Masters in Coaching Podcast- Episode VIII

Tim Cates talks with Oregon Tech Women’s Volleyball head coach Dr. Ken Murczek about his career in coaching and teaching at Concordia University Irvine.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
He was a standout volleyball player incollege, played professionally, and for the
last decade has been a coach acrossthis country, from Wake Forest to College
of Charleston to now Oregon Tech wherehe takes over a program during a pandemic.
We introduce you to doctor Ken Murcikas a Masters in Coaching podcast starts
now, let's go. Welcome toepisode eight of the Masters in Coaching Podcast.

(00:24):
I am Tim Kates. Thanks forjoining us our guest today. Nine
years as a head coach Wake ForrestCollege of Charleston, three years as an
assistant at San Diego's State. Hewas a volleyball player himself at the collegiate
and professional level. Now in hisfirst year as a head coach at Oregon
Tech and their women's volleyball program.He is doctor Ken Mursek, and he

(00:46):
joins us now here on the podcast. Ken, how are you doing?
Thanks for joining us. Wonderful,wonderful and joining A beautiful day and Klamath
Falls, Oregon. It's about seventyone and it's starting to warm up.
Today's fall is a US drop intothe low forties that night and getting into
the eighties in the day. Sojust outside walking on the track, actually

(01:07):
getting a little exercise while I talkto you. Well, still well over
one hundred here in southern California forthe now fourth consecutive day, but hopefully
fall we'll get here soon. Ken. We've talked to several coaches, different
programs, different sports, different levelsof college athletics. You're the first coach,
though, that we've talked to thathas taken over a program as a
brand new head coach during the pandemic. You get named the new women's volleyball

(01:30):
coach at Oregon Tech in late March. You take over April first. What
has this been like for you?You know, it's there's no script for
this. You know, you can'treally rely on any of your mentors because
they haven't been through it. Butit's been an awesome challenge. I've been
really fortunate the group here. Yeah, I started the job April first,

(01:53):
and I was a virtual coach upuntil last week. So wow, you
know, you just got it.Forced me to be creative, you know,
and I still felt like we wereable to make some progress and set
some standards, to have some expectations. You know, the virtual world is
it's not the same as in person. But you know, I still think

(02:15):
we did the best with what wecould do. We met every Monday and
Friday. I put together a zoomcall that everybody logged in and we did
a workout for an hour. Icreated five exercises for each position every two
weeks that I would put on YouTubethat were volleyball specific that they could do
on their own. And then wehad a team meeting every Wednesday night from

(02:38):
seven to eight pm. So wedid that for eight weeks. I created
some accountability partners that they would checkin with twice a week for the other
two days of the workout. Butit was interesting, you know, as
kind kind of as I worked throughit, you know, as we got
into meat and potatoes of you knowkind of culture and philosophy and things,

(02:59):
I decided to shut it down,to be honest with you, because I
didn't feel like I could get thereaction of the team virtually, you know,
and I felt like the things Iwanted to talk about we're way too
important that I just said, hey, you know, I'm going to save
it until they get on campus.And actually tonight is our first kind of

(03:20):
you know to get into some ofthat stuff. We're gonna We've got an
hour plan before practice today that youknow, I'm going to talk to him
a little bit about what do youwant out of this experience? You know,
what, why did you come toorgan Tech? You know what,
what are we looking to try todo here as a group, Because I've
learned from my experience that I couldwant it. All I want is the
head coach. But you know,if the players, if the players don't

(03:42):
have some ownership and aren't invested,you know, I think, just as
the coach, you're just you're fightingup till battle. So so yeah,
so I'm looking forward to it.But but they've been great. You know,
we did some open gyms and lastweek and then this week we actually
started kind of our official training andthey've been great. They've been absolutely great.
It's been a lot of fun.You've had a couple of different stops.

(04:03):
You're now at Oregon Tech back asa head coach. What are the
couple of things you're looking forward toback as a head coach now, what
you've learned from the past, whatyou're hoping to do now with the new
program. Yeah, you know,the buck stops with the head coach.
You know, I always felt likeit was really easy to be the assistant.
You know, I could throw allthe ideas I want against the wall

(04:24):
and I don't have to make thedecision, you know, And now the
buck stops with me, you know. So now you've got to manage a
team, You've got to manage individuals. You know, it's it's just a
different deal. But fortunate enough,you know things that I've done in the
past, which is, uh,it doesn't make it any easier, but
I can. I can kind ofdraw on some of my experiences. And

(04:46):
it doesn't mean I'm better now thanI was before, but at least when
something's happened now, I probably lookat it in a little different lens than
I did initially. And I'm reallyyou know, thankful that I was able
to go back and be an assistantand take a deep breath. And in
our profession, you know, unfortunatelyyou don't really get to see what many

(05:08):
other people do because we're all doingit at the same time, right,
you know, our seasons are allin the fall typically, and so to
be an assistant, you know,really lends itself to in my opinion,
learn you know, learn more abouthow do you how does this person do
it. How do they you know, teach, and how do they manage
and how do they recruit? Andhopefully you know, you take what you

(05:30):
like, you kind of think aboutwhat you don't like, and you know,
can you still learn from it andthen apply it to you know you.
And one of the greatest things I'veever you know, kind of thought
about or learned is you know,just right now, I'm teaching actually a
coaching theories class here, which hasbeen just so much fun. But you
know, I'm not John Wooden,you know, and and and so I

(05:55):
can agree and try to, youknow, use some of his principles,
but you know, the hour tome has always been in the presentation.
So you know, I think youstill got to be yourself. You gotta
be true to you. And I'mstill evolving, you know, I even
told the class this yesterday. Youknow, my my coaching philosophy still is
continuing to change as I change,as my priorities as a human change,

(06:17):
you know. So but it's justbeen Uh, it's so nice for me
to be back in the driver's seat. I really missed it. I'm really
fortunate to get the opportunity again torun a program, and you know,
the level is. It's different,that's for sure. You know, I've
spent almost my whole career in theDivision one ranks. But you know,

(06:43):
it's so funny because I'm doing morecoaching now than I have at any Division
one school because there's no hour limitin the NA level. So for example,
you know, I've got individuals goingright now or small group stuff that
you know you can't really do ata Division one level because of the hour
limits, either in the week orin the day. And you know,

(07:05):
they really I don't want to say, handcuff you because they're trying to protect
the student. Actually I get it, you know, but here, you
know, it's a little different.You know, there's not as many rules.
I don't want to call it thewild West, you know, the
NAI, but it's just it's alittle it's run a little differently, and
it's ten Even this week, it'sbeen so much fun to get in with

(07:26):
you know, the setters a coupleof times and a couple of the other
positions, specific things and really feellike you're you're coaching them up, which
has just been so much fun forme. It's interesting you bring that up,
kay, because I was going toask you about the differences in coaching
at the different levels of college athleticsfrom Division one down to the NAIA level,
and you touched upon it there asfar as the different rules and parameters

(07:46):
they have set up at the NAIAlevel, but as far as coaching itself,
is there any difference between the differentlevels coaching wise, Yeah, yeah,
And you know, the academic piecehere at Oregon Tech really filters out
a lot of people. So thisis a huge at a technical college.
They've got the best renewable engineering programin the country. They're huge for mechanical

(08:09):
engineering, civil engineering. They've gotan unbelievable medical field here that I've got
three players that are in the medicalimaging program. So you know, the
academic piece filters out a lot ofpeople. So to me, that's awesome.
Because I've experienced working out a toptwenty five academic institution, I'm fortunate

(08:31):
that a lot of volleyball players areacademically motivated so to me. And then
I even mentioned this on my interviewhere, as I said, you already
have a niche, which is great. You know, now I just got
to find those kids, you knowthat want to have a great volleyball experience
that want to train, but they'regoing to get a great degree, you
know. And I'm very realistic.I've always said my philosophy is, hey,

(08:52):
I'd love free to go play overseasprofessionally and do things like I did.
But the reality of it is,not everybody has that goal or that
dream. I want to train youto have those tools if you want to
do it when you're done. Itwas college, But the reality of it
is nine percent are going to godo an internship, or go get a
job, or go get a master'sdegree. So at least a platform like

(09:13):
this allows them to be able todo that and really set them up for
life, which which to me isyou know, I mean that's the goal,
right, I mean, that's that'sour job. So it's really exciting
to be in a position to beable to offer a really neat product,
you know, on the academic side. Who are some of your mentors in
volleyball and in the coaching world.Yeah, I've gotten really fortunate. I
mean you talk about, uh,just the luck I've had to play for

(09:37):
a guy, you know, likeJack Henn, who unfortunately just passed away
this year. That was my collegecoach at San Diego State, but you
know, he played in the sixtyeight Olympics in Mexico. You know,
he was just that, the guywas the guy was awesome, you know,
and he made such an impact onyou know, a guy like me
that comes out from Chicago, gotfortunate enough to play boys volleyball that it

(09:58):
just happened to start my rushman yearat college and then get to go out
there and you know, be arounda guy that did it his whole life.
He did it on the beach,he did it indoor, he did
it in the Olympics, and justyou know, I think he really shaped
me. You know, he reallyhelped me develop, you know, some
morals and principles and get kind ofa somebody that you know, I don't

(10:20):
want I don't want to say Iwas a loose cannon, but you know,
definitely gave me some direction. AndI think he probably made the biggest
impact on me. You know.I saw that what he did every day
and how he helped you know,me and a lot of the guys that
I'm still really close with from SanDiego State, and he shaped us and
I think he probably had the biggestimpact. And then as I've been in
the profession. I've been really luckyto meet up with people like carry Leskevige,

(10:46):
you know, who runs the artof coaching, who was the national
team coach and was at Oregon Statefor a long time, and I mean
the list goes on. I've beenreally blessed in this profession that I'm confident
enough to pick up the phone orintroduce my self to people, and uh,
a lot a lot of people havebeen open enough to share. Uh.
And it's really I'd say it happensmore on the men's side, unfortunately

(11:09):
than the women's side. You know, I think when you're making a substantial
income, like some of these Powerfive coaches are, some of them are
a little bit more close to thevest, you know, with what they're
doing and how they're training and tryingto help, then they are you know,
the men's side is still a littlebit more like a fraternity that you
know, those guys Mark Pablock,the head coach at Penn State, I

(11:31):
mean, you know, he'd sentme his booklet for his guys. You
know, what they do offensively,defensively, how they run their team.
I mean, you know, andI'm like, how can a guy do
that? You know, I meanjust it's just so awesome. So I've
been really fortunate, you know,with just having those people as a resource
for me. Mark Warner, whowas the women's coach at San Diego State

(11:52):
for a long time. He wasthere when I played, and he recently
has retired. You know, thoselists just kind of goes on and they're
all over the country, and it'sbeen just I'm so fortunate to have so
many of those people that I canpick up the phone and obviously pick their
brain a little bit, that they'vedone this a lot longer. Even right
now. I have a friend,Todd Maddox that is a Bishop High school

(12:15):
down in uh Lajoia, California.He's been there for several years. He
just retired from teaching and the CIFpushed their season and so he's like,
hey, man, I'm missing beingin the gym, you know what I
mean, what do you think?And I'm like, dude, get up
here. I'll give you gas money, you know. So you know he's
he's up here right now, andyou know he's a guy that's done this
for you know, longer than I'vebeen live almost you know, that's just

(12:39):
such a resource to pick his brainon systems and things like that. So
I'm really lucky. I mean,the list is long for me. Wow,
no doubt. That is great tohave that many people that have affected
you and helped you in your coachingcareer. Doctor Ken Murzk is our guest
here on the Masters in Coaching podcastand a good time to tell you about
Concordia University, Irvine's Masters in Coachingat Leics Administration program, the nation's number

(13:01):
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(13:24):
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(13:46):
information, go to CUI dot eduslash coaching. That's CUI dot edu slash
coaching. Now, speaking of ConcordiaUniversity Irvine's Masters in Coaching and Athletics program,
you are teaching a class and havetaught a couple of classes in this
program. What's it like being aprofessor. What's it like being a teacher

(14:07):
for people are looking to get theirmaster's degree. Yeah, it's been just
terrific, so lucky, so fortunate. I actually got to go on campus
two summers ago and do a classform on site. We just did,
gosh, maybe about two months ago. We had a little online form with
you know, an athletic director,a coach, and you know, just

(14:28):
some people that are working in theprofession that are in the program, which
was just so much fun. Butjust you know, I went back to
school to try to open some doorson the education side. You know,
I've been coaching for almost twenty yearsand had felt, hey, I want
to if I want to pivot.I've always felt coaching as teaching, you
know, my classrooms just in thegym, and I've had a lot of

(14:50):
neat experiences that I wanted to diveinto deeper. For example, my dissertation
was on you know, stress andburnout for collegiate coaches and the opportunity.
I actually drove up to Concordi,Irvine when I was in San Diego and
just thought, Hey, you know, I'm gonna go up and introduce myself
to Tony and you know some ofthe people there that run the program and

(15:11):
just let them know I'd love toget involved at some point in some capacity,
and uh, you know, letme know if you're ever a class.
And uh, you know, thatwas I think maybe about three years
ago, and sure enough, youknow, I kind of got put on
their list, and you know,shortly thereafter I got fortunate to get a
nutrition class and a bound mechanics classand I did their their volleyball their coaching

(15:35):
class coaching theories class, which wason campus, and it was just I'll
tell you what. You know,again, the online thing is awesome.
It allows for some flexibility. Itallows for me to be able to bring
in some professionals. You know,I did two interviews with friends of mine
that our sports nutritionists in the field. Ones at the Olympic Training Center,
the other ones at USC and uhyou know, provide the students, you

(15:58):
know, some real life experience evenright now at the baiomechanics class. You
know, I have them down.Find a free app. Now, get
the app going with your athletes andhow do you apply it and how can
you make them move more efficiently?And again just trying to give them real
life experiences that I know as acoach, that I would go out and
use or have used. And tryingto blend that with obviously the book stuff,

(16:22):
right, I mean that the sciencebehind it, which is which is
important. But I've always been hey, how do we apply it? You
know I can. I can doall the research I want, but give
me, give me the tools tomake this useful every day and my everyday
job in life. Ken. Ilove your passion, I love your energy.
You have a love for volleyball.I love for coaching. We love
that here on the Masters and Coachingpodcast. Thank you so much for spending

(16:42):
a few minutes with us talking aboutyour background, your story. You've certainly
got a full play with everything you'redoing from coaching and teaching. Thank you
so much for taking the time andcontinue success Okay, have a great weekend.
I appreciate your time and thanks fordoing this. We'll talk to you
soon, all right. That's doctorKen Mursk. He's the head coach at
Oregon Tech and their women's volleyball programnine years. Is a head coach before

(17:04):
that at Wake Forest in College ofCharleston, three years as an assistant at
San Diego State. Who knows,Maybe you can take one of his classes
at Concordia University Irvine's Masters in CoachingAthletics Administration program. He is a professor
there. Thanks to our friends atConcordia University Irvine again. For more information,
go to CUI dot edu slash coaching. What are you waiting for?

(17:26):
Take that next step? CUI dotedu slash coaching. Until next time,
Tim Kate saying so long and thankyou for listening to the Masters in Coaching
podcasts. So long, everybody,