skeleton crew. And aside from coach Masella, only a handful of members of the athletic department made the trip down from New York. And no players made the trip from the Bronx - "summer school exams", I was told later by someone else - was the reason for their absence. It made for a media day that, despite the palpable excitement for the upcoming season, didn't feel quite right. (more)

This year, the Patriot League is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a football conference.  Tomorrow, at Patriot League Media Day , this fact is expected to at least be mentioned, if not marked in a special way. But there's a cloud over the 25th anniversary celebration. While classic Patriot League players like RB Gordie Lockbaum and RB Kenny Gamble are honored, many folks are wondering if the league will make it another five years, let alone another 25. That's because football-only member Fordham is well on their way to 63 football scholarships - and it seems increasingly likely that the Rams will be leaving the league at some point very soon. (more)

It's been a very strange, "star"-studded offseason for one Lehigh alumna. Whitney Chen , whose tremendous run at becoming the Next Food Network "Star"  fell a tiny bit short last night , had a run through the famous reality show competition that saw her outperform a slew of professional restaurant chefs, writers, caterers, and restauranteurs. And, in a weird sort of way, it eerily seemed to parallel the Lehigh football team's rise through the ranks last year. It's worth telling the entire tale of Ms. Chen's surprise rise to the top of the Food Network reality show hosted by Bobby Flay - and to look back, one last time, at where we left the Lehigh football team at the end of last season. (more)

It's been an awfully busy week in the world of football. College football media days rage on, including that of the Patriot League, which is less than a week away. The NFL Lockout came to a sudden end , unleashing a frenzy of moves that are dizzying, like DE Jason Babin rejoining the Eagles and RB Reggie Bush going to where Saints running backs go to retire, the Miami Dolphins . And the Patriot League released its 25th anniversary team on Monday , which has stimulated quite a bit of discussion on the fact that a Payton Award winner didn't make the team and the fact that not a single Georgetown player made the list either . Midst the chaos came an announcement that you probably missed. It came from "that school in Easton", and it was no small deal.  It involved the reassignment of Lafayette athletic director Bruce McCutcheon to a "new leadership role" in the athletics department involving athletic fundraising. It's a "reassignment...

(Photo Credit: Denise Sanchez/The Morning Call) Lehigh Athletic Director Joe Sterrett admitted this week, after the NFL lockout was finally lifted after a tense 136 days, that folks around the Lehigh athletic department were "living on a string" the past few weeks. With the NFL lockout very much still on a couple of weeks ago, Sterrett made the decision to go ahead and prepare for Eagles Training Camp this summer - just as they had for the last 15 years on South Mountain. It's that preparation - and the "relationships" with folks like Eagles head coach Andy Reid - which ultimately caused the Eagles to bring Eagles Training Camp to Bethlehem for the 16th straight year, even as other NFL teams announced they were modifying or cutting back on their training camps. (more)