—interview by Bradley Iverson-Long
Q: How did you end up at Grinnell?
A: I was a recruited football player from the suburbs of Chicago, and the more I investigated Grinnell, I found it to be a very good school. … As a student I studied music and got certified in education. … Then in 1987, I got on the staff full time as an assistant football coach and assistant sports information director. From 1987 until now, I’ve held a number of different positions.
Q: What are the differences between coaching basketball, a team sport, and tennis, a more individual sport?
A: Clearly, as a basketball coach, you’re directing the players to play cohesively and to play off each other’s strengths. Basketball, by some accounts can be described as the greatest team sport.
To some extent, as a basketball coach, I can help determine the outcome of the contest, whether it’s calling the right play at the right time [or] our pre-game preparation.
In tennis, my job is to help our individuals evaluate what their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses are… In tennis, the preparation is done more at practice and less during the match. Although probably my greatest strength as a tennis coach is my ability to see opponent’s weaknesses and communicate it to our guys.
Q: How are the two sports’ campus impact different?
A: Women’s basketball is considered more of a spectator sport. … Tennis, on the other hand, is not a big-time spectator sport. Quite honestly, I think our players receive a fair amount of support from the community, which I’m pleased about. It’s a pretty good team.
Q: What’s the outlook for the men’s tennis team this year?
A: We have six of our top eight players returning from last season, and we won the Midwest Conference title last year. We’re very excited. It’s a deep and experienced team.
Q: What are your thoughts on the recently completed women’s basketball season?
A: Overall, everyone in our program, coaches and players alike, wanted to win more games. But our players understood how well they did. One of my main goals for every team that I coach is that they have a positive learning curve, and that they play their best basketball or tennis at the end of the year. It’s safe to say that our women had a positive learning curve. … In my heart of hearts, I’m pleased that our women are upset that we didn’t win enough. It shows that their expectations are not fulfilled. They are visionaries and they have set their standards high.
Q: What’s your favorite part about coaching?
A: My favorite part is the relationships. … My sense is that the women that I coach will stay in touch with me, and I’ll know what’s happening in their lives. I’ve already experienced that with the tennis team. There’s a great connectedness.
Q: What’s the toughest part about coaching?
A: Recruiting. And I’m doing it on the Division III level, where I don’t have to fly to watch games. … I’m very committed to being a good father and husband and sometimes the recruiting and that aspect of my life intersect, and it’s difficult.
Q: What’s the most memorable game or match that you coached?
A: The memorable game as a women’s basketball coach was my first game in 2002. Grinnell was on a 36-game losing streak at the time. Our women carved out a 15-point win, and our senior captain cried in the locker room because she hadn’t won many contests.
We had an unbelievable match against Ripon in men’s tennis in 1999… Grinnell hadn’t beat Ripon in years, and we had lost to them 6-1 two weeks prior to the Conference semifinals. We pulled out a 4-3 victory. It was a five hour match, and we were so spent that we lost in the finals… Once we beat Ripon, our guys knew that they could step on the court and play with the best in the conference.
Q: Have you started coaching your kids?
A: Yes I have. My son William is 10 and I’ve been coaching him in youth soccer since he was five, and have coached him in baseball and football. My daughter Lily is almost 8, and I began coaching her in youth soccer when she was five, and have coached her in softball. And they both fiddle around with a tennis racquet in their hand.
Q: Why have you stayed in Grinnell for so long?
A: I married a Grinnell graduate, and she’s from Iowa, so that’s a good reason to stay. From a professional standpoint, there’s been an explosion of success and the ability to compete in Grinnell athletics in the last two decades. I’m very fortunate to coach at this place, and most fortunate to work with Grinnell student-athletes.
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