Everyone knew it was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier.

The success of the Eastern football team under former coach Dino Babers was almost too good to be true; it was too good to be anything other than temporary.

Babers brought the program back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference titles, two straight playoff appearances, its first postseason win in more than two decades, all while winning several coach of the year awards and grooming the 2013 Walter Payton Award winner in Jimmy Garoppolo.

Yeah, there was no way Babers was going to see out his three-year contract at Eastern.

Bowling Green was the next stepping stone in Babers’ coaching career. It was his best option, and for that reason, it was his only option.

Going from a top five FCS team to a conference champion at the FBS level, as Babers did, is about as far as a catapult a coach can take in the coaching carousel.

But that doesn’t make his departure any less hard of a pill to swallow.

It was so off-putting to see Babers wearing Bowling Green’s neon orange at his introductory press conference. It didn’t seem right. After all, just two years ago he was in the same position only in Panther Blue.

The 52-year-old coach stood firm at the podium on Dec. 19, 2013, emitting the same confidence, leadership and integrity that had won over the pride of Eastern.

The anticipation in the room built with every word he spoke, to the point where it became monumental, just as it did at Eastern.

Babers’ Bowling Green press conference was like reliving history.

Until he uttered one phrase.

“If you want to know one thing about me: I don’t settle,” Babers said.

That’s it. That sums up his entire career at Eastern. He was not going to settle for anything less than an OVC championship, and he never did.

But more importantly, he was not going to settle for Eastern. He said it without saying it.

Babers manufactured Eastern’s offense into the best in the country, but still at the FCS level. That is settling right there.

“Why in the heck would we want to settle, anyway?” Babers continued to ask.

There is no answer to that question. Had Babers remained at Eastern, he would have been settling.

He shouldn’t have settled. He couldn’t have settled. And that is why Eastern fans cannot blame Babers no matter how fresh the wound still is. He did what he had to do.

“We’re not here long enough to be average,” Babers said. “Be Special. Be different. Be Bowling Green.”

The program’s 18th head coach then abruptly strutted away from the podium knowing he said all he needed to say.

Now, he is at the FBS level and he won’t have to settle in manufacturing Bowling Green’s offense into the best in the country.

And Falcon fans, note this: it is going to be the fastest thing you have ever seen.

Anthony Catezone can be reached 581-2812 or ajcatezone@eiu.edu.