What just happened with OSSCA Coach of the Year voting!

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SuperSoccerFan555

Member
The Enquirer article about this years boys state COY voting is pretty shocking. Would love to hear reaction’s to Mike Welker being snubbed by the coaches in Ohio and how this could happen.
 
 
Not sure why everyone thinks he was snubbed. Go back and look at previous years results. McLaughlin has won plenty of state titles and in some of those years he wasn’t COY! Why shouldn’t he have won it this year? He beat Moeller.
Also if you can’t look at awards and realize most of them are “If coaches like you awards” I would be surprised.
 
What makes a COY? Is it having the best team or going above expectations with what one has? Moeller certainly had a season that will rank as one of the best ever in Ohio. I know they lost in the finals but it was on PK's to a team that won their 5th straight state championship. If there was a team of the year then I think Moeller without a doubt deserves that award for what they accomplished. I read the article and wondered why the writer did not question why the girls coach at CCD did not win the Private/Parochial COY after she won back to back state titles. There was not a question about a COY who did not even make it to Regionals but it could be that this individuals team far exceeded expectations. I am sure Welker is disappointed but I would guess he would take the state title over a COY award.
 
Splus04 said:
Not sure why everyone thinks he was snubbed. Go back and look at previous years results. McLaughlin has won plenty of state titles and in some of those years he wasn’t COY! Why shouldn’t he have won it this year? He beat Moeller.
Also if you can’t look at awards and realize most of them are “If coaches like you awards” I would be surprised.
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Exactly

Example 2020

Bay wins coach and player of the year in D2

Howland beats them along the way to a state title and the kid that probably should have been POY scored the deciding goal

I'm sure there are more examples

This is why we no longer vote for state champions

It's also why anything voted for should be taken with a grain of salt. Lots of politics and nonsense involved.
 
FYI, the vote takes place before the State Final game. Similar to player awards, it’s based on regular season performance and not post season success. That said, Moeller also had a regular season that likely will never be matched again. 17-0-0 with 16 shut outs. Coach Welker was absolutely deserving of the award and like most awards, it’s a shame that politics are so involved.

Similarly, how does the GCL Player of the Year come from 3rd place Elder? Moeller arguably had 4 individuals more deserving when you consider the impact they had to their historic season, whether that’s on the offensive or defensive side of the ball.
 
SuperSoccerFan555 said:
The Enquirer article about this years boys state COY voting is pretty shocking. Would love to hear reaction’s to Mike Welker being snubbed by the coaches in Ohio and how this could happen.
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Do you think it has anything to do with his illegal recruiting actvities? I think it is hard for a coach to vote for him that knows he is illegally poaching the best players in the region for his team. Was his success this year a coaching success or just a good recruiting year?
 
How so? Every single player on that roster enrolled as a freshman. Those are pretty strong accusations, which are much easier to make behind a screen name.

Honestly, it’s the exact opposite. He’s built a program and a culture that top club players from around Cincinnati want to be a part of. They have an excellent staff of well respected club coaches. Many of these kids are close friends from club soccer and want to play together. They want a club-style environment to continue their development. They probably have as many D1 recruits in the past 6 years as FCC, if not more. Now, certainly the club (CUP) has a lot to do with that. But the point is there is a lot of talent at Moeller and that’s attractive for kids playing club and high school soccer. It’s an opportunity for young, aspiring talent to train and play against great talent 2-3 years their senior. Similar to St Ignatius, Moeller provides these top club kids an opportunity to be in a club style environment year round … which is huge for player development.
 
I think the biggest point not being discussed is who got the award ! If it included the tournament then if St I coach gets it then no argument. I think its more about who got it and who he is. It would take very special circumstances for a coach with an 8-8 record to win any coach of the year award.
 
Scottyflatstix said:
How so? Every single player on that roster enrolled as a freshman. Those are pretty strong accusations, which are much easier to make behind a screen name.

Honestly, it’s the exact opposite. He’s built a program and a culture that top club players from around Cincinnati want to be a part of. They have an excellent staff of well respected club coaches. Many of these kids are close friends from club soccer and want to play together. They want a club-style environment to continue their development. They probably have as many D1 recruits in the past 6 years as FCC, if not more. Now, certainly the club (CUP) has a lot to do with that. But the point is there is a lot of talent at Moeller and that’s attractive for kids playing club and high school soccer. It’s an opportunity for young, aspiring talent to train and play against great talent 2-3 years their senior. Similar to St Ignatius, Moeller provides these top club kids an opportunity to be in a club style environment year round … which is huge for player development.
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I'm not really here to debate whether Moeller illegally recruits. If you are a HS soccer coach in Cincy you know they do. I have seen it firsthand. But.....lets give you the benefit of the doubt and say they don't. The perception among HS coaches is that they do, and my point was that I think it is entirely possible that some or many HS coaches do not vote for Welker bc of this perception. So it is not a surprise at all to me that he didn't get COY. There is an aspect of ethical and coaches code of honor that goes into the vote for many, and that may have had an impact in him not getting votes.
 
Scottyflatstix said:
How so? Every single player on that roster enrolled as a freshman. Those are pretty strong accusations, which are much easier to make behind a screen name.

Honestly, it’s the exact opposite. He’s built a program and a culture that top club players from around Cincinnati want to be a part of. They have an excellent staff of well respected club coaches. Many of these kids are close friends from club soccer and want to play together. They want a club-style environment to continue their development. They probably have as many D1 recruits in the past 6 years as FCC, if not more. Now, certainly the club (CUP) has a lot to do with that. But the point is there is a lot of talent at Moeller and that’s attractive for kids playing club and high school soccer. It’s an opportunity for young, aspiring talent to train and play against great talent 2-3 years their senior. Similar to St Ignatius, Moeller provides these top club kids an opportunity to be in a club style environment year round … which is huge for player development.
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Moeller has not really been that dominant over the past 6 years in Cinci. Yes, they were incredible this year, and I give them all credit they are due. But 2 years ago they were something like 5-7 and there are other programs that have been on par with them in recent history, have highly respected club coaches, and have been just as or more successful. You make it sound like they have had a dynasty in Cinci. Look at St. X, Mason, LW, Anderson, Centerville, etc. and those programs have been just as successful as Moeller.
 
I never said they have a dynasty. I just said they have a club-like envirnonment with good coaches and quality competition that the top club kids want to be a part of. I am not discrediting any of the fine programs you mention above. In fact, it helps support the argument of how well they have actually performed the past 6 years. The Southwest Ohio region is the toughest of any region in the State. St. Ignatius doesn’t face nearly the same competition in NW Ohio without going outside their region or the state year in, year out. They typically have a very easy path in the regional final or State semi-finals. And I mean no disrespect to Iggy. They deserve all the credit for the success they’ve had. I’m just saying their path if they were in the Southwest Region would be much tougher year in and year out going up against Centerville, St. X, Anderson, Mason, Beavercreek, Moeller and the Lakotas each year, among others.

Now, when you consider the competition, you do realize that Moeller has 3 regional titles in the past 6 years, a State Final Four appearance in addition to their 2 State runner-up finishes along with a 4th elite 8 appearance? So they’ve represented the tough Southwest Region 50% of the time at State the past 6 years and 67% of the regionals finals. Centerville represented in 2021, St X in 2020 and Lakota East in 2019 (beat Moeller in regional final). Moeller represented the SW region in 2018, 2022 and 2023. So all things considered, they have been the most dominant team in the Southwest Region the past 6 years. Centerville, St X and East have had some success. But Mason really hasn’t done much except win a district or two. The same could be said for West and Anderson too.

Their success certainly pales in comparison to Ignatius but is still noteworthy. I think the coach has only been at Moeller since 2017 or 2016. It took Coach Maglaughlin 12 or 13 years before he won his first State championship at Iggy. Prior to his arrival at Moeller, they weren’t known for soccer at all. He has built a great program at Moeller in a short amount of time and they should be strong for the next several years too.
 
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