DII Lacrosse Coaching Changes of 2023 (Part 4)

INtro

SPEAKER_03 0:10

Welcome, welcome, welcome to another episode of In the Crease with Danny and Kevin, a coast-to-coast discussion of D2 Men's Lacrosse. I'm your co-host, Kevin Stenstrom, and I bring you, as always, the silky smooth analysis of my co-host, Danny Moran. How's it going, Danny?

SPEAKER_04 0:28

Kevin, that was the nicest intro I think yet. That was so nice. Thank you so much. How are you doing tonight in Northern Virginia, my friend?

SPEAKER_03 0:36

I'm I'm doing well. I I kind of feel like I had to do that. I I may have used that one before. What's funny is that every time I talk, we talk to a listener that we know, they're like, I love Danny's voice. I'm like, what am I, chopped liver? So you're just the sm silky smooth guy, and I'm you know, I'm the setup man for you.

SPEAKER_04 0:53

The good Lord uh gifted me with that that commercial voice, you know. These and all other products available at all Walgreen stores. Uh I'm blessed that way, but sometimes it's a it's a problem because people say I don't shut up.

SPEAKER_03 1:12

I I would never accuse you that of that, Danny, even if I felt it. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:16

Yeah, bullshit, bullshit.

SPEAKER_03 1:19

All right, so but let's get into it. This, Danny, is the fourth in our series of coaching changes. Crazy. We're getting near the end. We're we're at five different episodes on this this year, the most we've ever done. We've got one more after this one, but let's focus on the one we're doing tonight. We are going to talk to some coaches who have taken over programs of a couple of the coaches we talked to on our D2 to D1 coaching changes.

Walsh

SPEAKER_03 1:50

But besides that, we are talking to a coach who helped his team reach the conference championship last year as an assistant and now has his eye on the same thing as a new head coach in the GMAC. It's Coach David Salter. He's taken over the Walsh Cavaliers. He was an assistant at Lander last year. He was a defensive coordinator since 2020. He helped bring them the as the regular season and the peach belt champions last year and 2023.

SPEAKER_04 2:22

Yeah, Lander was good, man. They were good last year.

SPEAKER_03 2:25

Yeah, their defense was good too. He also got D2 creds all over the place. He played at Belmont Abbey, so he's he's a D2 guy through and through. He's replacing, as you know, Danny, Alex Scavarch as the head coach. He had been there since 2014, a good long run. So we're interested to hear how that's going and that change is going. So why don't we just bring him in right now? Coach Salter of Walsh. Hey coach, how you doing?

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Uh, doing well, guys. Thank you. It's a great introduction. I really appreciate that.

SPEAKER_04 2:56

Hey coach, thank you so much for taking the time to come with us, two Knuckleheads from In the Crease. And uh here we are again with coaching changes. It seems that it happens a lot in the coaching ranks, you know. Uh, when Kevin and I first got into the podcast, we didn't realize that. Man, there's a lot of coaching changes every year. And you know what? What I think about it, you think about you know, Division I lacrosse and division one basketball, football, those coaching changes all the time. But uh, you're taking all that winning and all that that good stuff from Lander and you're going up to Waltz. How's the uh transition been so far?

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Great, man. I mean, I think I was fortunate enough to really walk into a program that had a great foundation in place, and I'm really thankful that Coach Barge was able to leave me with that because it makes the transition easy as a new head coach. And I've started from scratch where you know you maybe have a first-year program, 15 guys. We have great leadership in place, we have a bunch of upperclassmen. So um, it's been an easy transition from that standpoint where the team is very welcoming. Um, on top of just the move from South Carolina, uh, I ended up being a little easier than we expected, just with my wife having family nearby and um being able to get up here quickly uh was really essential for us. So been up here now for about eight or eight or nine weeks, got my house settled in about three weeks ago. So it's been a really easy transition and love and life so far.

SPEAKER_03 4:13

Excellent. God bless. That's awesome. So, like we said, Coach Scarch had been there for a long time, eight, nine years. He left you a really good foundation. I'll get that get to that in a little bit. But what was your message coming in to your players and and really based on that foundation you have, what is going to be your focus for the first year?

SPEAKER_01 4:37

You know, just learning enjoying lacrosse again. Um, I think that was a big thing from the administration. Uh unfortunately, I think these guys have maybe lost a little bit of passion on the roster these past few years. And it really showed in recruiting where there's only six freshmen on the roster this year. Um, the size isn't where it needs to be to be truly competitive at the Division II level, where we got 28 healthy this year. So we're gonna go in and try and just get out there, really enjoy the game during the spring and make sure that when we're showing up on game day, we're able to compete because we love lacrosse. And I just don't think they had that the past two or three years. And um they've really been able to embrace that so far. And uh change in schedule, change in how we handle day-to-day operations has really, I think, it sparked that so far. Um, but I like I've told everybody here and even in the recruiting process, it's a honeymoon phase right now. New coach are really excited about it. Uh, it really, it really depends how we go out there in the spring and compete and we show up on game day. So uh it's gonna be a challenge, but you know what? Walsh hired me to face that challenge, and I'm really excited for it.

SPEAKER_03 5:36

That's great. So that so then the players have responded to the change really well. That's what it sounds like.

SPEAKER_01 5:42

Oh, yeah, no question about that. Uh again, just across World Small. So I knew a few of them just through the recruiting process. While they maybe hadn't chosen the school that I had recruited them previously, um kept a great relationship with me. So I thought that was great because a couple of them were on in the interview process. Uh, one of my captains, his brother is at Belmont Abbey alone as well. So small world connection there. So I think that was really helpful um in getting to know me quickly. Uh and then just, you know what, being myself around these guys, I think, has helped them just say, hey, I'm more than just a coach. Um, it's it's being able to be yourself and get out there and enjoy the game. So I think it's just been a really healthy transition for these guys. And it's been it's been easy to say the least.

SPEAKER_04 6:20

Were you able to get any recruiting in for this year at all?

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Uh, not necessarily any new guys, but we had guys who had left the team that were still at Walsh, uh, now return to the team, and it that was actually a huge boost. Um, one of them actually ended up being a starter in our scrimmages yesterday. So uh that was really a big, big boost back to the team, getting some guys that um had left just weren't enjoying the experience, but stayed at the school because they really enjoyed Walsh and uh they saw the new coach came by the office. So uh we had two new guys return back to the team, which has has been really helpful so far. But recruiting's going great in the 24 class, already got five guys locked down and um continuing just to keep that pipeline going strong.

SPEAKER_04 6:58

That's great. Now, where are you recruiting? Are you coming to the East Coast at all? Are you gonna stay out in the Midwest and recruit a lot of Canadians in that area, get them attack men to come down?

SPEAKER_01 7:09

Oh, no question, man. I mean, we already have eight or nine Canadians on the roster right now. So the pipeline's strong. We have a great pipeline in the Nanaimo out in British Columbia. So uh we got a few guys coming out here this month from out there. But uh look, I recruit where there's good lacrosse. I don't care where the state's from. Um, something that was really important to me in the interview process, and I've talked to Walsh about was some of the best players I've coached in my time and recruited in my time have been the Midwest. Um, actually, two of them being out of Cincinnati, Ohio area, just straight from Sycamore High School. So, you know, I think it was essential for me to know the recruiting landscape already, um, but just understanding that, hey, when there's good lacrosse and someone's interested in your program, you're gonna talk to them, see if it's a good fit, and um if they want to join the family, we're always open to that. So it's been going really smooth so far in the recruiting process. I feel like our location is great with being in the city, our facilities are a great selling point, and um, the education here is very strong, so it's been very easy to get guys on campus early on.

SPEAKER_04 8:01

Phenomenal. That's awesome. Sounds like you're off to a really, really good start.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

Uh hey, like I said, 100 phase, everything's good in the fall season, right? We'll see how good we have our game.

SPEAKER_03 8:11

So that's so so let's talk about that. You you must be in the fall ball right now. You said you had some scrimmages uh yesterday. Interested to hear your early assessment of your team, even though it's small. Um, but good to hear that you've got some players that have come back that were there. So I'm just kind of curious what you think of the mix in your roster and and early assessment of uh of the team.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

Yeah, I mean, it was really good to just get a blend of the guys. Um, we had talent, you know, there's no question about it. Maybe the the roster size isn't where you want to be compared to you know, Mercy or Seaton Hill, Lake Erie, those guys on the conference, but uh the talent's there. So we had no shortage of a lot of fun yesterday, and uh we came out healthy, and and I think that was the most important part. But for our guys, it's just lacrosse is a game. It's not like I'm reinventing the wheel. It's you know, offense, keep it simple, basic principles, catch, carry away, dodge hard, draw slides, move it to the backside defensively. Hey, let's make sure we're communicating, uh, make sure that we're getting in and sticking to really that discipline that defense needs. And I think the biggest change that these guys have had is I am a little bit more prevalent with running midfielders both ways, um, because I think it just eliminates the need to sub. And when you eliminate the need to sub in the shot clock era, it just allows you to play a little faster. So those guys were exposed to that yesterday in the scrimmaging, and I I felt like the feedback was great where some guys who were maybe strictly offense or strictly defense last year got to play both sides of the ball. I mean, we had a guy who was a trick phogo last year running running on our ones yesterday as a midfielder and um did really well uh to say the least. So I think for these guys, it's just expanding their roles because they have to. We just have a small roster if we want to be successful this year. You can't hide guys on the bench. And um, early on in my coaching career at Merciers Northeast, me and Eric Mickey, we we had to tackle a small roster and we were able to have success doing that. So I've had experience with it before. So just getting through healthy in the fall and getting out there in the spring, it's just blending the talent that we have and making sure that these guys buy into, hey, you're gonna have to play a little more and expand your role, but it's gonna allow us to have a little more success as a team. And those guys are gonna have fun because they get to play more, you know. Yeah, exactly. I looked at midfielder yesterday, I'm like, hey, Bryce, you're gonna get a wing run here if if we lose the wing, like you're gonna be on defense. And he's like, you know, coach, we've only practiced defense two or three times in practice, and I was like, Yeah, let's get out there in the scrimmage, let's see how it looks on film, man, and uh get out there, and it was a great experience. Got to get to kind of break that down for him tomorrow. So it was really cool for these guys to uh expand their role a little bit. That's great, man. That's great.

SPEAKER_03 10:39

That's interesting because you talk about having fun, and I think there's a couple things with that, right? I think part of it may be when you're not having fun, you're you're tight because of a of a set thing you're you may be worried about screwing up. And like if you're throwing someone out there on defense, he's like, Coach, I just practice this like once, and you you come with the attitude like that's fine. Let's just see what we get on film. I mean, that's a that's a very different mentality, and and I would think frees up your players to enjoy it more.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

Yeah, I mean, that's the approach, right? But we'll see what happens, I think, for these guys, because we only graduate six guys this upcoming year. Um, I get more than just one year with a ton of them. So I want to be able to develop them. And you know, yeah, it's fall. You want to get as much on film as possible. Obviously in spring when you're trying to win some games, you know, you tighten the leash a little bit on some guys and make sure that you know your best horses are running between the lines. But at the end of the day, you want to be able to grow these guys as much as possible. And if you want to win with 28 healthy, you're gonna have to have guys really play both sides of the ball, or or you know, LSMs play close D, close D go to LSM, or you know, hey, or Fogo played a little bit of D mid yesterday just to get out there and get some reps and get some rest for some of our guys who needed it.

SPEAKER_03 11:54

Right, right. So then, I mean, we talked about it in the intro. You're a D2 guy. How do you think your experience at Belmont Abbey, Mercyhurst, Lander helps you? And how do you transfer that to your team?

SPEAKER_01 12:09

Yeah, so didn't get to coach at Mercy Hurst. I attended there education-wise, but coached at Mercy Hurst Northeast, it was a junior college at the time. Now it's just uh just a branch. So I didn't get to coach under Chris Ryan, unfortunately, but had a great experience under Eric Mickey, who, you know, I got going on a dog afterwards. But um, you know, just being familiar with the landscape, number one, is huge. Got to be in a locker room with a lot of Canadians, Long Island guys who really helped uh bring the pipeline, expand my game from being from Maryland and understanding, like, hey, there's more to lacrosse than what I grew up with in the mid-Atlantic. And then um, you know, working with the scholarships, I think that was the number one thing because when you're looking at working at the other levels, you're recruiting athletes, but there's not necessarily that financial investment in guys. So, you know, if someone maybe isn't as good as you think, it's like, hey, okay, hey, they can still help us out in practice. We're here, it's um you gotta have a little bit of a tighter leash on recruiting, got to really identify some guys that can bring depth to practice, and when you pull on the number on game day, they can perform. So I was very fortunate that at Belmont Abbey, we got to really go from a team that wasn't winning a ton of games to you know 12 and 4 my senior year and ranked in the top 10. So we got to see what that talent growth was. And then at Lander, the same thing where again, first year we were just above 500, I think. And then last year winning that conference championship and seeing our talent growth, our roster growth, and then our ability to work with scholarships and understand, hey, how do we get guys that can really make an impact and um get them to be there for all four years? Because I think at the end of the day, it's not only that initial investment as that freshman, but making sure that they understand it's the big picture and that when there's a commitment at the four-year level, we want to get them invested in those four years. So, you know, long answer to a short question, but I think just being at the D2 level for a long time, it's gonna help me in the recruiting process, and then it's just gonna help me familiar with the competition. But haven't been up north in a while, you know. So that's gonna be some new faces up here. You know, you got um a ton of new programs and some some teams that weren't around when I was a player and then when I was a coach up here. So learn these coaches' styles and you know how to beat them is certainly gonna be a challenge. I'm I'm really looking forward to. That's excellent. You sound like you're ready to go, man. You really, really sound like yeah, you called me on a good day, man. So I'm excited. Yeah, so that's good, man.

SPEAKER_03 14:17

That's good. That's good. But let's talk about where and then coming up north into the GMAC. What do you think about the GMAC on the competition? You've got we've talked to some of the schools on early on in our coaching changes as new programs with Thomas More and Tiffin, but then you've got some really established ones. So, what do you think about that conference and the competition you're gonna be facing?

SPEAKER_01 14:36

Well, it's only getting bigger, too, because we're adding that support and northwood next year. So uh, you know, I think for us it's a it's a weird conference. Um, the top four or five teams, very competitive, and and then there's certainly a little bit of a um gap between those teams. So I'm excited for those guys to become a little more uh versatile in the conference where they can compete against the best. But you know, I think for us, you got a coaching change at the top. You know, Merciers is still gonna have that talent of the roster. It's not like those guys are gone for the most part. Um, and Trey Keeley is a is a great coach. Uh, you know, I was I was familiar with him from his time at Ball and Wallace and had a relationship with him, and and I was on a phone call with him a couple weeks ago. So, you know, I am a little upset they hired you because now I know they're gonna keep a good coach in the pipeline. So, you know, Merciers is gonna stay strong there and um Cill with Coach Nobotany there for a long time. And uh, you know, Sam Ashton, me and him went to the same high school. So I've known Sam since I was you know a kid, me and me and him growing up together playing lacrosse. So um really looking forward to going against those guys at Lake Erie. But the competition here in the conference is it's all over the place, and I think I'm really excited about that because some teams are really starting to get a little stronger, where we had a close game last year with a team like Wheeling, who had to take that year off, and now is back with a new coach. And Davidson Elkins has a large roster this year where they're really gonna be looking at um coming in and closing the gap with some of these programs. And you know, it's unfortunate we lose a team like Alders and Broadis, but you know, we're fortunate where we gained two other teams with Davenport and Northwood, where it seems like recruiting is really going strong for Northwood. And you know, Davenport was a one-goal game with us last year. So, you know, the conference is only getting stronger. And I think, you know, when we had our conference call a couple weeks back, we talked about you know strong conferences like the NE 10 and the SAC, and that's certainly what we're hoping for. Um, it certainly helps with scheduling because we don't have to travel too far for these games, and we we want to watch these guys just uh give us everything when it comes to really closing the gap in the north between the south region and uh making it more competitive game in the national championship level.

SPEAKER_04 16:30

Well said, coach. Yeah, we did we did catch him on a good day, Kev. Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_03 16:36

We love it, we love it. He's helping us out. We don't have to say much, it's great. Yeah, it's also so. But Danny, have you seen Walsh's out of conference schedule?

SPEAKER_04 16:46

I just pulled it up. Roberts Wesley and not a not an easy school, you Indy, Lewis, Frostburg State, and then you go into Davenport, and then you go into PLBC play, man.

SPEAKER_03 17:00

That is that crazy out of conference school. Was that given to you, or did you set that? Was that already in place, or did you set that up?

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Uh, some of them were in place, of course, just with his, you know, history, past relationships. Um, you know, Frostburg's actually a partner with us in the conference, so yeah, we do have an incentive to play them, and they're a good program, so we want to make sure that we get out there and go against those guys because you know, I was familiar with Garman when he was the head coach of Lake Erie and got to play against him when I was a player and he was coaching us, so we want to keep that relationship. But you know, the Lewis game on the schedule, Coach Peruzzi was my coach in college, and a big reason why I got into college coaching. So, you know, as soon as I got the job, he was calling me. Yeah, he was making sure we got on the schedule. So really excited about that one. And um, you know, he went not too far.

SPEAKER_03 17:47

You know. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:49

It's gonna be a fun one.

SPEAKER_03 17:50

I love that.

SPEAKER_04 17:50

I love him, man. He's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 17:52

Yeah, no question. And just Davenport joined the conference. You obviously want to keep them going. And um, you know, I think just testing these guys, because like I said, with the GMAC itself, it's a little bit all over the place with competition levels. So, you know, Walsh has made the conference playoffs um every single year, except for the COVID year. So I think for us it's really important to keep that going because while our overall record wasn't as strong as we really had hoped it would be, um our conference record is strong, and I think that's the the base foundation you need in place because you know, everywhere I've been able to win, um, Piedmont, Landers, it's what we were able to establish was that strong conference record. And then you start to close the gap with the out-of-conference teams as you start to become a little more competitive.

SPEAKER_04 18:29

Right. Now you said you have 28 on the roster. Where would you want to be roster-wise in a year from now?

SPEAKER_01 18:36

Uh, in a year, just losing six, you know, we're probably bringing in 12 to 14 would be that goal. Um, so, you know, 34, 36 guys, you got to see what happens in the transfer portal. Um, but really my goal is two years. Um, I want to be between 40 and 45. I think it allows us to travel everybody and still be competitive on game day. Um, I think that's pretty important to me because you know, you do see a lot of schools with maybe overinflated rosters, and uh just don't want to be that coach that has to handle that JV side of things or you know, leaving guys behind on game day because they just didn't make the travel roster. And um Walsh said, Hey, what's the number you want to be successful? And I just said, Hey, let's try and get between 40 and 45 guys because it gives us depth. Can it get up and down in practice and still have everybody traveling with us on game day?

SPEAKER_03 19:18

I see. That's awesome. I I think that's I love that number too. I I've never been a coach, but it's just makes logical sense to me. It's even if they're not playing game day, those other players in that 40 to 45 are contributing in practice and when you do scrimmages just within your team. Whereas you start to get up to the higher level, I think some guys you just they're they're they're sitting around, they're standing around. You just don't, you don't have the they don't get the playing time that that they may need. And now there's other other reasons to have a larger roster. I get that, you know, and it could be dictated beyond the coach a lot of times and what the administration wants, but I think that's a a good number to go with.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

Yeah, no question. I think uh again, it's it's division two across. We're playing this because it's an enrichment of our experience in college. So, you know, leaving guys aligned is exactly the opposite of that, and we want to make sure that we can still get out there and win on game day.

SPEAKER_03 20:12

Right, right. Well, I'll tell you what, coach, this has been great spending some time with you. Uh, you know, obviously we watched uh Lander a lot last year, watch what you did on the defense and with Coach Lepore, and we're really excited to see what you're gonna do with Walsh. It's a it's a new beginning for them. It sounds like they've really embraced that and they're looking forward to the change, even though, like you said, it's the honeymoon period, and we'll see what the spring season brings for you. But I'm excited, and I'm excited to see what you guys can do, even with a small roster, and see how competitive you can be and how you can build for that. Because we've talked to obviously when we talk to these other coaches on coaching changes and especially the ones coming in. You have an established program, but you don't turn things over overnight. It takes a while to build. And you look at that two years when you get to that 40, 45, when you have depth and you've got the plus some of the players that you want. I think that's kind of the what we're really excited to see and see that progression over the next few years.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me is just getting my first recruiting class here under our belts and you know, giving them a freshman year to grow because yeah, I think the reality is they're gonna play a ton, whether they want to or not. They're gonna have to move forward on. And I think that's gonna really play into that development piece. So uh yeah, you're right. We look two or three years down the road. I think uh, you know, working under Tony for all those years at Lander, I think he really helped me to understand that you work short term year to year with your recruiting and your budgeting and all that, but you always look three years ahead when it comes to you know size, positional, and you know, hey, what do we need to be successful not only right now, but you know, down the road? Because you never want to be that team that is successful one or four years. You know, you want to be that team that can sustain success when you lose a graduating class.

SPEAKER_04 21:50

Right, right. Well, coach, it seems like you're on a really good start. Um, you got it going on there. I love the attitude, I love the enthusiasm. You're bringing a lot of D2 credibility and pedigree to Walls. Um, these kids, I think, are lucky to have you, man. I really do. And I I love the fact that these kids are gonna go two ways and get a chance to play because that's gonna make them better players. They're gonna get better by playing the game and getting out there and playing. And then playing a tough out-of-conference schedule like that is even gonna make them better. They're gonna see what it takes. They're gonna see, hey, that's what we aspire to be, you know, like a U Indy or one of the or a Mercy hearts. So, coach, I wish you the best of luck up there in Walsh and out in Ohio, and you and the wife in the new house and ready to rock and roll out there. I I wish you all the best of luck in the world. I really do.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Thank you guys. I appreciate you guys having me on. And it was a pleasure getting to speak with you guys. I really uh I really really thankful for what you guys are doing for Division II lacrosse. I think just getting us on the landmark a little bit and you know talking about the game a little bit more is uh is really big for us. So uh thank you to you guys as well.

Mars Hill

SPEAKER_03 23:02

All right, moving from the GMAC to the sack, and this is one of those coaching changes we talked about. Head coach Joe Turner moved on to Queens, which left a hole. In comes Josh Coons to take over at Mars Hill. Now, Coach Coons, he comes from a long, great background in D2. He he comes from Meryville after serving as an assistant for two years. He also coached at U Indy and he played at Lindenwood. So he has a ton of D2 experience. And I think he's come into a situation in which the team was building under under Turner. So it would be great to get him in here, talk to him and see what he thinks. So let's just bring him in. Coach Josh Coons of Mars Hill. Hey coach.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

Hey, Kevin, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_03 23:51

Oh, it's great to see you. Great to have you on. Uh, let me just start off. First of all, congratulations on being named head coach. You come from a great background and a program most recently that is so good and so solid and a very tough conference. We'll get to that. But let me ask you first, what drew you to Mars Hill, the school, and the program?

SPEAKER_00 24:16

Yeah, no, I think um, you know, one of my goals getting into coaching was to eventually be a head coach, right? And so getting a chance to work under, you know, guys like Coach Docks and Coach Stark were uh were great opportunities for me to learn from some of the, in my opinion, some of the best in the business. Um, and they were really great about keeping me involved with a lot of what they did behind the scenes and and kind of what goes into building and and creating a successful program. So um, for me, looking into kind of what my next steps were, I was fortunate to make some connections through this industry through my time at Maryville and UND and uh got to know Coach Turner pretty well and and got to learn a lot about Mars Hill through his time. And um, when the position opened up, um I was pretty familiar. You know, we played against Mars Hill when I was in Lindenwood back in uh 2016. So I've been on the campus, uh, you know, it was always uh something I thought was a beautiful area and an interesting sell and a good stadium. Um, I played with a guy, Kevin Eskrich, who attended Mars Hill for a brief period, and then uh gained to know Coach Turner through the interview process. So um really what stood out to me about Mars Hill and the position was um the first first off, you know, the the trend of what it's been building here at Mars Hill. I think they were a lot better than the record showed last year. I thought they played some really top caliber teams closely, and uh you're starting to see some really good players come through the program. And you know, the deeper you dive into the history of Mars Hill, it's got such a rich history, you know, 25 years of of alumni that are you know both playing professionally. You got a lot of guys that did a lot of great things during their time in Division II. Um, so it has a rich history to it. There's a lot of success in the history of the program, and I think it's trending back in the right direction. I think the the recruits coming in are are talented. I think some of the guys here on the roster already are talented. So uh it's a really exciting time. And uh I was really fortunate to be in a situation where I was uh able to interview and get the head coaching job.

SPEAKER_03 26:16

Well, that's that's awesome. And I want to now kind of go to something you said about coaching under Stark and stocks. What are you taking from those coaching experiences and your GLVC experience playing and coaching in that really tough conference to Mars Hill?

SPEAKER_00 26:38

Yeah, I mean, you know, going to going to Undy as a you know a young coach with really no college coaching experience. I I played at London. We played against a lot of top teams, and you know, Indy was just hitting the scene and they beat up on us a few times. So I was always intrigued by uh by Coach Stocks and what he was doing at Undy, being from the Indianapolis area. Um, but I couldn't have asked for a better GA ship uh spending my time there. Uh you know, I think really something that sticks out with me with Coach Stocks and Coach Grimes is um really just how they how they approach the game. They're really focused on um not just doing it one way because that's how the whole country does it. I think their substitution patterns, their transition game, uh how they approach 6v6 on both sides. I think it really challenged me to look at the games and just kind of challenge myself and my thinking. Um and so there's a lot of stuff that working with the offensive side with Coach Stocks, I still, you know, I brought the Meryville and I'm gonna hold true to bringing the Mars Hill here. Um and then working with Coach Stark, I think Coach Stark is uh is one of the best when it comes to taking a holistic approach to a program. I think when you look at what they're doing on social media with you know what they do with their young alumni base, how he engages the community, and then how he's kind of starting to build a culture around that program. Um, I couldn't have asked for a better first full-time spot. And you know, I'm I'm really taking a lot of what we did both on the lacrosse field and off the lacrosse field and trying to bring that to Marcel because I think he's uh he's creating quite the brand over at uh Meryville. And you know, I know he's gonna be excited that we're talking about as a brand because he does try to try to bring the marketing side to it.

SPEAKER_03 28:17

Yeah, well, I'll tell you what, I I agree with you. I look at their Instagram posts and what they do, and I, you know, you almost you you like I said, I never played the game. I'd go play at Meryville with those that kind of uh marketing. It's it's phenomenal. It's really, really good. And of course, then you look at Stocks and Grimes, and we've had Coach Grimes on, and I've talked talked with Coach Stocks. All three of those coaches have been so good to our podcast and providing information and doing it their their class acts all around. And I think that kind of pedigree that you're able to learn under and garner information and garner how you're gonna coach is really, really gonna help Mars Hill going forward. But let me ask you this GLVC. I mean, you like I said, it's a great, great conference, but you're going into probably one of the top two. Danny and I have this debate back and forth, anti-10 sack, any 10 sack, and sack ended up with a championship with Lenore Ryan this past year. They it's really tough. What do you think about going into the sack?

SPEAKER_00 29:22

Yeah, I mean, you know, it's one of the most exciting parts of this job is you get to compete with, you know, I'll I'll argue that it's the best. I'm a southern, southern bracket guy, and uh, you know, I'm coming from that's right. So, you know, I think the sacks, but you know, it is a great conference. You know, LR winning the national title, they were obviously a fantastic team. Um, but I think it speaks volumes to the conference that you know Wingate was able to take one, right? So um I'm excited about the opportunity that that is here in the SAC. And, you know, coming from the GLVC, I think uh it's similar in the sense of anyone can win on any given day. Uh there's so much parity within that conference in the GLVC. Um, I think Lewis has done a lot of great things to uh to kind of set themselves up to be UND in the conference tournament, and Undy's been kind of one of the main names in that conference for a while. And I think Meryville is right there on the doorstep, knocking and and putting together a great product that's going to challenge that as well. So um, and then you got teams like Rockers, obviously, who have been a staple in the GLVC. So the parody within the conference is is something that really challenges the staff and players to be ready every week and really take pride in your preparation because um a lot like the SAC, there's there's a lot of pride in winning the conference and and being the representative from that conference, regardless if there's all mat qualifiers or not. You know, there's top teams you want to take down, and you want to say that you know, when teams look at that conference, you're the top dog within it. So um I'm excited about the opportunity in the sack, and I think uh, you know, Marcel has seen success in the past in it, and you know, my goal is to bring him back to that kind of success.

SPEAKER_03 30:57

I think you the word you used really talks well about the two conferences, and that's parody. When you see teams like Lewis and Merriaville, and then kind of the what you call the traditional ones in GLVC, which was Lynn and Wood, but you get Rockhurst in there, and and now really you Indy always at the top. There's a lot of parody. And teams like Quincy that was at the bottom that gives really and Davenport, they're all going to give tough games across. And that's what you're seeing in the sack. When you've got some new coaches that come in, you look at Anderson, you look at Coker, you look at where Mars Hill is trending, then you've got the ones that are always seem to be up there, you know, Wingate, Lenore Ryan, Limestone. But guess what? It's a zero-sum game. As as Mar the Mars Hills and the Cokers and the Anderson keep improving and they keep on recruiting, it is going to be just a barn burner of a conference schedule when you get there. And I'm not sure we're going to be there this year uh with you know Mars Hill and some others, but I I think we're really close that it's just gonna be you could see the tide turning with that, which is really exciting, I think, not only for the conference, but for D2. So let's now switch more to your team. Um, I don't know if you really started football, kind of interested in that, or what your kind of scrimmages are if you had any. What is your assessment? You kind of talked about it a little bit, but what is your assessment of the team right now?

SPEAKER_00 32:24

Yeah, you know, we're we're into our 15 hours a week window with um with the pro with the program in our fall. So um been around the guys quite a bit now, and I think it's in a great spot. It really is. I mean, I think one of the biggest struggles of the recent years has been just not having a ton of upperclassmen. Um, and Coach Turner's done a great job of building this kind of from the ground up. And so we now have double-digit juniors and seniors. We have a really good culture in the room that some stuff I inherited, some stuff I'm I'm adding and making my own. Um, but I think the team's in a great spot, and you know, the focus is there, which I'm excited about. I think the practice energy has been great, um, and the leadership has been really helpful for me. I haven't had to really overhaul anything in that aspect. I've gotten to continue some of the traditions they've had. Uh, like I said, I got to add my piece to it. But um now we're just starting to put in some stuff that allows us to see what we are, right? You know, we do a lot of stuff that's competition based and um kind of puts guys in adverse situations, and we're gonna continue to do that so we can learn how to handle those situations when we ultimately see them in the sack this spring, right? I mean, there's gonna be hopefully close games against top teams, and you know, the margin for error is small, and and not beating yourself in those moments is big. So um finding who we are in that aspect in the fall is gonna be really important to us.

SPEAKER_03 33:47

That's really interesting. I think you started to talk about it, but let me see if you can clarify a little bit more. What do you think your top priorities are for this first year?

SPEAKER_00 33:58

Yeah, I think you know, my my first priority in this season is to um continue to move this thing forward. Like I said, we were we were in a lot of close games last year, and we were in a lot of situations with with really good teams. You know, I I think back off the top of my head to like a Belmont Abbey that's a powerhouse in the South region and and does really well. And I thought watching that film, you saw a lot of great things from Marseille. Um, but the number one thing we talk about is there's no success and potential, right? I think we have the opportunity to be a good team, uh, but now we have to go do it. And part of that is uh, you know, finding out who we are in big moments, and I think how we create those moments at practice. You know, we're gonna go down to Barrie College this uh this fall. The dude um do a scrimmage weekend with at their place, and we're gonna play against uh Alabama Huntsville in a scrimmage. Um, we won't see him this spring, so it's a great opportunity for us to see him in the fall. And uh that was another close game last year that way. And so it's a good opportunity for us early on to see kind of where we're at, um, the maturity we hold and and a good moment for us to kind of build on some of the momentum, you know.

SPEAKER_03 35:06

I I think your fall scrimmage schedule is a good test, especially with Uah. I think, you know, they're they from just years past, I mean, they like you said, they may be a step ahead of you. I think I think one of the things that I started to notice last year with Mars Hill, and I think you're talking about it now, is depth. Not only depth in leadership, but depth from a being able to, you know, have the depth in the in the middies. And if you've got injuries, you've got guys that can that can come in. What have you been able to do? I assume you haven't been able to do any really have you done much recruiting for you know 2024? Where where are you at? We were able to do any of that, or were you more focused on this year's team and what they were doing?

SPEAKER_00 35:51

Uh yeah, so I came in pretty late to the summer, obviously. Uh the 2024 class is still forming and we're we're continuing to build that class. Coach Stack Miller, uh, keeping him on was imperative for this program, I think, not only from a recruiting standpoint, but uh from a culture standpoint. You know, I think he's great with Joe as far as building this thing. And um, a lot of guys have his respect on the team, everyone does, right? And so the recruiting class is starting to come together. We're at three commits right now in the class. Um, we're gonna continue to build through the fall. Um, but the the 24 and 25 classes, with us being as upperclassmen as we are right now, are gonna be really important for us to continue moving this thing forward.

SPEAKER_03 36:29

Yeah. Yeah. Good to hear. Good to hear. So and I have not seen on the website, I don't know if you can give any uh insight to your out-of-conference schedule or if that's still under development. What what are you guys looking at uh for for competition out of conference?

SPEAKER_00 36:46

Yeah, I think we're you know gonna continue to try to play some of the top teams in the south. Um, you know, some of those conversations were already kind of solidified when I took the position, and I think it's a good schedule for for us and what we're looking to do here. So we're gonna play some of the top teams in the Coastal Carolinas again or uh Carolina conference and um, you know, obviously do what we can out of the conference to prepare ourselves for the sack. So um without without you know, we have to release the schedule when uh when the SIDs say it's all right to, but um I feel good about our out of conference schedule, and we're still having some conversations to build around that.

SPEAKER_03 37:21

Well, I'll be excited to see that out of conference schedule because that will probably I I don't know your philosophy on that. There's different philosophies of what you want to do, but you know, you you you're gonna run the gauntlet, you know, with teams like Newberry and other ones in the sack. So you you've got to have a a pretty damn good out of conference to prepare you, in in my opinion. And it sounds like that's what you're doing.

SPEAKER_00 37:45

Yeah, I mean, you know, we're gonna we're gonna play teams that help us prepare for the conference. And like I said, those big moments are what we're training for. And so seeing those big moments in the early season against, you know, we're gonna play programs like Belmont Abbey and Montevallo, who, you know, are gonna force us to be on our A game and then win some, you know. So giving us those tests early are gonna really help us shape what we're gonna be in the conference. But um, yeah, it's uh it's a little different coming from the GLBC to the SAC with the number of teams in it. So the out of conference schedule's uh been really interesting to put together. Um, but I'm I'm really excited about both sides of it. I think it's uh it's a good, it's a good schedule as it's forming, and I think it's gonna help us ultimately prepare for the uh the bulk of our schedule towards the end of the year.

SPEAKER_03 38:31

So speaking of that, really quickly, besides uh the other, I think the difference maybe with the GLVC in the SAC, and tell me if I'm wrong, but there's a lot more travel when you're uh GLVC team, and now you don't have as much of that. The teams are much more condensed instead of it being, you know, an 18-hour bus ride or a 12-hour bus ride, it's a couple two or three hours. Now, if you're gonna play a team in the peach belt, it's probably a little bit longer. But i am I uh correct in that? And then my question is, are you are you happy about that?

SPEAKER_00 39:05

Uh well, my girlfriend Megan's definitely happy about it because the overnights you know definitely take a toll. But yeah, you know, that's just part of, you know, I'm a Midwest guy and playing in the GovC, that was a part of it that yeah I've embraced. But I'm a little excited. I'll I'm not gonna lie about some of the shorter bus trips. Um, but yeah, you know, I think it's every conference and every school has their challenges, and one of them in the GLVC was to travel, and that's something you prepare for in the fall. You take a bus trip and learn how to get off the bus and and conduct yourselves the night before at the hotel and all that stuff.

SPEAKER_03 39:40

Okay, so I got a couple closing questions for you. The first one, because you seem to be a true D2 guy through and through. What do you like about D2?

SPEAKER_00 39:54

Yeah, I think that's a great question. Um I'm I'm a D2 product from a player and a coach, and I love the division two level for a lot of reasons. Um, I think it gives you kind of that balance that uh you know is really tough to find when it comes to the school athletic, you know, dance you have to do. Yeah, I really like a program like Mars Hill, where uh you get the small classroom, you get that personalized experience where you get to know your professors and and some guys just operate better in that world. I operate better in that world, right? Um, but you also get a full fall ball and you know competitive hours to where you can train and build and become a college athlete in the weight room. Um, so it found it found a balance for me, right? And being from the Midwest, there was a lot of opportunity in Division II where um division one, division three weren't you know as prominent, I guess. There's a lot of great division three in the area, but I was really excited about what division two was becoming when I was a player. And um, after playing four years at Lindenwood and seeing programs like Rockers and Indy start to build, um, I knew that was a that was a build I wanted to be a part of. And so I think division two is just yeah, the best way to describe it is it's a balance, right? I think it's you get a lot of high-end competitive lacrosse, you get to let lacrosse be a big part of your life. Um, but you also can get to schools that maybe have a better academic balance for for certain athletes.

SPEAKER_03 41:20

Totally agree, coach. I think the other things that we've talked about, I think in the past, D2, we've talked to some other coaches who've been D2 players as well that said, you know, D2 gets a bad rap, like, oh, if you can't make the grades, you go to D2. But if you look at the different schools in D2, first of all, you can go to any kind of school you want. You can go to an engineering school like Emory Riddle or Lewis or UAH, you can go to liberal arts schools, you can go to schools that have got specific majors for you that will fit. You can go to things that are more outdoor type uh you know, majors like Frostburg and Lees McRae. I mean, it's just there's so much, and then you add the fact of how much it costs to go to school. And the great thing, and Danny and I talked about this, and he's a big proponent of this because it helped his family out, it's helped my family out, right? You can stack scholarships, athletic and academic scholarships. So it's not one or the other. So get you down to a reasonable level that you're not going to be heavy with loans when you finish college, right? And you get a quality education, and you get to be a true student athlete.

SPEAKER_00 42:34

Yep. You nailed it. And I yeah, I think that's a huge factor, right? Especially the ticket keeps going up, right? And so the decisions become harder for these families and these athletes. Um, but I think, yeah, you're you're spot on. The financial opportunity in division two is is massive. And you know, I I think it's funny that the academic um appeal of Division II doesn't get the credit it deserves. You know, I played with a couple guys at Linderwood that went on to some of the top graduate schools in the country. You know, I had a good buddy of mine go to grad school at Nerd Aim, and uh that's uh that's a really tough school to get into. And he was able to academically perform well, perform well enough at Lindenwood, and um being a student athlete obviously has appeal in its own. But I yeah, I think the the academics are are great in Division II. Um, it's just a matter of fit for the athlete and the opportunity they're looking for.

SPEAKER_03 43:27

And you I think you can find it there. So one last question, I'm gonna let you uh get off the stage with this one. Okay. If you were gonna talk, when you talk to recruits, what do you tell them about what they can get when they go to Mars Hill?

SPEAKER_00 43:44

Yeah, I think that's a great question. And you know, when it comes to Mars Hill specifically, I think that balance is is really important to what we talk about. We want to bring in young men who are really focused about building themselves and ultimately getting into a career that they're excited about. So with an education at Marsville, you're going to get the student to teacher ratio that is really allowing our students to engage with their professors pretty regularly. It's a small town in the sense that you can have that kind of focused education, but it's in a great area. You know, I mean, the mountains and are beautiful. Asheville is really close. You know, some of the top cities like Nashville and Charlotte, Knoxville are all within pretty pretty much a striking distance of driving. So I think you get a little bit of everything when you come to a program like Marksville. You can come to school and have the focused small-town education kind of, you know, a very deliberate relationship with your professor that helps you ultimately be successful. And then you get to leverage the opportunities of the surrounding areas to help build your brand and ultimately get where you want to get to. That paired with the history of the program, like I said, we're engaging our alumni hopefully in ways that are meaningful to them. So when you do come through a program like Marcel, it's not just uh four years and good luck. You know, we try to do a lot of professional development where we engage our alumni to network with our current current roster and ultimately hopefully open up opportunities for them in the areas that our alumni are in. And that's across the country and even into Canada. So I'm trying to leverage the history of the program, trying to bring it back to uh its prominence, which it has, you know, in my opinion, a lot of what it takes to get there. And I think my last piece about is one of the most exciting parts of Mars Hill, and one of the reasons I'm here is I think the athletic department and the school has a very much of build mentality. So we're building a new student reunion building, we're adding to the facilities we have from an athletic standpoint. Our athletic director Rick Baker is really open to the conversation from the coaches on how we can continue to build this thing and ultimately get it competitive across all sports within the conference. So that just really resonated with me during the interview process. And you know, I think you're gonna see a lot of positive changes come out of the program in the university over the next couple of years.

SPEAKER_03 46:03

That that's great to hear, coach. And I just want to say we thank you so much for coming on. We will be watching Mars Hill. Obviously, we we've had a history with with Coach Turner before that, and we're excited to see. I'm excited to see where you can bring the program. I think, once again, I think the SAC better watch out. If not this year or the next year, it's gonna be a really, really tight conference coming forward. I think Mars Hill is really gonna be in the play. So thank you so much for for coming on tonight.

SPEAKER_00 46:33

Thank you, Kevin. Thanks for all you guys do for Division II. I'm uh I'm excited about it, and hopefully we continue to build this.

UAH

SPEAKER_03 46:40

Okay, moving on to the other coaching change that happened because Coach Colpitz of Queens decimated the D2 head coaching ranks by taking all the assistants from D2 head coaching jobs.

SPEAKER_04 46:56

Those guys from Minnesota, man.

SPEAKER_03 46:58

I'm telling you. You can't trust them. You can't trust them.

SPEAKER_04 47:01

I know, I know. They're good guys, though. But because of that change, there's been a bunch of couple of changes in Division 2 for sure. Right.

SPEAKER_03 47:08

And this one we had to University of Alabama and Huntsville, the Chargers. As you know, it was coach uh head coach Connor Doyle, he stepped down to go over with Cole Pitts and Turner. Yep. Mark Fry was hired in late September to take the reins. And once again, like some of the other coaches we have, he won, is not new to D2, but he's got a very extensive coaching background. He was the head coach at Guildford recently, the last three years. He had head coaching stints at Loyola, Marymount, and Farham. And he also coached at Methodist, Florida Southern, and Cleveland State. So he has coaching experience in all three divisions, Danny. So one's amazing. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 47:51

That's a lot of pedigree he's bringing to that program.

SPEAKER_03 47:53

Yeah, a lot of background to share with the boys. Let's welcome in Coach Mark Fry, UAH Chargers. Hey coach, how you doing?

SPEAKER_02 48:02

I'm doing great. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_04 48:04

New coach at UAH Alabama Huntsville. How's it going so far?

SPEAKER_02 48:10

It's going amazing. Um, I think it's day 19. Uh it feels like I've been here.

SPEAKER_04 48:16

Not that you're counting or anything.

SPEAKER_02 48:19

No, it's been it has because uh it's how many days I've been away from my wife already. Um it's uh it's been an amazing run. Um the guys here make me feel like I've been here over six months. It's been a really nice transition. I um you know, I want to thank you know, President Carr and Dr. Smith. Um I'll be open and honest about this. I interviewed for this job uh four years ago three and a half years ago.

SPEAKER_03 48:47

Back in the day.

SPEAKER_02 48:49

Yeah, and uh was in the final run. And uh the fact that they you know had me back and I got it this time, um, it's just the right time. Coach Doyle has put together a great team. I really want to thank him. Um you know, you get sometimes you take over a program. This isn't my first time, and you don't get um the amount of talent that we have. I'm very excited and just a bunch of great guys, and they've really, really welcomed me. We've been having a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_03 49:19

That's great. I think you started hitting it, but yeah, I did not know that you were in the running last time. Why would I? But that's really that's really cool. What so what draws you to a school and a program like UAH?

SPEAKER_02 49:32

I I I think academics first. Um we have five programs that are in the top 25 nationally ranked. Um engineering is probably one of the biggest majors in college across right now. Um, and we have a top five aerospace and mechanical engineering program in the country. Where you build the racket.

SPEAKER_04 49:54

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:56

So I it's the number two, it just got voted number one last year, 2022, place to live in America. Now it's number two. Um, it's a hidden gym. Um, I'm from Northern Virginia. Um, and I used to be an IT headhunter.

SPEAKER_05 50:11

Uh wow.

SPEAKER_02 50:13

And uh so I have a lot of familiarity with uh Research Triangle Labs, and uh this is the number two research triangle in America. Uh so you have people from California, Northern Virginia, and you're in Alabama, and uh it's phenomenal. The school um it's just a great size, great academics, and it's it's got a wealth of uh of history. So I just think it's an amazing place.

SPEAKER_04 50:38

Um what was the weather like today? What was the weather?

SPEAKER_02 50:42

75, 76, and sunny.

SPEAKER_04 50:45

Oh I got I gotta get down south, Kevin. I gotta get down there. I'm telling you, man. I know. It was 45, 44 this morning here in New York.

SPEAKER_03 50:56

Yeah. It was nice here in the it was it was in the mid-60s as we're talking here in uh in October, but uh in Northern Virginia. But I agree with you, Coach. I've been to Huntsville several times on business uh trips, and it is a hidden gem, not only from all the technology companies and NASA being there, but the city itself has got a lot to offer. And just like you said, it the best thing about it is it's not like the DMV in Northern Virginia. You don't have the traffic that you have up here, and yet you've got everything you need down there. That's that's really cool. But the other thing you said at the beginning of this podcast, and that was one of my questions, 19 days. What has it been like coming in really at the start of the fall ball season? Like you you almost I almost feel like did you have to like it you had to just start running right away into this?

SPEAKER_02 51:54

I literally left my my past job on a Tuesday and had to pass my test that day so that I could be in practice the next day at 6 30 in the morning.

SPEAKER_05 52:13

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 52:14

So I moved within I mean it it was a it was a quick turnaround. Um it was an interesting move, and uh it it but it was it's been nothing but great. Um the guys have bought in so quickly to what we're teaching, and um we were able to put in a good offense, a good clear, and um, you know, we had a scrimmage four days later uh against the division three team, and uh it was it was it it wasn't pretty, but it was good, you know. Um we did a lot of good things, um but it got even better. We just had our last scrimmages this past weekend, and we we did very well, very happy where we are to be able to do what we did in 15, 16 practices, which is not normal for Division 2 because they have about 20 or 30 practices usually before you start getting into it. Um but I missed all those, and we got about 15 in, and I'm just really, really proud of the guys being so coachable, so open-minded and eager.

SPEAKER_04 53:16

Um that's awesome. That's good to have, you know, if they're buying in right away. You know what, Coach Doyle, like you said in the beginning of the show, that he had put a good program together. He's got some great players on that team. They play quality lacrosse. Oh shoot, I don't have my bell set up. I know. Ding ding. But uh they play a quality lacrosse game. They really play high, high-end lacrosse. And uh I expect nothing different with you at the helm now coming in.

SPEAKER_02 53:45

You know, I think we we we obviously have different backgrounds, me and Coach Doyle, but again, could not be more appreciative of what he put together. Uh I again hats off to him to leave it in such good shape. Um, and I'm just I'm I know he's more of a defensive guy. I've got my offensive guy. Um that's kind of my my thing. I've had uh offenses ranked in in the country in the top 15 um in assisted goals, top 24. Um, so I've had those um kind of great offenses um that we put together, and and I think that's what's really, really exciting is just kind of tweaking some of those things.

SPEAKER_03 54:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 54:27

And um, they're having a lot of fun with with that, with that.

SPEAKER_03 54:29

So well, first of all, I I have to tell you, I love assisted goals. That's number one. But that was not my question. Uh it's interesting, coach. You say you missed some of the I've been seeing on on Instagram, because your team, their Instagram uh site that you know, I I follow it, and I saw them practicing without a head coach before you got there. So you kind of talked about how the players reacted. And did you yeah? So how did that go about? And did you really have a strong like senior leadership core to help out with that?

SPEAKER_02 54:58

I I I I think you know, we have about 10 seniors. Um, but I think Coach Warren, the uh volunteer assistant for the last four years, um, he hates compliments, he's a military guy. Um but he is amazing I mean, he has made my transition absolutely seamless. I got here and I had my email, I had my P card, I had I had all the minutiae done, and it was all because of him. I mean, literally, I sat down and just said, hey, what do I need to do? He's like, call these kids um and coach the cross, and that's all I've had to do. Um recruiting is going phenomenal. But without Coach Warren and what he's done, um and what these kids did on their own, um, I think that's why they were so eager. They wanted more structure, they wanted to put more things in.

SPEAKER_05 55:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:48

Um, not that they didn't have it before, but without a head coach meeting, not not, you know, trust in those two months, you know, but Coach Warren kept him going and he ran a tight ship. And uh they just didn't implement like clears and flex, but the drills and and working hard. Right, um, it was all there. And now they just needed uh a little bit of a twist and and and turn there.

SPEAKER_03 56:09

So it sounds like Coach Warren has been the glue in the transition for you. Coach Warren gets a shout-out, man.

SPEAKER_02 56:16

A thousand percent. Um I I know uh you know he's been coaching for four years, um, at least uh here at uh UH, and he was just I absolutely uh and I'll use the word I love him already. Um he's just doing absolutely great things, and and we're learning what we want from you know what I want to put in the program. So mentoring him and he's being open-minded, you know, doing film with me, like he's a like like he's a player. Be like, hey, this is where I want this, this is and I'm like, here, put your your twist on it. Because I still want him to be him, right? Gave him the freedom um to do those things, but make sure that we double and uh have an aggressive decent. We do we want to double everything we possibly can.

SPEAKER_03 57:05

Well, I I have to give yeah, I have Danny. I have to give and coach, I have to give uh Coach Warren a shout out too because I've been messaging him on Instagram when he, I think originally it was like, hey, can you post this? And it was for a prospect day or whatever. And I'm like, hey, where's what's happening with the search? Are you in involved in that? Are you gonna be the head coach? And he's like, no, we're we're in the final, and he'd give me like we're in the final interviews, I'll let you know. And then he's like, Yeah, we picked someone, they haven't announced it yet. I'm like, well, can you help me get him on the show for me? He's like, Yeah, I'll do that. That's what he said. So he was like behind the scenes. I've been working with Coach Warren, so he's been great, he's been great for us, too. I mean, that's just that's uh Danny and I are are humbled at the support we get from all the coaching staffs, just really humbled that you guys provide us with so much uh information and willing to sit down with us. It's just great.

SPEAKER_02 57:58

Well, I think you know that's that's how it should be. You know, I mean, this is a sport we all love and we want it, and and uh, you know, I think that's what's so great about this sports given me over 40 years. Uh I can't believe I can say that, but I've been in this sport 40 something odd years now, and it's given so much. And finding guys like Coach Warren, who might not have played with these huge pedigrees, but loves it probably more and will do more to succeed. And I I think that's what we forget what coaching's about is supporting each other, being a team. You know, it's not a head coach, assistant coach. This is a partnership. We we've got on another guy, he's just as important. Um, I know that might be different. Some people are like, I'm a head coach, I got the final, and that there's ways. But man, we have uh everybody's got a say in this, and everybody's an important role. And I really respect what they're what they're doing and the efforts they put in to support um our team. Um it's awesome. I love the guys that I work with right now.

SPEAKER_04 59:02

That's good. I've always believed that a good coach, a good head coach always has good assistance. I mean, in order to be successful, everything's gotta click together. And you all, like you just said, you gotta work together as a team, as a partnership. And I think that good programs, that's what they have. They have that type of coach and staff. That's great, coach. That's that's wonderful news for you to walk into a situation like that that Coach Doyle has left for you, and then what Coach Warren has done to help you since you got there. That's just an amazing, amazing thing. And God bless, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 59:36

So let's talk about I'm really appreciative. It's been a 19-year coaching stint. I know I've bounced around. I mean, my first program, which makes me sad. It looks like they're gonna cancel the program. And uh, you know, there's a lot of a lot of people who don't understand what we did in all these programs, um, you know, and uh behind the scenes, but be able to find a place that has this support, and after all these years, to find a place where I feel like I've been already. I I mean I'd say to the guys, God, it feels like I've been here six, seven months already. It's just been amazing, man. I can't say it more. It's just been a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:13

I'm rocking. I did want the job. I mean, you went for it four and a half years ago. You did want that job there, so there's got to be something that's you know attractive to that job. Let's talk about the team. Got a lot of returners from last year, guys that are good players, Ian Arnt and a couple. Let's talk about some of the players.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:31

I mean, you you mentioned um big number one. Um, we got number nine, who's just uh, you know, Pete. Uh he's come back. Um he's the I mean, they're just a lot of like uh this this might sound bad, um, but I I mean I have 18 offensive players and they are all fun. I have a I have a good problem. Yeah, for the first time in my career where I have that many guys that I need to figure out how to get them time, how do we do it, and who we're revolving around. I mean, Kyle White, Ian Art, um uh I mean Stinky Pete, uh we call him the twin, twin, uh Connor Young, uh Bryce. Uh I mean the list is as endless.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:19

These guys have been making noise for a couple of years now, these guys in the Division II ranks, you know. And the Peach Belt, we love the Peach Belt, Kevin and I. We talk about the Peach Belt Conference. It's the newest conference, really, in Division II, but we feel that there's the most parody out of all the conferences. That conference has the most parody. We like the way Flagler and Duncan has done things, and we like what Coach Lang has done, and and we loved what Coach Doyle did there. And now we got you. What do you think about the Peach Belt?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:50

I think you nailed it on the head. I think, you know, you know, Lander and Flagler and you know, Montevello and here anyone can beat anybody. You know, and I I know Young Harris went to another one, shorter's leaving. Cookley would get some new programs in. Um, but at the at the end of the day, um those four teams have been knocking each other. And that's what's so much fun about taking a job like this. You're not just going to a conference where there's just one guy who can win. It's been rotating. And hopefully, and I'm feeling really good that you know, maybe, maybe this is the year.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:27

You bring it back to the Chargers.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:29

Yeah, hopefully that's our time. And so uh I think that's awesome. That's what's scary about this, is that there is a very good team that is right in front of me. What do I do with it? Do I screw it up? You know, and that's what I that is my biggest year. But I I I'm having a blast, and I think they've been having a lot of fun, and we're we're we've had a lot of compliments and a lot of encouragement from the seniors and from the juniors and what what our coaching staff is doing and what we brought to the table. So we're taking and expanding what's already there. We're not changing a whole bunch of the practice, you know, but there are different nuances and just a new who I am. And uh, I live off positive, positive energy. I'm having I have more fun than than the guys sometime, I think. That's great. That's great. They're just like, what's going on here?

SPEAKER_04 1:03:21

Yeah, and you know what? The kids feed off that energy, man. They feel that, you know. Kids still they they follow their coach, and theyy, coach isn't screaming at us, he's smiling, he's having a good time out there.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:32

So when you see is what you get, coach.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:34

Right, and when the kids have fun, they play loose and free. And when teams play loose and free, they do good things.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:42

It makes a dangerous combo.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:44

Sure as hell does. It sure as hell does.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:46

It's okay to make a mistake, and and I always tell them make a stake, make mistakes, score 110%, and you will never hear from me. You know? Um, yeah. That's that's the truth. I might remind you when you come, and again, that took time. Uh, you talk to my old players on my first program, they would probably I I I don't know who that who he's talking about. I'm a little bit of a yellow in the early early stages. Uh uh, I can boom uh with the best of them. But uh yeah, I uh I um I've learned over the years that I think there's a way to coach uh kids in this day and age and still get all 110% out of them, exactly how I did, you know, 19 years, just in a different way. And it's taking time.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:31

I'll I'll tell you, coach, your positive attitude is infectious. I I can tell it when we first got on before we started recording. I can see it in how you're talking about the program now, and I I'll tell you what, the it is gonna be great to see what you do with the Chargers this year and years to come. I think it's gonna be I think the peach belts just like you said, I I also think the peach belt and the coaches and are very tight in wanting to make sure that the peach belt continues to just go up that ladder in the conferences. And that's a that's a true benefit and also a positive for all that conference. So we really thank you for coming on tonight. It's been phenomenal to get to know you and see what you're doing there at uh and Huntsville and and for the team, and we wish you all the best.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:22

Thank you so much. I really, really appreciate you having me, and it's been a blast. And uh, I hope people realize there's LaCarlston, Alabama. So we're gonna make sure that we bring it out there.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:32

They do, they're starting to know. They're definitely starting to know. Coach Mark Fry, UAH, the Chargers. Uh, brand new coach there. Not a new coach, though. Been there, been around the ranks a long time, 40 years, he's saying. And uh we wish you nothing but success there down in Alabama. And we'll be watching you, we'll be watching the Peach Belt. We hope to get you on and maybe some of your players on during the season. And once again, thanks so much for coming on the show tonight. We really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:02

Yeah, thank you so much. Absolutely. Anytime you guys want me on, I'm in. This has been a blast. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:07

Right.

final thoughts

SPEAKER_03 1:06:08

That was so much fun with with Coach Fry ending up this podcast episode on coaching changes with what he's doing at UAH. And also having Coach Coons, who took over for Turner, the other one who who bailed on us in D2 and went to D1 with Colpitz, and now Coons takes over for him. And then, of course, Coach Coach Salter, who's over at Walsh. Yeah, who came from Lander, another Peach Belt coach. It was a it was a fun episode with all those three.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:37

Like the three the separated uh the three degrees of the peach belt, right?

SPEAKER_05 1:06:42

That's right.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:43

But it was pretty cool. And uh, you know what, these coaches are great guys, and they're coming on and they're you know, they're taking over programs, and um, you know, Coach Fry, he's got a good thing going on there at Alabama Huntsville, and uh he was a great guest tonight, and uh they're all great guests. And dude, there's a lot of coaching changes this year in Division II. There's a lot going on, isn't there, Kev?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:04

Yeah, there is. I mean, we add in the the new programs, which oh, by the way, I have to now admit a mistake I did on the previous podcast. We talked about Holy Family and not being able to get the coach on because he was just in the midst of things, and I mentioned Holy Family and their mascot, the dragons. Well, it ain't the dragons, you idiot. It's the tigers. So I wanted to point that out. Someone was kind enough and very pleasant on how they posted on social media to me in a comment that, hey, I think you called them the dragons and they're the tigers. I'm like, oops, you got it right.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:36

That's a fan right there.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:38

That's right.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:38

I got I gotta I gotta correct that guy.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:42

And you know us, we love that. We love when the fans interact and tell us our mistakes.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:47

Well, we always ask, we always ask the fans, hey, DM us, tell us what you think, give us an idea. And now we're getting corrected.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:57

As it should be, as it should be. And before I make another mistake, Danny, for tonight, that's a round.