It's a bad hire by Rice.
--Davidson has the best facilities in the PFL...a brand new stadium, new locker rooms, new weight room, new football offices, etc. They are light years ahead of everybody else.
--They are the only school in the PFL to give "need-based" aid. This is a big advantage when putting together financial packages to attract players.
--They have a full staff of assistant coaches...unlike many other schools in the PFL who are forced to use part-time coaches and volunteers.
Three huge advantages over everybody else in the PFL, when grouped together.
Yet, the reputation of Davidson in the league is that if you give the Wildcats a chance to "quit", they'll take full advantage. See Dayton last year, see Morehead last year, see Valpo this year. Part of the problem is they can't throw it, especially when they get behind and can't run their normal offense. See the 6 INT's last year at Morehead. They threw for just 56 last week in losing at Valpo.
Realistically, you could rank Scott Abell as maybe the 4th best coach in the league. Stepsis (15-1 in league games and 2 championships in the last 2 years). Uremovich (10-6 in the league, 15 wins the last 2 years), and Caruso (12-4 in the league the last two years and 26-6 in the last 4, and 2 national championship game appearances in D-III prior to that), all are in the discussion as being the best coach in the PFL ahead of Abell. And Woodman (Morehead) and Moore (San Diego) are moving up fast.
In all fairness, I don't know what the pool of candidates was in hiring of the next coach at Rice was, but Scott Abell is a stretch at best. I get the lure of the triple option offense being different in the AAC, and tough to prepare for, but if Valpo can hold them to 284 yards of offense, Tulane, Army, Memphis, etc. should be able to handle it. And if they get behind and have to throw it...Yikes. You don't think a school that hasn't had a winning season since 2014, might be behind in a few games, do you?
Not a good hire by Rice.