Football Talk with William Paterson Coach Kristi Zick
37 min readFootball Talk with William Paterson Coach Kristi Zick with Coach Schuman and Coach Depascale
Hello, we would love to invite you to compete to get ranked and stars at the Coach Schuman’s NUC sports Showcase events and combines go to http://myfootballcamps.com/campsevents to register
Get the Legendary Leadership Book by Coach Schuman and improve your leadership skills today at
www.legendaryleadership.coach
myfootballcamps.com
nucsports.com
@coachschuman
go to myfootballcamps.com/d1promo (https://myfootballcamps.com/d1promo) to get promoted
www.myfootballcamps.com
www.nucsports.com
@coachschuman on all social
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm (https://wwww.zencast.fm)
All right coach youan back we've had a One week off uh I think one week right Little Hiatus yeah so we're but we're back at We got a great guest Today uh college coach um that we're Going to talk to um I think probably the First female coach at William Patterson Is my guess that would be my assumption Is pretty much probably the first female Coach across maybe all of division three Possibly uh maybe the nend Jack Conference itself I mean definitely a Trailblazer in her own right yes so I Guess we'll find that out H we'll talk Some football and um um it's it's gonna Be great it's gonna be a great podcast We've had some a really really great Guests lately so uh this is another Great guest that we're looking forward To talking let's bring her on right now What's going on Christy how you doing hi Guys how we Doing hey chrisy how are you thanks for Coming out and uh and talking with us a Little bit this Morning absolutely thank you for having Me well listen we Christy zck coaches at William Patterson University used to be William Patterson College when when I Was you're showing your age brother You're showing your But that every time Man right away come on man I'm trying to
Give you a little benefit of the doubt Yeah the Grace's Give It Away anyway so You you and me both brother yeah yeah so Um uh yeah so it William parison University um we we briefly mentioned One of the uh uh probably first female Coaches at division 3 level um she could Clarify that for us if that is indeed The case um but she started coaching in High school and uh moved way up to College and so we're really excited to Have her on she's position coach as well Um and welcome chy to the Podcast thank you guys so much pleasure To be Here so all right yeah Definitely definitely Um not the first female coach across D3 Which is pretty crazy I think it's not Yeah probably probably not a well-known Thing but there are good a good handful Of uh female position coaches across E3 Um and uh just kind of do another job I I don't I don't think it's I don't think It's you know Necessarily a bad thing that we're not Super loud about that um I a lot of us It's it's a big factor that we like to Be and by us I mean female you know Female position coaches we like to be Kind of just included in in what you Know what is considered as the mass of Coaches so not so much like we have Exactly this many female coaches in this
In this Division and um this many Running backs female position coaches For example I think we just you know We're coaches so so you know I think a Lot of us aren't necessarily super loud About that but um yeah the recognition Is kind of cool I Guess very cool um you started in high School coaching give give a little Background football background for Everybody so people understand how you Got in the coaching um any anything Associated with football so we can Understand how you got there and to Where you are right Now sure so um you know football to me My whole philosophy with I I say this to My athletes and I say this to people who Ask this question in general football to Me is family um I've coached lacrosse Before I coached on and off track um Strength and conditioning coaching Things like that and um as as as great As it is and every sport has their pros And cons in its own right um there's Just nothing like the football the Football environment you know the family Aspect of it the Brotherhood of it male Or female and um so that I I you know Growing up around football I definitely Kept coming back to it um I'm a mom of a Three-year-old so I had my daughter During covid and after um coming out of The whole covid you know adjustments and
Things like that kind of you know I'm a New mom now looking to figure out what My career path is really going to be um Definitely stuck with Athletics and very Quickly came back to football after Doing track for a little while so that Was that was a pretty clear decision for Me um you know and and there and there's Just kind of no no turning back from That when you love it the way that we do You know and you're involved in it now When I when I started at the high school Level and that was over at the Paul Catholic um um shout out to B to start Not not a bad place to Start oh man I was so privileged to Start out there and I make that very Clear all the time to be able to say That that's where I even began learning The coaching side of football um under Coach Camp staff was I mean we went to We went to the state championships my First year at the end of my first year Of coaching football I was able to Compete at MetLife Stadium so I mean Super super fantastic experience and uh When you start with something like that There's no question about continuing in That right so um and then uh you know I Um had a good relationship with Coach Jerry Flora who was the head coach at William Patterson as you guys know for Years and years and he um introduced me To coach Sean Williams who is now my
Head coach uh for the second year and You know again fantastic experiences Just confirms everything that I Thought I Loved about football amazing athletes I get to work with great kids and uh led Me to where I am Now very cool and and you're coaching Positionally the receivers Or what what position year right now Running backs this is my first year with The running backs okay yep cool so what What were some of the things that you Did to really get yourself so you coach Lacrosse you coach track field uh Transitioning over to football what did You have to do to really get your Knowledge base where you thought you you Felt comfortable coaching guys coaching College athletes um uh you know from That standpoint what were some of the Things that you really had to do to get Your get your learning up to Speed pay very close attention to what Everybody is saying and doing um I think In my first year of coaching I tried to Stick with my position more than Anything which was receivers at deul Catholic and I found once I started Paying attention to what coordinators Were doing as a whole what what the line Was doing and not just what the receiver You know not just what uh say our routes Were you know I was paying attention to The bigger picture of everything um and
It's funny because I I was definitely I Was told in the beginning okay focus on What you need to focus on and and get Really good at that first and and uh you Don't really learn too much about what's Going on on the rest of the field when You're trying to approach it from that Um you know from that point of view so Started really pay like I would I would I would attend the position meetings of Other positions um I would just hang Around different different position Coaches and see what they were thinking What they were doing with certain things Watch other people's film that you know Backing up and looking at the bigger Picture definitely allowed me to soak in A lot more a lot Faster you know and then in the off Season I would I would go attend clinics For different positions I worked a lot With Coach Rogers um and his defensive Backs and that taught me a heck of a lot About receivers after coaching receivers For a year you know what I mean so Looking at it from different points of Views and now working with the running Backs we attend oine meetings I mean it It's it's that that that was definitely The way to go for Me interesting it's it the learning Curve in football is is well there's Always new things you can learn no Matter how long you've been coaching and
Um it's interesting to hear how Someone's learning curve projects to be Able to to grow especially especially Someone who act you didn't did you play Football at all or or I'm just curious Or like I did not right so so from from A learning curve standpoint that's That's an um that's an important thing And that's really interesting to hear You like take on the whole not just your Position but and and become but Understand the game which I think is is A critical part in each position and What they're doing to start to Understand uh the commonalities to it um And the things that you can continue to Translate what what what are some of the Things that you really really try to do From a coaching standpoint that that you Think really help your players kind of Maximize what they're doing on the field Um what are some of the kind of Philosophies that you Have so every thing that we do make sure That it really applies to what's going On in the game um as a strength and Conditioning coach I think I I began Approaching football coaching from a From a a technique standpoint so working With receivers we like to do a lot of Footwork and you know things that people Laugh at receivers doing at seven on Seven programs they laugh when receivers Dance around and things like that and I
Think I focused a lot on that um what I've learned and what I like to do now Um I like to approach it more from a you Know applicable on the field standpoint So you know when we're in Indie and Things like that I like to take our We'll take a specific install that we're Doing and and focus on that in Indie Rather than like we'll set up a drill Okay here's the technique to approach This play this footwork for the running Backs but where are our eyes going also You know you know how are we going to Approach the contact when we get through The line and not so much just this is How you run but here's how we're going To run with the ball in our eyes you Know so that's um I definitely like to To work with my players on on that kind Of level now for Sure very cool very cool as Aspirationally like so um you're Coaching football you're at college There's recruiting to it there's a whole Bunch your you're you're uh you know a New mom um well relatively new mom what What are some of what are some of the Things are you like your goals from a Coach's standpoint um are you know are Are you kind of continue to push the Path you want to be a position coach you Know like what what are some of the Things that are your goals from from a Coaching
Standpoint yeah so that's definitely Something I I kind of feel out as I go But but I think the bigger picture is Becoming more clear recently that this Is what I'm doing now is definitely more The direction I would like to go than I Thought in the past um previously I I Kind of planned on approaching Athletics From a more strength and conditioning um Route because that that was more my Experience um I worked as a trainer for Years and years before I got into you Know being on the field itself and then Um you know that became the strength and Conditioning became more of an offseason Thing and I realized how much I love Being on the field and being involved D With the athletes and and and watching Them develop as student athletes in Particular so that was really Interesting and that's an aspect that Obviously you don't really get uh on the Training side so now being where I'm at I definitely um plan to try to make it Work to move forward as a position coach Um you know it it's it's it's a big Balance between Financial situations Family life um experience you know so It's it's definitely taking each of Those things and trying to trying to Find the balance but right now being Able to do what I do and love it as much As I love doing it um this is this this Is definitely moving forward with this
Would be the Goal really cool now um let's talk some Recruiting so uh like I always get Around to this so um from an we always We always get back to this right we Always this is always how everything Comes full circle this is where this is Where it's at because this is we our Athletes to see it from you know Different perspectives so go ahead Coach yeah from a from a recruiting Standpoint Um I'm curious William Patterson um used To be let's get players that we some of Them are D3 players some of the guys That fall through the cracks maybe could Have went maybe a little bit higher like They you guys have one of one of our Guys that used to play for the bwork Beast Conor Reynolds is a freshman there Now um and so uh from a recruiting Standpoint with the transfer portal and Everything how does William Patterson Approach it you know because there's a Lot of ways you could do it and D3 is One of the toughest I think things with Respect uh the transfer portal Because if someone transfers to D3 and We talked about this who do we talk About this with uh Derek um uh who's the Garrett yeah coach Garrett so when we Talked to Coach Garrett over at Kean one Of the toughest parts that that he Mentioned was um you know you get a goty
A TR in the old days old days you before The transfer portal um you got if a guy TR if a guy didn't work Out at F FCS and Monclair or William Patterson or R any njx school said hey here's an Opportunity for you to be a starter Maybe be a star you know play play some Good football the guys would jump on it But now the transfer portal every guy Thinks that they should be y upgrading On the transfer and if they transfer They're not as quote unquote happy They're transferring to you because they Maybe I don't know a lot of cases don't Have as many choices as it's a little Bit different than it used to be right So how do you guys approach recruiting From a transfer standpoint I saw Obviously the big Focus was on high School players right so that was what I Saw was the main focus right um just Looking at like your feed I one of your Twitter feed and like you know you got Guys from West Orange you got Connor you Got guys who are really good players for For whatever reason you know or division Three but high school players where as Opposed to higher levels half those guys Are transfers what what's kind of William Patterson's approach to it All yeah so right now we have last year We had a lot of um Elite seniors Graduate and and move on this year we
Have a lot of seniors that are going to Be moving on so right now the goal more Than focusing on transfer portal and Things like that has been bringing in Younger guys looking to build them Looking to incorporate them into you Know our our culture and and build more That way um so we do have a lot of Fantastic young Talent right now who are So amazing they've been developing Incredibly um super coachable super open To learning from their seniors who are About to leave like right now like for Example our o line specifically uh all Of them are gone next year so we have a Brand new very young very athletic line That that just came in now we have a Couple transfers in um but that's more Of a uh you know location situation for Them um right family here and there type Of you know what I mean type of thing so So not so much we really don't Focus too Much on the portal because right Now in young guys who who we can really Build up in into our culture right see See I think that that's um it it's to That's a total Derek Monumental shift in Division 3 because it was completely the Other way around 100% division 3 it was It was looked at as almost like a Negative I mean think about so so I went To Montclair State I was a transfer in Right family situation after my freshman Year at sacred Hart no negative reason
For leaving sacred Hart other than a Family situation personal to me that I Needed to be closer to home so Montclair State just so happened to just be a Landing point where hey I had talked to This guy during recruiting and I think That's a very pivotal part for some of These transfers in the portal you Develop that relationship with some of These guys coming out of high school and Maybe they don't go to William Patterson Right away and they go off to you know Um Boston College or you know Penn State One of these Ruckers maybe even a lower Level like a towns in or something like That where now all of a sudden something Happens a situation comes up they have To come home yet they still want to stay Involved hey Willie P hey buddy how you Doing heard about the situation you've Already have that relationship that now That's those guys come to you but you're Right totally totally 100% right coach Where back in the day when I transferred From Sacred Heart to Montclair State it Was looked at he was n good enough to Get it done at Sacred Heart blah blah Blah you know okay now he's going to go Play D3 now it's trans it's hey I just Was an All-American at a D3 how do I Transfer and go somewhere bigger right So that it's the other way around and And the um you really have to recruit Development is so development I thought
Was a really interesting point because In D3 other than like that used to be Um kind of thing was like you wanted D3 Players that were able to come in and be The be like the best player they could Right away whereas now at D3 you could Get high school players and develop them Because of the fact that it's you know All these guys are fighting at FCS and FBS all over these guys and they're Moving back and forth and all that kind Of stuff whereas you could develop your Guys now yes maybe I don't know one one Out of a hundred guys becomes really Good and he wants to move up or Something like that but my guess is There's not that many of that I my guess Is at D3 that you might have a couple of Guys maybe a year that are looking to Move up may maybe but for the most part You can actually develop take the time And develop them whereas in the past you Want in the past you wanted to get you Know uh Derek dep Pascal to come back to Montclair State because he was an FCS Guy he didn't have to sit out a year he Didn't have to sit out a year he comes Right in he's playing right away and now I got a fc on my D3 roster and D3 Rosters were loaded with those guys back Back that's what the N Jack was big on Right correct bounce Guys I do look at it like this though And Christy you touched on it a little
Bit is culture right so if you develop That culture at Willie P you know that That it listen I've always listen it now I have guys on my staff that you know That that are that have been there my Father's in Alum from William Patterson Look the location of where it is is is Amazing yet it's just always kind of William Patterson right but I think look Coach Williams he's been there a long Time a really long time he you know he's Been he's very well deserving of the Position that he's in now I think he Understands the N Jack because he's been In it for so long as the DC played at a High level NFL guy you know and I think That if that culture continues to Develop Chris you could touch on this a Little bit about the culture itself you Know I think that they you can really Progress going upwards in the end Jack That is Now right absolutely it it definitely um Like you said coach coach Williams has Been there long enough to see William Patterson go through a few different Stages um and that's for obviously a Variety of reasons but what he is Focused on on right now is very much it It very much requires us to be able to Bring in young guys who are going to be Open to what we are trying to do um Right I see what you're saying about how It used to be the other way around
Especially you know with something like Transfers are now the transfer portal But um right now where we're at with With what coach Williams is trying to do With that uh connotation that tends to Come with William Patterson like you Said coach just oh you know oh Willie P This and that you know what he's doing With the program right now what he's Been doing the past couple years it's we We're we're bringing in the young guys Who are so coachable and so athletic but Also willing to improve on what they Have tends to work out better for us Right now than trying to bring in bring In guys who uh this is what I am this is What I can do and that that's Deal that's not gonna be right that's Not going to be as as beneficial for us As as other approaches may be so right That's that's more of the uh that's more Of the hey we can win now with this guy Here or we can look to the Future bring In people that that are our guys get Them engulfed in our culture and then we Can kind of rock with that right trust The process it's hard trust the process That's a big deal too because um because You're not gonna get transfers you're Not gonna get transfers anymore that are Going to be happy right not to not too Many I mean you you have guys that maybe For location right for other for other Reasons they're they're happy to just be
Playing ball you know what I'm saying Right I think that's a big big shift in In in division three well the the end Jack is is always uh it's always an Interesting always an interesting entity Just because they also play certain Rules on you know how many kids you can Have on your roster or how many of that I mean you're also looking at William Patterson which has also really kind of Started uh academically to really kind Of push the envelope a little bit more So academics there you know kind of play A role into who can come into the school And Whatnot yep Y and William Patterson you Yeah buddy don't you know it's like hard You can get anybody you wanted to William Patterson serious come man I'm Trying they're good enough you can get Them in the Willie pay let's listen Buddy you're talking to a Monclair guy Like you know trying to say as many nice Things as I possibly can here like you Know what I'm saying I can't the old man Is still on a l from there you know so I Got to give him his Kudos Somewhere coach you'd be coach you'd be Surprised uh that's definitely that's Definitely the um you know the the the Common the the common knowledge is like Oh yeah it's not you know academically Speaking that's not too tough you'd be Surprised how many young guys we've had
To say okay can I see your your you know Do you have your unofficial transcript Send it over before and all of a sudden You know you L certain people you don't Have what you need to get William Patterson my friend we we're working With you know a situation you know I I Had get that you got you got a lot Bigger problems than coming to school Here my wife went to William P my wife Went to William Patterson so yeah there You my wife went to William Patterson so I have to so I could clip that and just Say that I was bused busted William Paris's chops because I I I have to bust Chops of William Paris as much as I can Because my wife went to William Harrison And and by the way she's much more Successful than I am so so there Go no I mean amazing school with some Really amazing programs if it's being Utilized but kids that try to come in Because of what they've heard about William Patterson and you think all Right now hold on it's not not like that You know it's So there are there are times right and It's like and you got which is great This which is really like just like Monclair Keane William Patterson I mean For it it churns out they churn out Great teachers and coaches I mean that's Like OB business is the other one that's Really good at William parison but yes
Great great um but originally William Patterson I mean my aunt went to William Patterson my mother went to William Patterson so um and and so I I I'm Familiar and it churns out like great Teachers and coaches that's always what What um you know what what it has always Turned out and that's one of the great Things and a lot of times football Players Uh make great teachers and coaches and Make uh excellent business people so Those are the two things that William Parison I I would guess is really most Probably known for right yeah yeah huge On the business program huge on the Business program for sure especially Where it is I mean northern New Jersey Oh yeah and you're talking Wayne which Is like a hub I mean you have four of The four of the top high schools in the State right there in your own town you Know what I mean you hit Wayne Hills Wayne Valley PCT and PLL and you pull Three or four kids from each I think Your Rost be and rmao Ramapo and Indian Hills right around the corner right There right over the don't realize that Say County the Border There very cool um I have a question Quickly do you have do you specify like I know how you guys kind of break it Down recruiting wise is each coach given
A area like a County yes yes that's how we break guys Nice okay and I was just care what's Your what is your County um I do d i assist with DMV and I Do Rockland County New York nice see Yeah I see that's that's also Interesting branching out outside of New Jersey man you go over that Hill well I Mean come on Coach coach Flora up there At Sleepy Hollow kind of got the best Mascot best mascot in the country bro Headless horsemen on a real horse riding Out come on dude if you don't win those Games I don't know what's going on but Lot of lot of hidden gems up there it's Nice to see and hear that you know wiie P is kind of branching off and kind of Recruiting some different areas to kind Of pull some of those kids In yeah absolutely that was a huge uh Point that was made uh in in our shift Of culture as well uh when when coach Williams hello oh oh Frozen Frozen I mean listen you coach Williams Been there a while there we go you're Back I'm sorry you I was gonna say I Lost you guys no you're good you're fine You're Fine um I don't know where I don't know What saying the shifted cult the shifted Culture that was that was yeah that was A big point was was branching out and Pulling guys from different areas
Different Talent you know because it's Not just um you know I think all Colleges face face um a certain you know Requirement when it comes to demographic And kids from different areas and Diversity and things like that so Obviously that's a big part of it um New Jersey being a massively diverse state In and of itself you know it's not too Hard to pull pull different talent that Way however I think right now in Different areas they and and I'm talking Statewide um I think Co coaching Cultures vary so much that a big part of It for us is not just so much Demographic it's it's who has this guy Been coached by what what what are they Doing down in Maryland you know Baltimore particular what are they doing Out in Virginia what are we doing uh up In New York right now we have a good Handful of freshmen from New York um Because of of what they're what they're Doing over there football-wise coaching Wise at the high school level so pulling Guys from different areas that's a big Part of it for us as well because They're these kids have experienced Different things in terms of in terms of Staffing and coaching and we like to see What they bring to the table and not Just so much what we know as North Jersey football or southy football Because they do have their own you know
Cultures so that's a big part of it for Us as well branching out um has become Necessary I Believe well I noticed you've had a um In New Jersey now outside of New Jersey Um it looks like Public public private School um you have a mix but uh that are Coming in but at New Jersey in Particular look like you guys have a lot Of success with the public school kids Um and is there anything to that is that A focus at all um or you know do you Feel like you could find more diamonds In a rough from that Standpoint um I I don't necessarily Believe that we look at it that way um Like you know what kind of athletes are Produced from Public School versus Private school as much as it is Um situations for them you know on their End it's more financial situations again Family situations when they come in um Another big thing that we see uh when Kids uh come to us more than when we you Know kids that we approach but kids that Approach us I athletes I should say that Approach us Um public versus private a lot of it has To do with playing time um so therefore Experience you know so that's a that's a Big part of it so a lot of times we'll Get guys coming from Public Schools who Did not Have very limited you know they had more
Playing time and they'll come to us with This is this is this is how I perform And this is what I this is what I can do And they'll have a little more film and Things like that and so that's very Different from recruiting someone that's Coming from a private school who maybe Had an amazing starting lineup who Didn't have as much playing time doesn't Have as much film and you know sometimes They're they're different in terms of of Coaching them and growing them and so uh Having that mix is is definitely Important but no we don't going back to Your question no we don't necessarily Recruit um looking at public versus Private it's very much the character of The kids and what what they say they're Bringing to the table and what they can Prove they're bringing to the Table interesting um from A from a recruiting standpoint what have You found like to be the hardest Position to get players in today's Age And what have you found to be the Easiest to find more players In so we have a massively new linebacker Room um so we Definitely definitely got a lot of now Now it's I don't know that that's Because they were easier to recruit it's Because we were in in major need of of Some some some backers but we have a we Have a a totally linebacker room and
They're fantastic guys developing very Well um running backs are tough to get You know a quality running back it's we We have chrisy we have this conversation All the time about if there's one Position that like really is on strain Right now especially is the running back Position it is hard to find running Backs just in general no you know it's Difficult yep well um um it I think it's A matter of keeping them healthy at a Young age so trying to get healthy guys Running backs is a tough position to to Maintain you know they have so much Responibility on the field and so Staying healthy through a high school Career and then coming into college Healthy and and keeping them and and Trying to find you guys that that that's A tough that's a tough position um oine As well for the same exact reasons um Trying to keep them like we're we're We're in need of some of some line guys Like I said our entire o Line's gradu Fortunately we have some quality guys That just came in but that's tough to to Find healthy guys athletic guys who are Going to commit and stick around they Have to be mentally very committed Because they have an extremely important Job you know that those those are tough Positions those are tough guys to come By I personally feel like the division Three in general and you know Dave Dave
Obviously played at Yukon so he was a You know an FCS scholarship guy myself As a division three player I mean listen The retention and keeping guys a part of A program for four years is very very Rare things come up right there's Nothing that's really keeping me at this School playing football other than I Just love this game you're not getting Scholarship money you know what I'm Saying like it's very you're really it's Another it's basically a full-time job Without any pay you're doing it really Out of the Love of the Game so the Detention you know if you if you're not That guy that's in the spotlight or hey I'm just a guy that's you know a backup Or whatever like well why am I doing This what am I doing I'm wasting my time You know and then the injury thing on Top of it you know it's just really hard Division three without that scholarship To keep guys in the program and that's Where I think culture becomes a huge Part of it and now I'm I'm biased Because at Monclair State you're talking Tradition right you're talking same head Coaches for 30s something years so the Culture was already in distilled when I Got there you know and now so now to get To do to take it and bring it bring a Bring in these young guys that hey this Is our culture to keep them for all four Years very difficult thing to
Do 100% I think you hit the nail on the Head there because that is um we could We could say that for Both um at day3 schools and and and Schools that are that are can be tougher On funding because that's you know we We've talked about this with our guys When when when morale goes down at times And you know their mentality seems to Stray a little bit it has to be Addressed uh that sometimes the ugly Truth of of this level and this division Is is you're here because you love the Game you're not here on scholarship You're not necessarily getting a full Ride and and a lot of times you know I Know the objective of coaches at the High school level is to get their their Guys out to an education you know an an Affordable education and let that guide Them through college and and and and That is the end goal because not Everybody's going to the pros not Everybody's you know and and not Everybody's gonna get a full ride D1 Education but the goal regardless of What level you're going to play at Typically is and should be to get your Guys an affordable education and to see Them through that degree um so at our Level you know the the the tough thing There is you're not not necessarily Going to get that scholarship some Schools it's not an option um you're
You're not you might not see a lot of Playing time even but the but the goal Is you you're gonna you're going to see It through as a commitment and you're Going to grow as a a young man or you Know whatever at this point is it is Commitment mentally and physically for The payoff of your education still but It does not have as many perks as Playing at a higher level so that is Definitely culture does come into play There like you said coach because that Is at the end of the day that's what That's what you're gonna stay committed Now you if you don't love the game You're not gonna be at practice you're Not gonna be at lift you're not gonna be Through all that mentally and physically At the end of the day it's it's what Because uh you know you want to take the Pictures for social media and put on go That's it you want to be Tik Tock famous That's not that's not gonna get you Through it it's just not g to get you Through it when that's all you're doing It for football's too football is way Too much of a commitment you know and Way too much of an impact physically and Mentally to to do something like that so Culture is so important at our level for That reason you know and coaches alike You're not getting Paid you're not getting paid big bucks To be you know assistant positions coach
With these guys you're there because you Love the game you love your athletes you Love the purpose that it serves you know So that's huge culture is huge there for Sure well I think that's a a huge deal Um keeping guys motivated like I'm Curious I'm curious how you would you Handle if a Guy is division and I'm I'm saying this Because I don't really understand that That part of division three like like Derek said like you know you could hold A scholarship over me you know and I was gonna be in the waight I me you May have a guy who's your starting Corner on Saturday and then come Tuesday He's no longer on the team like I dealt With things like that I mean it is it's C it's wild you know it's almost like Week to week how do you ride that Balance of being Demanding but I guess there has there is A Rel there's there's a different Relationship type of thing meaning Meaning like it's more of a Personal or you lose your scholarship Okay I'll be in the way room you know Like you're gonna be there you know There's no question you know where this Like you can attest to it chrisy so the Way that you know that I've seen it Obviously handled is it's not nothing is Cookie Cutter right so everything is Dealt with on a one-on-one basis in
Terms of you know hey this guy's got This thing going on and listen obviously For me I'm again I'm biased because I Had a personal situation right I leave One school to deal with something coming Home right and my coach at the division Three level was very understanding of That situation hey buddy I understand What's going on at home you got to miss This okay as long as those lines of Communication continue and you don't Abuse the privilege I think that's where There's a little bit of a difference in Terms of division three is more I don't Want to out maybe personable rather than Hey you're just a corner on my team Right with my with a with you're one of My 86 scholarships or whatever I have Here you're just that kind of like the Comparison of like hey you go into a Class in a lecture hall right and you're Just a social security number rather Than hey you go into a classroom with 30 Of you and I know your Name right Right right it's Definitely right sry no go go go no no No it yeah no that's that's massive I Mean if there's something that we can we Can preach is definitely a Pro of Playing at the D3 level it is that it's That it's not so much a business Interaction as it is a a personal again You're here because you love the sport
We're here because we love you guys you Know that you know you don't necessarily Now I know some phenomenal I know we all Do phenomenal phenomenal coaches at at At the D1 Pro level that are there Because they love these guys and this is Just like they would do it they would do It for whatever reason they just happen To be massively successful because they Are so good at what they do but if at The D3 level you can say Hey you know It's not just you need to make every Single tackle you approach and you need To you need to score every single run You're running on otherwise uh you know You're putting at risk here that's not What we have at this level this is not So much a a a business as as it is at The higher level um however to to Circle Back around to okay how do we balance That then how do you keep these guys uh Disciplined for lack of a better word Without anything to really okay I can't Threaten your scholarship I can't Threaten your you know you could say h You know as as and we and we do say if If you don't want to be here and you Can't perform at at at the level that This team is asking you to perform at in Order for us to as a group and you're an Eye person you can walk you know and and To to the wrong guys that's not going to Mean much to them if they walked they Walked they didn't need to be here
Anyway you know what I'm saying it's not You don't we don't really we don't Really focus on trying to keep everybody Around and keep everybody in line Because if you're working that hard to Keep a guy playing his game he doesn't Need to be here playing the game exactly You know what I'm saying so it's it but But the guys who do want to be there and Perform and really put their all you Know they want to commit that's who you Want anyway so those guys you don't Necessarily have to ask now are is there Are there situations where we have to Say late to this late to that didn't Show up what are we doing or or in in The classroom class checks you weren't There what are we doing why does your GPA look like this now you're not Eligible for the spring sure you have to I think the only way we really can Approach that is is to successfully is To is to sit down with them and say What's your goal here because if if this Is how you're showing up or not showing Up and this is you're performing and This is what you're doing for your team Or not doing for your team do you want To be here if not we really we're not Gonna make you stay we can't make you Stay we want you here we'll always make That clear if we recruited you if you Have a spot on the team if you're a Returner and you're still playing the
Position you want to be playing you know By the grace of the head coach then we Want you here and we'll always make that Clear but you know we're not here to Discipline you and make you do certain Things in a way to be performing with an Attitude like you don't want to be here You know so that's that's kind of how we Would approach that and I think we're Very open about our family family Culture and family mindset be because That's at the end of the day that's what It is you're going to earn the trust of An athlete um when you're honest with Them and you're genuine with them and at Our level that's what you have to do and That's all you can do because that is What it is you know we're not Necessarily going pro does it happen yes We're not necessarily going Pro you're Not here on A Oh you guys lose me there again you're Back okay so but yeah but you you you Get what I'm saying there right Absolutely no it's fantastic I think That's a great great way to end that was Really really really um that that's Important stuff that family relationship The ability to to develop the Relationship with the players so they Understand um you know what's in it for Them in the long run um while you're Building the team and building the
Culture and and that that's it's great Great great stuff to hear um what can You share whatever before we let you go What's your Twitter handle is probably The right the best way to get in touch With you film and all those kind of Things what what's your Twitter Handle yep so that's Co coach k zck z i K I think it's underscore coach Kore Z c K zck perfect perfect coach thank you so Much for coming on today I I learned a Ton of things um I hope you enjoyed the Podcast and we hopefully see you guys See you soon and go Willy Pay thank you guys so much it was a Pleasure to be here thank you so much Thanks coach appreciate it good luck Thanks coach have a great day see you Coach all right have a good one guys Thank you thank You all right that was great uh lot of Interesting stuff man learn learned a Ton I mean on the D3 level too though You know like talking you're looking at It it's just it's just hard dude you Know what I'm saying what about Mount Union I wonder if Mount Union has those Issues yeah I wonder if uh White waterer Right like I wonder if I wonder if you Whitewater I mean listen I also wonder What amount Union coach gets paid in Comparison to a willly p coach you know I'm not and I'm not just I'm not just Talking assistants I'm like head coach
Too assistant like just staff members in General how many you know Willie P you Know Monclair has three full-time Coaches I wonder how many full-time Coaches are at you know Mount Union That's a good question I I wonder what Mount un you know I mean even uh I mean You look at Keane three full-time Coaches that's it right maybe two G you're talking a roster of aund Something kids and and you're policing It with four guys very interesting well Let's see here So Larry KS who used to be the head Coach right or k k or where we at who we Talking About right he moved on I think I Thought he got I think he might have Gotten a division one job oh okay so This is this is older data but I'm just Trying To I I can't get any I can't I know it At one point in my career I was gonna go Back to Monclair State and I was gonna Help coach the secondary and I would Have taken a pay cut from what I was Making in high School really that's interesting yeah I Don't it's hard to see what yeah you Really can't find that info that's a Tough uh maybe it's a secret well I'm Sure it is although Mount Union is a Private school that might be why right See that might be a different Factor too
Wisconsin Whitewater is not though no Because it's a state school he gets What do he Got he Gets good Question I wonder what he Gets I wonder what he gets look at like A look at a state school here like you Know now um look at like Rowan is Rowan A private university Is so then what about like a we'll do Like a Sunni Courtland Sunni here it says football men's Football men's football that's Interesting I'm looking it up right now And I don't think I find uh by the way Wisconsin Whitewater football team actually loses Money but uh loses money yeah well Listen I think I think I read a stat the Other day that there's only like I want To say maybe 10 or 12 athletic programs In the entire country that make make Something make money majority of them Don't make Anything you know Colorado is making Money I probably have to go to Wisconsin's like employee fund or Something to figure this out go you'd Have to go to like their actual like uh Definitely public record but I'd have to Dig I'd have to dig to get that um Nothing something find in two seconds
While we're on so that was a really good Good podcast good stuff um And yeah yeah yeah it was definitely Definitely interesting I'm running backs Coach she's got it I mean [ __ ] no doubt I mean listen she learned From some of the best so I mean you know What I mean that transition is Definitely you know she started at a High level or whatever and then you know Kind of transition to that you know I'm Just curious to see where it takes her You know is Diaz the DC there or he's Just position no I think he's the DC cool all right let's get rolling till Next time this good podcast really good Stuff very interesting stuff all right Next time make sure you check out Myfootball camps.com D1 promo if you're 2024 guy we get to October and you're Not on we're not I we need to get there Man time is ticking time is ticking we Will see you you all soon and uh till Next time
About Author
