It took Bill Scholl just two months to change the culture of Ball State athletics.
The dark and gloomy era known as the Tom Collins regime finally came to a close, and the cultural shift within the department has been immense thus far.
As Scholl moved into his office on April 30, he didn't miss a beat by digging into the checklist of things piling up on his desk that needed to be addressed.
He didn't hire bums like his predecessor did. Rather, Scholl hired three coaches that share the same mindset as him. For example, during Brady Sallee's news conference, the focus was set on winning in the classroom just as much as on the court.
Skimming through the archives, I watched Kelly Packard's introductory news conference prior to her inaugural season. She looked like a nervous wreck. Sallee was the exact opposite in the same situation.
"I'm eager to get out on that floor and if they'd let me put my sneakers on now, we'd get busy," Salle said.
I got goose bumps when I heard that. An exciting feeling rushed through my bones, one that I never felt through the two years of covering Packard's teams.
Sallee is a good fit, especially for a program that hasn't had much go right over the last two years.
"I'm coming here to win and that's what I'm going to do," he said. "I'm going to have a lot of fun doing it, and I promise you that."
Rich Maloney has been just as much a part of this cultural movement as Sallee.
For two years, this baseball team was robbed of its rich, winning traditions with Alex Marconi at the helm. Marconi might've been a good guy, but as a head coach, he didn't make the cut.
Maloney is another perfect choice by Scholl. He's a familiar face within the ring of successful coaches at this university. He headed the Cardinals to their only 40-plus win seasons in 1997 and 1999, and within time, he will get them back on their pedestal atop the Mid-American Conference. I wouldn't be surprised if he racks up a few MAC championships and NCAA Tournament berths.
I'm not going over the top here. I'm just being a realist. After witnessing one of the most depressing eras of Ball State athletics, optimism is the only option we have.
Perhaps the most interesting of Scholl's hires is women's swimming and diving coach Kristy Castillo. There are a couple of things I like about this hire. Castillo has spent a decade as an assistant at Akron. She's young and looking to jumpstart her coaching career by leading this program in a different direction.
Castillo doesn't have any head coaching experience, but with time, she'll settle into her new post.
Scholl could've sat back and played the Collins' card by hiring from within on the three programs needing coaches. But he didn't. He was aggressive and went out and got his own coaches.
We must not forget that there hasn't been a single game played or a meet completed under Scholl.
But this cultural change is re-defining Ball State athletics, and Scholl is clearly on his way to branding his message into the university for years to come.
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