Stan Parrish had to wait 20 years for his second chance. Now his team wants to make the most of their own second opportunity.
After being fired from Kansas State University, Parrish waited two decades before he got another head coaching job. So far, his first season at the helm of Ball State University hasn't gone any better than his tenure at Kansas State where he was 2-30-1.
The Cardinals are 0-4 headed into Mid-American Conference play, which they consider the most important part of the year.
"We all know the first four games, the goal is to win them, but our main goal is to win the MAC," linebacker Davyd Jones said. "Those first four games have nothing to do with winning the MAC, but help us get prepared for the MAC."
Saturday, the Cardinals will have their first shot at a conference opponent. The University of Toledo travels to Muncie for their own conference opener with a 2-2 record.
Parrish said the players have bought into the idea of starting their second season the right way.
"If we win Saturday, we'll be in first place," he said. "That's our goal."
That message might be more believable for the Cardinals after seeing a big improvement in their play at Auburn University in a 54-30 loss last Saturday.
"We have to continue to improve," Parrish said. "You can't do anything about the past except learn from it."
Since losing their first three games, all the Ball State players who have spoken to the media expressed confidence in their ability to achieve their goal. None of them changed their tune this week.
"It's been tough losing the first four games of the year," safety Alex Knipp said. "But mostly the team's just anxious to play in the MAC, our goals are still ahead of us and it's still a long season."
The Cardinals have lost some key contributors already this season. Tight end and captain Madaris Grant was lost for the season in the first quarter of the first game with a torn ACL. Wide receiver Seth White saw his season end in week three with a broken collarbone. Cornerback Brandon Carnagie may be the latest Cardinal to suffer a season-ending injury. The junior left the Auburn game with a knee injury and had an MRI on Monday.
"We've lost some guys that were critical guys to our progress," Parrish said. "We have to learn to fight through adversity."
Despite all the things that have gone wrong for Ball State this year, spirits remain high.
"The team is really excited about conference play," left guard Michael Switzer said. "[Now we can] get back to games we can win and have meaning to the end of our season."
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