What made you want to go into coaching high school football?
"The first thing that comes to mind is competition. Coaching is kind of the family business. My dad, uncle, cousin and grandpa have all been in coaching. And growing up I was fortunate to have a lot of buddies in my neighborhood, and every single day we were competing at something – football, basketball, racing each other. I've just always loved competition, and being able to stay in the game as a coach has allowed me to scratch that itch. Also, really it's just football itself. It's the game. Football was always my first love. There's so much you can nerd out on. I started coaching when I was 20, and I've loved every minute from the start. I did like the idea of helping kids. It's probably not the first thing you're thinking of when you're 20 years old – you're thinking of competing, winning, the rush of being close to the game. But as you mature and the more that you're around it, the helping kids part definitely wins out over everything."
What excites you most in going to work every day?
"First of all, I get to run a high school football program. I think that's pretty cool. I just really love the high school game. I think that there's just so many intricacies, so many variables that make it so fun, so exciting and so special. But what excites me most is the people I work with – my athletic director, the principle, my coaches on staff, those in the P.E. department. It's really fun to work with those people, and, of course, most of all it's the kids that I get to coach. They want to be pushed, they want to be maximized, they're trusting. By and large, the kids in the area, they let you coach them. They're fun kids. They've got great personalities. They're smart. They work hard. So, it's just a fun place to be."
What's been one of your proudest moments since coaching at Lightridge?
"If you're looking for games, there's definitely two wins that stand out: our first year win as a major underdog against Rock Ridge and then last year's come-from-behind win with two minutes left against Langley. I think the biggest part for me though really is what other people say about our culture. We have a lot of parents who come up to us and tell us how worth it has been for their kid and just their families in general. That's really something we try to hang our hats on. When families come to you and say that their son is better for being a part of our program, that's a pretty big deal and a pretty proud moment for a coaching staff.
What impact do you feel like high school football has on the kids you work with?
"The first thing we talk about at the beginning of our camp every year is our core values. We have four of them, and you can put them in any order: Integrity, competition, accountability and sacrifice. We talk about those, and we harp on those consistently. And quite frankly, if you can go by those core values, then it's really going to help you in all areas of life. I hope our football program helps them when they're applying for jobs and in their relationships of all kinds. I hope it helps them when they're at these big milestones in life and when they're going through adversity. I hope that there are lessons from Lightridge football that they can go back on and say, 'Man, you know, I get it. I get everything that all the coaches were talking about then. I get it now.'"
What's the biggest life lesson football has taught you, and how do you pass that lesson on to your players?
"Honestly for me, it's discipline. The game of football is predicated around discipline. More often than not, the more disciplined team usually wins. One of the things we tell the kids, especially when we're coaching them hard, is our job as coaches is to get you to do what you don't want to do to get you to be where you want to be. We talk to them about how these habits we're trying to get them to do in football that they translate for the rest of your life. Because if you want to be a winner, then the habits come first. You don't just get to show up and be a winner. There's a right way and a wrong way to do everything – how we wear our uniform, how we walk on the field together, how we carry something. That's our way of kind of instilling some discipline, some winning habits."
What advice would you give to newer coaches or aspiring student-athletes?
"If you're thinking about getting into coaching, know you love the sport and the process of the sport, I would tell you to do it. You know you're going to suffer for something in life, but you got to find what's worth suffering for. As a new coach, I would tell you that the most important thing is to find your fit. I think if you find the right fit, find a place that you enjoy going to, I truly believe the rest is going to take care of itself. The other thing for young coaches – it's the same advice I have to tell myself a lot – you can't live and die with each win and each loss. And for student-athletes, I would say select your circle very carefully and limit social media."
What does it mean to you to be named a Commanders Coach of the Week?
"What an awesome, unexpected honor. I was blown away. I just feel lucky to be in the spot that I'm at and to be working with people that I'm working with."
