WMBFNews.com, Myrtle Beach/Florence SC, WeatherMoglia: It's not just about the football

CONWAY, SC (WMBF) Coastal Carolina University has finally put the rumors surrounding who will be the new leader of the university's football team to rest Tuesday morning.

WMBF News Sports Director Jason Belk confirmed around 9:45 a.m. with a source close to the university's program that Joe Moglia, former coach of the United Football League's Omaha Nighthawks, will take over for David Bennett.

CCU made the announcement official at 10:30 a.m. in a press release.

Bennett was ousted as Head Football Coach less than two weeks ago, with CCU President David DeCenzo citing fan turnout as one of the reasons for his reassignment.

There is still no word as to what new position Bennett will hold with the university.

SLIDESHOW - Moglia steps out

Click here to view a photo gallery of CCU announcing Joe Moglia as the new football coach.

"I am excited to have a man like Joe Moglia lead our football team," DeCenzo said. "His proven success on and off the football field will be a great asset to Coastal Carolina University, its football program and our community. His passion for the game and its players, his knowledge of the game, and his strong desire to succeed are perfectly aligned with the mission of our athletics program. He has all the ingredients that will take our football program to waters uncharted."

Many fans took to the WMBF News Facebook fan page to sound off and post their predictions before the announcement was made.

"That didn't take long, the AD and the President had this all planned out before the Bennett Fiasco," said Philip Newkirk. "The AD will ruin that school if the administration continues to allow his shady dealings."

Former Myrtle Beach High School coach Scott Early's name was tossed around, as was Tommy Bowden's.

"I hear Joe Paterno is available," Mike Lloyd said.

Moglia has experience with college football, working as a defensive coordinator at Dartmouth College from 1981 to 1983.

In 1983, Moglia went to work for Merrill Lynch for 17 years and then became the chief executive officers at Ameritrade Holding Corp in 2001.

He then stepped down as CEO, moving to a voluntary assistant coach position for the University of Nebraska's football program and then became the Nighthawks coach in 2011.

"I cannot imagine anything more rewarding in helping 18-22 year olds become men through football," Moglia said. "To have that opportunity at Coastal Carolina University is truly an honor. I am grateful to Dr. DeCenzo and Hunter for this opportunity."

During the press conference, Moglia stated he will make $175,000 a year as head coach, about double what Bennett made his first year at CCU but less than he made prior to his removal.

Despite Moglia signing on with the university, questions remain about his coaching expectations. The new coach was tapped for the top spot in the school's football program less than a week after entering preliminary talks with CCU.

When asked by WMBF News whether or not performance standards were written into his 5-year contract, he says it's an issue that has yet to be discussed. He says those issues will be discussed openly with university and athletic leaders at a later date.

As Coastal Carolina tries to move on from a whirlwind of controversy surrounding the future of its football program, Moglia says now it's time to get down to business. One of the first orders of business is building his coaching staff.

He says over the last three years, he has compiled a list of an estimated 50 people who could fit into different positions within a coaching program, and recently narrowed down that list of candidates for CCU. Moglia says he plans on sitting down with the school's current coaching staff to gauge where they want to go with the program, and then build his new staff from there.

Moglia says he hopes to have at least half of his coaching staff in place by January, with a full staff on board by February. During the time it takes to build a staff, he says he also plans to meet with recruits and prospective players to sell his program and football philosophy.

Stay with WMBF News and WMBFNews.com as we continue to gather new information about Moglia and what this means for the university.

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