It was a frustrating year for Ball State football fans. Three wins, another quarterback change and the team’s worst overall record since the 2009 season.
Things got so bad that many Ball State followers were calling for the removal of fifth-year head coach Pete Lembo after the season.
To those in favor of a new coach, you’ve got your wish. Lembo resigned on Dec. 22, and former Cardinal quarterback Mike Neu was hired two weeks later. Neu looks up to the challenge, and the vibe around campus is excitement surrounding his return. He’s got a pedigree of success in coaching and it seems like the right fit for Ball State.
But before we move on completely, let’s appreciate the five years that Pete Lembo gave to Ball State. After all, he did something as the Cardinals’ head coach that the 15 before him had not.
He was the first coach in Ball State history to win 30 games during his first four seasons on the sidelines. Not only that, he led the Cardinals to two straight bowl games in 2012-13 and only their third 10-win season in school history.
Yes, the last two seasons were rough for the Cardinals. But these feats, along with the multiple other accolades Lembo accomplished in Muncie, can’t be ignored because of two subpar years.
It may have been time for him to go, but Lembo helped lay some important groundwork for this program.
“It is incredibly difficult to say goodbye after five very meaningful years and building so many wonderful relationships with student-athletes, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the community,” Lembo said in a statement following resignation. “I tried to make a difference every day, and I am proud of our many accomplishments on and off the field.”
Lembo did make a difference. Just a couple years ago, he was one of the hottest coaching prospects in the Football Bowl Subdivision. His name was linked to the Wake Forest head coaching job in the Atlantic Coast Conference following the 2013 season.
He was named one of Athlon Sports’ Top 15 Coaches on the Rise last summer, and even after a 3-8 finish this season — his worst at Ball State — his career head coaching record is still 112-65.
Lembo had a strong roster during the middle of his tenure with Ball State, and it showed. When the better players — some of them NFL caliber — graduated, the team naturally dropped off.
In addition to his work on the field, Lembo also had success in the community. He was a familiar face in Muncie, helped his students succeed in the classroom and was part of initiatives such as Cardinal Commitment.
He was valuable to the university. Not only was he head football coach, but he was also associate athletics director. He was Ball State’s highest-paid employee, making $514,250 in 2015.
Now Lembo will take his coaching talents to Maryland. He won’t be a head coach, but will serve as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator.
It’s not as high of position, but it’s tough to land any job in the Big Ten; he couldn’t pass it up.
You may be happy to see him gone, but next time you think about some of the best seasons in Ball State history, think of Pete Lembo.
So before we move on to the Mike Neu era of Ball State football, let’s sit back and think of the good times with Pete Lembo, and appreciate the five years and 33 wins he led the Cardinals to during his tenure.
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