Editor’s Note: The latest in a series of columns by Executive Sports Editor Phil Stacey and Assistant Sports Editor Matt Williams on our ‘8 Great North Shore Sports Debates’ series.
Do you know who has three times as many NCAA Final Four appearances as famed basketball boss John Calipari? That would be Salem State University.
On 12 occasions SSU athletic teams have been to the national semifinals with the men’s and women’s basketball, men’s soccer and men’s hockey teams all hanging banners to that distinction on Canal Street.
Can the Salem State University athletic program ever experience the heights it reached in the 1990s and 2000s again? Phil Stacey and Matt Williams discuss in today's 8 Great North Shore Sports Debates.
That illustrates just how great, and consistent, the Viking athletic program was for a three or four decade period until very recently. And brings us around to today’s debate topic: Can the Vikings ever reach those heights again ... and what would it take to get them there?
My answer is, I hope so. There are a lot of great people working at Salem State. That includes many alums and former Viking athletes, so you know they care deeply about their programs and want to succeed. A lot of things have changed on the North Shore and college sports landscape over the last 10-15 years that are beyond the control of a relatively small Division 3 New England school, so we’re not here to play the blame game when it comes to a little bit of a lull in SSU success.
The rise of Endicott College in nearby Beverly has, perhaps, hurt Salem State a bit in the recruiting department. As a private institution, the Gulls have more resources and, arguably, a more attractive conference in the Commonwealth Coast as compared to the MASCAC. Still, whatever ails Salem is not a facilities issue: The baseball field is nicer than many D1 facilities in New England, the turf field outside the O’Keefe Center is pristine, the recent renovations to that building (and the giant Viking statue) have to be attractive to potential recruits and Twohig Gym and Rockett stand second to none.
Honestly it feels like there has to be investment from the top down. It’s anecdotal and it’s a gut feeling, but it just doesn’t seem like athletics are the priority they once were. Set foot on the Endicott campus and you can tell everyone cares about sports; SSU doesn’t feel that way any more. Whether or not that’s a good or bad thing in a college setting is a debate for another day.
Consistency will also be the name of the game for the future Vikings. There’s been too much turnover in the coaching departments lately. Baseball was one of the most successful programs of the 2000’s and 2010’s but went through four coaches in six years, for example. Women’s hockey has had similar turnover, as have others. It’s going to take investment to keep good coaches around long enough to build sustained success.
The upcoming men’s hockey hire comes at a pivotal moment for Salem State. Replacing a legend like Bill O’Neill isn’t easy, but if they get it right then a rising tide may lift all of the athletic department’s boats.
Salem State’s basketball programs have been to almost 50 NCAA tournaments combined while the men’s hockey team has been ten times and the men’s soccer team an impressive 15 times. There’s only been a handful decade, though, and once upon a time that would have been unheard of for the Vikings.
The NCAA has changed a lot since Salem State’s glory days. Their MASCAC rivals have all improved and it’s a much more competitive league than it once was in many sports. The national tournament structure makes it harder to make Final Fours, too (think of Maine going to a bunch of College World Series when all they had to do was win New England ... that’s never happening again).
Still, the school has a ton to offer. Besides the great facilities, it’s in a vibrant and lively city and it’s among the top schools around for education and nursing, among plenty of other fields. So with a little TLC, for me, it’s not a matter of if, but when, will Salem State start hanging banners again. Here’s hoping I’m around to cover it when they do.
Follow along with our debate series by watching our videos on SalemNews.com and send us your feedback at [email protected] or via Twitter @SalemNewsSports