Penguins need local interest

Penguins needlocal interest
Fanfare:
I have been a loyal YSU basketball fan for many years and would like to respond to your articles on why the crowds are so small at the YSU games. First of all, the majority of the players and especially the coaches, since the Dom Rosselli era, are not from the tri-state area and the fans do not identify with them, which creates a large gap between the players, coaches and the fans. Therefore, the fans lose interest because they want to follow the athletes they saw playing and heard about during their high school careers.
Let's face it, the coaches hired since Coach Rosselli retired, have not been very successful, mainly because of their recruiting and lack of experience as a head coach. Example: the current coach and the last three before him, have not created a network of high school coaches in the tri-state area, which is considered by many as a pretty good breeding ground for Division I prospects. I've also heard that very few of these high school coaches even know the YSU coach, let alone help encourage their good players to attend YSU. As you are aware, one of the most influential people in the college selection process of an athlete is his high school coach. Most all of these recent coaches have publicly stated that they do not believe there is any Division I talent capable of playing at the Division I level and that is why they do not recruit from these areas. However, there are quite a few Div. I level players recruited from Akron, Cleveland, Mahoning Valley, Shenango Valley, New Castle, Butler, Pittsburgh, etc., areas that are bypassed by the current and former YSU coaches. It's been proven in the past and present, local fans will support local players.
My suggestion to the YSU athletic director is simply this: if you want to increase the YSU fan base, hire a local, successful Div. I high school coach that has a proven background and track record, can build a long-term program, re-establish a network of high school and college coaches in the tri-state area and is dedicated to remain at YSU for years to come, like former football coach, Jim Tressel. Incidentally, didn't he recruit most of his players from the tri-state area? I can suggest two very successful local high school coaches that would qualify as prime candidates: Bob Krizancic, Mentor, and Bob Patton, Cleveland Benedictine, both YSU alumni and players in the 1970s.
Lou Ruggiero
Girard