Coaching Staff To Return Intact

As I was eating breakfast this morning I was catching up on some emails and watching Mike & Mike in the morning.  Greeny and guest host Buster Olney were discussing the Rooney Rule and the NFL's poor track record of hiring coaches of color.  The more I heard them talk, the more grateful I became that I coach where I do, and that I coach with the people that I do.  I'm part of a talented and diverse athletic department, and between football and track & field, I'm part of two incredible staffs.  I'm particularly proud of the staff we've assembled for the football team, which returns virtually intact from last year (we lost our three student-assistants, who have all moved on to bigger and better!).

Grinnell College prides itself on having students from every state, plus around fifty different countries (that number varies year to year obviously) and our athletic teams often reflect that diversity.  This year we will have players from fifteen different states, from New Hampshire and New Jersey in the northeast, to Florida, Georgia and Louisiana in the south.  From Iowa and our core midwest states, to Colorado, California, and even Hawaii out west.  We will even represent three different countries, with players form Japan and Brazil! As the head coach, I do my best to assemble a staff that reflects the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of the guys on our roster.  Of course every coach in the country would like a bigger staff, but I am extremely happy with the men we have coaching our team.  I believe they reflect the students we're coaching, I believe we're helping them grow on the field and off, and I believe we're open to learning from our players, just as they're learning from us.  And perhaps just as importantly, we've got tremendous continuity.  I'm looking forward to a great year of working with this team and this staff!