Bill Conley, who built Ohio Dominican into a national football power in Division II, won't return for a seventh season after weeks of negotiations on a new contract with the university broke down.

Bill Conley, who built Ohio Dominican into a national football power in Division II, won�t return for a seventh season after weeks of negotiations on a new contract with the university broke down.

Conley wanted to be able to tell high school senior recruits that his future was secure with the team entering its final season in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference before a move to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2017.

Ohio Dominican was making the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II when Conley was hired when Dale Carlson resigned to become head coach at Valparaiso.

After a 2-�8 record in 2010, the Panthers went 7-�4, 8-�3, 10�-1, 11�-2 and 8-�3 under Conley. The 2013 team won the GLIAC championship and lost to West Texas State in the first round of the playoffs. The �14 team received an at�large playoff bid and won two playoff games.



mznidar@dispatch.com