Fighting Scots football welcomes Braun head coach appointment

The announcement of assistant coach Chad Braun met with approval from his most crucial audience: his team.

“We are ecstatic about Braun taking over,” said junior Alex Sheppard, defensive back. “We have the offensive tools to put up 40 points a game and we have the athletes to win the MWC championship. We just have to put players in the position to be successful and I think Braun can do that.”

Coach Braun will take up the reins after Coach Steve Bell, head coach for 15 years that led to a 113-44 overall record, resigned to accept the head coach position at Augustana College. Assistant coach David Ragone followed.

“They (Bell and Ragone) are great coaches that were huge parts of the program for many years,” said junior Brian Johnson, defensive lineman. “With that being said though, the team is very excited about the new change. I honestly believe that the best man for the job was Coach Braun…The team is very excited to get to work under his direction.”

Braun credits Bell for “giving him a shot” when he hired him as defensive coordinator in 2000, as well as his family, the administration for the appointment, and the Fighting Scots coaches and players over the years.

Former assistant coach and defensive coordinator Chad Braun
replaces former head coach Steve Bell.

“I am so excited to lead this group of young men,” Braun said. “I love Monmouth College and everything that it represents. I love this community. I can't wait to get started.”

During Braun’s tenure, the defense has been among the nation’s leaders in numerous categories, including turnover margin, interceptions, pass defense efficiency and total defense. In 2014, the Scots’ defense led the Midwest Conference in nearly every defensive category, including total defense (280.5 ypg) and interceptions (21).

“I have a great group of young men to lead,” Braun said. “I am going to hold them to a high standard of excellence not only on the field, but in the classroom, and in the community.”

Braun said he is working quickly to form his supporting staff, planning to retain as much of the coaching staff as possible.

President Clarence Wyatt announced via email that a press conference will be held today, Tuesday in Glennie Gymnasium at 3:30 p.m for faculty, staff and students to formally congratulate Braun.

Cassie Burton

Courier Editor-in-Chief

Enrollment on the rise

Freshman class breaks record

College admissions announced a new record on Friday: this year’s freshman class hit an all-time high with 396 freshmen, beating the previously recorded high, 393 students in 2007.The numbers were finalized as a part of “census day,” which is when all colleges and universities openly declare their enrollment numbers for the start of the year.

Graphic by Drew Lipinski

Overall enrollment

Coupled with 43 new transfer students, the college’s overall headcount totaled 1,303 students. The National Center for Educational Statistics recorded Monmouth College’s opening enrollment on census day last year as 1,255 students.
President Clarence Wyatt saw the numbers as a sign, not for “the sake of numbers” but what they imply.“At a time when many institutions are struggling, Monmouth is becoming better known and more attractive as a place that offers a particularly powerful experience,” Wyatt said. “It indicates growing success in being a place of high opportunity and high achievement.”
The numbers make for a promising change. Opening enrollment numbers had fallen each year from 2007 to 2011, which had 340 freshmen, and only increased to 343 in 2012.Last fall marked the first turn in the tide, when the incoming freshman class swelled to 392 students (not counting transfers), according to the office of the registrar.

Questions remain

The only cloud over these positive numbers is the reported record number of discounts given to incoming students. More information about discounts, transfer students, retention and attrition will be covered in the first print edition of The Courier, hitting news stands on Friday, Sept. 12.

Cassie Burton
Courier Editor-in-Chief