April 25, 2025 • 10 mins
Jack Michaels, Mike Berg and Paul Ralston talk about UND's football spring showcase and what to expect in the fall.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Those guys that mean everything to me. Like there's certain
people in your life that that you cross paths with
that change your life. And I mean Dale Lennon put
me in contact with Kailyn Deibor. That's how that happened,
you know. And we hit it off of relationship and
we're like minded people and and uh, you know one thing,
let do another off of it. Bubba Schweiger, same thing.
(00:27):
Like there's somebody who said about good people, you know
what I mean, like at the end of the day,
like those guys are selfless, and what I mean by
that is they're confident people. I know they're great coaches.
They know they're great coaches, but they don't think about themselves.
They think about everybody else and how can they help
everybody else? And that's to me, is is what this
(00:47):
is all about. It's about serving and helping others. So
blessed that those guys are in my life, you know,
and and how they poured into me and and uh
just how they taught me, Like we had to know football. Yeah,
I mean at this level, you had to coach it
every single day when you went out there, like it
was important every drill, every team period, everything was was
(01:08):
just maximize, maximized to the absolute height, all right that
it could be. And I just I learned that at
a young age and it became the expectation. It became
the standard, and that's going to be the standard here.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
If you are a football coach, have been a football
coach or a football coach.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Now you're not sure what that path is.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
You just know that you want to coach, and that
path may you might have a plan.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Of your trajectory in coaching.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Maybe you start out at the middle school level, and
coach Berg used ago Jack Michael's Paul rolls to Mike
Berg back at the Fritz Pollard here it is a
spring showcase.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
And what I'm getting to Mike, maybe you.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Get a job in middle school and maybe maybe the
varsity coach brings you up and you become an assistant
and you excel at d Maybe maybe that guy steps
down and you move up and now you're a head
coach and now you've established maybe a pretty good career
in high school and maybe maybe you lock into a
college and you start maybe down at that lower rung
again you work into a position group and you don't
know the path. And for Eric Schmidt returning to North
(02:05):
Dakota after spending last season as the DC, the defensive
coordinator and linebackers coach at San Diego State. That press conference,
when Bill Chays passed a baton and introduced Eric Schmidt
back to this und fighting Hawk community, nothing could deny
his emotion, his appreciation. He talked a lot about pouring
into athletes. We don't know the past that you coaches take. Mike,
(02:28):
I love Eric Schmitt. I think the timing was right
for schmidty at.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
North of Eric Schmidt kid from Mandan. I first met
him when he was playing in the shrine ball watched
him here. He played here, had a great career. The
guy was a girls' basketball coach in Crookston, the head
football coach and girls basketball coach. He took his girl's
basketball team to the state tournament and got back into
college coaching. Worked his way up from basically a grunt
(02:55):
trying to make a living coaching college football to playing
in the f BS National Championship.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
And with those stops along the way, even at the
girls basketball team in Crookston to coaching at Washington and
San Diego State. I guarantee you Eric Schmid has probably
brought a little piece of his journey with him.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
He is the same guy he was coming out of Mandan.
There's a guy out Mandan that you know. Tom Stebner,
former coach, was his coach in STA school, and he
would say the same thing. He could walk up to
Eric Smith right now and they could start talking about
anything from Hamburgers to football, and he'd be the same
guy he was In.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Vans Thompson Vision see every scrambled Blitzen, Hail Mary and
vivid detail your place for laser vision correction as Van
Thompson Vision proud sponsor, View and the Athletics visit Vans
Thompsonvision dot Com today. Paul, that's not there's some new,
there's some that were retained in this transition to that.
We'll hear from Isaac Frickte who's back. He'll be calling
(03:56):
the offensive plays. I know that you're gonna have a
chance to sitting down with him. We'll hear from Sean Costage,
he's bank. We'll hear from Seawn coming up, Trevor Olsen,
who's undoubtedly one of the premier offensive line guys. If
you talk and don't just take you know, coach Berg's
word or Paul's word. Look at his colleagues across the
conference and across the country on what Trevor Olsen means
(04:19):
to the offensive line and the players that play underneath
him at work underneath them, and those that have been
recruited that have committed to the University of North Dakota,
including one that's about twenty minutes west Fargo, Moorehead that
everybody thought, Holy Kyle, what a get that commitment is.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
We'll get into that.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Travis Stepps's back, Travis kalvaugh good to see Tk. He's
been here longer than anybody for goodness sake running this
But some of the new guys, you know, Tyson Maeva
will be handling the defensive line, Malik Brianshaw, the wide receivers,
Gordy how the tight ends. DJ Davis will handle the
running backs, linebackers and coaches Ben Watkins the safeties. He's
(04:58):
Keithon Wilkerson, Tarneeld Dunckett. It's a good director of personnel.
He andres a lot of the other stuff. And then
John Anderson is a is a nice addition Mike to
this club. He'll be handling the edge.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
As a former successful head coach at the University of
Sioux Falls. There's guys on on this new staff with
FBS experience from Washington, San Diego State, Wyoming. There's guys
from the NFL that came directly from the NFL to
this staff.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
I mean, Ducan was with the Jets for goodness sakes
and a personnel.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
And you know, there's a there's a young guy that's uh,
Brandon Bostik who's out here, just finished his career in
the NFL, was most recently with the Packers that's now
getting into coaching. He's kind of an intern here and
he's learning learning the ropes. So Schmid, he has come
across these guys in his various stops. It's a network,
it's a it's a brotherhood, a fraternity of coaches in
(05:48):
that in the college levels.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
And it doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
And I believe I saw the Brock star around here
as well.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Is that right?
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Coach Brock Bulletman is here and we know him from
his playing days. This is his second year here. There
aren't guys here that are as good as anybody in
the business. And we see them they move on. They
go from me spots even you know a couple of
years ago, Joe Pavlik was the offensive line coach, spent
a year in Montana after leaving here. Now he said,
(06:16):
what Central Michigan I believe, And so you know he's
coaching at the FBS level and it is not at
all uncommon.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Paul, before we break and come back, because we've got
lots to get to tonight, a lot of interviews and
inside information and position battles and all that.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
If you can speak to, Paul, if folks.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Haven't been to this part of campus and this part
of Grand Forks with a lot of the newness and
the phases and where that softball that just a jempsit
behind us. But Paul, you get a chance on a
daily basis to be around this stuff. What haven't people
been aware of if they haven't been around here?
Speaker 5 (06:52):
So think about it this way. You may be aware
of the facility that we're in right now. It's been
around for a few years. And boy, not only as
you and d using it, but high school track meets
are held here all the time now. But just alongside
this building just opening up here just a few months ago,
was part two this this Notak Insurance Company piece that
(07:12):
includes the strength and conditioning areas, the new locker rooms
for not only football, but for also softball and track
and field. It is state of the art. Now think
about this. If you are a student athlete that lives
in the apartments across Old Memorial Stadium at Hislop, if
you have an apartment there, you only have to go
outside to go to class. You literally can walk down
(07:33):
the Hawkway, which is around the old brick facade that
you know basically took you know, it was the north
perimeter of Memorial Stadium, and that's inside now, So you
can literally walk to your strength and conditioning, to your
locker rooms and then have practices here on the field
inside or run if you're a track and field person,
you can run and practice, I'm telling you. And then
(07:54):
you've got all Brecked Field, which is across the street
here and it is a premier softball facility. It's incredible.
And then now they've got a flight deck party area
out and left field, they've got a pool area for
the apartments that are going up that you can actually
watch the game from the pool. I'm telling you, this
is you know what used to be Old Ralph f
(08:16):
Einglestead Arena. In fact, actually prior to that, the Winter
Sports Center for U Indie hockey. You know, every everything
has its life as far as buildings, and I'm gonna
be sad when his Islam is finally brought to the
wrecking ball. But I will just say this that in
today's era of college athletics, North Dakota Can doesn't have
to bow to many people in regards to what it
(08:37):
provides in student athletes as far as facilities are.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
All said, Paul, let me say this, Paul.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
You're standing on a three hundred meter track right now
that is the same surface as the Olympic track.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
It's as good as it gets.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
And then the stands right here where everybody is just
comfortable watching on this and that that's that's what I
hear most. I'm glad I asked you that, Paul, to
go through that, because that's to me and I get
up and down the Red River, back up and down
twenty nine. It is the number one thing I hear
resonating are the facilities at North Dakota And that's coming
from players, recruits, commitments, other people.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Parents.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
It always starts with boy, you should see or have
you seen all those statements start. I mean, oh yeah, yeah,
they know it and they appreciate that. We are broadcasting
live from the beautiful Fritz Pollod Athletics Center here in
Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
This is the showcase.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
We'll come back lots to get to, including, you know,
position battles, other changes, some have gone, many have entered
in portal news and more.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
The players, Mike, what are we in the second quarter?
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Now, we'll be starting the second quarter. They're doing some
kickoffs now on air. They're gonna let and yeah, they're
going to start out there and they're going to go
some i think.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Two minute drills.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Two minute drill, Yeah, fifteen to twenty plays here.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
And they're using Jack Sullik, who's another quarterback. And we'll
talk more about him. We'll do that when we return.
Tracy Pye, you're producing our game. We are listening to
the Spring Showcase from the Fritz Pollard Athletics Center, and
this is Fighting Hawks Football on the und Fighting Hawks
Radio Network
Those guys that mean everything to me. Like there's certain
people in your life that that you cross paths with
that change your life. And I mean Dale Lennon put
me in contact with Kailyn Deibor. That's how that happened,
you know. And we hit it off of relationship and
we're like minded people and and uh, you know one thing,
let do another off of it. Bubba Schweiger, same thing.
(00:27):
Like there's somebody who said about good people, you know
what I mean, like at the end of the day,
like those guys are selfless, and what I mean by
that is they're confident people. I know they're great coaches.
They know they're great coaches, but they don't think about themselves.
They think about everybody else and how can they help
everybody else? And that's to me, is is what this
(00:47):
is all about. It's about serving and helping others. So
blessed that those guys are in my life, you know,
and and how they poured into me and and uh
just how they taught me, Like we had to know football. Yeah,
I mean at this level, you had to coach it
every single day when you went out there, like it
was important every drill, every team period, everything was was
(01:08):
just maximize, maximized to the absolute height, all right that
it could be. And I just I learned that at
a young age and it became the expectation. It became
the standard, and that's going to be the standard here.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
If you are a football coach, have been a football
coach or a football coach.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Now you're not sure what that path is.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
You just know that you want to coach, and that
path may you might have a plan.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Of your trajectory in coaching.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Maybe you start out at the middle school level, and
coach Berg used ago Jack Michael's Paul rolls to Mike
Berg back at the Fritz Pollard here it is a
spring showcase.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
And what I'm getting to Mike, maybe you.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Get a job in middle school and maybe maybe the
varsity coach brings you up and you become an assistant
and you excel at d Maybe maybe that guy steps
down and you move up and now you're a head
coach and now you've established maybe a pretty good career
in high school and maybe maybe you lock into a
college and you start maybe down at that lower rung
again you work into a position group and you don't
know the path. And for Eric Schmidt returning to North
(02:05):
Dakota after spending last season as the DC, the defensive
coordinator and linebackers coach at San Diego State. That press conference,
when Bill Chays passed a baton and introduced Eric Schmidt
back to this und fighting Hawk community, nothing could deny
his emotion, his appreciation. He talked a lot about pouring
into athletes. We don't know the past that you coaches take. Mike,
(02:28):
I love Eric Schmitt. I think the timing was right
for schmidty at.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
North of Eric Schmidt kid from Mandan. I first met
him when he was playing in the shrine ball watched
him here. He played here, had a great career. The
guy was a girls' basketball coach in Crookston, the head
football coach and girls basketball coach. He took his girl's
basketball team to the state tournament and got back into
college coaching. Worked his way up from basically a grunt
(02:55):
trying to make a living coaching college football to playing
in the f BS National Championship.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
And with those stops along the way, even at the
girls basketball team in Crookston to coaching at Washington and
San Diego State. I guarantee you Eric Schmid has probably
brought a little piece of his journey with him.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
He is the same guy he was coming out of Mandan.
There's a guy out Mandan that you know. Tom Stebner,
former coach, was his coach in STA school, and he
would say the same thing. He could walk up to
Eric Smith right now and they could start talking about
anything from Hamburgers to football, and he'd be the same
guy he was In.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Vans Thompson Vision see every scrambled Blitzen, Hail Mary and
vivid detail your place for laser vision correction as Van
Thompson Vision proud sponsor, View and the Athletics visit Vans
Thompsonvision dot Com today. Paul, that's not there's some new,
there's some that were retained in this transition to that.
We'll hear from Isaac Frickte who's back. He'll be calling
(03:56):
the offensive plays. I know that you're gonna have a
chance to sitting down with him. We'll hear from Sean Costage,
he's bank. We'll hear from Seawn coming up, Trevor Olsen,
who's undoubtedly one of the premier offensive line guys. If
you talk and don't just take you know, coach Berg's
word or Paul's word. Look at his colleagues across the
conference and across the country on what Trevor Olsen means
(04:19):
to the offensive line and the players that play underneath
him at work underneath them, and those that have been
recruited that have committed to the University of North Dakota,
including one that's about twenty minutes west Fargo, Moorehead that
everybody thought, Holy Kyle, what a get that commitment is.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
We'll get into that.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Travis Stepps's back, Travis kalvaugh good to see Tk. He's
been here longer than anybody for goodness sake running this
But some of the new guys, you know, Tyson Maeva
will be handling the defensive line, Malik Brianshaw, the wide receivers,
Gordy how the tight ends. DJ Davis will handle the
running backs, linebackers and coaches Ben Watkins the safeties. He's
(04:58):
Keithon Wilkerson, Tarneeld Dunckett. It's a good director of personnel.
He andres a lot of the other stuff. And then
John Anderson is a is a nice addition Mike to
this club. He'll be handling the edge.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
As a former successful head coach at the University of
Sioux Falls. There's guys on on this new staff with
FBS experience from Washington, San Diego State, Wyoming. There's guys
from the NFL that came directly from the NFL to
this staff.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
I mean, Ducan was with the Jets for goodness sakes
and a personnel.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
And you know, there's a there's a young guy that's uh,
Brandon Bostik who's out here, just finished his career in
the NFL, was most recently with the Packers that's now
getting into coaching. He's kind of an intern here and
he's learning learning the ropes. So Schmid, he has come
across these guys in his various stops. It's a network,
it's a it's a brotherhood, a fraternity of coaches in
(05:48):
that in the college levels.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
And it doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
And I believe I saw the Brock star around here
as well.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Is that right?
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Coach Brock Bulletman is here and we know him from
his playing days. This is his second year here. There
aren't guys here that are as good as anybody in
the business. And we see them they move on. They
go from me spots even you know a couple of
years ago, Joe Pavlik was the offensive line coach, spent
a year in Montana after leaving here. Now he said,
(06:16):
what Central Michigan I believe, And so you know he's
coaching at the FBS level and it is not at
all uncommon.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Paul, before we break and come back, because we've got
lots to get to tonight, a lot of interviews and
inside information and position battles and all that.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
If you can speak to, Paul, if folks.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Haven't been to this part of campus and this part
of Grand Forks with a lot of the newness and
the phases and where that softball that just a jempsit
behind us. But Paul, you get a chance on a
daily basis to be around this stuff. What haven't people
been aware of if they haven't been around here?
Speaker 5 (06:52):
So think about it this way. You may be aware
of the facility that we're in right now. It's been
around for a few years. And boy, not only as
you and d using it, but high school track meets
are held here all the time now. But just alongside
this building just opening up here just a few months ago,
was part two this this Notak Insurance Company piece that
(07:12):
includes the strength and conditioning areas, the new locker rooms
for not only football, but for also softball and track
and field. It is state of the art. Now think
about this. If you are a student athlete that lives
in the apartments across Old Memorial Stadium at Hislop, if
you have an apartment there, you only have to go
outside to go to class. You literally can walk down
(07:33):
the Hawkway, which is around the old brick facade that
you know basically took you know, it was the north
perimeter of Memorial Stadium, and that's inside now, So you
can literally walk to your strength and conditioning, to your
locker rooms and then have practices here on the field
inside or run if you're a track and field person,
you can run and practice, I'm telling you. And then
(07:54):
you've got all Brecked Field, which is across the street
here and it is a premier softball facility. It's incredible.
And then now they've got a flight deck party area
out and left field, they've got a pool area for
the apartments that are going up that you can actually
watch the game from the pool. I'm telling you, this
is you know what used to be Old Ralph f
(08:16):
Einglestead Arena. In fact, actually prior to that, the Winter
Sports Center for U Indie hockey. You know, every everything
has its life as far as buildings, and I'm gonna
be sad when his Islam is finally brought to the
wrecking ball. But I will just say this that in
today's era of college athletics, North Dakota Can doesn't have
to bow to many people in regards to what it
(08:37):
provides in student athletes as far as facilities are.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
All said, Paul, let me say this, Paul.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
You're standing on a three hundred meter track right now
that is the same surface as the Olympic track.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
It's as good as it gets.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
And then the stands right here where everybody is just
comfortable watching on this and that that's that's what I
hear most. I'm glad I asked you that, Paul, to
go through that, because that's to me and I get
up and down the Red River, back up and down
twenty nine. It is the number one thing I hear
resonating are the facilities at North Dakota And that's coming
from players, recruits, commitments, other people.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Parents.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
It always starts with boy, you should see or have
you seen all those statements start. I mean, oh yeah, yeah,
they know it and they appreciate that. We are broadcasting
live from the beautiful Fritz Pollod Athletics Center here in
Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
This is the showcase.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
We'll come back lots to get to, including, you know,
position battles, other changes, some have gone, many have entered
in portal news and more.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
The players, Mike, what are we in the second quarter?
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Now, we'll be starting the second quarter. They're doing some
kickoffs now on air. They're gonna let and yeah, they're
going to start out there and they're going to go
some i think.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Two minute drills.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Two minute drill, Yeah, fifteen to twenty plays here.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
And they're using Jack Sullik, who's another quarterback. And we'll
talk more about him. We'll do that when we return.
Tracy Pye, you're producing our game. We are listening to
the Spring Showcase from the Fritz Pollard Athletics Center, and
this is Fighting Hawks Football on the und Fighting Hawks
Radio Network
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com