September 9, 2025 • 16 mins
With a top 40 RPI out of the Big South Conference and a top-15 ranking in the country, the Bulldogs season got a big boost in recognition with a road win in Morgantown.
Head Coach Scott Wells drops by SDH AM to look at the early season, how the program has grown, and how hard it is in the Big South.
Head Coach Scott Wells drops by SDH AM to look at the early season, how the program has grown, and how hard it is in the Big South.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A little bit. Okay, it is nine.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It is time to go to Boiling Springs, North Carolina,
I think, and it's time to Okay, So it looks
like he's either in his office or his home, one
of the two.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
So we'll figure it out.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So somewhere close to Boiling Springs, North Carolina, we'll catch
up with our friend Scott Well as a head coach
of Gardner Webb.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Sir, how you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Can you hit me?
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah? You're good, Scott? What's going on?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Not much?
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Great to be back on again. Non Maybe not as
much USL two relation this time, which is good as well.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Hey, it's all good.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And the reason that we wanted to circle back with
you is because of the hot start that you've got
ranked to top twenty and depending on which pole you're
discussing and what before I kind of get into the
season in general with what's been going on with you
so far and with Gardner Webb, I kind of wanted
to pull back the curtain a little bit, and for
(00:58):
folks that may not understand stand what it's like in
Division one soccer to go from point A to point
B and get all the travel squared away and road
trips and all this kind of stuff after the win
against West Virginia, and I do want to discuss that too.
After the win against West Virginia, I texted you and
I was like, that was epic, and I'm paraphrasing that
(01:20):
was epic. I want you to come on the show.
So you were coming home overnight from the match, after
you got everything all squared away, you were coming home overnight.
You might have gotten in and nap before you had
to take folks to school.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Is this accurate? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Yeah, We drove home through the night and I think
I got in around six, and then work the kids
up at breakfast, took them to school, and then was
kind of still on an adrenaline rush, to be honest,
So when in the office, score a little bit, and
you know, shamefully forgot about our meat.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
So I apologize for that.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
No, it's all good.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
But what I wanted to what I want what I
wanted to do was have folks kind of understand that
it's not all glamor when it comes to piecing road
trips together and schedules together and going a certain distance.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions when it comes
(02:18):
to travel in the college game and putting schedules together.
What if folks need to know that they may not
know when it comes to pieceing something like this together.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yeah, I think obviously, first and foremost, you want to
schedule top teams. You know, we're we've not been shy
of scheduling top teams since I've been a gana weeb.
Obviously our game against Wag last season as well. But
a lot of the times you have to go there, right,
you have to go and beat them at their place,
which is really difficult. Is a little bit different than
the USL two, where you probably are staying that night,
(02:49):
you know, and you've got the budget to potentially do that.
Mid major budgets usually don't have the ability to stay
in hotels for multiple nights. But then the other factor,
which is the most important decision. Unfortunately, the players didn't
get any sleep as well. You know, they had to
get back. They had to get back to class. You know,
if we do go away, we don't get exceptions to
the guys missing class, you know, so attendance is huge
(03:10):
at the college level. They had to make sure that
they were in class at eight am. The boys were
asking me, are you sure?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Are you sure?
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Like I was like, you better get some rest on
the way home, because you know, you guys are got
to go to class and take care that responsibility, which
is equally as important.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
But hopefully they sat at the front row.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
And had a big smile on their face because I'm
sure they were delighted through the day as well. But yeah,
I'm sure they were just like me. They were exhausted
by the end of that day.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
You are out of the blocks at five and zero,
and it's been a really good start for you. You
go to the JMU Invitational in Harrisonburg, you knockoff Drexel
and the hosts. I'm sure that sat well with a
lot of the Duke fans, the Duke's fans, Dukes fans,
not Duke fans, but Dukes fans. One Nill win at
(03:53):
James Madison to wrap up that tourney. Then you go
to Davidson. Then it's the matchup against West Virginia. It's
up there, it's the number six team in the country.
What was prep like getting ready for that game, knowing
that you were going into an angry environment, knowing it
was the number six team in the country, Knowing that
you came out of the blocks at three and zero.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
What was prep for that match?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Like?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Yeah, I think that the message to the guys, you know,
leading up to West Virginia was really clear in terms of, Okay,
who are we going to be this season? You know,
are we going to be a team like last season
that we had some upsets and we had some great results,
but are we still going to be the fringe guys?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Right?
Speaker 4 (04:32):
The guys that are happy to be in the top
twenty five are happy to be sniffing around that national attention,
or we're going to be a team that are going
to be taken serious here and we really are a
top ten team and we're good enough to go to
places like West Virginia that hadn't lost him three and
a half years and get a result. You know, it
made things a little easier because Dan Stratford is one
of my mentors. You know, I worked within for two
and a half years at Charleston in West Virginia and
(04:54):
we win a national championship together, So I knew exactly
how he was going to approach the game tactically and
just you know in general. So I feel like I
was prepared, you know, I've been prepared for that moment
for many many years to play against him, and then
our guys just relished the opportunity to play in big moments.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
You know, that was a fourth game away.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
We hadn't played a home game at that point, but
our guys were really interested in the atmosphere and really
enjoyed it and wanted to be you know, represent our
program in the best possible way on the national stage.
And they've done just that. So yeah, it was a
great evening. Obviously, the challenge that after is keeping their
feet on the ground because you know, it's not really
where we are right now in the rankings, it's where
(05:35):
we want to be at the end of the season.
So they understand that. But you know, we had to
draw attention to Etsu straight away. We had four eight
hours before that game, and then again now we're prepping
for Furman, who are also a nationally ranked team.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
So it's just never ending, as you.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Know, yep, And when you have a moment like this,
and it was a really cool moment to hear. If
I can hit the right button, here's how it ended
for you and Morgantown.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
It's a historic win for Gardner Webb. It's a result
that may reverberate around Division one men's soccer. The message
is beware of the dogs. Number thirteen Gardner Webb Hans,
West Virginia. It's first home loss in one thousand, ninety
two days, a thirty two match on Beaten Street for
the Mountaineers.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
At the last is over.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
There you go like that for an ending courtesy of
our friends at ESPN plus.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Huh, Yeah, it's it's great. It's a great feeling. You know,
I was really upset at the start of the season.
We were in no preseason rankings, we were in no
watch lists. You know, we finished top twenty five team
last year, and it was very clear, you know what
the message was. You know, we we had had a
great twenty twenty four season and it potentially may be
(06:49):
difficult to sustain that success. And that's one of the
reasons I'm still here because I wanted to susay that success.
So when you hear things like that, you know it
really it's pleasing because you know that you've been able
to show people something that you wanted to achieve, and
that was one of the biggest goals for our guys
coming in in preseason. So yeah, it's lovely to hear,
but we want more. We definitely want more.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Scott Well's the head coach of Gardner. Well, I'm hanging
out with us after a five and oh start. Is
the Big South, and I guess the group of five,
if you want to use college football parlance, are the
non Power four conferences. I don't want to use the
word ignored. But is it how hard or is it
for a team that is not in a power for
(07:30):
conference to get preseason respect, to get rankings respect. Is
it the same in soccer as that we see in
other sports like college football play.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
I think there's an element of that, Yes, for sure.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
You know, you take High Point, who have obviously dominated
the Big South for many, many years.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
They deserve the recognition.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
You know, they are on preseason watch lists individually and
collectively and ranking committees, but they have done it over
a period of time.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Their body of work is fantastic.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Right when I was at UNCG, we were frustrated in
the first couple of seasons that we won't get national recognition.
And if you look at U and CG, now it's
getting what it deserves, you know. So I think it's
just a case of trying to sustain the success and
show them that you're not going away and that you
have a model that works each year and the expectation
of the program is the same each year, and I
(08:17):
do think things will get better for Ghanda Web and
for other teams that are doing the same thing. George Mason,
you know number one Western Michigan. Obviously they've they've been
really prolific over the last four or five years. But
we've only done it across one year, So I respect that,
but I would expect if we can continue to keep
this expectation and this level of detail that we're doing
right now, I'd like to think that we are going
to be talked about a little bit more. And I
(08:38):
want that for my players. That's a big part of retention,
you know. If they're not feeling that love and that
national recognition, that's where the transfer portal comes back to
buy you, you know. So I certainly want that for
my guys, and I want that for this program.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
How difficult is it with the transfer portal being what
it is these days? How much more added difficulty is
it to retain and then to fill those slots through
the portal? How difficult is it in soccer?
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Yeah, it is difficult, you know, I'll be honest with you.
When we were in the airport at Denver last season,
we'd lost in the second round, the transfer portal was
open in that morning, and I told my staff I
backed myself for us to keep our group together and
first six meetings boom, gone, gone gone. And so unfortunately,
(09:25):
that's just the reality that we live in now. I
think the hardest part for me and my family and
my wife is that January in May is meant to
be a little bit easier, a little bit more balanced
in our day to day schedules. But unfortunately, you know,
you don't know what you're going to lose, you don't
know what you're going to retain. And for the mid majors,
it gets harder and harder every year with what some
of these powerful schools can do now. And that's not
(09:48):
me having a bash at anyone. That's just the reality
that we're living in now. So we just have to
as a staff make sure that every transfer portal, every
you know, kind of off season, the recruiting is the
level of detail in that recruitment has got to be
even better than it has ever been before.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
For people like Gardner Webb.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
You come out of the game in Morgantown. You finally
got your first home match coming up. It was three
days later, which really isn't three because it's home and
it's recovery. Then it might be a little study. How
difficult to turn was it going to Morgantown, driving back overnight,
having kids have to go to class, try to navigate practice,
(10:28):
and then be ready for that matchup Wednesday Saturday they're
at home. How tough a slog.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Was that one?
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Yeah, the turnaround time was in college soccer in January
is always difficult, and so we knew when we got
back that we had the challenge of you know, the
periodization piece and making sure that we could manage their
fatigue level but also get as much information across as
possible on Etsu and then also that was probably more
(10:55):
important to see how we react in that game them
playing against Westbina, because you can easily slip up.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
That's what the beauty of what people love about college suckers.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
You never know what's going to happen, the upsets that
can happen, and the circumstances that are going on with
every team. You just never know how they respond. So
my biggest message at Etsu was I wanted a reaction.
I wanted people to see that, you know, the West
Virginia game was not an upset, you know it was,
and we're we're going to treat Etsu at home in
front of probably a third of the crowd the same
(11:25):
way that we did against West Virginia, you know. So yeah,
and we did. We responded well. We had another clean sheet,
which is really really important. Alan Harricks, my goalkeeper, got
Defensive Player of the Week for the second time, which
is fantastic. And it was a very well managed game
and I thought a complete performance. And then again, you
finish that game, you celebrate. We do get a little
(11:45):
bit more time off now until Friday, but Furman your
top ten team as well, you know, so it's going
to be all Adams on deck and preparing again. So
the energy and the exhaustion mentally that we have as
a staff to be had to prepare the guys and
make sure that that all of the details aligned with
how they're feeling and what their mood level looks like.
It is very, very stressful, but we love what we do,
(12:08):
so you know, most of the time, we don't work
a day in our life.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
They say, so top fifteen in the rankings once again,
depending on which Paul you stare at number thirty six
in the RPI last time that was punched out top
the heaviest schedule ranking in the Big South right now
at number thirty six, just to hit a high point,
who was at number forty? How difficult is it for
you to schedule non conference games because of what you're
(12:36):
building there at Gardner Web. I would imagine that some
folks will sit there and go, yeah, come on, we'll
do it, but you got to do it at our place,
And then others would be sitting there going like, nah, no,
we're good, you know, and you kind of know why
they're saying, now, we're good.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
How difficult is it to do non conference scheduling?
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah, it's difficult.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
As you get better and as you get results and
you start to build the program. I have to put
a shout out to Bobby Moose because he wanted me
to give him recognition for being an acc team that
we're willing to go on the road to a Big
South team last season, and obviously since that game, you know,
it's been very difficult to schedule games at Gardener Web.
You know, we have I'm doing the twenty twenty sixth
(13:12):
schedule right now, and not many people are interested in
coming to Boiling Springs and it's challenging for sure, but
we're okay.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
We're happy to go away. You know.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
It's some of the environments we go away to a
really enjoyable to coaching and for the players to play
in as well. West Virginia was fantastic. We go the
Lipscomb next week. Really excited about that trip as well.
Davidson's facility was fantastic.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
So we're happy to do it. And we're saving our
field right now too.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Our field is in the best shape it's ever looked
because we haven't really played on.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
It too much.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
So all in all, I don't I don't put too
much emphasis on home and away. I think we need
to be good enough, especially come the postseason, to be
playing in some of the toughest environments that you can
and this will stand us in good stead for sure.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
What sets Gardner Web part as a home venue for
you guys? What has made it a tough place to
play other than what you've done on the field. What
has the environment been able to build over the last
couple of seasons, What is making it this tough place
to play.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Yeah, when I took the job, the president had said
one of his biggest dreams for soccer was to be
having a crowd, to be having a fan base, to
be having an atmosphere. The community is small outside of
Gardener Web, and so you know, we wanted to build
that up. And I have been really really pleased, specially
against Etsu. You know, we played another mid major at
(14:32):
home and we had the whole standard was full and
there was a lot of people on the grass on
the outsides of the grass area around the gates, and
so that for me was very pleasing to see that.
I speak to my players all the time when they're
going to class and they're walking around campus. They're getting
a lot more attention to which is nice. So there
is a bit of a hype right now about it.
(14:52):
And you know, I have so much support here. I
don't I don't want to make out that we don't
have the support that other programs do, because we have
great you put at this university. It's one of the
reasons why you know, I'm so happy here is the people.
You know, I had my my dean and one of
the directors of students success come out to practice yesterday
and say, hey, what do we need to do for firm?
Speaker 3 (15:13):
And on Friday? Do we need to have food out there?
Do we need to get Flair's drums? Like? What do
we need to do?
Speaker 4 (15:18):
We had guys on the team speaking this morning at
some of our classes about how we need the support.
So we're really excited about Friday. And I think, you know,
you'll see on the ESPN broadcast that you know, we're
going to make this place a difficult place to come
to and a challenging place to get a result. And
that's obviously had to It's took time, you know, across
(15:38):
the three seasons I've been here. You know, it's took
time to generate that kind of excitement. But now we're
starting to see, you know, general students say well, you
know what, maybe I'll go home on Saturday morning, you know,
maybe I'll stay Friday night for the game, you know,
And that is really pleasing that to have a buzz
around that and for the boys and for the program
is really pleasing. And you know, you feel like you've
(15:58):
accomplished something there as well.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
And we are looking forward to following you in the
Big South as things continue to go here this season
off to a five and oh start home match with
Furman Friday night at six.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
It is on the Plus.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
You can watch it there, or you can just go
to Boiling Springs, North Carolina and see Guard your web
hosting Furman. As always, Scott, great to catch up with
you and find out what's going on. One of the
building programs in the rankings in all of NCAA Division
One soccer. Thanks for being a great friend here to
the morning show. We'll catch up with you soon. We'll
be keeping an eye on you.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Thanks John, I really appreciate you. Butty, I'll speak soon.
A little bit. Okay, it is nine.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It is time to go to Boiling Springs, North Carolina,
I think, and it's time to Okay, So it looks
like he's either in his office or his home, one
of the two.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
So we'll figure it out.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So somewhere close to Boiling Springs, North Carolina, we'll catch
up with our friend Scott Well as a head coach
of Gardner Webb.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Sir, how you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Can you hit me?
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah? You're good, Scott? What's going on?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Not much?
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Great to be back on again. Non Maybe not as
much USL two relation this time, which is good as well.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Hey, it's all good.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And the reason that we wanted to circle back with
you is because of the hot start that you've got
ranked to top twenty and depending on which pole you're
discussing and what before I kind of get into the
season in general with what's been going on with you
so far and with Gardner Webb, I kind of wanted
to pull back the curtain a little bit, and for
(00:58):
folks that may not understand stand what it's like in
Division one soccer to go from point A to point
B and get all the travel squared away and road
trips and all this kind of stuff after the win
against West Virginia, and I do want to discuss that too.
After the win against West Virginia, I texted you and
I was like, that was epic, and I'm paraphrasing that
(01:20):
was epic. I want you to come on the show.
So you were coming home overnight from the match, after
you got everything all squared away, you were coming home overnight.
You might have gotten in and nap before you had
to take folks to school.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Is this accurate? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Yeah, We drove home through the night and I think
I got in around six, and then work the kids
up at breakfast, took them to school, and then was
kind of still on an adrenaline rush, to be honest,
So when in the office, score a little bit, and
you know, shamefully forgot about our meat.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
So I apologize for that.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
No, it's all good.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
But what I wanted to what I want what I
wanted to do was have folks kind of understand that
it's not all glamor when it comes to piecing road
trips together and schedules together and going a certain distance.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions when it comes
(02:18):
to travel in the college game and putting schedules together.
What if folks need to know that they may not
know when it comes to pieceing something like this together.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yeah, I think obviously, first and foremost, you want to
schedule top teams. You know, we're we've not been shy
of scheduling top teams since I've been a gana weeb.
Obviously our game against Wag last season as well. But
a lot of the times you have to go there, right,
you have to go and beat them at their place,
which is really difficult. Is a little bit different than
the USL two, where you probably are staying that night,
(02:49):
you know, and you've got the budget to potentially do that.
Mid major budgets usually don't have the ability to stay
in hotels for multiple nights. But then the other factor,
which is the most important decision. Unfortunately, the players didn't
get any sleep as well. You know, they had to
get back. They had to get back to class. You know,
if we do go away, we don't get exceptions to
the guys missing class, you know, so attendance is huge
(03:10):
at the college level. They had to make sure that
they were in class at eight am. The boys were
asking me, are you sure?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Are you sure?
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Like I was like, you better get some rest on
the way home, because you know, you guys are got
to go to class and take care that responsibility, which
is equally as important.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
But hopefully they sat at the front row.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
And had a big smile on their face because I'm
sure they were delighted through the day as well. But yeah,
I'm sure they were just like me. They were exhausted
by the end of that day.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
You are out of the blocks at five and zero,
and it's been a really good start for you. You
go to the JMU Invitational in Harrisonburg, you knockoff Drexel
and the hosts. I'm sure that sat well with a
lot of the Duke fans, the Duke's fans, Dukes fans,
not Duke fans, but Dukes fans. One Nill win at
(03:53):
James Madison to wrap up that tourney. Then you go
to Davidson. Then it's the matchup against West Virginia. It's
up there, it's the number six team in the country.
What was prep like getting ready for that game, knowing
that you were going into an angry environment, knowing it
was the number six team in the country, Knowing that
you came out of the blocks at three and zero.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
What was prep for that match?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Like?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Yeah, I think that the message to the guys, you know,
leading up to West Virginia was really clear in terms of, Okay,
who are we going to be this season? You know,
are we going to be a team like last season
that we had some upsets and we had some great results,
but are we still going to be the fringe guys?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Right?
Speaker 4 (04:32):
The guys that are happy to be in the top
twenty five are happy to be sniffing around that national attention,
or we're going to be a team that are going
to be taken serious here and we really are a
top ten team and we're good enough to go to
places like West Virginia that hadn't lost him three and
a half years and get a result. You know, it
made things a little easier because Dan Stratford is one
of my mentors. You know, I worked within for two
and a half years at Charleston in West Virginia and
(04:54):
we win a national championship together, So I knew exactly
how he was going to approach the game tactically and
just you know in general. So I feel like I
was prepared, you know, I've been prepared for that moment
for many many years to play against him, and then
our guys just relished the opportunity to play in big moments.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
You know, that was a fourth game away.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
We hadn't played a home game at that point, but
our guys were really interested in the atmosphere and really
enjoyed it and wanted to be you know, represent our
program in the best possible way on the national stage.
And they've done just that. So yeah, it was a
great evening. Obviously, the challenge that after is keeping their
feet on the ground because you know, it's not really
where we are right now in the rankings, it's where
(05:35):
we want to be at the end of the season.
So they understand that. But you know, we had to
draw attention to Etsu straight away. We had four eight
hours before that game, and then again now we're prepping
for Furman, who are also a nationally ranked team.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
So it's just never ending, as you.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Know, yep, And when you have a moment like this,
and it was a really cool moment to hear. If
I can hit the right button, here's how it ended
for you and Morgantown.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
It's a historic win for Gardner Webb. It's a result
that may reverberate around Division one men's soccer. The message
is beware of the dogs. Number thirteen Gardner Webb Hans,
West Virginia. It's first home loss in one thousand, ninety
two days, a thirty two match on Beaten Street for
the Mountaineers.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
At the last is over.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
There you go like that for an ending courtesy of
our friends at ESPN plus.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Huh, Yeah, it's it's great. It's a great feeling. You know,
I was really upset at the start of the season.
We were in no preseason rankings, we were in no
watch lists. You know, we finished top twenty five team
last year, and it was very clear, you know what
the message was. You know, we we had had a
great twenty twenty four season and it potentially may be
(06:49):
difficult to sustain that success. And that's one of the
reasons I'm still here because I wanted to susay that success.
So when you hear things like that, you know it
really it's pleasing because you know that you've been able
to show people something that you wanted to achieve, and
that was one of the biggest goals for our guys
coming in in preseason. So yeah, it's lovely to hear,
but we want more. We definitely want more.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Scott Well's the head coach of Gardner. Well, I'm hanging
out with us after a five and oh start. Is
the Big South, and I guess the group of five,
if you want to use college football parlance, are the
non Power four conferences. I don't want to use the
word ignored. But is it how hard or is it
for a team that is not in a power for
(07:30):
conference to get preseason respect, to get rankings respect. Is
it the same in soccer as that we see in
other sports like college football play.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
I think there's an element of that, Yes, for sure.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
You know, you take High Point, who have obviously dominated
the Big South for many, many years.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
They deserve the recognition.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
You know, they are on preseason watch lists individually and
collectively and ranking committees, but they have done it over
a period of time.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Their body of work is fantastic.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Right when I was at UNCG, we were frustrated in
the first couple of seasons that we won't get national recognition.
And if you look at U and CG, now it's
getting what it deserves, you know. So I think it's
just a case of trying to sustain the success and
show them that you're not going away and that you
have a model that works each year and the expectation
of the program is the same each year, and I
(08:17):
do think things will get better for Ghanda Web and
for other teams that are doing the same thing. George Mason,
you know number one Western Michigan. Obviously they've they've been
really prolific over the last four or five years. But
we've only done it across one year, So I respect that,
but I would expect if we can continue to keep
this expectation and this level of detail that we're doing
right now, I'd like to think that we are going
to be talked about a little bit more. And I
(08:38):
want that for my players. That's a big part of retention,
you know. If they're not feeling that love and that
national recognition, that's where the transfer portal comes back to
buy you, you know. So I certainly want that for
my guys, and I want that for this program.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
How difficult is it with the transfer portal being what
it is these days? How much more added difficulty is
it to retain and then to fill those slots through
the portal? How difficult is it in soccer?
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Yeah, it is difficult, you know, I'll be honest with you.
When we were in the airport at Denver last season,
we'd lost in the second round, the transfer portal was
open in that morning, and I told my staff I
backed myself for us to keep our group together and
first six meetings boom, gone, gone gone. And so unfortunately,
(09:25):
that's just the reality that we live in now. I
think the hardest part for me and my family and
my wife is that January in May is meant to
be a little bit easier, a little bit more balanced
in our day to day schedules. But unfortunately, you know,
you don't know what you're going to lose, you don't
know what you're going to retain. And for the mid majors,
it gets harder and harder every year with what some
of these powerful schools can do now. And that's not
(09:48):
me having a bash at anyone. That's just the reality
that we're living in now. So we just have to
as a staff make sure that every transfer portal, every
you know, kind of off season, the recruiting is the
level of detail in that recruitment has got to be
even better than it has ever been before.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
For people like Gardner Webb.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
You come out of the game in Morgantown. You finally
got your first home match coming up. It was three
days later, which really isn't three because it's home and
it's recovery. Then it might be a little study. How
difficult to turn was it going to Morgantown, driving back overnight,
having kids have to go to class, try to navigate practice,
(10:28):
and then be ready for that matchup Wednesday Saturday they're
at home. How tough a slog.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Was that one?
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Yeah, the turnaround time was in college soccer in January
is always difficult, and so we knew when we got
back that we had the challenge of you know, the
periodization piece and making sure that we could manage their
fatigue level but also get as much information across as
possible on Etsu and then also that was probably more
(10:55):
important to see how we react in that game them
playing against Westbina, because you can easily slip up.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
That's what the beauty of what people love about college suckers.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
You never know what's going to happen, the upsets that
can happen, and the circumstances that are going on with
every team. You just never know how they respond. So
my biggest message at Etsu was I wanted a reaction.
I wanted people to see that, you know, the West
Virginia game was not an upset, you know it was,
and we're we're going to treat Etsu at home in
front of probably a third of the crowd the same
(11:25):
way that we did against West Virginia, you know. So yeah,
and we did. We responded well. We had another clean sheet,
which is really really important. Alan Harricks, my goalkeeper, got
Defensive Player of the Week for the second time, which
is fantastic. And it was a very well managed game
and I thought a complete performance. And then again, you
finish that game, you celebrate. We do get a little
(11:45):
bit more time off now until Friday, but Furman your
top ten team as well, you know, so it's going
to be all Adams on deck and preparing again. So
the energy and the exhaustion mentally that we have as
a staff to be had to prepare the guys and
make sure that that all of the details aligned with
how they're feeling and what their mood level looks like.
It is very, very stressful, but we love what we do,
(12:08):
so you know, most of the time, we don't work
a day in our life.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
They say, so top fifteen in the rankings once again,
depending on which Paul you stare at number thirty six
in the RPI last time that was punched out top
the heaviest schedule ranking in the Big South right now
at number thirty six, just to hit a high point,
who was at number forty? How difficult is it for
you to schedule non conference games because of what you're
(12:36):
building there at Gardner Web. I would imagine that some
folks will sit there and go, yeah, come on, we'll
do it, but you got to do it at our place,
And then others would be sitting there going like, nah, no,
we're good, you know, and you kind of know why
they're saying, now, we're good.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
How difficult is it to do non conference scheduling?
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah, it's difficult.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
As you get better and as you get results and
you start to build the program. I have to put
a shout out to Bobby Moose because he wanted me
to give him recognition for being an acc team that
we're willing to go on the road to a Big
South team last season, and obviously since that game, you know,
it's been very difficult to schedule games at Gardener Web.
You know, we have I'm doing the twenty twenty sixth
(13:12):
schedule right now, and not many people are interested in
coming to Boiling Springs and it's challenging for sure, but
we're okay.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
We're happy to go away. You know.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
It's some of the environments we go away to a
really enjoyable to coaching and for the players to play
in as well. West Virginia was fantastic. We go the
Lipscomb next week. Really excited about that trip as well.
Davidson's facility was fantastic.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
So we're happy to do it. And we're saving our
field right now too.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Our field is in the best shape it's ever looked
because we haven't really played on.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
It too much.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
So all in all, I don't I don't put too
much emphasis on home and away. I think we need
to be good enough, especially come the postseason, to be
playing in some of the toughest environments that you can
and this will stand us in good stead for sure.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
What sets Gardner Web part as a home venue for
you guys? What has made it a tough place to
play other than what you've done on the field. What
has the environment been able to build over the last
couple of seasons, What is making it this tough place
to play.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Yeah, when I took the job, the president had said
one of his biggest dreams for soccer was to be
having a crowd, to be having a fan base, to
be having an atmosphere. The community is small outside of
Gardener Web, and so you know, we wanted to build
that up. And I have been really really pleased, specially
against Etsu. You know, we played another mid major at
(14:32):
home and we had the whole standard was full and
there was a lot of people on the grass on
the outsides of the grass area around the gates, and
so that for me was very pleasing to see that.
I speak to my players all the time when they're
going to class and they're walking around campus. They're getting
a lot more attention to which is nice. So there
is a bit of a hype right now about it.
(14:52):
And you know, I have so much support here. I
don't I don't want to make out that we don't
have the support that other programs do, because we have
great you put at this university. It's one of the
reasons why you know, I'm so happy here is the people.
You know, I had my my dean and one of
the directors of students success come out to practice yesterday
and say, hey, what do we need to do for firm?
Speaker 3 (15:13):
And on Friday? Do we need to have food out there?
Do we need to get Flair's drums? Like? What do
we need to do?
Speaker 4 (15:18):
We had guys on the team speaking this morning at
some of our classes about how we need the support.
So we're really excited about Friday. And I think, you know,
you'll see on the ESPN broadcast that you know, we're
going to make this place a difficult place to come
to and a challenging place to get a result. And
that's obviously had to It's took time, you know, across
(15:38):
the three seasons I've been here. You know, it's took
time to generate that kind of excitement. But now we're
starting to see, you know, general students say well, you
know what, maybe I'll go home on Saturday morning, you know,
maybe I'll stay Friday night for the game, you know,
And that is really pleasing that to have a buzz
around that and for the boys and for the program
is really pleasing. And you know, you feel like you've
(15:58):
accomplished something there as well.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
And we are looking forward to following you in the
Big South as things continue to go here this season
off to a five and oh start home match with
Furman Friday night at six.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
It is on the Plus.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
You can watch it there, or you can just go
to Boiling Springs, North Carolina and see Guard your web
hosting Furman. As always, Scott, great to catch up with
you and find out what's going on. One of the
building programs in the rankings in all of NCAA Division
One soccer. Thanks for being a great friend here to
the morning show. We'll catch up with you soon. We'll
be keeping an eye on you.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Thanks John, I really appreciate you. Butty, I'll speak soon.
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