University of Findlay Oiler Football

It's been awhile since I have updated the tales but the time has come.

I proudly wore the black and orange of the Findlay College Oiler's from 1981-1984 and carry with me today many of the lessons learned from being part of one of the best teams in NAIA football history. Much of who I am today was honed on the practice field, the field of Donnell Stadium and the many fields of the Hoosier Buckeye conference were the Oilers ruled. Or maybe it was from getting my head bashed in for the first three years being part of the scout squad. Anyway.

When the time came for Coach Strahm (now a member of the College Football Hall of Fame) to hang up the whistle we all knew the belief "We Don't Lose at Donnell" would be safe under the watchful eye of our team mate Doug Coate. To this day many of us don't understand why Doug was only given two seasons at the helm of the Oilers and their new NCAA Division II status. Coach Coate is a stand up guy that wore the orange and black both as a player and a coach and understood what it meant to be an Oiler. But the change was made.

So they brought in a coach with years of experience as an assistant and as a head coach. I am sure the Coach Dan Simrell is a great guy but I have never met him. I have not been to an Oiler game since Coach Coate was fired. Coach Simrell seems to be creating his history all over again as in Toledo when he coached an average team and was let go with an average record. Findlay is now 30-40 under the leadership of Coach Simrell compared to 183-64-5 under Coach Strahm. This is not what Oilers of the past would rank as acceptable. The common belief was that the University moved past Coach Coate to obtain a higher caliber coach with more big league experience. It does not seem to have worked out as they planned.

Coach Coate on the other hand moved onto another great program at the University of St Francis in Ft Wayne Indiana. The Cougars are 65- 18 in the last 7 years under Head Coach Donley and assistant Coach Coate. Coach Coate was also the baseball coach and St Francis and did I mention is the all time win leader as baseball coach at Findlay?

Well Coach Coate has moved on and no doubt will not return to Findlay but as they say in college football it's time for a change.

It's time to restore the Pride in Oiler Football! The men that played for Coach Strahm and the men that wear the orange and black today deserve better.

If the powers at the University are serious about the football program and want to bring a coach in with big league experience and an Ohio football background I understand Lou Holtz likea to take on challenges and is available.

Well that is my two cents about Oiler Football but I am sure it won't make much diffence as I doubt anyone from Findlay will see the Big Dawg Tales, but hey I sure feel better.

Until we meet again.