{"id":25497,"date":"2019-06-24T13:57:28","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T17:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/allsportsdiscussion.com\/?p=25497"},"modified":"2019-06-26T09:46:25","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T13:46:25","slug":"army-coach-says-americas-university-not-interested-in-joining-aac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allsportsdiscussion.com\/2019\/06\/24\/army-coach-says-americas-university-not-interested-in-joining-aac\/","title":{"rendered":"Army coach says ‘America’s University’ not interested in AAC"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Army West Point Coach Jeff Monken said Monday he has no interest in the Black Knights replacing Connecticut in the American Athlete Conference — or any other conference.<\/p>\n

Army\u2019s recent success has resulted in the Black Knights speculated among possible candidates upon reports that UConn is exploring leave the AAC for the Big East.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot interested, if you ask me,\u201d Monken told me. \u201cWe\u2019re a national team. We need to play a national schedule. That\u2019s one of the great things about our program that separates us from so many others. We recruit nationally so we should play nationally. We\u2019re not a regional university. This is America\u2019s University.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Big East schools that sponsor football programs don\u2019t play at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. That raises doubts over the future of Connecticut football if the AAC rejects it as a football-only member.<\/p>\n

Army has historically played as a independent with the exception of a seven-year run in the Conference-USA with disastrous results. Army never posted a record better than 3-8 and dropped out after three records of 1-11 in 2002, 0-13 in 2003 and 2-9 in 2004.<\/p>\n

John Feinstein, author of “A Civil War” on the Army-Navy rivalry, had cautioned Army about joining a conference. He often writes it is in West Point’s best interest to remain independent.<\/p>\n

However, Navy has been an AAC football-only member since in 2015. The Midshipmen shared the AAC West title in 2015 and won it outright in 2016. Navy’s success following by Army’s turnaround may have spurred pundits to speculate Army was a candidate.<\/p>\n

There are many other reasons Army wasn\u2019t competitive in C-USA, including injuries from a tougher schedule. But Monken emphasizes a national profile is a priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be accessible as American\u2019s University playing a conference schedule,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re playing in stadiums around the country. We\u2019re able to change our schedule so we can cycle through playing different conferences and in different parts of the country. That\u2019s important to Army football to play an independent and national schedule.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s been our formula to success. We want to continue using it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Army\u2019s 2019 schedule is highlighted by a game on Sept. 7 at Michigan of the Big Ten.<\/p>\n

Other games are schedule in states with military bases or a major city. The Black Knights play Sept. 14 at Texas-San Antonio, Oct. 9 in Atlanta and Nov. 30 in Hawaii.<\/p>\n

In 2018, Army played at Oklahoma and 2017 at Ohio State. The Black Knight almost upset Oklahoma before losing in overtime, 28-21, but they were routed at Ohio State, 38-7.<\/p>\n

West Point\u2019s history also is a draw for some Power 5 schools to schedule home-and-home games. Stanford and Duke have toured the campus the day before their recent contests at Michie Stadium.<\/p>\n

Army is coming off an 11-2 season and returns record-breaking quarterback Kelvin Hopkins for his senior year. In 2018, Hopkins was the first Army quarterback to rush (1,017) and pass (1,026) for 1,000 yards in a season.<\/p>\n

Monken is entering his fifth season after taking over a rebuilding project. In his third year, Army was 8-5 in 2016, ending a streak of five straight losing seasons. The Black Knights were 10-3 in 2017 before setting a school record with 11 wins last year.<\/p>\n

Initially, Monken\u2019s task was building the confidence in the players. Now he has the task of confronting too much bravado.<\/p>\n

\u201cComplacency is a threat to success,\u201d he said. \u201cI worry about that all the time. When you win some games, you don\u2019t want to start thinking you don\u2019t have to do the things we were doing here to win. In some ways we push harder. We make it tougher to make sure we don\u2019t slip up at what we\u2019ve been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

I invite you to follow me on Twitter @shanny4055<\/a><\/p>\n

Tom Shanahan, Author: Raye of Light http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/knsqtqu<\/a><\/p>\n

— Book on Michigan State’s leading role in the integration of college football. It explains Duffy Daugherty’s untold pioneering role and debunks myths that steered recognition away from him to Bear Bryant.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/shanahan.report\/a\/the-case-for-duffy-and-medal-of-freedom<\/a><\/p>\n

David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize winner and biographer; “History writes people out of the story. It’s our job to write them back in.”<\/p>\n

Make sure you follow the All Sports Discussion Twitter account at\u00a0@AllSportsDACC<\/a>\u00a0and please like our\u00a0Facebook Page<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
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