Coach Interview Guide: Libertyville Football

**1. Why Libertyville?** Libertyville is home---**this is where my family chose to live because this community is special**. My kids will grow up here, and I want to pour into this program the same way I'd pour into them. I grew up in a suburb 20 minutes away, and this town is nothing like Northbro...

**1. Why Libertyville?** Libertyville is home---**this is where my family chose to live because this community is special**. My kids will grow up here, and I want to pour into this program the same way I'd pour into them. I grew up in a suburb 20 minutes away, and this town is nothing like Northbrook. I love the tightknit community that makes me call it "Specialville." That makes **Libertyville fit who I am**. **I believe in building relationships and community, creating a committed culture, and leading those around me to reach their version of special through positivity and the power of belief**. Libertyville football has a proud community, and I want to help **build upon it with a focus on teaching the exact things I teach my kids: have fun, try your hardest, and be a great teammate.** **2. Two coaching mistakes & how I handled them** 1. **Trying to do too much myself**---I thought I had to be the guy running every part of the program. **I learned that leadership is about empowering others** (**Committed Slide: "Leader Who Coaches Football"**). Now, I make sure **staff members have clear roles and take ownership**. 2. **Work-life balance & the "grinder" mentality**---When I was younger and coaching college, I **lived the classic football coach lifestyle---insane hours, grinding non-stop, always working**. At the time, it felt like **that was the only way to be great** because that's how old-school coaches operated. **3. What would we see on the sideline during a game?** You'd see a **coach who sets and lives the culture**. I'm **energetic**, always coaching, always adjusting, and always motivating while doing my best to Stay on the Beach. I believe **players thrive when they know their coach is energetic and focused**. No matter what's happening, we **stay locked in, correct mistakes, and keep competing**, bringing the FUSE lifestyle to the sideline. **4. First Five Actions as Head Coach** 1. **Meet with every player and coach**---to set expectations, understand their goals, and build **accountability & togetherness**. 2. **Continue our strength & conditioning program**---because **commitment to development happens year-round**. 3. **Engage with parents, faculty, and community**---relationships matter. 4. **Evaluate the coaching staff**---ensuring we have a staff that **aligns with the culture** and creating better relationships. 5. **Lay out a clear vision and game plan**---so everyone understands where we're headed. **5. Handling coaches already on staff** **It starts with relationships and expectations**. Every coach has a role, and we'll determine who fits by asking: - **Are they high character and committed beyond the season?** - **Are they positive, relationship-builders?** - **What are their personal goals and how can I help them improve as a coach?** If they do, **they're in. If not, we'll work over time to find the right people.** **6. Hardest part of managing assistants?** **Holding everyone to high standards while making sure they feel valued**. Holding offensive assistants accountable while respecting their time and effort is key. I expect detailed prep, clear communication, and alignment with our game plan---but I also know they have lives outside of football. This is why shared documents and virtual meetings are so beneficial. Utilizing these forms of technology helps respect everyone's personal time. Lastly, setting time limits on meets helps force coaches to eliminate waste during meetings. Keeping meetings shorter allows us to stay focused and on point. **7. How do you build staff unity?** - **Clear expectations, accountability, and trust** - **Weekly staff meetings, regular communication, and making sure coaches feel invested in the program** - Coach and family get-togethers/outings **8. Time commitment for non-varsity coaches?** - **Less than varsity coaches** - **In-season:** Meetings, film review, practice planning, game prep, weight lifting 2-3 times per week - **Offseason:** Joining as much as they can, and making a plan to be a part of it even if it's 1-2 days a month **9. What do you expect from athletes?** Simple. **Follow the 3 Musts**: 1. **Have fun** 2. **Try your hardest** 3. **Be a great teammate** Beyond that, **be accountable and take care of work off the field, represent the program well in and out of the building, work hard, and embrace the Wildcats Creed**. **10. Multi-sport participation philosophy?** ### I fully support it. Multi-sport athletes develop better overall athleticism. We expect our players to train year-round to enhance their physical and athletic development. For those in other sports, we'll train them as long as their coach is on board. Most coaches allow multi-sport athletes to join our morning workouts because they know I adjust the workload to keep them healthy and have data proving in-season training improves performance. Also, we make it clear that off-season attendance is optional and has no direct impact on playing time. The best players will play, but those who train consistently give themselves the best shot to develop and perform at a high level. A great example is **our quarterback last year, Quinn**. He **trained for baseball all summer and continued workouts during football season**. Instead of fighting it, **I worked with him to create a plan that kept him sharp without overworking him**. That's how we handle multi-sport athletes---**we adjust, communicate, and make sure they're maximizing their development without breaking them down**. Our athletes who want extra work will find it, whether that means it's paying someone else who does not have their best interest at heart or working with us at LHS, where we care about their health and development. **11. Supporting other sports** We're all Wildcats. **I want to create a culture where teams support each other**. That's why I'd love to link arms with the Flag Football Team. That's why we ended a workout early to support the Dance Team in the main gym. That's why we sent a video to wish Cheer good luck before their sectional competition and submitted a video for the "Sky Full of Stars" winter assembly video. Many programs and people support us every Friday, and we want to reciprocate that. The football program can be a tide that lifts all boats! **12. Handling hazing or abuse reports** - **Immediate action**---player safety comes first. Hazing is not tolerated and can lead to dismissal from the team after investigation and communication with administration. - **Report to administration, notify parents, and make sure the player knows they're supported**. **13. Discipline structure & accountability** - **Respect teammates, coaches, and school** - **Clear expectations & consequences---players know the standard** and each situation is handled in context. **14. Handling playing time complaints** - **Players earn their reps. Effort, attitude, and execution decide who plays**. We want the players to ask about playing time more than parents. We want the players to be comfortable and confident in approaching their coaches. - Parents? **I'll listen, but I won't negotiate playing time based on complaints**. I will communicate with them what their player needs to do in order to see the field, but a meeting with the coach cannot lead to a playing time change or it will have set a precedent that playing time is earned through meetings instead of on-field performance. **15. Big mistake in a game---what's the response?** **FUSE. Fight to finish, get up, stay on the beach, eyes in front.** Mistakes happen, but **we learn, adjust, and move on**. We have to model it and teach it as coaches as well as get players to help lift each other when their teammates have fallen physically, mentally, or emotionally. **16. Making all players feel valued** - **Program culture matters at every level**. This is why I want to have the first meeting of each week be a full program meeting where the freshmen and JV staff get to show top plays from their game and recognize players on those levels in front of everyone. - **Recognition, leadership roles, and engagement beyond varsity. In-season means that I should attend as many of the games at the lower levels as possible. Once the season is complete, I'll meet with every player in the program to connect and build goals.** - **Around the building. I'm constantly acknowledging players every time I see them and take opportunities to talk to them about matters outside of football.** - **Team bonding activities. Togetherness is huge for any team, so we want to find as many ways to get together as possible off the field, including meals, philanthropy, fun events, sharing personal stories, and seeing me and the coaches with our families.** **17. Why is football important to a community?** Football is **the biggest team, the biggest event, and the biggest unifier in a school**. It **kicks off the year**, sets the tone for school spirit, and **brings together the largest collection of students, parents, alumni, and community members** on a Friday night. There's a special energy around football. Football is **America's game, and Libertyville loves football**. This town takes pride in its traditions, and our job is to **keep that excitement alive, build on the legacy, and give the community a team they're proud to support**. That's why we live by **EPAW---Every Person A Wildcat.** Football isn't just for the players on the field; it's for **the band, the cheerleaders, the dancers, the students, the parents, and the alumni**. It's something bigger than the game itself---it's **a shared identity** that connects generations in Libertyville. **18. Helping players reach college** I've been part of **developing players and getting them to the next level**. As a staff, we make sure our players understand the recruiting process, starting with the recruiting calendar, creating Hudl highlights, and attending the right exposure camps at the right time. I will also teach them how to use social media effectively to create an online resume. I will leverage my own social media presence and coaching connections to help get our guys noticed. Most importantly, I will sit down with each player and family to develop a personalized plan so they know exactly what steps to take if their child wants to play at the next level. **19. Feeder program strategy** I have already taken steps toward engaging with youth coaches and league directors in Libertyville to create a shared identity and vertical alignment between the youth and high school football programs. This is something I am committed to continuing, as I believe it will help make Libertyville High School football something young players dream of being a part of. One of the ways I plan to achieve this is by having our high school coaches host a clinic to share drills as well as fundamental and scheme verbiage that the youth league can adopt to create more continuity across all levels. Additionally, I want to develop practice guidelines and ideas that help coaches maximize their time while making it fun and engaging for the kids. One example is to emphasize speed training from an early age, focusing on races and short sprints rather than long-distance running and conditioning. To further support this, I already run summer speed and football camps twice a week for the youth league and will continue to do so. The high school players help with the camps, which builds a connection with the youth players to the high school players. It's a great way for the high school players to give back to a program that helped them so much when they were youth league football players. Building relationships is huge to connect the feeder and high school programs. This means meeting parents and players, which I've already begun attending as many youth games and plan to keep doing that. Lastly, I'd like to offer offseason workout opportunities for middle school football players who want to work on their speed and start learning about the weight room. **20. Participation and growing numbers?** 1. **Make the game fun and engaging. Fun is fun and hard work is fun.** 2. **Build strong relationships with parents & players.** 3. **Develop the youth program.** **21. Offensive philosophy?** In terms of our offensive philosophy, I firmly believe that players are greater than plays. While having a solid playbook is important, it is the players who execute and make those plays successful. Our goal is to create an offense that allows players to shine and make decisions in real-time, rather than just focusing on executing a set play. This is part of the reason we began implementing what we call Choice routes where the players choose their route based off what they're seeing. This also goes to our linemen who make line calls based on our scheme and what they see. This creates buy in and ownership. We want to attack the field with a sense of urgency, win the tempo battle, and maintain discipline throughout the game. By dictating the pace, we force the defense to adjust to us, not the other way around. This approach allows our players to play fast, stay focused, and be in control of the game, helping us gain an advantage in key situations. Discipline in execution and maintaining tempo will be a cornerstone of our offensive philosophy. **22. Defensive philosophy?** Defensively, our identity is built on relentless effort, stopping the run, and applying constant pressure on the offense. Effort is non-negotiable---we want to be the most aggressive and physical team on the field, playing with intensity from snap to whistle. Stopping the run is our top priority because if we can control the line of scrimmage, we force opponents into uncomfortable situations and dictate the game on our terms. Applying pressure doesn't just mean blitzing; it's about disrupting timing, forcing bad decisions, and making offenses earn every yard. Our defense will be fast, physical, and disciplined, creating an environment where opponents feel overwhelmed and outmatched. As far as specific scheme, I want to do what the defensive coaches know best as well as what our players do best. I am not married to one scheme as a 4-3 and 3-4 all have to fit run gaps properly as well as defend the passing game. **23. What do players take away after 4 years?** Our program is about more than just football---we are committed to preparing our players for college, life, and whatever path they choose beyond the game. We want to develop leaders who bring the same discipline, accountability, and work ethic to their careers and families as they do on the field. If they choose to be husbands and fathers, we want them to be great at that, just as we want them to be great teammates and competitors. Our three musts, FUSE, and the Wildcats Creed are the foundation of how we promote, teach, and build our players into the best versions of themselves. These principles are not just words; they are actions that guide everything we do, ensuring that when our players leave the program, they are prepared to succeed in any aspect of life. **24. Importance of alumni?** Our alumni are the backbone of our program's tradition and legacy. They laid the foundation for what Libertyville football represents, and their experiences, successes, and dedication continue to shape our culture today. By keeping them connected to the program, we reinforce the idea that being a Wildcat is a lifelong identity, not just a four-year experience. When current players see and interact with those who came before them, it strengthens their understanding of the program's history, builds pride, and fosters a sense of responsibility to uphold the standard that was set before them. To better connect with alumni, one way is to establish an annual Alumni Night, where former players are invited back to a game, recognized on the field, and given opportunities to speak with the team. This would create a stronger bridge between past and present while reinforcing the program's sense of community. Another way to strengthen alumni ties is by creating a platform where former players can share messages with the current team, either through video or written word. These messages could include advice, personal experiences, or reflections on what being a Wildcat has meant to them. Hearing directly from those who have walked the same path would give our players a greater sense of purpose and a deeper connection to the program's legacy. **25. Academic expectations?** Our program operates with a student-first mentality because our players are student-athletes, not just athletes. Libertyville already has a strong academic culture, and we rarely have players on the verge of ineligibility, but our responsibility goes beyond keeping them eligible---we want them to thrive in the classroom, not just survive. Academic success opens doors for their future, whether in college, careers, or beyond football. To reinforce this, I have previously incorporated Scholar Baller teams, which rewarded players with incentives for maintaining strong classroom attendance, a positive attitude, and good grades. Recognizing and celebrating academic achievement helps reinforce the standard that excellence in the classroom is just as important as performance on the field. **26. How do we measure success?** Success in our program isn't just measured by wins and losses---it's about growth in every area, from physical development to character, leadership, and accountability. Wins come when we build the right culture, and that starts with the Wildcats Creed, our core values through FUSE, and the Three Musts. These aren't just slogans; they are the foundation of how we operate, and we need tangible ways to track their impact just as we do with physical performance. We already measure growth in strength, speed, and overall athletic development throughout the year, but we also need ways to show success in how players embody our culture. One way to do this is through player evaluations that go beyond football ability---coaches can assess leadership, effort, and commitment to the program's standards. Another is through peer recognition, where teammates identify those who best represent the Three Musts and FUSE values in practice, games, and everyday interactions. We can also use film sessions and game reviews not only to analyze execution but to highlight players demonstrating discipline, effort, and accountability in the way we expect. By tracking and reinforcing these cultural standards just as we do with physical progress, we ensure that success isn't just about what happens on the scoreboard but about the kind of players---and people---we are developing.