Is this the Golden Era of Paladin Sports?

[Fuonetime]

Is this the Golden Era of Paladin Sports? Here are some of my reflections:
1. Mens BB. Outstanding coach, staff and players. This could be the season for a Conference Championship as well as getting in the NCAA tourney.
2. Football. We have our best team in years. The coaching staff seems to be improved and we are headed to the playoffs.
3. Cross Country. Outstanding coaches and athletes. We have a nationally recognized and competitive program.
4. Golf. Men and Womens with great coaches and players including a recent women’s player of the year.
5. Tennis. Competitive.
6. Other sports. Holding their own or ascending.
Who do we thank?
1. ED and Trustees for placing an emphasis on Paladin Sports. One example is the new graduate degree program that helps us retain graduating seniors with eligibility as well as athletes looking to transfer to FU.
2. Jason D who has helped transform the athletic department and has 2 consecutive years of record breaking fund raising. Has also merited a title change of Assistant to the President for sports.
3. Alumni and friends who have committed big bucks for physical renovations and scholarship endowments.
4. The rest of us who faithfully send our contributions to the Furman Athletic Fund.
5. Our coaches who have hung in there with us, leading us to a better tomorrow. No better example than CBR. Our head coaches, assistant coaches and staff work tirelessly to help our student athletes improve as players as well as people.
6. Our athletes who have chosen Furman and stuck with Furman in this easy transfer era. They train hard, improve and represent Furman with dignity and class.
Our future looks bright, even golden. I am enjoying this era as a long time and long suffering (at times) Paladin fan.

[FU Hoopla]

Is this the Golden Era of Paladin Sports? Here are some of my reflections:
1. Mens BB. Outstanding coach, staff and players. This could be the season for a Conference Championship as well as getting in the NCAA tourney.
2. Football. We have our best team in years. The coaching staff seems to be improved and we are headed to the playoffs.
3. Cross Country. Outstanding coaches and athletes. We have a nationally recognized and competitive program.
4. Golf. Men and Womens with great coaches and players including a recent women’s player of the year.
5. Tennis. Competitive.
6. Other sports. Holding their own or ascending.
Who do we thank?
1. ED and Trustees for placing an emphasis on Paladin Sports. One example is the new graduate degree program that helps us retain graduating seniors with eligibility as well as athletes looking to transfer to FU.
2. Jason D who has helped transform the athletic department and has 2 consecutive years of record breaking fund raising. Has also merited a title change of Assistant to the President for sports.
3. Alumni and friends who have committed big bucks for physical renovations and scholarship endowments.
4. The rest of us who faithfully send our contributions to the Furman Athletic Fund.
5. Our coaches who have hung in there with us, leading us to a better tomorrow. No better example than CBR. Our head coaches, assistant coaches and staff work tirelessly to help our student athletes improve as players as well as people.
6. Our athletes who have chosen Furman and stuck with Furman in this easy transfer era. They train hard, improve and represent Furman with dignity and class.
Our future looks bright, even golden. I am enjoying this era as a long time and long suffering (at times) Paladin fan.

[Sad Din]

Wouldnt say its the Golden Era of Sports. In the 80's Bball had better sustained performance and FB had a Natty. As well as Ladies Golf

Would say it might be Golden Era of Support. But IMHO prior to Smolla support wasnt that great.

There are many teams doing great.. XC, WTEN, Golf and often soccer

But to be Golden Era need Championships from Major sports

[FU Hoopla]

Wouldnt say its the Golden Era of Sports. In the 80's Bball had better sustained performance and FB had a Natty. As well as Ladies Golf

Would say it might be Golden Era of Support. But IMHO prior to Smolla support wasnt that great.

There are many teams doing great.. XC, WTEN, Golf and often soccer

But to be Golden Era need Championships from Major sports

Understand where you are trying to come from, but..........
The problem with the point you are trying to make is basketball was good in the 70's and football was good in the 80's, was not happening at the same time

Not there yet but we are well on our way to surpassing past levels and reaching even greater heights than ever before.

[Affirm]

This may be A golden era. Not sure I would say it is The golden era. And it might be just A golden MOMENT. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to know that an ERA is golden until after it's past and you can look back on it.
This is a golden MOMENT (at least) because our men's basketball team is rated #71 in Sagarin, which puts us for THIS MOMENT in the top 20% of all 362 Division I Men's Basketball programs. Of course, after we play Penn State (#36 in Sagarin, therefore top 10%) and several other really good teams between now and Christmas, we could be lower than #71 (or higher ! ). This is a golden MOMENT (at least) because our football team is rated #126 in Sagarin, which puts us for THIS MOMENT in the top 49% of all 261 Division I football programs (FBS + FCS combined; MUCH better than 49%, more like top 8% if you look at only the 151 FCS programs). As with basketball, that football rating may drop some if we fail to beat Wofford on Saturday (or improve significantly if we soundly defeat Wofford and then get a playoff berth and win one or several playoff games).
So yes, a golden MOMENT.
Another way this right now is a golden MOMENT, perhaps THE golden moment, is when we consider all the money (GOLD) being spent on athletics by Furman.
Hopefully Furman can continue to balance excellent academics and good athletics. Hopefully all that GOLD going to athletics is not harming academics at Furman in any way, but hopefully it is somehow helping academics. That is something we always need to keep in the forefront of all our minds.

[FU3]

A very large share of the“gold” that goes into Furman athletics is from the pockets of donors. Furman is fortunate to have patrons that contribute generously to a wide range of the institutions endeavors.

[din23]

I like the idea that it's a golden moment not a golden era. Football hasn't won a title since 2018 and has 2 (shared) in the past 17 seasons - about to be 18 unless Samford loses. For basketball, we have shared 1 regular season title in 30 years with no tournament titles in 42 years.

I think we're ALL excited about the trajectory of both programs, but a golden era would need to include some actual gold (trophies)!!

[Fuonetime]

Regarding football success in the 80’s and bb success in the 80’s consider the following:
1 Football - there was a great foundation of excellent football coaches beginning with Art Baker and continuing with Dick Sheridan, Jimmy Satterfield, Bobby Johnson, etc. Secondly, in the 80’s there was less competition and subsequently, new programs were launched in Georgia, our best recruiting area. Georgia Southern, Georgia State and now Kennesaw State and Mercer. Same is true in SC with Coastal Carolina, etc and WC moving up into our division. Many of the good overlooked athletes we were getting had more choices. College Presidents determined that having a football team was important image builder and gave credence to their status.
2.Basketball in the 70s was successful at Furman. Joe Williams proved that a small college in SC could compete on a national level. His techniques might have been questionable but he won a lot of games at FU. Basketball has grown exponentially since the 70’s.
3. Regarding academics and athletics ideally they should coexist and reinforce one another. I am impressed with the quality of many of our athletes and their academic success at FU. I believe Furman needs quality athletics and that will stimulate academic success and academic gift giving as well as encouraging more high school students to apply to FU.
In summary, this may be a golden moment but we have the opportunity to make it a golden era. I was ecstatic with out dominating win over Belmont followed by a convincing win at Mercer. As BR says, “lets dream big see what we can accomplish together.”

[FU Hoopla]

I like the idea that it's a golden moment not a golden era. Football hasn't won a title since 2018 and has 2 (shared) in the past 17 seasons - about to be 18 unless Samford loses. For basketball, we have shared 1 regular season title in 30 years with no tournament titles in 42 years.

I think we're ALL excited about the trajectory of both programs, but a golden era would need to include some actual gold (trophies)!!

Can't shrink Paladin hoops down to just the 1 regular season title, we are now regarded as a big time Mid-Major because of alot more merit than just that of course

[Davemeister]

It was certainly a Golden Weekend for Furman Sports. I'm still smiling

[FU Hoopla]

It was certainly a Golden Weekend for Furman Sports. I'm still smiling

Well put!

[Davemeister]

It was certainly a Golden Weekend for Furman Sports. I'm still smiling

STILL smiling