Carousel of Coaching Changes Continues (Part 3)

Intro

SPEAKER_04 0:12

Welcome, welcome, welcome to another episode of In the Crease with Danny and Kevin, a coast-to-coast discussion of eat two men across. I'm your co-host, Kevin Stentrom, and with me as always is a man always on our mind, Danny Moran. Hey Danny. Gone Carolina in my mind.

SPEAKER_03 0:32

One of my favorites, Kev.

SPEAKER_04 0:34

I was gonna ask you this thing. I was up my original uh intro was to have you do a little karaoke, but you you got right into it. Yeah, it's not only you on our mind, it's Carolina, and really conference Carolinas this time around.

SPEAKER_03 0:48

First, before we get into that, how's it going tonight in Northern Virginia?

SPEAKER_04 0:53

It's fall is coming, Danny. Yeah, it's got chilly out, right? Had really got nice weather this weekend, and it just dropped about 10-15 degrees today.

SPEAKER_03 1:03

You know, it's funny that you say that because I did some golfing this weekend. Yesterday was a beautiful day. I got to watch some uh Division I lacrosse yesterday. I watched St. John's, I watched uh Army and Michigan get after it. It was a beautiful afternoon at St. Anthony's High School out in Huntington, Long Island. And then today, I like you said, must be 15, at least 15 degree difference. It's chilly out there. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:30

It's it's a nice day. I love fall when it's right around that 55, 60 degree weather, but you know what's coming next. That's the only problem.

SPEAKER_03 1:38

I can't stand it. I'm such a beach boy, I'm such a summer guy.

SPEAKER_04 1:44

I can't you can't deal with it. Once it starts changing, it's all over. Oh, it drives me mountains. Yeah, you gotta start moving south. That's all there is to it. Soon. Yeah. Okay, well, let's let's talk about this. We just said that. Conference Carolinas. This is a whole Conference Carolinas episode. This conference had four coaching changes this year. If you start at the beginning of the year in January, January 2024. They all have been filled by this recording except for Shorter. They still have not filled their coaching, uh head coaching job. You better get on it soon, man. Yeah, you better get going. But with that said, we do have on this episode the three other newly minted coaches.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Yeah, I'm excited. I'm excited for all of them. But you know what? Conference Carolina's got a good one coming.

SPEAKER_04 2:45

Yeah, we'll talk about that in just a few minutes.

PR Simshauser

SPEAKER_04 2:49

All right, Danny, let's start in Conference Carolinas with the Juwan Hawks. Coach PR Simschauer, he's taken over for head coach Josh, who moved on after five years of being there. The good thing is Coach Simschauer has been there for two years as the assistant. So he before that he had been at Maine Maritime as a defensive coordinator, but he's been at Chihuahua. So there's a lot of stability and continuity with him moving in. So why don't we just bring him in and see how that stability and continuity is going for him? Let's do it. Hey coach, how are you?

SPEAKER_01 3:27

I'm good. How are you?

SPEAKER_03 3:28

Coach Shim Seizer, nice to see you. How's it going? Good, good, good, good. Keeping busy. Congratulations on the uh the bump up. And uh now the hawks are underneath your wing, so to speak. And uh and uh how's it going so far?

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Really good, you know, like um it it's it's been sort of interesting. At times it's kind of weird. Like, I mean, you get used to sort of the family, right? And us sort of having this sort of structure to us, and you know, you know, we said like it's interesting, like I mean, sort of coming back, like I mean that continuity is really important to me. Um, but like you also kind of find like kind of new stuff because I mean, with Josh, I mean, we graduated our biggest senior class. So, like, I mean, now it's kind of this whole room of guys, and we're all together and we all know one another, and the the big focus, and like, I mean, what we keep talking about is you know, what does that next chapter look like? And sort of we're kind of figuring that out, you know. For me, this has really been kind of a follower. It's kind of about sort of experimentation and sort of evolving and sort of seeing what that looks like for us with, you know, I mean, a fair amount of new guys, like, I mean, it's interesting, like, I mean, it's it's there's continuity here in that. Like, I mean, we've we don't have a lot of sort of wholesale changes. Like, I mean, I always sort of when I talk to the folks up the hill, and I mean, we talk about sort of changing at the margins, right? You know, like I love our culture, I love sort of who we are collectively, you know, it's about sort of bringing these new guys in and bringing the guys that are here along and sort of having them take that sort of transition seriously where we are, we're kind of writing that next chapter, which is a really exciting opportunity if we go about it the right way.

SPEAKER_04 5:10

That's interesting, because that was one of my questions was you know, being with Coach Seast for two years, what were you taking from him as the assistant that translates into you or your coaching style? It sounds like there's I'm I'm interested in that, but it sounds like you're also looking at making your own mark as the right way to do it, but you're you're changing some things in how you are different from him as a head coach.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

Yeah, no, and I mean I think that's really where you see it. I mean, you know, working with Josh is was really cool. Like, I mean, Josh is the consummate professional, he's penultimately prepared. Um, you know, I learned a lot from him about that side of it, yeah, especially being a guy that sort of came from somewhere different, comes from a different lacrosse family, right? And like, I mean, I learned a lot about that side of this and sort of how to go about that business the right way. I think where you're kind of seeing changes in us on the day-to-day is really it's more about sort of, you know, you kind of squeeze the balloon and now you sort of see this uh my personality come out more in the practice plan. And it's and that's really more where it is. It's kind of a personality thing and a posture thing, just in how we are different as people, you know, and that's kind of cool. It's been kind of cool. It's been kind of cool to have the guys experience that. Um, but it is, it's really interesting to kind of see like what they mean structurally. I think we're trying to keep that structure and sort of keep um the things that make that have gotten us to this point, right? We're trying to keep that stuff pretty constant.

SPEAKER_03 6:42

How many freshmen you got coming in?

SPEAKER_01 6:44

13.

SPEAKER_03 6:45

It's a nice class, right there.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

Yeah, it's a good class. Um, 36 on the roster, so it's a good number for us. There you go.

SPEAKER_04 6:52

All right. Yeah. You got plenty to practice with, and you got fresh legs uh uh in games, it looks like.

SPEAKER_01 6:58

Yeah, yeah. No, like I mean, one of the things, you know, you think about it sort of chain of custody year to year to year. Like, I mean, you get sort of really excited when you think about sort of the progress we've made and who we've been, and you sort of look at sort of how that roster's kind of evolving in that, like, I mean, we were really excited about our depth in the midfield, right? Yeah, that changes the complexion for us as it relates to sort of our approach and possibly.

SPEAKER_04 7:23

Yeah, it probably changed how you're running the offense because you were a tack heavy team last year with the with the talent you had.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

Yeah, no, I mean, losing the entire country, yeah. It's a it's a lot of points, right? Yeah, those guys are amazing, man.

SPEAKER_03 7:40

Those guys are amazing, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:43

So yeah, that's that's gonna be interesting. Why actually that'll be fun to watch to see that transition. I mean, other schools are going through the same thing. Yeah, now you have also brought in a seasoned assistant coach with Ace Maloney, who was the head coach that Allison brought us. What does that mean for you?

SPEAKER_01 8:00

I mean, for me, it's huge, right? Like, I mean, in the in the process, I very much sort of wanted somebody who had experience and had background. Um, the cool thing about Ace is Ace knows us, right? Like, I mean, he played against Ace, Ace scouted us. Um, what really kind of separated Ace in the selection process was like, I mean, knowing those things about us and knowing us, and he was really, really excited to come on board and sort of work with the guys that we have and sort of work with who we are and sort of participate in that sort of evolution, right? Um, like it's really cool to kind of bring in a guy that has experience like Ace has and sort of get his get an entirely new perspective on us, right? Like, I mean, kind of being in the bunker, so to speak, or in the foxhole with my guys for as long as I have been, um, having a new perspective come in is really helpful.

SPEAKER_04 8:52

Yeah, that's awesome. I would I would think it'd be a huge benefit just from you know see a different pair of eyes for you, it not only in preparation, yeah, but in scouting and teams that he's that you guys should be playing, especially probably more out of conference that are opponents he always hit, right?

SPEAKER_05 9:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:10

I think that'll be really interesting. So let me ask you this. What are you coming in now as a head coach? What are your top priorities for this year?

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Um, you know, that's a cool question. You know, early days yet. Um, but like, I mean, really for us thus far in the early days of fallball, I mean, for me, the focus is the focus really has kind of leaned in towards being more confrontational. So, like, I mean, you see that in our sort of day-to-day, right? We're kind of moving that way from a practice standpoint where we're doing a lot more things that involve what for me is kind of old school New York style, confrontational lacrosse, um, focusing on confidence and decision making. Like, I mean, we've always played really fast, right? And we're known for that. And we do a great job of that. My thing is I want them, I want them feeling confident in those decisions that they're making, insofar as being able to gear up and gear down. I think um you watch sort of the tail of the tape on us and you find that to a degree, um, when you are playing fast like that, you become very sensitive to momentum, right? Momentum going one way or the other way. Right for me, being confident in those decisions and being able to kind of shake it off, or being able to kind of put that work that um throttle up and down is something that we've really kind of focused on um to this point in practice.

SPEAKER_03 10:32

So what is uh uh a regular day for a chow on lacrosse player? You know, six six a.m. uh lifts. What do we got going on in a day?

SPEAKER_01 10:43

Oh, I mean, on a lifting day, they'll be in the facility 6:45, lift at seven. Um they'll be out of there by eight, um, go eat breakfast together, uh, go to classes, they'll be back in the facility out on the practice field. It'll be a tight 90. From there, we go to study hall and it's rinse and repeat.

SPEAKER_03 11:04

Yeah, yeah. Okay. That's a good day. That's a busy day for a student athlete.

unknown 11:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:10

And what do you think about now? I'm sorry, Kevin. Go, go, go. What do you think now about automatic qualifiers in the NCAA and Division II?

SPEAKER_01 11:19

Oh, what do you think? Right? Like, I mean, it kind of adds it adds another layer of excitement to that time of year, right? And you know, we were kind of talking about it earlier. Um, you know, it's a it's exciting for us. Like, I mean, every time that conference tournament or conference schedule rolls around, it's kind of like March Madness, and now it's just that much more uh more um it's that it has that much more gravity to it, right?

SPEAKER_04 11:43

Yeah, 100%. And how are the players responding to that? Are they are they taking that like okay, now I mean, is it an extra incentive for them?

SPEAKER_01 11:51

Oh, I don't know about that. Like, I mean, they're all big games, right?

SPEAKER_03 11:54

So once you get once you get into your conference, man, you know, you want conference games, you want to get into that tournament. So, yeah, you want to get into the conference tournament, you know. Anything can happen, man. Anything can happen once you get it.

SPEAKER_01 12:09

For us, for us in a conference like ours, where you know it's really, really competitive. Um, and every week's a gunfight, right? Like, I mean, we live in a world of 20-meter targets, right? So we don't we don't look too far ahead or too far behind.

SPEAKER_03 12:23

Right.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

We're just moving.

SPEAKER_03 12:25

I love the conference, Carolinas. It's a really good conference, and it's just getting better and better. Like teams like North Greenville are just like getting better, and and and Barton's getting better, and Chawan's getting better. And now Lee's McCrae has John Grant Jr., which has really brought a lot of eyes to the conference this year. Um that's that should be interesting.

SPEAKER_04 12:47

Yeah, and then you add in Young Harris and Shorter, right? So now you've got your typical ones at the top, but you've got a whole layer. You don't have a I don't even think you've got a a top, bottom, a middle, and bottom. You have like a a top right now, and then everyone else is is fighting. So I think there's a whole for the middle, they're all fighting to get to that tournament.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

Yeah, no, it's exciting. I mean, it brings up level of play for the entire conference, right? Yeah. I mean, every week, any week, somebody can get somebody, and like, I mean, and that's sort of like that. I think that I mean, at least on ours, like, I mean, that drives everybody, right? And that that's gonna just make the conference that much better.

SPEAKER_03 13:27

Yeah, I agree, I agree.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

It makes it makes a fun conference a dangerous conference. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 13:33

And and then now with the AQs, it'll be great to see a team from the Conference Carolinas and see what they can do uh in the tournament, you know, in that first round against someone else, or or even if you have a bye in the second round, you know, that'd be just it'll be great to it'll be great to see. I'm really looking forward to that. Yep. So, coach, you talked about kind of on the offensive side, how it's switching and you've got really strength in the the midfield. Is there something on the defensive side? Is there something more that you're you're working on without giving out away any secrets? I'm not scalp you here.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

I think defensively, like the thing I'm most excited about is I think that this is our most veteran unit we've had. Um, so like I mean, we have a lot of guys who played a lot of lacrosse and you know, um have kind of grown in the job, right? So, like, I mean, it's it's it's it's my hope. And I think I mean we're seeing early indications of that that they're the units kind of gelling together, right? And so that's really really encouraging. And you know, in in an era where, like, I mean, you that's not always guaranteed that you're going to have those guys kind of grow into their jobs, right? That's really exciting, and that's something that I'm looking forward to kind of continuing to explore and sort of seeing how they go. But like, I mean, it's been really positive so far. That's a good problem to have, you know. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:53

Yeah, well, coach, this has been awesome having you on. Uh, we really appreciate you coming on the on the podcast with us and and sharing your insights and Chon and what you're doing there. And we wish you the best of luck this coming season. The rest of fallball, a little bit of a break, then we're right into it. We can't wait.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

Yeah, yeah. Thank you so much for having me. Coach, thanks so much for taking the time. You were an awesome guest tonight. Good luck. Uh, congratulations again on the job. And good luck this season. We'll be watching you, Chawan. Thank you. Take care.

Lance Olson of Emmanuel

SPEAKER_04 15:22

All right, Danny. Let's move to the Emmanuel Lions. Now, this coach is actually in his second season, Coach Lance Olson. He's entering the second season, but he was named the head coach after we did our coaching episodes last year, so we couldn't get him on. I reached out to him this year. I asked him if he'd willing to come on, and he was stupid enough to say yes, Danny. He doesn't know what he's in for. But a little background on Coach Olson. He played for the Lions from 2017 to 2020. Then he finished his playing career at Limestone. After that, as a young 23-year-old, he was assistant coach at Montevallo before taking this head coaching position back at his alma mater and took over for Burt Servants, who was his head coach. And so I think that would be interesting to kind of ask him how that that transition kind of went. But why don't we just bring him on right now and see how it's going down there? What do you say? Let's bring him on. Hey Coach Olsen, how you doing? I'm I'm doing great. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_03 16:27

We're doing it. Thanks for coming on, man. Thanks for uh taking the time tonight on that busy schedule of yours and uh coming on the podcast with the two knuckleheads as we discuss coaching, coaching changes in the in the in the uh division two world. Appreciate you taking the time.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you guys having me. It's awesome. I think it's a fantastic way to kind of get a D D2 word out there. I think it's always great.

SPEAKER_04 16:50

Exactly. So, first, congratulations. We didn't get to say it to you last year. Oh, thank you. Uh, and second, like I said in the and tease that you took over for a coach that you played for. So, what was that like?

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Yeah, I mean, a little different, obviously. I mean, being one of the youngest head coaches, I think one of the, I mean, possibly ever a D2. So a little bit of the younger side of the friends, look just slightly on the older side, but um, he was great. I mean, very accepting. I think for him, I know I remember I got hired in the interview pro he put my name in the hat before I even knew, actually. Um, I wasn't really, I wasn't really searching for too many jobs at at Montebolo. Obviously, you're looking as an assistant coach to see what the next great gig is. Um, and Jason Lang does a great job of getting his assistance at great places. So um then I heard he retired, he put my name in the hat. He called me, he's like, Hey, by the way, like you might get an interview. And I was like, I wasn't even looking, but appreciate appreciate it. Um, came to campus, good, uh just went well, uh, molded well with the boys, and then kind of uh coach Severns put a lot of good word in and uh gave me a lot of good advice, especially him being a veteran as many times as he was here. Yeah, uh, so it was it was good. I mean, any advice I can get is a trying to be a sponge at a 26-year-old head coach. So any info is good.

SPEAKER_04 18:00

Yeah, that's awesome stuff, man. That's awesome. That is awesome. That's so cool that he put your name in the hat, and you're like, What?

SPEAKER_00 18:07

Yeah, no idea.

SPEAKER_04 18:09

So then I want to kind of ask, you know, you're playing experience at Emmanuel and Limestone, and then you're coaching at Montevala. What things has that those opportunities done to shape you as a head coach?

SPEAKER_00 18:24

Yeah, I think I think it was a good mixture of and being here and like not not talk coach, uh talk ill about Coach Severins with the coaching staff, they did a good job here at Emmanuel. We were just so new and so young. Um, a lot of a lot of different guys from all over the place. We just didn't have a good uh bedrock of a foundation of a culture, so we kind of struggled a little bit.

SPEAKER_05 18:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:42

Um, and then going from a place like this that was so new and we didn't really have that dynasty of a culture, we're trying to figure who we were out. And then going to limestone, where if you don't do your job, you can kind of kick rocks, you know. So I mean, it's uh it's a pretty great place. I mean, the guys there are incredible, they've had phenomenal players there. Um, I I actually decided to walk on at limestone, but I I didn't even I kind of just told Coach Clark I was coming and he was he was like, sure, whatever, just show up. So um, but good things happened there. I mean, earned my spot, and then a lot of the guys there taught me that what it is to be a great culture and create a tradition and what it's like to have the players run the program. Um, I think that's probably the biggest difference that a lot of people don't understand is that at Limestone, there's so many traditions there from years and years past that the boys kind of just run the culture itself and the coaches do the hard stuff the exes knows and all of that, but they do a good job in stealing it as well. So um, and then definitely going to Montevello is different. Going being, I was I finished playing my last game against Tampa, where that was not the closest of games. It was tough, but uh Tampa won the 90 that year. So it was a good team to lose to. Yeah. Um but yeah, finishing my season in late May and then being a full-time defensive coordinator that fall was uh kind of a tough transition at first. I was a little nervous about the boys not uh letting me get after them a little bit, being not that much older than them. I remember they had seniors my age.

SPEAKER_03 19:59

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

So they were uh they were a little uh weary about me at first, but um my first day there, uh we were doing a fitness test, and Coach Lang had COVID, of course, his first two days of practice, rather than practice by myself the first two days. So talk about getting tossed in the fire. That's right. Uh, but it was good though. It was the best thing that could happen. I didn't I didn't have time to think about who I wanted to be or if I had to like get after him or be too nice, but I just coached him. And um, he did a phenomenal job teaching me everything under the sun from admissions to meetings, committees, coachings. I mean, the dude was an absolute just a resource for life. I mean, he does a great job of developing assistant coaches. So um I think going from there and learning stuff from him because he started that program from scratch, and now they're a 10 game wins a year type of program. He does a great job there. Um, kind of learning from him. So getting kind of the what not to do a lot when I was a player's emmanual, what we really want to get to, like the limestones, and then what we have to do to build it from Montevel, I think, is a great kind of mixture of what kind of needs to happen here for the most part.

SPEAKER_03 20:59

So now you've hit the ground running there, the manual. How's it been so far?

SPEAKER_00 21:04

Yeah, I mean, it's it's been talk about coming in spring is no joke. So um we learned new systems, new culture. I mean, just figuring out the boys when I got here in January was a disaster. I mean, not a disaster, but it was a challenge and a half.

SPEAKER_04 21:19

Um, starting in an in probably four weeks, three or four weeks when you got there, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Yeah, yeah. I mean, when I got here, uh thankfully Coach Dory, he let he let us scrimmage their threes and fours, my first like three weeks here. So we got a good gauge of kind of how to run our systems, and we ended up winning the small scrimmage. Um well, and we didn't want to play their ones, it was the threes and fours, it was good for us. Um uh but the boys won the post on social media, and like we can't do it because then they'll actually play us, and that's not what we want. So it was it it was great though. I mean, we started so quick, and our first couple games were brutal. I mean, we had Newberry on our schedule, we had St. Leo, uh Landor. So it was just a meat grinder first like month. Um, so the boys were definitely trying to play. I mean, we're trying to play super high caliber lacrosse. Uh, they did a good job adapting. I mean, I got to give it to them, having a new coach, doing systems, culture, turns, everything was a 180. We kind of took everything from the past couple years and threw it in a trash can. We're bringing in new stuff. So um they did a good job at it. I mean, the whole season was a good bedrock of who we want to be as a culture, not win-wise, but culture-wise. I think we got a good uh personality being scrappy. Um, we have a whole saying called be a cockroach. So that's kind of like who we are as a team and stuff. So um it's kind of just trying to try to embrace where we are and who we are. But the boys done a great job of kind of just taking it right to the nose, and now we're getting right back after it. So it's been it's been a learning experience, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_04 22:47

So that was actually one of my questions. I kind of pull the thread a little bit more because my question was like, when you came back, what changes did you want to make to the program? It sounds like you just almost changed everything. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_00 23:04

Or um, yeah, I mean, I took I took my uh, I guess one of my big mentors, he's been, I mean, also it happens to be my dad as well, but he coached at like App State, Oklahoma State for Football. He works at the Navy SEALs and stuff. He does a lot of coaches coaches stuff, and we bring him in once a month, talk to the boys about culture building. But um, taking it over, he gave me a uh a great advice about like, hey, when you take over the program, meet with the leaders and ask them what are three things you want to keep and three things you want to get rid of about the program. That way I know maybe there's some truth that I don't know about. Um I did that.

SPEAKER_03 23:35

So interesting. That's interesting.

SPEAKER_00 23:37

Yeah, so we did that in my interview process as a whole, and there was nothing they wanted to keep. So um they didn't really have any traditions or standards and stuff. So, I mean, as far as like even gear, the lacrosse house, the locker room we have now, we did renovations to this as much as we could. Um, just yeah, gear culture. I mean, every I mean, we kind of just completely turned everything around from as how the field looks to how we're playing. So, I mean, it's it was truly we did try and change everything for the most part.

SPEAKER_04 24:05

So that's amazing. So let's move on to what did you learn? What lessons did you learn from that first year because it was uh a whirlwind? Yeah, is there anything you can look back and say, okay, now that we're starting to change it, and you start to talk a little bit about you know the traditions of limestone, now that we're starting to change it, I kind of trying to set that the culture and our playing style, etc. What lessons do you learn that you're gonna try to implement even more this year? Is there something you're trying to build upon this year?

SPEAKER_00 24:43

Yeah, I think we did we did end on a win last year. It was our one.

SPEAKER_04 24:47

There you go.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

So uh we're definitely trying to just make sure that they realize that. I mean, especially in division two, uh, granted, there are great teams like LR, Tampa, those plays. Like we're not playing those teams, but um, I think for them to understand that every every person, every team is free game. Like, there isn't a reason we shouldn't be able to win or hang with them. Um, I think bringing that in from last year. I mean, last year we lost to Barton, I think it was like 15-11. They won our conference last year. We had 23 guys. So I think um things like that, like there were great glimpses of like why shouldn't we win our conference? Um, in years past, like a big issue of oh, it's Belmont Abbey, like it's it's we're gonna lose Belmont Abbey, like, oh, it's Mount Olive, like they're gonna kick our teeth in. I think they did a the boys did a really good job of being like, well, why shouldn't we beat them? Like we're just like we're we're working just as hard, we should do this. So I think bringing that over into this fall is now we got some new guys, we have some more numbers, and now we got a better schedule this coming spring. So I think for them to understand that they yes, a lot of things in the past weren't their fault, but it's our problem. We got to adapt and overcome it. So um I think bringing over the grittiness of like, hey, the last whistle for up by 20 or down by 20, they're freaking diving for runouts or every face-off we got to attack. So I think uh probably the persistence and then also patience. I mean, I think everyone's kind of thought we just turned over in a day, doesn't happen that way. So now so for me personally, patience is everything. Uh, being a younger guy, I want things to be done yesterday. So I gotta make sure that I gotta understand that it's a process as far as like terms, drills, culture, every everything. It's just it takes time.

SPEAKER_03 26:22

Well, sounds like you got it together though, coach. Sounds like you got it together. Yeah, you sound much old, you sound much wiser than your years, let's put it that way.

SPEAKER_00 26:33

So I I am closer to 30 and 20 now, so I'm I'm getting a little older.

SPEAKER_04 26:37

Yeah, there you go. There you go. Yeah, he's he's getting close to our age, Danny. Yeah, yeah. Um, what so you talked about roster size last year, 23? Where are you gonna be at this year, you think? And and you know, roster size isn't always everything, right? I mean, it really depends on how you're how you're using your talent and your skills, right? So I mean, I guess maybe that's a the other side of the story. What what do you see from your roster? Are you growing the numbers? You know, are you need more depth? Do you feel comfortable where you're at? And it's all a building process. Like you said, it's not gonna happen in one day. So just kind of get your your thoughts on that.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

Yeah, definitely. I mean, we're definitely not jumping to 40. Uh, we're still around that 23 spot as of right now, but for the spring, we're almost at 30. So we've uh we got some can, yeah, we got some Canadians and stuff coming in uh mid-semester. So hopefully that'll kind of shoot up our roster size. Um, I think not so much depth-wise, but just the efficiency and practice. I mean, we can't, you can only do so many drills and schemes with 20 guys and 23 guys. So um, I I think that's the biggest change we'll have in the spring, is just I know me and uh and Coach Penna, he's been an amazing hired. He played a Keneshius, we just hired him in January July. So just for him too, we're trying to get that like Kenesha's and the limestone pace of practice, but we also gotta realize that okay, we can't kill the kids for two hours with 23 guys. So we gotta kind of balance that. Like they're getting more reps.

SPEAKER_03 28:02

Is Coach in the room with you right now? Is he uh he headed home?

SPEAKER_00 28:05

Yeah, he actually headed home.

SPEAKER_03 28:07

I was gonna say, you know, why Kenesius is in in in New York? Because Canada didn't want it.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

Yeah, yeah, he always all the boys have already given him a lot of shit on uh kind of the whole Kinesis thing. So it's been it's going good, but he's he's young, he's 24, I believe. So he had a hops in a drill every now and then and kind of kind of reminds the boys who he is. So which is good, which is already good.

SPEAKER_04 28:28

Yeah, all right, good that's awesome. That's awesome. So what are you looking for when you're recruiting a player? What are you looking for?

SPEAKER_00 28:37

So the biggest thing for me, I think, is recruiting a player that he wants to make a difference. Um, I think for us personally, it's it's a really big ask for an 18, 17-year-old to come to a program and say, hey, we're we're we're not where we're at, but we want to get here and we want you to be that person we can use to get there. So um I think especially guys that are high character, especially with the low numbers that we do, we are very close in a family. Um, but guys that want to make the big difference, they want to be, they want to grind, obviously. It's no, it's no uh we're not at Tampa, we don't got resorts out here. We're covering Franklin Springs. So um it's a little greasier up here, but uh but let make sure that they really want to get after it, the hard workers, um, especially the guys that are diving for runouts, their ground ball machines. Um, I think just finding those guys that are just absolute just cockroaches getting after it. They could play you in the parking lot and they don't care. So I think we need guys like that. But we had that kind of mentality a lot. It took us a far way.

SPEAKER_03 29:31

So what's a typical day for an Emmanuel Lacrosse player? What's he do? Six o'clock wakeups, is he running? Is he lifting at six? So what is he doing?

SPEAKER_00 29:41

Yeah, we got um, I mean, we lift three days a week at 7 a.m., 7:30. Uh, we have an old gym on campus and a wrestling gym. It's a little hot in there because the wrestlers like a toasty so they can lose weight. So um boys coming after it. But um I usually lifts at 7, 7:30 a.m. They have classes uh up until usually 3, 3:45. And then we have practice uh in the afternoon from rather four to 5:30 or usually five to like 6:15, 6:30. Um, but we don't have classes on Fridays here. So we actually get to go early on Fridays for practice and Saturday, which makes life really easy here. So um, but yeah, not not too much, but but enough to keep you busy for sure.

SPEAKER_04 30:18

That's awesome. Yeah, so this is your recruiting uh advertisement right now. Why Emmanuel? Tell us why Emmanuel. What what what are the what are the things that brought you there? And what you know what are besides looking for those gritty guys, which we always love to have on the podcast, gritty players. So tell us about Emmanuel.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

Yeah, I I think I always tell, especially the 2025 class and the boys that came here in the 24 class. I mean, what I don't think there is a more perfect scenario for a young guy to come in. I mean, we're we're I mean, you could be the guy. Anyone could be the guy for us. So I think that you can only go up, and especially with automatic bids coming in the Comps Carolinas, um, I think there's great opportunity here. Um, I think I don't think our conference isn't possible. We're not playing teams that have won four national championships, like in the SAC.

SPEAKER_05 31:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:11

Um, obviously, obviously, we do have good programs. Belmont Abbey, Mount Olive, NGU, all the tournaments, they're phenomenal guys. They've done a really good job here. Um, I just I'm excited about the automatic qualifier. I think it's great. But for us too, especially, I mean, we're reamping everything. We're going, I mean, all Nike this year, all the pretty uh me, me and Coach Penna are young guys, so the boys got to look good if they want to play good too.

SPEAKER_03 31:31

So see, that's great, man. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 31:34

So I mean, I think just coming in at a perfect opportunity where we're turning everything around, you can be a part of kind of the history of, hey, we were the guys that changed the program when no one else could. I think that's something that a lot of guys can't say. I think it's awesome to go to those amazing programs like Wingate, LR, limestone. I did it personally because I was trying to chase um that kind of the whole, I mean, that the national championship and stuff. I think with uh D2 growing and with us being in Northeast Georgia, we're 35 minutes from UGA. I mean, you get that nice SEC school feel, but you also get to see an athlete. So yeah, um I think it's really best of both worlds. I think you get to play a lot. Um, there's great opportunity here. I think that you can come here right away and be that guy if you want to be that guy. Me and Coach Penn are younger. We know what it's like to be a player almost like two or three years ago. Um, we get the whole, and I like the whole social media aspect of everything, how the gears gotta look, travel, the food, um, kind of what they go through in their lives. I think being younger coach, we kind of have an advantage over a lot of older guys that uh don't really understand what the kids are going through. I mean, there's so much awareness on everything these days. So, I mean, their heads are exploding.

SPEAKER_03 32:39

Exactly. 100%, 100%.

SPEAKER_00 32:42

I think I think we got a nice little gem going on here. It's gonna take time, but I mean, I mean, there's only unlimited opportunities for any kid that wants to come here. And we always, me and Coach Penn talked about the younger, whoever is the best guy will play. We don't do the whole, oh, he's been over seven years, so he has to play regardless. But I mean as the younger guy comes in, he can play if he's the best guy. So I think there's there's so much opportunity and excitement here. And I think the boys they've done a good job being excited about it too, which is which goes a long way.

SPEAKER_03 33:09

That's awesome, coach.

SPEAKER_04 33:10

Great, well said, my man. Yeah, fantastic. We are really excited. First of all, we're really excited you came out on the podcast and actually talked to us. Second of all, yeah, we're really excited to see where Emmanuel goes, where you bring this program, where you raise the bar so that Conference Carolinas is a really, really tight competitive all across the field from all the teams. Because I think you're right. I think the AQ is is gonna help and excite the teams like yours to try to get to that level. So thank you so much for coming on. We really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 33:43

Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you guys having me on. It's been a blast. You guys think you're doing doing good things, bring the D2 name out there. It's fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 33:49

Coach, you were great tonight. Everyone, I wish you nothing but luck this uh this year. We'll we'll be watching and uh we'll be talking about Emmanuel, I'm sure, on the podcast. And all the best of luck to you. We really appreciate you taking the time tonight coming on. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 34:04

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you again. I appreciate it.

John Grant, Jr.

SPEAKER_04 34:08

The last coaching change in Conference Carolinas was probably, Danny, the shot heard round the lacrosse world. And that was when Hall of Famer John Grant Jr. was announced as the new head coach of the Lees McCrae Bobcats. And Danny, he probably doesn't want me to rattle these off, but truly his accomplishments are mind-bending to me. Like mind-bending. I said Hall of Fame, three Hall of Fames, National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame, Major League Lacrosse Hall of Fame, University of Denver Delaware Hall of Fame. Now get this. Five-time MLL champion, five-time NLL champion, three-time MVP, five-time world champion, three-time MLL MVP, two-time All-American, two-time NLL MVP, US ILA National Collegiate Player of the Year, US ILA National Collegiate Attackman of the Year. And then add to that, he's coached as an assistant for Air Force Academy and Johns Hopkins as a current coach for the PLL California Redwoods. But I don't even think that's the most impressive to me. Because when I reached out to him to come on this podcast, he was getting ready for a Redwoods game. This is late summer. And he took the time, probably a couple hours before the game, to shoot me, this little old podcast producer, and say he would come on. Which that's number one, I I thank him for that. Number two, while we're trying to coordinate dates, Hurricane Helene comes through and decimates Lees McRae. And still he was willing to take the time to come on this podcast. So, coach, we could not be more grateful for you coming on. Thanks for joining us.

SPEAKER_02 35:59

Thank you, Coach. Well, I well, I do have a little more time on my hands not being on campus. So um, you know, technically the fall, especially October, is probably gonna be college coaches' busiest time with what recruiting, yeah, wrapping up fallball. But uh, you know, I haven't been on campus for a couple weeks now. So I I'm glad you guys were patient enough to to wait for uh an opening for both of us.

SPEAKER_04 36:24

Well, we appreciate that. So just for our listeners, I know we talked about it off podcasts. Can you just uh tell us how things are going at Lee's McRae and how your team is faring through this uh recovery?

SPEAKER_02 36:35

You know, you you talk teamwork, you talk culture, you talk all those things, and obviously through tragedies, like you you hear constant stories about you know people going above and beyond the Call of Duty and families getting together and neighborhoods getting together. I really felt and I was away from campus, um, I was kind of warned to not go the day that it came in. But I I I went probably 48 hours without hearing from pretty much any of them. Um obviously we were getting word that Aline was basically just running ramshot through that whole part of North Carolina and even into eastern Tennessee where I live. Um and if it wasn't for the two kids, two freshman kids on my team that are volunteer firefighters for the city of Banner Elk, who basically spent the 48, 72 hours without sleeping, basically rescuing people, water rescues, regular rescues, and they were obviously had a generator at the at the fire hall was able to keep their phones going. And so they were usually they were I was basically using them to get any information from my guys, but we had kids that lived off campus that were cut off from like wow, and our guys went and tracked them down, got them, brought them back. One, you know, a tree fell on one of our juniors' houses and his Jeep, and we phone to call anybody, but our guys went out and found them and brought them all together, and you know, by the grace of God, they're all safe, and you know, I just kept hearing stories from these guys. I had a Zoom with them basically a week or so after because I you know everyone kind of got where they needed to go, and a bunch of guys are housing other students. We got guys from Alberta and stuff, like you know, the flights there and back, it's just too much. So yeah, right, right, you know, but all I was concerned with was like my guys, and you know, I obviously care about the community at large, but these guys are under my care, right, right. I felt so helpless to not be able to do anything, you know, not even alert the family's nothing, and um these guys just you know were so awesome throughout this thing, and I'm getting notes consistently from about how these guys were helping people um on campus and in the community. So it was pretty crazy to see the stuff that we've been focused on since I took the job basically in July. I wasn't really focused on building lacrosse skills at this point, it was just in instilling a culture of teammate first, community first. And it showed already that the these kids are are going that direction. So I I was pretty happy through the the chaos and the tragedy that our boys kind of really bonded together and and went above and beyond for other people. So you know, you look for silver linings at times, and and that for me was was a big thing, but yeah, it's it was scary. Uh, I never I know when one kid called before it happened, he goes, Coach, we could be in trouble. I'm like, we're way too far to get literally in the mountains.

SPEAKER_04 39:51

That's what everyone was thinking, coach.

SPEAKER_02 39:52

Yeah, how is Helene gonna get us in the mountains? But I obviously not a geography guy or a meteorologist by any means, but yeah, I guess you know, four months of rain and 24 hours will do it. Um but you know, we're getting news that the campus is getting rebuilt and the city's getting rebuilt and donations are pouring in um to help with that. So this country is very resilient, you know, it it it puts a lot of things in perspective, and you know, a couple areas that we were looking to live as a famil as a you know, as a family. I'm a ninth ninth grader, um, got washed away. So I let my wife kind of choose where we were gonna live, and sure enough, we had a couple branches in our yard and that was it. So, you know, we're the lucky, we're a lucky family. A lot of people aren't aren't so lucky, but uh you know we just gotta start to focus on what to do and how we're gonna get back once we, you know, it's kind of that second chance sort of thing, right?

SPEAKER_03 40:52

And not everyone gets that, so it's it's quite the welcome, huh? You come down, you take the job at least McRae, and then this whole sack of shit falls into your lap. And I mean, that's gotta be tough, man. And and you said the kids have been resilient, and that's that's great. So when are you looking to get back on campus and get things going again, coach?

SPEAKER_02 41:11

Well, I mean, nothing's been guaranteed, but the the powers that be have have let us know um, you know, early November is a potential time. I mean, I had you know, selfishly, I had visits from transfers and recruits, yeah, all lined up before the you know the the November drive season being begins. I'm trying to get this kind of class full for next year, um, as we're a very small roster, so I need kind of a big group to come in, and I've had to put all that on hold. Um, I myself had a had an Airbnb rented for the weekend at Beach Mountain because I had some kids coming to campus and I didn't want to do the long drive, so I figured I'd treat the family to a little little staycation, but we didn't get up there, and we're fortunate we didn't because you know I know people up in beach were stuck up there for a while, but I'm not getting too much on their plates right now. They're they're back to online school. I think there's probably a lot of PTSD for everybody. Yeah, I I took a new job during COVID at Hopkins, and you know, the first three months or four months of of being a Hopkins coach, I was living in Colorado. So wow, yeah. Um, trying to teach and instill a culture and and get to know kids over the computer is is impossible. And right, of course, double ass and all that. So I I feel like we're back to that. Fortunately, um my job experiences in the past have have prepared me for this. I had a high hybrid prep school program that I started last year as kind of a you know, to see if it would work type of thing, and had 25 kids from across North America, and we did everything remote until we landed together at a certain place to practice and almost all like fly in, practice, play, practice them, play. And yeah, so I've got that kind of down. It's not what I want, but like I said, you we get to do this, and you know, I'm we're decided to instill that. And any of the guys that are coming in after the holidays for second semester, they're not really missing any insight. No, it's the fall for me is fundamentals, anyways. It's not really uh you know, it's not rocket surgery, as they say. You know, we won't be putting any schematic stuff in until the new year, anyways. But I may I may just do that just as because we have the time, so and it's all sitting there, I've got it all stored, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 43:37

It's like right ready to break open.

SPEAKER_02 43:40

Yeah, right. I just gotta change the, you know, I gotta luckily I learned how to PowerPoint last year. These guys would be struggling, uh listening to me for an hour at a time.

SPEAKER_03 43:54

Let me ask you, Coach, what what drew you to Lise McCrae? I mean, you've got such the background and Probably could have gone to went to a lot of places. But what drew you to Lees McCrae? Because I gotta be honest with you, we had Brad Dunn, who was Elise McCrae's coach a couple of years back, and he was an alumni, and he was such a bobcat that in his office it was painted green and yellow behind it, like he was a bobcat. And when he was talking to us, he was telling us about because I had never been to you know Banner Elk, North Carolina. And he was telling us what a beautiful place it was and what the school meant to him. And I always kind of had this, he was like one of our first guests when we first started the podcast. And I had this like warm feeling about the guy. I was like, man, what a really good guy. He's got a thing going up there. He was getting the team better. Then he left, whatever. And then that team has always struggled over the years with numbers and stuff like that. And again, what drew you to to Lees McRae?

SPEAKER_02 44:53

Well, that's a good question. And trust me, that's the one that the one I've been getting the most.

SPEAKER_05 44:59

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 45:00

The players, first of all, when they were like interviewing me, like, what do you why are you doing this kind of thing? Like, even the CFO, his kid plays college across, and he was kind of like didn't really know who I was. But then once his he like told his kid over like dinners who he was interviewing, the kid was like freaking mouth drop.

SPEAKER_05 45:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:17

So of course, then he got on there and started Googling. But I I wanted to take a program over that needed to be built. Um, gotcha. I've learned in my experience now of coming into two programs where the coach has been removed and trying to fill shoes of somebody else. Um, it's very challenging just to put your own culture in, but then you know, now you're you're basically looking kids in the eyes that you haven't recruited and telling them you're just you're not it, you're not, and then you're replacing them right away, and then they're not it. And they had a guy that they've been talking to since they were like ninth grade, who they've like loved. It's been like father figure type stuff, and yeah, you know, I I likened it to like a divorce, like I was the stepdad, they kind of love dad, and they I'm just like they're not really wanting to play for you, and it it just I didn't really want to step into another one of those. Um, and turns out I am like I was as a player, kind of uh a control freak. Um, I really I looked at some OC jobs, but I felt like I'm you know I'm near 50 years old, like I've got to grab a program, take it over, mold it in in my image, and actually use the 45 years of lacrosse experience. And I so I was looking at some D2s just for several reasons the ability to stack, right? Academic and you know, athletic, and really go after kids that most often are kind of overlooked or they're late bloomers. I and I was telling you guys off off the record there, I I was one of those. I didn't think I was gonna go to college to play lacrosse. I was drafted actually to play pro-lacrosse before I did it, but you know, I fumbled around some junior colleges pretty immature, and I had some people that took a chance on me and made sure I didn't, you know, blow it. And I owe Schilling Law and Cochet a lot for sticking with me, um, where a lot of people would not have. And I feel I've got to pay that back and um pay it forward, so to speak, is and I think this gives me that opportunity. There's a program there, there was a a small amount of kids. It wasn't like I was inheriting a roster of 60, right? Which to be honest, I think is very, very tough to do what I want to do and to have personal, solid, trusting relationships. It's hard to do that with 60 people, it'd be right. Um so that part was important. So looking for a program that I could kind of take over, start from scratch, and there were several that I was looking at that hadn't started yet. Um, but after talking to the VP Kevin Phillips, who also just coaches basketball because he loves to coach, right? Um, you know, the I put my application in on like a Tuesday at four. He emailed me two hours later. I was on a Zoom the next morning, I was on a plane two days later. Wow. Um, obviously the campus is the one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. It's like sit smack dab in between two ski mountain, like you can see the slopes, right? Right either direction. Um, it's very small, but it's very safe. And I I want to recruit kids and let families know that you know I'm trusting my daughter at this place. I have a ninth grader who's gonna be in college in three, four years. And you know, I'm like, I could see my daughter Gabby going here and feeling completely safe in you know, saying goodbye and seeing her, you know, at the holidays. Um then then then like that was all part of the the initial poll to go. And then once I got there, driving around, and the VP just kept apologizing for all the construction. I'm like, don't apologize for that. Like, I'm taking mental notes, like you guys are building right new new dorms and new building here, and Commons is new. And I'm like, you know, a lot of schools and unfortunately are are you know shutting their doors and being bought out by other schools and closing their programs. And I'm like, you're telling me you guys are on the verge of like building and and building fast and wanting lacrosse to be the marquee attraction at this place, so the that growth mindset and and wanting to build something big was very aligned with with him, and then ultimately the president and you know the ad got hired just right after me, and you know, he was a football coach for 30 years, and the VP's in the hall of fame for coaching, and the the president isn't you know an athletic guy, and like with the students, like it was people that I knew would understand me, would understand my strengths, and put up with which will be a few weaknesses for me as far as like the administrative side of of coaching, you know, coaching unfortunately, and I know this isn't just X's and O's, it's yeah, it's a lot of other things, and that that's what I needed to learn the last couple of years since I'd left the college game. Um, that's what I've been preparing for, you know, taking a team across North America and travel and food and all that stuff. Yeah. Um I felt I did that in two years, and I had a rocky year with this like hybrid thing. It just there was a lot of things getting thrown at us, and I felt like it was time. My daughter was going into ninth grade, so it was a tough transition for her, no matter what, but it's easier in ninth grade than 10th or 11th or 11th. Yeah, I felt like if we didn't do it this year, then we weren't doing it for four years, and I I feel like it would have been past me by then. Um, but yeah, this this this school wants to give me every resource to to succeed. Um, it's a good group of kids that are there. Um, they got a lot of learning to do when it comes to lacrosse, but you can't teach quality kids, you can't teach it. You can try, but there's got to be an inherent, like wholesome nature about you, and I feel that with this group, and they want to learn, and they're always yelling at me when practice is over, and they're they're a sponge. And I was able to bring in a bunch of my own kids, and that was important to me. Um, where I've got like the ability to over the next two years bring in 25-30 kids that I've kind of handpicked myself, right? Um, you know, I don't like to lose. Um, I don't plan on it, so you know, I I think I'm going to make great strides early, and it's gonna be challenging, but uh I I've never really backed down from that, and I I can't wait to to get going.

SPEAKER_03 52:28

Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_04 52:28

Conference, Conference Carolinas is a tough conference, big conference, you know. Let let me ask you this, coach. You mentioned a little bit resources, recruiting, and is part of your resources also are you gonna have a coaching staff? Other are you gonna be able to do that? What does that look like to you? Um, let's start with the coaching staff. Are you gonna be able to to bring in an assistant or anything like that?

SPEAKER_02 52:52

Well, that I mean that was all part of the interview process when you know, budget-wise, when I was going to be able to get a full-time assistant, if I was going to get one. Grad, you know, I'm going up against programs that have four or five coaches and grad assistants and team managers. It was me. And I started the job in July and went to a showcase within the first couple of days and been doing everything on my own, but I feel like I needed to. Um just I, you know, I don't want to take this job and then just offload a bunch of the jobs to somebody else. And I also wanted to find someone that wanted to be there as bad as I did, and I didn't reach out to anybody, um, didn't put the job on the market, didn't do anything. I was kind of hoping and praying that someone would know that I was there and I reach out who kind of went after me and the job, like, you know, and for what reasons. And yeah, I've got a young man that's got experience um that went off when he felt like he needed to do more and and join the military for for some time and now is back to coaching and wants to start a uh you know, a young family and has some experience in the area, but he he pursued me pretty hard. And it's kind of how I recruit, too. Like, I'll let a kid know I'm very interested, but I don't call every day, I don't text every day, like making or begging someone to be somewhere, like there's it generally doesn't work, especially at this day and age. Like, you know, and I've lost kids and maybe even some coaches by doing so, but I know that this young man wants to be there and he wants to learn and he wants to grow, and he ultimately wants to to be a head coach sometime, and you know, and there's not a lot of people giving him a chance, and I felt that way myself. Lee's McRae's giving me a chance, I'm gonna give him one. I haven't been able that all was supposed to happen in the last couple weeks. Uh, the young man was about to drive cross-country to come to Banner Elk, but you might you might you might want to hold off, I said, but uh, you know, I haven't introduced him to the team. I like I I'm trying not to you know bother the people at the school, but like, where's this and where's that? And I need this and I need that, like these coworkers of mine have lost their houses and yeah, are living in I don't know, so I'm trying to to temper my enthusiasm by just having a little bit of you know sympathy for for what they're going through. And I just kind of told the guy, like, I want I want you in, and you know, the first kind of 10 minutes after I told him that he's the right guy, he's sending me kids, and I'm like, Whoa, whoa, whoa! Like I gotta make sure my kids are like honestly, I hate to say but safe and yeah, yeah. So, but I'm excited about them. Um, that I'm gonna have a grad assistant most likely next year. There's part of the reason I chose Lee's, too. They're they have a really they've just amazing majors for me in what I want to build for team teammates, team like building teammates is what I want to do. I'm using us to do it, you know. Criminal justice is a very strong program, they're gonna go off and serve serve the people, uh, you know, athletic training and teaching and wildlife rescue, and yeah, like these guys all want to be servants of the community. And I'm like, okay, well, I I love I wanted to be a teacher when I was young, so there's some parallels to what I think is a way to do it. Um, and there's a coaching minor, so I plan on having the kids in the coaching minor and you know elevate to grad assistant, right? Grad assistants are gonna coach up the coaching minor kids and basically train them up to take over, you know. Grad assistants are there for one year, and then there's gonna be a new one, and and and kind of use the school and the resources of the school to um to build that. And um, I I'm hopeful that that'll pay off, but right now I don't have a ton of kids, I don't need a ton of help.

SPEAKER_04 57:15

All right, let me let me ask you this, coach. You hit on a few things, and I'm sure because of Hurricane Helene, maybe some of this has shifted. But what are your first priorities as you look at Lee's McCrae lacrosse and what you're trying to build?

SPEAKER_02 57:33

Um, well, it's two parts bringing the right kids, which is challenging, bringing kids into a team that hasn't won any games and yeah, I don't know when you're gonna change that though.

SPEAKER_03 57:44

I think just with your pedigree alone, you know. I would be excited. I would be excited if John Grant Jr. was talking to me, you know. I'd listen.

SPEAKER_02 57:53

Yeah, the kid, I you guys might be a little more gung-ho about that than the kids. Um I'm getting a little long in the tooth. My my YouTube videos are getting a little grainy, but um I I I'm more hoping my passion and love for the game and mentorship is what draws them in. I mean, I think X's and O's, that that's that's the easy part. But I brought in some five quality kids with me basically as I took the job, had them on campus, I've already coached them. They were my previous program, so I knew I had the right kids, not just on the field, right?

SPEAKER_04 58:30

But off culture-wise, yeah, everything that you're looking for.

SPEAKER_02 58:33

Yeah, five kids out of 20 is that you know, I'm not gonna get what percentage that is because yeah, probably get it wrong and look like an idiot, but uh I know they're the right fits. One of them's gonna is a captain already for the fall. And I I've never cared that you don't need to be a senior or don't care what grade you are. If you're a leader, you're a leader, right? So that was like the foundation I needed to bring in, and then I needed to find out who at on the current roster wants what we want. And if you don't, then we'll go down. Like we, I think I took the program over with 19 kids, brought in five, or at 24. You know, we're we're down three or four. There's kids that don't don't want to for whatever reason, they just want the right fit. Um, so the first part of what I was trying to do is find the right group that wants to to dig in and do everything they can to put the program first, and the second thing is to just recruit those kids, yeah. Quality character kids over talent, talent can be created. Like it's very as you guys know, your parents too. You know, you can take your kid out in the backyard and teach him it behind the back, but the harder part is does he say please and thank you? Run your coaching, exactly even to your own family like like that old school manner, manners and matters.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:02

And I'm all for that, I'm all for it, man.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:05

And if you can focus on just being a great kid and you know, a beacon of like just awesome for your community, and we have a small campus, like reputation wasn't great, I'm not gonna lie, but we're we've changed it already. And you know, once we start winning, I know there's gonna be more gravitational pull to us because we do have everything, we have a great campus, we have the ability to do a lot of things. But I tell our recruits, what do you like to do? Like, my first question is like, what do you like to do on the field? I'm like, what do you do? Like, what do you like doing when you're not playing? You know, you're right, you'll get the kids thinking it's a trick question, like, oh, I hit the wall. I'm like, Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, okay, here you do. Um, like what's the second thing? Yeah, like I played lacrosse for 400 years, and I'm telling you, when I was a teenager, I didn't play every day. I played for three months. The rest of the time, I did other things, I had hobbies, right? Things that I'd love to do. Like, what is it that you'd like to do?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:05

Right, right, right. That narrows the search pretty quick because we have some things that other campuses don't, but we also have we're lacking certain things that some kids are looking for, which is good because that's partly why I chose the place I did, because it eliminates a little bit of what some of the kids are looking to do, which is you know, I never understood why kids wouldn't want to go to Battle Rock, but first of all, it's beautiful up there, it's just an amazing, beautiful part of the country. The weather is outstanding, you know. You get you get the like you said, skiing and like snowboarding kids are into that kind of stuff. And I just could you know, I would say to Kevin, I just don't understand what is it about that school that makes it struggle. You know, I just I just didn't know what it was. I think it's all gonna change. I mean, it's very exciting when you know we we do this podcast strictly about Division II lacrosse. And when we found out you were coming to Lee's McCray, Kevin and I were just like, wow, this is big. This is like a big thing. And um, I just think it's gonna change things at Banner Elk. And I like I like you said earlier, I don't think it's gonna take too long before you start being consistently competitive.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:18

Well, it if it if I try to do it quickly, it'll it won't it won't last. Like there's a way to do it. I mean, we're gonna instantly be better. I I'm I know that um to get where I need to go, like throwing everything at it this first year and bringing in like 20 new kids and right, right blowing the budget and doing all that, it's not sustainable.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:46

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:47

I I've seen programs, I play for a program that did that. You know, every four years you load up a class and make a run, and then you the right type of kids are gonna want to be here, and I know we're gonna win because let's be honest, no one wants to go to a no matter what they want to do, they want to ski and fish and enjoy a small campus and the majors, right? But you haven't won a game in a decade. You're not gonna go. Yeah, you know, you can go, there's other campuses that are gorgeous that win games. Um, but you also have kids that want to go to programs that all they do is win and they're just happy getting their ring and their jacket, and they don't really want to do any work, and there's rosters of 70, 80 people that are proving that. Um, it's true, it's true, and I'm gonna compete with that, and that's fine. Um, but what I tell every kid and even their parents, I don't talk to the parents a lot because it's not about them. Um, is what what is the campus of the competing school? What do they do when they're not practicing? Well, they're in the library. I'm like, yeah, yeah. What what is there to do there? Because if there's nothing to do, we all know what they're going to do.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:59

We're all grown men. We understand it. I'm pretty honest with the parents. I'm like, I know what they're going to do. We at least have a ton of options, right? That are better opportunities for them and more healthy ones. And you know, when there's nothing to do, you fill your time, and we've all been there. COVID proved that. Um that that was a very attractive part to me, is like there's just so much to do, and um, I'm gonna give them the ability to do it. The fall, we don't we don't practice, train, we don't do anything on the weekends. I want them to their battery, enjoy the hikes and the mountains and all the other stuff that we have. It's stupid to have it all and not let them do it, right? And then I get the well, what about injuries? Well, I had a kid at Hopkins get hurt because his flip-flop broke on a curb. Like, I've had a guy at Air Force that you know broke his ankle playing hoops at Chris.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:58

Like, yeah, it can happen anytime.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:00

It can happen anytime. I mean, I could get hurt tomorrow at Hobby Lobby, who knows? Like um, the reason I said that I was just there, but anyways, um I it's got everything, and and I I appreciate that you guys understand that now it's just now we got to prove everyone that it's the place to be on the field.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:20

Yeah, and I think, coach, kind of going on what Danny said and what you're saying, like and trying to build, like you said, you can't do it overnight, it's not the right model. You know, personally, I would love to see Lee's McCrae this year be more competitive against the teams they play. Maybe not win, maybe win a couple games, but you don't have to win every game. But if you're more competitive, the games are closer, you you're you're just inching along. And then year two or year three is where you start to make that that mark, and you're putting a mark on the conference Carolinas. It just we talked to some other coaches, new coaches coming in, and there's nothing better than creating more parity in your conference, especially. With automatic qualifiers now.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:03

Oh, that was part of my decision process too. And the first thing I did was improve our schedule. You know, um having teams not want to play us because it crushes their RPI.

unknown 1:06:16

Right.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:17

I don't, I don't, that's not the kind of program I want to have. Like I want, I want teams to play us because win or lose, it's going to be tough. Right. It's going to be a grind for them. And it's not going to crush their RPI. Like, I want this conference Carolina to grow and I want it to be, you know, the premier conference in the country. And I know there's some neighboring conferences that have that title. Well, it's it's up to us to go and change that. And not doing it with the the schedule they had wasn't a way. I'd rather lose, I'd go rather go 0-15 against really good opponents than to win a couple games here and there and not help us or the conference or anyone we're playing. So right, you you don't you don't improve by winning, you improve by losing. But we will win games. Um, I love it. I love it. And uh, you know, how soon do we win a lot of games? We'll we shall see. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:10

I'll tell you what, coach, this has been great. I really appreciate well, Danny and I both really appreciate you coming on, taking the time to talk about what you're doing at Lee's McCrae. Like we said, we really have been watching this school ever since Coach Dunn and then which is Coach Shingleton. We had them both on. We really think Lees McCrae offers a lot academically, like you said, different majors. It's not just, and we would love to see the lacrosse match what the school has other things to offer because that would be just so great for the Conference Carolinas and for D2 in general. So, really, thank you for coming on tonight.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:46

Thanks for having me, Coach John Grant Jr., new head coach Elise McRae. Thanks so much for taking the time, coach. We really wish you the best of luck this season, and uh we'll be watching for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:58

All right. Enjoy it. Look forward to seeing you guys again.

Shout outs

SPEAKER_04 1:08:01

Danny, that was a really great segment with all three coaches and ending with Hall of Famer John Grant Jr.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:10

Oh man, that was great. It was great. I think Lees McCrae's got a great coach coming there. I think, I think things are going to be changing at Lees McRae quickly. You know what? That's a school that needed it. It needed a shot in the arm like that. And you know what? The Conference Carolinas has always been a good conference, Kev. I've always enjoyed the teams that come from the Conference Carolinas. And uh I'm looking forward to the season with all these coaching changes. It should be interesting.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:37

I agree, I agree. I think Coach Olson at Emmanuel's bringing a fresh new young perspective. Coach Simshauser at Chuans, keeping the stability, doing some of his own changes. And like you said, Coach uh John Grant Jr., just a boost in the arm for that program would be great to see. For the program at the conference and division two. I mean, it's a biggie. Yeah, I agree. All right. Shout outs. Shoutouts! Do you have any shout-outs uh this week?

SPEAKER_03 1:09:07

I have one shout-out, Kevin. Okay. Um, I want to shout out to my son's good friend. They played high school and club ball together, played at St. John's. He's uh a midfielder and attacked many plays both. I went to watch him play for the first time. He's been injured for the last two years, Kev. Oh, wow. But uh, like I said at the top of the show, I went to go see St. John's play Army and Michigan in a three-way scrimmage. It was really great. And I just want to give a shout out to my boy Adrian Novak. He's a good player, man. He was solid, he had one and one. He's coming back from an injury. And, you know, his parents are so nice. The great people on the clearies were there, whose son Matt plays at Manhattan College. And the three of us were all Kellenberg, high school lacrosse dads hanging out, watching one of our own. We kind of we think we think of him as our own, you know. That's awesome. And watching him play, you know, high-caliber ball. So shout out to the Novaks, my boy Ed and his son Adrian, who played great. Keep it up, boys. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:12

I've got one as well, and this is now we're hurricane number two. When our episode dropped, where we talked about Hurricane Helene, the day it dropped is when Milton came through Florida. And so we're recording this episode just a few days, five, six days after the hurricane came through. And although it was not as bad as predicted, and there was some sigh of relief, especially through the press, it still was a category three, and people were affected. We reached out to all the D2 coaches to see how they're doing. Some of them uh did okay, a lot more on the East Coast, those like St. Leo and Tampa, obviously, more uh more affected, and so a lot of families are still affected, you know. So look, just like we said uh for Hurricane Helene, there's a lot of help that needs to be out there. Our thoughts and prayers are out are with all those people in Florida that had to go through this. And once again, anything that people can do that list this podcast to help either those affected by Helene or Milton, please do.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:27

Yeah, you know, Kevin, I couldn't agree with you more. Colleges that we cover and talk to, and coaches that we know from the podcast have been affected by it, and their teams have been affected by it. Like you said, their families and there's properties down there that have been affected by it. You know, Florida's been hit a lot the last couple of years, man. The last six or seven years, they've they've really taken a beat in a lot. But you know what? That's part of living in Florida. I lived in Florida for about 10, 12 years of my life, and um it's subtropical weather. You're gonna get hit with those storms every once in a while. But it seems like lately they're getting worse and worse with storm surges. And yeah, again, I got hit with Sandy, so I know what it's like, you know, to have four feet of water in the living room and and lose your possessions and go through FEMA and all of that. So I know what it's like. So our hearts go out to those people, but you know what?

SPEAKER_04 1:12:22

They're resilient, they'll they'll bounce back even stronger. I agree, I agree, Danny. And with that, after another great, I think I I guess I'm a little uh biased, but I think another great episode here in In the Crease, that's a wrap.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:39

You know what, Kev, before we go tonight, just want to thank the listeners for more time. Please like and subscribe and share with you know the high school coaches and club football, uh, club uh lacrosse coaches. Get the word out there about in the crease and division two lacrosse and all the good that it has. Please share. We appreciate it. And that's a wrap,