Jeff Boals, a former fan favorite at Ohio University, has been snubbed by his alma mater for a second time. After Jim Christian dumped the Bobcats for Boston College, the media anointed Boals as a leading candidate.
In the end, Ohio's Director of Athletics Jim Schaus did indeed value head coaching experience in his hire; it was a process that took a little under 72 hours.
The end product is North Dakota State's Saul Phillips; he is of Bo Ryan's tree, having spent three years in Madison.
In 2013, under the leadership of Phillips, the Bison posted a 26-7 record. They advanced to whatever round they're calling the second round these days before eventually bowing out to San Diego State.