2026 Sun Belt Preseason Awards and Poll

[311neers]

Is this the worst hire in App State history? ...maybe the softball coach from 3-4 cycles ago was worse...maybe!?

Billy Jones would like a word.
Capel.
Fox.

I felt like Capel & Fox were understandable choices. Capel was a young assistant on a successful team. He had been a top flight player and came from a coaching family. Fox took the job no one wanted. Billy Jones was definitely a bad hire. I'm signing my name to this take, DLo will go down as the worst hire in App State sports history. Everts will forever be the worst hire in our university's history.

Jones knew his stuff. Probably could have been a good coach but treated it too "big league". And then you have the off the field issues...nail in the coffin.

[ASUFan4863]

I think DLo is a good guy if you have the opportunity to get to know him, which most fans don't. I had the chance to meet Colton Phares over the summer, 4 year App guy which is unusual and what a great ambassador for our program. He seemed sincere in praising DLo.

However, if DLo starts the sideline antics again of not being into the game and spending time during the game with his kid and other random people instead of the players, the fans won't support him. Me included. Kind of a "do your job" thing.

That JMU game rivals the Thursday night South Alabama game as the lowest point of the program during the FBS era for me. Between the ass whipping and the scene of him coaching with his child on the sidelines - not a good look. It was addressed though and I understand being a father is more important than being a coach, but there is a time and place for everything.

[AppOrange]

Dude gets at least 3 unless a drop-off occurs. We are not in a positon to get anyone good to come here if we start firing dudes 2 years in, dispite improvement, even if its not as much as you want or fast enough. We were a great program that did it the Appalachian way, dispite limited resources . . . that is not possible anymore (player development) so we need time to figure it out. Firing a guy that quick is not a good idea imo. JMU's time is coming, its all cyclical, they will have thier struggles as their rep continues to go up and they get poached more and more. Its all about the $$$ anyway, RIP "college" sports.

[ArmantiWaterSafety]

I had almost forgotten about the iPad incident against JMU. I went back and looked at my post history to remember why I really soured on him last year because the win/loss record was about as I expected given the roster/turnover.

Posted right after the JMU game where we lost 58-10.

"1) Kept an obviously injured QB in the game who was completing 5% of his passes and had 29 yards of offense to the point in the game where he got permanently injured.
2) Had his kid on the sideline showing ipad fun in the 3rd quarter down 38
3) Laughing it up after a complete blowout loss."

I hope he leads our team to a great year this year and I forget about all this, but it's going to take some solid convincing for me to think he can be a great coach. You can't really teach the passion part of coaching, and I just can't imagine anyone with that passion laughing after losing by 48 points to a conference peer. Seems others in the poll agree.

[bcoach]

I think DLo is a good guy if you have the opportunity to get to know him, which most fans don't. I had the chance to meet Colton Phares over the summer, 4 year App guy which is unusual and what a great ambassador for our program. He seemed sincere in praising DLo.

However, if DLo starts the sideline antics again of not being into the game and spending time during the game with his kid and other random people instead of the players, the fans won't support him. Me included. Kind of a "do your job" thing.

That JMU game rivals the Thursday night South Alabama game as the lowest point of the program during the FBS era for me. Between the ass whipping and the scene of him coaching with his child on the sidelines - not a good look. It was addressed though and I understand being a father is more important than being a coach, but there is a time and place for everything.

Because I want us to be successful I am behind him. I hope he grows into the position and that game was a learning experience. I was against the hire not because of him as I had no idea who he was. I was against his hire because he was not a head coach. That game was kind of an example of that lack of experience. I hope he has learned and I hope we lose him because of success not because of failure

[T-Dog]

Listening to Dowell today, he's brought up the lack of player leadership last season several times. Says there were no locker room leaders when he arrived. He's said Singleton and Phares were unanimous captain selections.

[falcoapp]

Did I miss something, was Singleton named the starting QB?

Maybe DL learning that you need a QB to be a leader and maybe waiting until the first snap to name a starter isn’t very conducive to instilling much confidence in your QB.

[biggie]

Did I miss something, was Singleton named the starting QB?

Maybe DL learning that you need a QB to be a leader and maybe waiting until the first snap to name a starter isn’t very conducive to instilling much confidence in your QB.

Seems most have thought him to be the starter for a while, so it is assumed by everyone currently.

Hoping for the best, he seems built like a RB with his size.

[ASUFan4863]

Did I miss something, was Singleton named the starting QB?

Maybe DL learning that you need a QB to be a leader and maybe waiting until the first snap to name a starter isn’t very conducive to instilling much confidence in your QB.

Singleton is the starter and has been acting as such. I agree with your second statement and I think that is an example of a key change from DLo himself in how he conducts business at a vital position. You need the starting QB to be a leader and have a swagger to him that exudes confidence. Singleton has that.

[Stonewall]

“Just win Baby”

[BambooRdApp]

That's already been trademarked

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

Excited to see Malachi separate himself as the leading QB and a leader in the locker room. He's got a lot of high-level experience, a high motor, runs like a runningback and has the ability to lead and motivate the offense. He probably won't have the best passing numbers, but being a dual threat will open a lot of things up for this offense. It sounds like his teammates like him and that alone will make the offensive line better as you protect a QB you like and respect. That was probably something missing last year. Also, where we sucked at 3rd and short last year, he will get us a lot of those first downs with his legs and power. Extending drives and allowing the defense to rest will also make our defense better. I just hope that the OC puts him in a position to succeed.

[BambooRdApp]

Excited to see Malachi separate himself as the leading QB and a leader in the locker room. He's got a lot of high-level experience, a high motor, runs like a runningback and has the ability to lead and motivate the offense. He probably won't have the best passing numbers, but being a dual threat will open a lot of things up for this offense. It sounds like his teammates like him and that alone will make the offensive line better as you protect a QB you like and respect. That was probably something missing last year. Also, where we sucked at 3rd and short last year, he will get us a lot of those first downs with his legs and power. Extending drives and allowing the defense to rest will also make our defense better. I just hope that the OC puts him in a position to succeed.

And he beat Banks (app St bball player) in the football version of the game of horse. It's intangibles like these that are difference makers

[T-Dog]

Did I miss something, was Singleton named the starting QB?

Kind of an open secret since before the Sping Game. Has not been formally said, but everyone is acting like it. Apparently was well above the rest and Dowell is singing his praises.

[Bootsy]

Is this the worst hire in App State history? ...maybe the softball coach from 3-4 cycles ago was worse...maybe!?

Billy Jones would like a word.
Capel.
Fox.

I felt like Capel & Fox were understandable choices. Capel was a young assistant on a successful team. He had been a top flight player and came from a coaching family. Fox took the job no one wanted. Billy Jones was definitely a bad hire. I'm signing my name to this take, DLo will go down as the worst hire in App State sports history. Everts will forever be the worst hire in our university's history.

Not trying to start an argument, I respect everyone’s opinion, but I actually thought Sheri Everts did a fine job. Always extremely friendly to me when I met here.

[Stonewall]

She got the job at a time when bills came due and made some tough decisions. She also was a driving force in the Sunbelt and largely responsible for handling the expansion. I could list a lot of other things she accomplished despite life threatening health challenges. It is my opinion however that it was time for her to move on perhaps a bit past time.I certainly wish her well.

[BambooRdApp]

Our State Magazine cover

[AppStFan1]

Interesting. I don’t know anyone that hates him.Or his guts.

Yeah idk if I’ve ever met Boonegoon. I know about half a dozen or so dudes who hate DL with a passion, and if I ranked them as to how big of App fans they are vs how much they despise DL, it’s the same list. Then there’s the shit I read on here/twitter/the BGP Facebook group.

Anecdotal and obviously internet =\= reality but yeah it all led to my sense that loads of our biggest fans intensely hate him personally.

I’m glad you have an open mind and I hope my gauge on this is wrong.

They are really sad people because there is no reason to hate Loggains. I don't know anyone personally who says they can't stand him. They just want to him to win more. I feel like if Shawn was given 5 years that Loggains should at least get 3 years before any change is considered. I feel like we need to give him a fair chance. If he was a jerk I would want him gone but he really is a nice guy.

1. Who are all these people that seem to be hanging out with DL enough to know if they like him personally or not? Does it matter? I'm fine with a coach who can win games but isn't super personable.

2. He's got 3 years IF we see improvement this year. With the transfer portal what it is now, Loggains can get talent quickly. He doesn't need to win conference, but anything worse than 6-6 is firable, IMO.

I am curious as well. I wonder if some people were never going to like him because they did not want Shawn gone and Loggains is not the coach they would have hired to replace him?

I'm surprised people aren't worried about the App State HC job being viewed as toxic if we fire Loggains in year two. I fear a lot of head coaches would bring a hefty list of demands and want major guarantees just to take the job and some would not want it out of fear we don't give coaches a fair chance anymore. To me we should give a head coach at least 3 years and we don't have the money to be paying buyouts left and right. I really think that unless we are like 3-9 or worse that we should give him another year.

[AppSt94]

Again, I don’t know that anyone doesn’t like him. I’m sure that there are some who are resistant to warming up to him because they either a)wanted someone else, or b) felt like he was a bad hire to begin with. I fall closely into b as I have stated, I don’t know how he was a candidate. That being said, I have no problem with Dowell, the person. Nice guy, and personable.

He has rubbed people the wrong way with such things as not engaging with the donors or fans in settings that called for such interactions. Examples being coming to Mountaineer Talk right before going on, and leaving right when his segment was over. Another was during the Yosef Tour after he was hired. He worked the room with Noland and Mark very close by to limit access to him. He would speak and then go skulk off to a corner with Nolan and Mark. Maybe those situations make him uncomfortable and he is better suited to one on ones. He has also spoken with male donors while completely dismissing their spouse in the conversation. Again, probably a social cue thing and some tunnel vision. None of this has anything to do with winning football games but it does matter when you rely on others to support your program.

Then you have the antics on the sidelines of the JMU game. It was shall we say “not a good look”.

Dowell won’t be fired after this season unless it’s some sort of with cause situation. But that doesn’t mean that he can’t be let go in a manner that look like a mutual parting of the ways. Neither he or Gillin want a firing after two years stigma over their head.

[BambooRdApp]

Cannot speak to intangibles) such as how engaging he is, etc) as have not been in conversations with DLo other a couple of "hellos". My observation from afar is during Mountaineer Talk. He appeared to be somewhat aloof, staring off into the distance and not real excited to be there. I get that the reality is that you may not want to be there . However, this is where you have to fake it as best you can. I do not get excited about attending business development events. However, I know it is part of me being successful in my profession. So, you act like you love being there .

To a certain extent, it is a tale as old as time. Ex-player terminated from HC position (an App guy so to speak) to a completely unknown guy to many within the fanbase. No matter how things ended with previous head coach, he was an App guy. That was going to be a hurdle no matter the hire. Although we went through this previously with Satt to Drink, Drink was coming into a program loaded with talent. With DLo, the fanbase was already on edge given the last several years of performance. I am sure or I hope DLo is learning how to engage better off the field... With hindsight being 20/20 vision, he would have handled things differently. Maybe or maybe not as I do not know him.
If he is not that thrilled about the off field ideas, he needs to mentally look at the fanbase as he does to a highly talented recruit. Although the communication and relationship is different, the objective is the same, I want the fanbase to be in my corner similar wanting a recruit to commit to the program.