July 13, 2025 • 27 mins
On this episode, Sam is joined by North Dakota head coach Eric Schmidt.
They discuss:
-Being a first-time head coach in the new era of college football
-UND's facilities and growth
-Early recruiting success
-Opting in and revenue-sharing
-The Dakotas' strength in the FCS and aiming for that standard
-Alerus Center
-2025 squad
-And more
They discuss:
-Being a first-time head coach in the new era of college football
-UND's facilities and growth
-Early recruiting success
-Opting in and revenue-sharing
-The Dakotas' strength in the FCS and aiming for that standard
-Alerus Center
-2025 squad
-And more
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
All right, welcome back to the FCS Football Talk podcast.
We have another guest interview here as we welcome on
you and d head football coach Eric Schmidt. Coach is
great to connect with you, great to have you on.
How's everything been going, you know, first handful of months
on the job here, how's everything been going for you?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's been good, you know a little bit probably a
different scenario for me, just coming back to a place
that that played at, that I've coached at, So there
was a lot of familiarity with me coming back here,
which a lot of times when you bring a new
coach and a new staff, there's a you know, we
use the word transition a lot of times.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
It's for the coaches and the staff.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
To be able to come in here and and uh
and get to know the lay of the land and
the culture of the place and all those types of things.
So felt like that was, uh, you know, really non existent.
It was more for the players to for those guys
to build build relationships with with our staff and get
to know who we were more than anything else.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
So it's been awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
You know, the first day you walk into a to
a team meeting and and nobody's talking, and everybody's kind
of wondering, Hey, what are the what are the rules?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
What can I do?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
What can I do to uh, you know, just wrapping
up a team meeting here this morning and and uh
and just listening to the energy and the excitement in
the room was you know, night and day different. So
it's been a credit to our staff of doing a
great job of building relationships with the players. And that's
that's all the helpers and and supporters and our organization,
not just the coaches, but you know, the the performance
(01:42):
team that we have, the strength conditioning guys, everybody, you know,
that's that's a part of our program, just building real
connections with our players. So it's been a lot of
fun and and uh, you know, I feel like we've
been able to to hit the ground run and so
to speak, you know here in the spring and now
into the summer.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Yeah, and it's of course wild times in the landscape
of college football. And you know, I'll throw a fastball
your way right away. With all the changes going on
right now, is this an ideal time to be a
first time college head coach? Or is it doesn't make
more challenging being the first time, you know which which
is it somewhere in between?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, great question.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well, you know I've always said, hey, everybody you know
in our organization needs to have a growth mindset. So,
you know, I think for a lot of people with
the changes, it's you know, being a first time head coach,
even if you've been a head coach for a long time,
there's a ton of changes that you've got to be
able to adapt.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
To and and uh and and.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
You know, see if you can, you can take advantage
of of what those rules now present in the ever
changing landscape, you know what I mean of college football. So,
you know, the one thing I've been an assistant coach
for a long time. I think when you're an assistant
coach for a long time, like, hey, you really, you know,
get to know who the you know, who the real
guys are. Who the guys are every single week that
are developing players, that are you know, really important to
(02:59):
the game plan, that are making you know, important decisions
and and you know, the guys I've been able to
assemble around me and we've hit a home run just
you know, the type of mentors and coaches and teachers
that these guys are is it's been second to none.
And you know, on top of that, just uh, you know,
as good a coaches as they are saying, just you know,
better people and husbands and fathers and those types of
(03:22):
things you know that I think are really important, just
the character and and and those guys being able to
model the way, you know, for our team every single day.
So I don't think you know, you know what you
sign up for nowadays. You know, college football probably never
really changed all that much for you know, the fifty
or sixty years before COVID, I feel like and then
(03:43):
COVID hit. Now it changes every single day, and you
just got to be able to adapt and and and
and you know role with with kind of the new
legislation and things that are coming out. And the cool
thing about here is, you know we've been equipped to
be able to do that. Like I really feel this
place is trending the right way, whether that's from a
you know, facility standpoint, from you know, a nutrition standpoint,
(04:05):
just the things that we're evolving and trying to get
better at. Like everybody in our in our organization, like
I said, has a has a growth mindset and wants
to get better. And I think you know, having all
those minds come together and the input we've been able
to give has been able to you know, help our
program here in the last six months.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Your roots at U and D they run pretty deep.
You know, you're a former player playing from nineteen ninety
eight to two thousand and one, had some stints as
an assistant coach, most recently as the DC from twenty
fourteen to twenty nineteen. And you kind of touched on
my next question of just the growth of U and
D football over these years, because I mean, the D
one transition started in what like two thousand and eight,
(04:43):
so that's that's a long time ago, but in the
grand scheme of things, it's it's somewhat recent. And you
know there's the stint in the Big Sky moving to
the Valley Football Conference. There's been five playoff appearances since
twenty sixteen. You know, Facilities, I want to touch on
that in a little bit as well, but just like
a structure, foundation sort of viewpoint, how have you seen
that grow at U and D over the years.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Yeah, No, I think great question.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You know, the one thing that's probably the most impressive
that and you've hit on it a little bit is
just the you know, the facility standpoint. I think that's
something that's you know, been on paper here for a
long time. We built an indoor practice facility in twenty sixteen,
and really since then have have work to get to
where we are today. You know, new weight room, new
(05:29):
locker room, new athletic training room. We have an athlete
village here too as well.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Our guys live. I'm sitting in my office right now.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
They can you know, we got a number of guys
that live right above me, you know, so that you know,
this ecosystem that we've created, you know, for our football team,
I feel like is you know, second to none. So
just I think that that constant build of you know,
trying to get all these things in place, and and
and getting the right people you know, in those spots
too as well. I hit on it before, but I
(05:58):
really feel like, you know, getting the right button in
the right seats is really important, you know, for our program.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
And then you know, we've done a good job there.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
And then on top of that with you know, now
the machinery that we have in place. I'm looking outside
my window right now, like the last piece of this
we're putting a track down around our practice facility.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
But you know, everything is.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Really tailor made for our players, like the efficiency of
being able to go from the locker room to an
indoor or an outdoor practice facility, to you know, where
we eat our meals, to the training room, to the
weight room, like all those things are all, like I
said before, all in one location here.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
So it's been awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I think it creates some excitement, not only in our
current players, you know, knowing where where they came from,
you know, in some of the buildings and things like
that that they've had to endure to get to this point.
And then also you know in recruiting and just seeing
how that's been able to really take off here too
as well, and especially in the in the twenty sixth
class here that we've been able to put together.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
So really excited about that.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Obviously, you know, that's just one piece of the puzzle
that goes into this, but I think that's the part
that that's really evolved over the last you know, maybe
six or seven years, is just being able to to
kind of take all these ideas and and and putting
it down on paper and now really to be able
to uh to see it you know, come to Fruition
and to be in these buildings now and in these
(07:17):
facilities has been it's been really awesome for our players.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Yeah, I saw the indoor facility a handful of years ago,
but you know, it's been cool to see those expansions
and additions in that area as well. Just seeing pictures
of them looks really sharp. The nutrition part of it,
I feel like maybe that's overlooked, you know, just from
a general fan perspective. They look at the weight room,
in the locker room and all that, but the nutrition
aspect of it, of that, how important is that for
(07:43):
a football team.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I think it's vital, you know, I think it's really
important for player development.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
You know. I think guys got to understand that.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Hey, it's it's obviously you're gonna make relationships with the coaches,
you know, and those guys are you know, going to
try to help you get to to be the best
version of yourselves that you can be during your college
career here. But all those other you know, helpers and supporters,
like you're talking about the the athletic training staff, the
dietetics people, the you know, the nutrition staff, like all
(08:13):
those people you know, collaborating together to to help someone
you know, develop not only you know, football wise, to
you know, the coaches to be able to give those
guys a world class football education, but for them to
be able to develop physically, for them to be able
to develop personally. You know what I mean too as well.
I think is is really important. So it's been a
(08:34):
really you know something here that we've been able to
to you know, set up some relationships here with our
nutrition school, you know, the Department of Nutrition here at
UND with our kinesiology people, and there's a lot of
a lot of really smart people and and faculty here
that are you know, looking for different projects and stuff
like that, and and and we've been able to partner
(08:55):
with them and and really been able to take you know,
some of our things when it comes to our performance
team to the next level. And you know, I just
think our guys feel really confident in that that they're
getting developed, that they're getting all the advantages that they
need in order to, like I said earlier, become the
best versions of themselves.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
I've heard some stories in the past of you know,
maybe a first time FCS had football coach who's who
spent pretty much all of his previous coaching career at
the FBS level and at the FBS level, and they
get to the FCS and you know, sometimes it can
be a little jarring because you know, the the resources
aren't there, maybe the facilities aren't as nice. You know,
the recruiting budget isn't quite there. There's partial scholarships compared
(09:34):
to the you know, the full scholarships at the FBS level,
So there is that adjustment for some of those coaches.
But you've had experience in the FCS obviously previously and
at the FBS level as well defensive coordinator at San
Diego State. You're also part of the Washington staff a
couple of years ago when they made the College Football Playoffs.
So just having that FBS experience and bringing some of
(09:54):
those ideas to un D. How valuable was that, I mean,
your handful of years at the FBS level.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
It was great.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You know, I think just the guys that I was,
I was able to be around guys that were you know,
really poured into players every single day. They you know,
they had an attitude or gratitude like it was like
you're talking about I think some people. You know, at times,
you know when you when you're giving all those advantages
and things like that can start to you know, it
can change sometimes the core of a person. And uh
(10:23):
and what you know, they think everybody else needs to
do in order for them to be successful. And I
think you know, at this level, you got to be
able to roll up your sleeves and and if it
requires you know, helping out, doing the laundry, helping out,
you know, with you know, tearing up and taking down fields,
all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
I mean, even at the highest level, the guys that I've.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Been around like they were you know, they were beneath
none of those types of jobs. So just to be
around guys who had an attitude or gratitude for where
they were at who you know, had to work their
way to be able to get there.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
You know, all the guys that that.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
I was around, whether that was at Fresno State or
at Washington or at San Diego State or guys who
have you know, really come up through the wrestle backs,
they weren't guys that were you know, Division one guys
early on as players or coaches or things like that.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
They were NAI guys.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
There were Division two guys that you know had some success,
and we're able to climb that ladder, you know, as
you went up. And I think you know, the one
thing that you find out as you go through there,
you know, and get to those levels, is that hey,
like you know, the the real work that you've been
able to put in, hey, like, you're going to get better.
And you know that's the thing that you know, you
(11:30):
mentioned when I left here in twenty nineteen, I knew
I needed to grow, Like I needed to go and
see how it was done at other places and you know,
add some tools to the tool belt so that when
I did get an opportunity like this, like there was
no question that that I was ready to go, you know,
and be able to hit the ground running. And and
that's been the cool part here, Like, you know, all
(11:50):
the things that we've been able to implement here in
a short amount of time, Like we haven't even you know,
really used the word transition. It's like, hey, this is
what we're doing moving forward, this is what we're building
and and uh and guys, uh, you know, to a
credit the players, you know, the first couple of weeks,
we didn't really even talk football with them, Sam. We
just want to know their why how they got here,
you know, what was important to them, uh, find out
(12:12):
more about their family. And then eventually we started talking
about hey, this is this is our offensive scheme, and
this is our defensive scheme. This is how we're going
to run special teams. And if they felt like, hey man,
this is uh, you know, something that that excited them
that they went to be a part of, then we
took off from there. But the guys have been you know,
real receptive of of some of the changes that we've
made here and and uh and you can definitely tell,
(12:34):
like I said, there's been a good vibe and and
a good buzz around you know what's gone on here
in the spring and into the summer.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
I know you can't talk specific recruits, but it seems
you guys are making more noise on the recruiting trail.
Uh this cycle. What is the recruiting philosophy and what
do you think has led to you know, having this
more success, especially this early, you know, for a new new,
a new ish coaching staff for you guys.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Yeah, I mean, I think number one, it's all about relationships.
I think you know, you got to really do a
good job of being able to build to build some
real connections, you know, with players and with guys, and
and those guys got to believe that, hey, these guys,
you know, I'm a priority, you know, and in their
program that I want to I want to lock arms
with these guys.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
They are going to help me get to my goals.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
If I surround myself with them, it's my best chance
to you know, to be able to become the best
version of yourself.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
And for us, it's just being real, like, it's being honest.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
With these guys, you know, it's about their path and
them choosing you know, what they feel like is is
the best path for them in order to be able
to be successful. And I think, you know, obviously, you know,
I think there's a number of guys up and down
you know our hallways here that have played in the
NFL that have you know, coached National Championship games, that
have won you know, BCS Bowl games, that kind of stuff.
(13:52):
But at the end of the day, I think it's,
you know, it's about their path, and those guys believe
in like, hey, these guys have Yeah, they might have
been there and done it before and those types of things,
but uh, but they really believe in me and and
uh you know, not just me as a player, but
me as a person you know too as well, Like
I got a chance to be able to get my
name called on draft night. If I go to this place,
I'll have all the advantages that I need to be
(14:14):
able to to be able to do that. But you know,
my personal development too as well, like you know, helping
them to to be able to uh, to earn a degree,
you know, to to be able to to to get
a job when they're done playing, an internship, a shadowship,
you know, all those types of things. So I just
think it's that holistic approach. Obviously a big piece of
it is is football and helping them grow there. But
(14:36):
but also, you know, the thing that's always been I
think really special about un D and and and been
a difference maker is just all the former players that
have gone on to to be successful and how close
they've stayed to the program, you know, Like that's the
that's the thing where I really think it hits different,
Like you know, just those uh, those former players that
are now you know, really willing to give back and
(14:57):
impact our current team too as well as is really
what makes it a special place.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
It seemed like the buzzword two three years ago was collective?
You know, do you guys have an nil collective? Does
this team to have an nil collective? Now we hear
so much about opting in and revenue sharing and house
settlement and all that. Is that something recruits and parents
are asking you, guys about on the recruiting trail, like
are they asking about, Hey, are you opting in? Are
you revenue sharing? Are those the type of conversations that
(15:24):
you're having now compared to like a couple of years ago,
it seemed like, hey, do you guys have an nil collective?
What's your collective? Like as conversations kind of shifted from
collectives to opting in, revenue sharing, all of that.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Yeah, I think that's fair.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I think a lot of people are still trying to,
you know, get educated and learn, like, hey, what does
that mean to opt in? What does that mean if
you you know, if you have a collective? And can
your collective continue on if you do opt in? And
those types of things. So I think you're just doing
everything you can to educate recruits, you know, to educate
prospects as far as hey, this is what we have
at UND all right, and and you know go compare
(15:59):
to the other places that you might be interested in.
And you know, ultimately we want to be able to
to really, you know, like I said before, build a
relationship with a kid, and then be able to you know,
not as we talk to them, not only just talk
to them, but show them too as well, you know,
through an offer sheet, like, hey, you're a priority here,
like we're going to help you, you know, be able
to to navigate the college landscape and and not just
(16:22):
talk about it, be able to show you you know,
to as well and back that up with an offer sheet.
So I think at the end of the day, that's
still what it's what it's about, you know. What I
mean is showing those guys want, hey, what the program
is about, how it's going to help you, how it's
going to benefit you not only during your time here
on campus, but you know, your life after football too
as well. And then being able to be competitive in
(16:42):
the college landscape, right like, hey, being able to show
that you have all those different things, whether that's you know,
a collective or all Ston dollars or you know you're
opting in internal anil all those things. If you can
you know, have different Like I said before, helpers and
supporters in your program and show that you have the
machinery in place in order to be as competitive as
you can be. I think that's ultimately probably you know,
(17:06):
maybe weighs the most on somebody when they're like all right,
Like from the moment I, you know, stepped on campus
to the moment I left, Like, hey, these guys were
dialed in.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
They talked about a collective.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
I met with somebody from the collective or you know,
they talked about internal anil. I met with somebody there.
They talked about nutrition. I met with somebody there. It's
just to be able to, you know, have all those
different things that I think are important for a young
man's development. Like they got to see that you have those,
you know, when they come on campus.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Yeah, obviously three of the best FCS teams are in
the Dakota's when you just look at some of the
preseason rankings, you know, the semi finals last year, NBSU,
South Kota State, South Dakota, We're in there. What's that
challenge like for you guys? But also I imagine there
are benefits that as well. When the bar is so
high in your region, you guys are improving as a program,
(17:54):
you know, as they're trying to aim to get to
that nationally elite level.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Yeah, and that's a cool part for us.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Like I said, coming back, we were doing things you
know on the West Coast that were you know, really
really impressive you know too as well. So to be
able to come back here now and and to you know,
to be able to get into into that mix. And
I've always felt like I grew up in this region.
I'm from here, you know, all the way back to
the Division two days like this was you know, really
good football for a long period of time. So I
(18:21):
think it doesn't surprise me at all that, hey, like
the programs from this area and from the Upper Midwest,
just with there not being as many FBS teams you know,
in this region, that you're going to be able to
get high quality kids to be able to come to
your campus. And then you look at the campuses around
here and and they're you know, they can compete, you know,
with with all those group of five you know places.
(18:42):
I've been at those places in the past, and you
walk on campus here and and and the things that
we're doing not just you know, in the buildings and
all those types of things that we have, but even
the guts of the operation, you know, and how you
go about every single day, and how you're supporting your
student athletes, like we have all those things. So I
definitely think it was, you know, a trend that maybe
(19:03):
took a little bit longer, you know, once we got
to the FCS level, uh for everybody you know in
the entire Dakotas to to be able to catch up to.
But I think now that uh, you know, everybody's been
established and like you talked about, you know, gone through
those transition years and that kind of stuff like uh,
you know, you look at weekend and week out in
our league like it's it's a it's really good football.
(19:25):
It's uh, you know a lot of high level coaches
guys that that you know, you look at their resumes,
they've been really really successful and in uh in all
asset and all aspects of of coaching and in their
lives and and and that's the cool part, like you know,
every single day like hey, you got to be at
your best, Like it's it's really important to be consistently
there and working and and playing at a high level
(19:48):
and practice at a high level at all times. So, uh,
it creates a lot of competition. Uh, it creates a
lot of people really trying to become the best versions
of themselves because they know what it's going to take
on Saturday Day in order for them to be able
to be successful.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
I think the question everyone wants to know is what's
in the water at the Alaya Center. I mean, you
guys have a crazy good home record, You've beaten so
many ranked opponents, highly ranked opponents, So what is it
about your guys this football stadium that just you guys
have so much great success and you know it's loud
in there. I've been there a couple of times, so
many ranked wins, you know, So what is in the
water there?
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah, It's definitely got some magic to it, you know
what I mean. For sure, you look over the years,
I think, you know, we're like one hundred and whatever,
fifteen and thirty or something like that since that place
opened up in two thousand and one, And I just
think the guys have a ton of confidence.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
You know.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Obviously you walk into that building and and there's a
ton of buzz you know right when you walk in,
and you know, just the atmosphere that you have there,
and it's super loud, it's hard for opponents to be
able to, you know, to do a lot of things
on offense just because you can hear. And it creates
a home field advantage, right like when you walk in there,
like you're gonna be able to put some stress on
(21:00):
on other teams just because of the environment that we
have there. And then I think once you start you know,
winning some games and uh and beating some teams, and
obviously there becomes some some confidence and some belief that.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Hey, you can go do it week in and week out.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
So so I think I think our guys have you know,
a really good feel for hey, when we walk into
that place, like, hey, there's some belief and confidence that
you know, there's a good chance we're going to have
a positive result when we walk out of this place
on Saturdays. And and they've been able to prove that
here for a long period of time, for a long
stretch here, as uh, you know said really since the
latter Center has been open.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah, a couple more questions here just just looking ahead
to the upcoming season. Uh, you know, what was how
a spring ball for you guys? Obviously, some new some
new faces on the coaching staff. You guys have a
nice nucleus of players coming back, but he also brought
in some nice transfers as well. So kind of that
that meshing period of spring ball. What what was that
like to kind of get you guys set up for
(21:54):
the upcoming year.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Yeah, great question.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I think offensively, obviously bringing coach Frickti back, Isaac Frickti,
our offensive coordinator, there was some continuity there.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
They've done a good job there.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
You look at a year ago, you know, scoring you know,
over thirty points a game, and really I thought did
a great job. Lost some some offensive linemen you know,
from the prior year, and and really became as the
season went along. You know, a strength of our football
team a year ago was was upfront, which is important
you know in any you know, level of football, but
(22:26):
especially you know in this region, like you talked about,
like you have to be really really good in the
line of scrimmage.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
So I thought our offense was in front.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
You know, early on they did a good job of
you know, just establishing the line of scrimmage and running
the football and obviously when you run the ball that
that creates you know, a lot of confidence and opens
up you know, a lot of different things that we
want to do on offense when we can do that.
We changed some things up structurally on defense from from
what they were doing here before off of it, you know,
(22:55):
went from some odd spacing to an even front, and
and did some things in the secondary differently now just
to be able to you know, truly be able to
have another cover guy back there, to be able to
to take people away, and and and just change our
structure back there, you know too as well. So I
just think there was some growing, there was some learning.
Our guys on defense. I felt like, did a great
(23:16):
job in the classroom of really, like I told you before,
like when I said about accepting some changes and really
diving in and and and having a growth mindset and
trying to get better. I thought our guys did a
great job of that, and our coaches you know obviously
too as well, teaching those guys you know what you know,
not just why we're doing things or how we're doing things,
but why we're doing things, you know what I mean
(23:37):
too as well, and trying to polish you know, as
much of that stuff up as we could. And I
think as spring went along, our defense started to play better,
and as we got into those last you know, maybe
two weeks, those five or six practices, it became super competitive.
And uh, and that's what you want as a head coach,
right Like you want to be able to have some
give and take and goods and bads on both sides
(23:57):
of the ball.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
And I thought we got to.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
That point and and then you know, it's just been
able now to uh, to springboard into the summer. And
we really you know, put a lot of a lot
of onus on on our year round calendar and really
doing a good job of having some purpose and and
doing things with intent every single day and having some
goals as we go all through the season.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
And our guys have have done a good job of that.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
So you know, as I speak to you here, we're
we're six weeks you know in the spring or in
the summer, and uh, and really have two weeks left,
you know before before we get going here July thirtieth.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
So it's been good.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
The growths been there, and we still got to get better,
you know, for sure, we gotta we got to throw
it and catch it better.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
You know, we got to talk better and communicate better
yet with how we want to play. But but definitely
have seen some growth in all phases, you know, offensively, defensively,
and in special teams since the spring.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah, last one here for XT I know you got
to you gotta run here soon. What's it been like
for you getting out in the community obviously, you know
the community, The community knows you Grand Forks as a
college town, right, rallies rallies around you and D athletics.
So what's it been like for you? Just community engagement
since in the excitement for the upcoming year.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Yeah, and that like I said before, like to me,
like it's it's uh, it's it's what makes this place different.
Just you know, just the amount of outpouring of support,
you know, the excitement in town. Uh people you know
obviously you know one wants to wish away summer, but
just how many people are excited about fall to get
going here and and uh, you know, just real supporters,
(25:29):
like people that are you know, grounded in in hey man,
no matter what, like you know, you and D football
is you know, really important to me and my family
and in my life. And there's just so many you know,
people that are like that throughout the state and the
region that that have reached out and that are you know,
really excited for, uh, for this fall and for this
team to to go out there and show what they
can do, and and uh just you know, it humbles you, right,
(25:52):
I talked about it before, like attitude or gratitude just
to to have, you know, the opportunity to to be
able to lead you know, a place that is especially
this that means so much to uh, to so many people,
whether it's a lums or fans or you know, former
players whatever, you know, it's just it's it's Uh, it's
been awesome just to hear all the different stories and
and uh and how people you know have have found
(26:15):
a love for this place and and how important it
is to them, you know, every single every single Saturday
in the fall, and and it really makes getting up
every morning and doing your.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Job like it it Uh, it inspires you.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Right, Like we talk about inspiring our players all the time, Well,
you know, the people that that care about this program
really inspire us and our staff every single day to
uh to do our jobs at the at the very
best level that we can.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Well, hey, coach, this has been awesome, really appreciate your
time so much this morning, and thank you for coming
on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Awesome. Thanks Sam, you have a great summer. The PA
All right, welcome back to the FCS Football Talk podcast.
We have another guest interview here as we welcome on
you and d head football coach Eric Schmidt. Coach is
great to connect with you, great to have you on.
How's everything been going, you know, first handful of months
on the job here, how's everything been going for you?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's been good, you know a little bit probably a
different scenario for me, just coming back to a place
that that played at, that I've coached at, So there
was a lot of familiarity with me coming back here,
which a lot of times when you bring a new
coach and a new staff, there's a you know, we
use the word transition a lot of times.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
It's for the coaches and the staff.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
To be able to come in here and and uh
and get to know the lay of the land and
the culture of the place and all those types of things.
So felt like that was, uh, you know, really non existent.
It was more for the players to for those guys
to build build relationships with with our staff and get
to know who we were more than anything else.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
So it's been awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
You know, the first day you walk into a to
a team meeting and and nobody's talking, and everybody's kind
of wondering, Hey, what are the what are the rules?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
What can I do?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
What can I do to uh, you know, just wrapping
up a team meeting here this morning and and uh
and just listening to the energy and the excitement in
the room was you know, night and day different. So
it's been a credit to our staff of doing a
great job of building relationships with the players. And that's
that's all the helpers and and supporters and our organization,
not just the coaches, but you know, the the performance
(01:42):
team that we have, the strength conditioning guys, everybody, you know,
that's that's a part of our program, just building real
connections with our players. So it's been a lot of
fun and and uh, you know, I feel like we've
been able to to hit the ground run and so
to speak, you know here in the spring and now
into the summer.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Yeah, and it's of course wild times in the landscape
of college football. And you know, I'll throw a fastball
your way right away. With all the changes going on
right now, is this an ideal time to be a
first time college head coach? Or is it doesn't make
more challenging being the first time, you know which which
is it somewhere in between?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, great question.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well, you know I've always said, hey, everybody you know
in our organization needs to have a growth mindset. So,
you know, I think for a lot of people with
the changes, it's you know, being a first time head coach,
even if you've been a head coach for a long time,
there's a ton of changes that you've got to be
able to adapt.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
To and and uh and and.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
You know, see if you can, you can take advantage
of of what those rules now present in the ever
changing landscape, you know what I mean of college football. So,
you know, the one thing I've been an assistant coach
for a long time. I think when you're an assistant
coach for a long time, like, hey, you really, you know,
get to know who the you know, who the real
guys are. Who the guys are every single week that
are developing players, that are you know, really important to
(02:59):
the game plan, that are making you know, important decisions
and and you know, the guys I've been able to
assemble around me and we've hit a home run just
you know, the type of mentors and coaches and teachers
that these guys are is it's been second to none.
And you know, on top of that, just uh, you know,
as good a coaches as they are saying, just you know,
better people and husbands and fathers and those types of
(03:22):
things you know that I think are really important, just
the character and and and those guys being able to
model the way, you know, for our team every single day.
So I don't think you know, you know what you
sign up for nowadays. You know, college football probably never
really changed all that much for you know, the fifty
or sixty years before COVID, I feel like and then
(03:43):
COVID hit. Now it changes every single day, and you
just got to be able to adapt and and and
and you know role with with kind of the new
legislation and things that are coming out. And the cool
thing about here is, you know we've been equipped to
be able to do that. Like I really feel this
place is trending the right way, whether that's from a
you know, facility standpoint, from you know, a nutrition standpoint,
(04:05):
just the things that we're evolving and trying to get
better at. Like everybody in our in our organization, like
I said, has a has a growth mindset and wants
to get better. And I think you know, having all
those minds come together and the input we've been able
to give has been able to you know, help our
program here in the last six months.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Your roots at U and D they run pretty deep.
You know, you're a former player playing from nineteen ninety
eight to two thousand and one, had some stints as
an assistant coach, most recently as the DC from twenty
fourteen to twenty nineteen. And you kind of touched on
my next question of just the growth of U and
D football over these years, because I mean, the D
one transition started in what like two thousand and eight,
(04:43):
so that's that's a long time ago, but in the
grand scheme of things, it's it's somewhat recent. And you
know there's the stint in the Big Sky moving to
the Valley Football Conference. There's been five playoff appearances since
twenty sixteen. You know, Facilities, I want to touch on
that in a little bit as well, but just like
a structure, foundation sort of viewpoint, how have you seen
that grow at U and D over the years.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Yeah, No, I think great question.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You know, the one thing that's probably the most impressive
that and you've hit on it a little bit is
just the you know, the facility standpoint. I think that's
something that's you know, been on paper here for a
long time. We built an indoor practice facility in twenty sixteen,
and really since then have have work to get to
where we are today. You know, new weight room, new
(05:29):
locker room, new athletic training room. We have an athlete
village here too as well.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Our guys live. I'm sitting in my office right now.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
They can you know, we got a number of guys
that live right above me, you know, so that you know,
this ecosystem that we've created, you know, for our football team,
I feel like is you know, second to none. So
just I think that that constant build of you know,
trying to get all these things in place, and and
and getting the right people you know, in those spots
too as well. I hit on it before, but I
(05:58):
really feel like, you know, getting the right button in
the right seats is really important, you know, for our program.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
And then you know, we've done a good job there.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
And then on top of that with you know, now
the machinery that we have in place. I'm looking outside
my window right now, like the last piece of this
we're putting a track down around our practice facility.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
But you know, everything is.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Really tailor made for our players, like the efficiency of
being able to go from the locker room to an
indoor or an outdoor practice facility, to you know, where
we eat our meals, to the training room, to the
weight room, like all those things are all, like I
said before, all in one location here.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
So it's been awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I think it creates some excitement, not only in our
current players, you know, knowing where where they came from,
you know, in some of the buildings and things like
that that they've had to endure to get to this point.
And then also you know in recruiting and just seeing
how that's been able to really take off here too
as well, and especially in the in the twenty sixth
class here that we've been able to put together.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
So really excited about that.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Obviously, you know, that's just one piece of the puzzle
that goes into this, but I think that's the part
that that's really evolved over the last you know, maybe
six or seven years, is just being able to to
kind of take all these ideas and and and putting
it down on paper and now really to be able
to uh to see it you know, come to Fruition
and to be in these buildings now and in these
(07:17):
facilities has been it's been really awesome for our players.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Yeah, I saw the indoor facility a handful of years ago,
but you know, it's been cool to see those expansions
and additions in that area as well. Just seeing pictures
of them looks really sharp. The nutrition part of it,
I feel like maybe that's overlooked, you know, just from
a general fan perspective. They look at the weight room,
in the locker room and all that, but the nutrition
aspect of it, of that, how important is that for
(07:43):
a football team.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I think it's vital, you know, I think it's really
important for player development.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
You know. I think guys got to understand that.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Hey, it's it's obviously you're gonna make relationships with the coaches,
you know, and those guys are you know, going to
try to help you get to to be the best
version of yourselves that you can be during your college
career here. But all those other you know, helpers and supporters,
like you're talking about the the athletic training staff, the
dietetics people, the you know, the nutrition staff, like all
(08:13):
those people you know, collaborating together to to help someone
you know, develop not only you know, football wise, to
you know, the coaches to be able to give those
guys a world class football education, but for them to
be able to develop physically, for them to be able
to develop personally. You know what I mean too as well.
I think is is really important. So it's been a
(08:34):
really you know something here that we've been able to
to you know, set up some relationships here with our
nutrition school, you know, the Department of Nutrition here at
UND with our kinesiology people, and there's a lot of
a lot of really smart people and and faculty here
that are you know, looking for different projects and stuff
like that, and and and we've been able to partner
(08:55):
with them and and really been able to take you know,
some of our things when it comes to our performance
team to the next level. And you know, I just
think our guys feel really confident in that that they're
getting developed, that they're getting all the advantages that they
need in order to, like I said earlier, become the
best versions of themselves.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
I've heard some stories in the past of you know,
maybe a first time FCS had football coach who's who
spent pretty much all of his previous coaching career at
the FBS level and at the FBS level, and they
get to the FCS and you know, sometimes it can
be a little jarring because you know, the the resources
aren't there, maybe the facilities aren't as nice. You know,
the recruiting budget isn't quite there. There's partial scholarships compared
(09:34):
to the you know, the full scholarships at the FBS level,
So there is that adjustment for some of those coaches.
But you've had experience in the FCS obviously previously and
at the FBS level as well defensive coordinator at San
Diego State. You're also part of the Washington staff a
couple of years ago when they made the College Football Playoffs.
So just having that FBS experience and bringing some of
(09:54):
those ideas to un D. How valuable was that, I mean,
your handful of years at the FBS level.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
It was great.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You know, I think just the guys that I was,
I was able to be around guys that were you know,
really poured into players every single day. They you know,
they had an attitude or gratitude like it was like
you're talking about I think some people. You know, at times,
you know when you when you're giving all those advantages
and things like that can start to you know, it
can change sometimes the core of a person. And uh
(10:23):
and what you know, they think everybody else needs to
do in order for them to be successful. And I
think you know, at this level, you got to be
able to roll up your sleeves and and if it
requires you know, helping out, doing the laundry, helping out,
you know, with you know, tearing up and taking down fields,
all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
I mean, even at the highest level, the guys that I've.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Been around like they were you know, they were beneath
none of those types of jobs. So just to be
around guys who had an attitude or gratitude for where
they were at who you know, had to work their
way to be able to get there.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
You know, all the guys that that.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
I was around, whether that was at Fresno State or
at Washington or at San Diego State or guys who
have you know, really come up through the wrestle backs,
they weren't guys that were you know, Division one guys
early on as players or coaches or things like that.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
They were NAI guys.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
There were Division two guys that you know had some success,
and we're able to climb that ladder, you know, as
you went up. And I think you know, the one
thing that you find out as you go through there,
you know, and get to those levels, is that hey,
like you know, the the real work that you've been
able to put in, hey, like, you're going to get better.
And you know that's the thing that you know, you
(11:30):
mentioned when I left here in twenty nineteen, I knew
I needed to grow, Like I needed to go and
see how it was done at other places and you know,
add some tools to the tool belt so that when
I did get an opportunity like this, like there was
no question that that I was ready to go, you know,
and be able to hit the ground running. And and
that's been the cool part here, Like, you know, all
(11:50):
the things that we've been able to implement here in
a short amount of time, Like we haven't even you know,
really used the word transition. It's like, hey, this is
what we're doing moving forward, this is what we're building
and and uh and guys, uh, you know, to a
credit the players, you know, the first couple of weeks,
we didn't really even talk football with them, Sam. We
just want to know their why how they got here,
you know, what was important to them, uh, find out
(12:12):
more about their family. And then eventually we started talking
about hey, this is this is our offensive scheme, and
this is our defensive scheme. This is how we're going
to run special teams. And if they felt like, hey man,
this is uh, you know, something that that excited them
that they went to be a part of, then we
took off from there. But the guys have been you know,
real receptive of of some of the changes that we've
made here and and uh and you can definitely tell,
(12:34):
like I said, there's been a good vibe and and
a good buzz around you know what's gone on here
in the spring and into the summer.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
I know you can't talk specific recruits, but it seems
you guys are making more noise on the recruiting trail.
Uh this cycle. What is the recruiting philosophy and what
do you think has led to you know, having this
more success, especially this early, you know, for a new new,
a new ish coaching staff for you guys.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Yeah, I mean, I think number one, it's all about relationships.
I think you know, you got to really do a
good job of being able to build to build some
real connections, you know, with players and with guys, and
and those guys got to believe that, hey, these guys,
you know, I'm a priority, you know, and in their
program that I want to I want to lock arms
with these guys.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
They are going to help me get to my goals.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
If I surround myself with them, it's my best chance
to you know, to be able to become the best
version of yourself.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
And for us, it's just being real, like, it's being honest.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
With these guys, you know, it's about their path and
them choosing you know, what they feel like is is
the best path for them in order to be able
to be successful. And I think, you know, obviously, you know,
I think there's a number of guys up and down
you know our hallways here that have played in the
NFL that have you know, coached National Championship games, that
have won you know, BCS Bowl games, that kind of stuff.
(13:52):
But at the end of the day, I think it's,
you know, it's about their path, and those guys believe
in like, hey, these guys have Yeah, they might have
been there and done it before and those types of things,
but uh, but they really believe in me and and
uh you know, not just me as a player, but
me as a person you know too as well, Like
I got a chance to be able to get my
name called on draft night. If I go to this place,
I'll have all the advantages that I need to be
(14:14):
able to to be able to do that. But you know,
my personal development too as well, like you know, helping
them to to be able to uh, to earn a degree,
you know, to to be able to to to get
a job when they're done playing, an internship, a shadowship,
you know, all those types of things. So I just
think it's that holistic approach. Obviously a big piece of
it is is football and helping them grow there. But
(14:36):
but also, you know, the thing that's always been I
think really special about un D and and and been
a difference maker is just all the former players that
have gone on to to be successful and how close
they've stayed to the program, you know, Like that's the
that's the thing where I really think it hits different,
Like you know, just those uh, those former players that
are now you know, really willing to give back and
(14:57):
impact our current team too as well as is really
what makes it a special place.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
It seemed like the buzzword two three years ago was collective?
You know, do you guys have an nil collective? Does
this team to have an nil collective? Now we hear
so much about opting in and revenue sharing and house
settlement and all that. Is that something recruits and parents
are asking you, guys about on the recruiting trail, like
are they asking about, Hey, are you opting in? Are
you revenue sharing? Are those the type of conversations that
(15:24):
you're having now compared to like a couple of years ago,
it seemed like, hey, do you guys have an nil collective?
What's your collective? Like as conversations kind of shifted from
collectives to opting in, revenue sharing, all of that.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Yeah, I think that's fair.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I think a lot of people are still trying to,
you know, get educated and learn, like, hey, what does
that mean to opt in? What does that mean if
you you know, if you have a collective? And can
your collective continue on if you do opt in? And
those types of things. So I think you're just doing
everything you can to educate recruits, you know, to educate
prospects as far as hey, this is what we have
at UND all right, and and you know go compare
(15:59):
to the other places that you might be interested in.
And you know, ultimately we want to be able to
to really, you know, like I said before, build a
relationship with a kid, and then be able to you know,
not as we talk to them, not only just talk
to them, but show them too as well, you know,
through an offer sheet, like, hey, you're a priority here,
like we're going to help you, you know, be able
to to navigate the college landscape and and not just
(16:22):
talk about it, be able to show you you know,
to as well and back that up with an offer sheet.
So I think at the end of the day, that's
still what it's what it's about, you know. What I
mean is showing those guys want, hey, what the program
is about, how it's going to help you, how it's
going to benefit you not only during your time here
on campus, but you know, your life after football too
as well. And then being able to be competitive in
(16:42):
the college landscape, right like, hey, being able to show
that you have all those different things, whether that's you know,
a collective or all Ston dollars or you know you're
opting in internal anil all those things. If you can
you know, have different Like I said before, helpers and
supporters in your program and show that you have the
machinery in place in order to be as competitive as
you can be. I think that's ultimately probably you know,
(17:06):
maybe weighs the most on somebody when they're like all right,
Like from the moment I, you know, stepped on campus
to the moment I left, Like, hey, these guys were
dialed in.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
They talked about a collective.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
I met with somebody from the collective or you know,
they talked about internal anil. I met with somebody there.
They talked about nutrition. I met with somebody there. It's
just to be able to, you know, have all those
different things that I think are important for a young
man's development. Like they got to see that you have those,
you know, when they come on campus.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Yeah, obviously three of the best FCS teams are in
the Dakota's when you just look at some of the
preseason rankings, you know, the semi finals last year, NBSU,
South Kota State, South Dakota, We're in there. What's that
challenge like for you guys? But also I imagine there
are benefits that as well. When the bar is so
high in your region, you guys are improving as a program,
(17:54):
you know, as they're trying to aim to get to
that nationally elite level.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Yeah, and that's a cool part for us.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Like I said, coming back, we were doing things you
know on the West Coast that were you know, really
really impressive you know too as well. So to be
able to come back here now and and to you know,
to be able to get into into that mix. And
I've always felt like I grew up in this region.
I'm from here, you know, all the way back to
the Division two days like this was you know, really
good football for a long period of time. So I
(18:21):
think it doesn't surprise me at all that, hey, like
the programs from this area and from the Upper Midwest,
just with there not being as many FBS teams you know,
in this region, that you're going to be able to
get high quality kids to be able to come to
your campus. And then you look at the campuses around
here and and they're you know, they can compete, you know,
with with all those group of five you know places.
(18:42):
I've been at those places in the past, and you
walk on campus here and and and the things that
we're doing not just you know, in the buildings and
all those types of things that we have, but even
the guts of the operation, you know, and how you
go about every single day, and how you're supporting your
student athletes, like we have all those things. So I
definitely think it was, you know, a trend that maybe
(19:03):
took a little bit longer, you know, once we got
to the FCS level, uh for everybody you know in
the entire Dakotas to to be able to catch up to.
But I think now that uh, you know, everybody's been
established and like you talked about, you know, gone through
those transition years and that kind of stuff like uh,
you know, you look at weekend and week out in
our league like it's it's a it's really good football.
(19:25):
It's uh, you know a lot of high level coaches
guys that that you know, you look at their resumes,
they've been really really successful and in uh in all
asset and all aspects of of coaching and in their
lives and and and that's the cool part, like you know,
every single day like hey, you got to be at
your best, Like it's it's really important to be consistently
there and working and and playing at a high level
(19:48):
and practice at a high level at all times. So, uh,
it creates a lot of competition. Uh, it creates a
lot of people really trying to become the best versions
of themselves because they know what it's going to take
on Saturday Day in order for them to be able
to be successful.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
I think the question everyone wants to know is what's
in the water at the Alaya Center. I mean, you
guys have a crazy good home record, You've beaten so
many ranked opponents, highly ranked opponents, So what is it
about your guys this football stadium that just you guys
have so much great success and you know it's loud
in there. I've been there a couple of times, so
many ranked wins, you know, So what is in the
water there?
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah, It's definitely got some magic to it, you know
what I mean. For sure, you look over the years,
I think, you know, we're like one hundred and whatever,
fifteen and thirty or something like that since that place
opened up in two thousand and one, And I just
think the guys have a ton of confidence.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
You know.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Obviously you walk into that building and and there's a
ton of buzz you know right when you walk in,
and you know, just the atmosphere that you have there,
and it's super loud, it's hard for opponents to be
able to, you know, to do a lot of things
on offense just because you can hear. And it creates
a home field advantage, right like when you walk in there,
like you're gonna be able to put some stress on
(21:00):
on other teams just because of the environment that we
have there. And then I think once you start you know,
winning some games and uh and beating some teams, and
obviously there becomes some some confidence and some belief that.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Hey, you can go do it week in and week out.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
So so I think I think our guys have you know,
a really good feel for hey, when we walk into
that place, like, hey, there's some belief and confidence that
you know, there's a good chance we're going to have
a positive result when we walk out of this place
on Saturdays. And and they've been able to prove that
here for a long period of time, for a long
stretch here, as uh, you know said really since the
latter Center has been open.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah, a couple more questions here just just looking ahead
to the upcoming season. Uh, you know, what was how
a spring ball for you guys? Obviously, some new some
new faces on the coaching staff. You guys have a
nice nucleus of players coming back, but he also brought
in some nice transfers as well. So kind of that
that meshing period of spring ball. What what was that
like to kind of get you guys set up for
(21:54):
the upcoming year.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Yeah, great question.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I think offensively, obviously bringing coach Frickti back, Isaac Frickti,
our offensive coordinator, there was some continuity there.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
They've done a good job there.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
You look at a year ago, you know, scoring you know,
over thirty points a game, and really I thought did
a great job. Lost some some offensive linemen you know,
from the prior year, and and really became as the
season went along. You know, a strength of our football
team a year ago was was upfront, which is important
you know in any you know, level of football, but
(22:26):
especially you know in this region, like you talked about,
like you have to be really really good in the
line of scrimmage.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
So I thought our offense was in front.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
You know, early on they did a good job of
you know, just establishing the line of scrimmage and running
the football and obviously when you run the ball that
that creates you know, a lot of confidence and opens
up you know, a lot of different things that we
want to do on offense when we can do that.
We changed some things up structurally on defense from from
what they were doing here before off of it, you know,
(22:55):
went from some odd spacing to an even front, and
and did some things in the secondary differently now just
to be able to you know, truly be able to
have another cover guy back there, to be able to
to take people away, and and and just change our
structure back there, you know too as well. So I
just think there was some growing, there was some learning.
Our guys on defense. I felt like, did a great
(23:16):
job in the classroom of really, like I told you before,
like when I said about accepting some changes and really
diving in and and and having a growth mindset and
trying to get better. I thought our guys did a
great job of that, and our coaches you know obviously
too as well, teaching those guys you know what you know,
not just why we're doing things or how we're doing things,
but why we're doing things, you know what I mean
(23:37):
too as well, and trying to polish you know, as
much of that stuff up as we could. And I
think as spring went along, our defense started to play better,
and as we got into those last you know, maybe
two weeks, those five or six practices, it became super competitive.
And uh, and that's what you want as a head coach,
right Like you want to be able to have some
give and take and goods and bads on both sides
(23:57):
of the ball.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
And I thought we got to.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
That point and and then you know, it's just been
able now to uh, to springboard into the summer. And
we really you know, put a lot of a lot
of onus on on our year round calendar and really
doing a good job of having some purpose and and
doing things with intent every single day and having some
goals as we go all through the season.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
And our guys have have done a good job of that.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
So you know, as I speak to you here, we're
we're six weeks you know in the spring or in
the summer, and uh, and really have two weeks left,
you know before before we get going here July thirtieth.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
So it's been good.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
The growths been there, and we still got to get better,
you know, for sure, we gotta we got to throw
it and catch it better.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
You know, we got to talk better and communicate better
yet with how we want to play. But but definitely
have seen some growth in all phases, you know, offensively, defensively,
and in special teams since the spring.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah, last one here for XT I know you got
to you gotta run here soon. What's it been like
for you getting out in the community obviously, you know
the community, The community knows you Grand Forks as a
college town, right, rallies rallies around you and D athletics.
So what's it been like for you? Just community engagement
since in the excitement for the upcoming year.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Yeah, and that like I said before, like to me,
like it's it's uh, it's it's what makes this place different.
Just you know, just the amount of outpouring of support,
you know, the excitement in town. Uh people you know
obviously you know one wants to wish away summer, but
just how many people are excited about fall to get
going here and and uh, you know, just real supporters,
(25:29):
like people that are you know, grounded in in hey man,
no matter what, like you know, you and D football
is you know, really important to me and my family
and in my life. And there's just so many you know,
people that are like that throughout the state and the
region that that have reached out and that are you know,
really excited for, uh, for this fall and for this
team to to go out there and show what they
can do, and and uh just you know, it humbles you, right,
(25:52):
I talked about it before, like attitude or gratitude just
to to have, you know, the opportunity to to be
able to lead you know, a place that is especially
this that means so much to uh, to so many people,
whether it's a lums or fans or you know, former
players whatever, you know, it's just it's it's Uh, it's
been awesome just to hear all the different stories and
and uh and how people you know have have found
(26:15):
a love for this place and and how important it
is to them, you know, every single every single Saturday
in the fall, and and it really makes getting up
every morning and doing your.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Job like it it Uh, it inspires you.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Right, Like we talk about inspiring our players all the time, Well,
you know, the people that that care about this program
really inspire us and our staff every single day to
uh to do our jobs at the at the very
best level that we can.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Well, hey, coach, this has been awesome, really appreciate your
time so much this morning, and thank you for coming
on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Awesome. Thanks Sam, you have a great summer. The PA
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