Born: Sept. 20, 1965
High School: Lakeview High School, Battle Creek, Mich. Graduated 1984
College: Michigan State University (BA in Soviet/East European Studies 1988, MA Labor and Industrial Relations 1992)
My coaching philosophy is to prepare these players for anything they might encounter. Practice must be harder than games. I stress physical fitness, mental toughness and aggressive play. On the line, we set the tone for the rest of the team by creating space for our skill players to operate effectively. We impose our will on opponents through relentless effort, playing until the echo of the whistle. As a position group, we might be out-played, and we might be out-coached, but we will never be out-hustled, and we will never be out-hit. I’ve coached high school football in Stillwater for over a decade. In the 1980s, I played for a coach who was a mastermind at football but a terrible person. I honestly think I had that experience to motivate me to be an ambassador for the game. It’s something I take very seriously. If you play for me, I’m going to push you hard but you’re going to realize that I’m also your biggest cheerleader.
When I’m not on a football field, I enjoy German shepherds, reading, landscaping, cutting wood, and most of all, catch and release fishing for northern pike and Musky.