One Name Surfaces

Two names are circulating regarding the search for new offensive and defensive coordinators at Dartmouth. Out of respect for the loose ends they may still have to tie up, I've been sitting on them until they become public in one way or another. Now one of them has.

From FootballScoop.com:

Dartmouth: We are hearing former Princeton linebackers coach Don Dobes has accepted the defensive coordinator job on Buddy Teevens’ staff at Dartmouth.

Dobes was on the staff at Penn from 1981-86 and at Princeton since 1994. His Division I experience also includes four years at Temple and three years at Rice, both as offensive coordinator. Find his slightly dated Princeton bio here.

Expect news of a new offensive coordinator to break shortly.

Anyone who questions the advantages having played a college sport can offer in the business world would be well advised to read a Forbes Q&A with Gail Koziara Boudreaux, a legend in Dartmouth women's basketball legend and now United Healthcare president overseeing 37,000 employees. (Boudreax was ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 54th most powerful woman in the world last fall while Fortune Magazine named her the 45th most powerful woman in business.)

From the story:

Being an athlete taught me so much that's applicable in business--from how to compete and how to overcome obstacles to how to adapt to different rules depending on different circumstances. Those are all skills that have helped me, and which I now coach to employees.

And ...

Being an athlete also taught me how to multitask. My college teammates and I had to practice so much and travel to games at other schools while also doing our coursework. And some of us were working part time to pay for tuition. You learn to focus and be very effective about how you use your time.

Still on the subject of Dartmouth's powerhouse women's sports programs, the Daily Dartmouth writes about the Big Green duo who helped Canada to a 2-0 win over the United States yesterday for the Olympic gold medal in women's ice hockey. From the story:

Gillian Apps '06 and Cherie Piper '06 captured gold medals in women's ice hockey Thursday night as Canada defeated the United States, 2-0.

It was the third gold medal for Piper, who played with Team Canada at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 and the Turin Games in 2006. It was the second gold for Apps, who was Piper's linemate during the Turin Games.

Piper is the first Dartmouth alum to earn gold medals in three different Olympic Games.

Speaking of the Olympics, Dartmouth has an outsized presence in Vancouver with nine athletes competing, but that pales in comparison to Westminster College's contribution to the games as the Wall Street Journal notes. Westminster has no fewer than 14 athletes in Vancouver. OK, I'll save you the time. Westminster is in Salt Lake City and you can find more information about its Olympic presence here. The site includes this somewhat curious wording (italics are theirs):

Did you know that Westminster College is the Official Provider of Educational Services to more than 35 U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team athletes?

And now, keep your fingers crossed that we get power back up on the mountain. No water, no heat, no lights and no chance to watch the final Olympic events would add up to a trying weekend.