University of Wisconsin La Crosse Women’s Soccer – Coach Jason Murphy

In today’s episode, I speak with Coach Murphy from the UW La Crosse Women’s Program. We talk about how he spend his limited recruiting budget. Coach also shares about the benefits of being a mid-size, public D3. Plus, we discuss their large staff that is a mix of FT and PT. Learn more about University of Wisconsin La Crosse Women’s Soccer.

Matt: [00:00:00] Hi everybody. Welcome to Discover College Soccer. Today I am lucky enough to be joined by Coach Murphy at University of Wisconsin Lacrosse. Welcome coach. 

Coach: Uh, good morning. Thanks for having me. 

Matt: Yeah, thanks for being here. Just wanna say congratulations. As of yesterday, the, the D three poll came out. You guys got that 20 number, 25 slot with your hot start to the season, so congratulations there.

Thanks. I appreciate it. Thanks. Although, when this is, when people listen to this, you guys are. You know, probably still undefeated in like top five by the time people will hear this one. So, but, uh, we, we’ll hope, right? Fingers crossed. That’d be wonderful. 

Coach: We, we won’t, we won’t complain about that, you know.

Matt: Well, and you know, we’re talking here September 10th. You, you’re four games in season. Gimme an idea. What, what’s the amount of time you’re spending, like percentage of your workday on recruiting versus the day-to-day in season? 

Coach: Yeah. [00:01:00] Um, I would probably frame it over like a week. Um, some days we do a lot, some days we might not do very much.

Um, but we’re probably in that 25 to 30% range on a week, on a week to week basis. Um, obviously during preseason it’s a little bit less. Um, uh, but now once schools, our kids, our students are back in school and so. We don’t see them all day, you know, like they might pop in and stuff, but really we plan training.

We, we get ready for matches, do some scouting, and then we spend a little bit of time in recruiting every day, hopefully every day just to, to stay on top of it and stay organized. 

Matt: And for you guys as a kind of a top D three program, in terms of your, I guess, timeline, are you. Well, we’re talking, like I said, September 10th.

Where are you with the class of 26? And are, do you, are you having 27 conversations yet? Kind of what does that timeline look like for you guys? 

Coach: Yeah, it’s the Wild West out there right now. So, uh, the like. [00:02:00] As the NCAA changes daily, um, it feels like in terms of what’s recruiting’s gonna look like and that kind of stuff, um, I think everything’s just changed and, um, we talk about it as a staff and we joke, I joke around with.

Like our basketball coaches and stuff. The NCAA’s changing a ton over here. And then the landscape of college youth soccer is changing every day in terms of like growth and that kind of stuff. And so, um, at this point, uh, we’re almost done with our 20 sixes. We have, uh, five players com, uh, well six players, five field players, and a goalkeeper committed.

So we have six players committed and, uh, we’ll probably add a, a few more, but not, not, not a ton. Um, and then, uh. We’re definitely having conversations with 20 sevens and have compiled a pretty cool list and pretty excited about some of them, and they’re gonna come to matches and kind of come see campus again.

Uh, most of ’em have either been on campus for a camp or been on campus and, uh, so really get ’em back. Do a, do a tour and meet with [00:03:00] admissions and, and do that kind of stuff and hang out with the team and, and maybe watch a match or watch us train and, and do that kinda stuff and see, see if this is the, the right fit for them.

Matt: Okay. Well. In your recruiting of 26 to 20 sevens, whatever it may be, where do you like to go to see players? I, I, I How, you know, are you looking at high school games? Are you, what tournaments do you go to? What does that kind of look like for you guys? 

Coach: Yeah, it’s so like. We kind of recruit Midwest, the upper Midwest, um, a lot of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, a little bit of Iowa.

Um, currently on our roster we have a Montana kid. We had, we graduated a California kid. Next year we’re gonna, we have a 26 is we have an Arizona kid committed and a Kansas kid committed. So, um, getting a little bit of a bigger footprint. But, um, a lot of the clubs that we recruit in the Midwest. Have now go become GA and e, either ECNL or RL clubs.

And so we’ve talked about it, probably a better utilization of our time and our resources to fly to California for three days, [00:04:00] pound out a whole bunch of games as opposed to driving. Three hours to go watch one game and then three hours back and, and so, um, it’s really changed over the last two years. I think it’s gonna even change more drastically.

’cause we had a big influx of GA clubs and RL clubs in Wisconsin and Minnesota this last year. And so, um, I envision that we’re gonna be a. Four to five events, kind of recruiting a year. That’s where we get our, our mass recruiting done. Um, we go to high school games. Um, we’ve limited that more and more just, uh, largely because, uh, I think our resources are better spent at these bigger club events where we can see more teams and that kind of stuff.

But, um, every year we definitely go see high school games in Wisconsin. Um. In Illinois and Iowa, we do see, it’s hard for us to see Minnesota, ’cause Minnesota women or girls play in the fall, so it’s a little bit more challenging, but, uh, we do, we do get to high school games, but we’re, I think we’re gonna get to the point where the lion’s share of our stuff is at a couple events a year.

Um, [00:05:00] and then find the kids, identify the kids, and then that’s when you go see ’em in high school. You go see him in a one-off game and like that kind of stuff. 

Matt: Okay, well what about ID camps? They seem to be, be more and more, uh, in, in a coach’s recruiting arsenal these days. Do you guys do your own or do you, do you or your staff work?

Other ones? Are they part of your process at all? 

Coach: Yeah, so we, we do, we do our own. Um, we basically have, uh, two a year. Um, we have one in August, uh, like Midgut, right before preseason starts for us. Um, and I think this year was like the 10th. Um, that’s been a big one for us. Uh, a lot of our players have come through that camp.

Um, and then we do something kind of cool in the spring. In the spring, um, US in St. Mary’s. Uh, university in Minnesota, they’re about 25 minutes up the road. We do a joint one where we do the morning session at their, on their campus, and then we do the afternoon session on our campus. Um, and so it’s kind of a cool little thing where, um, we’ve put our resources together and we’re both division three.

We recruit a little bit against each [00:06:00] other, but really we found that like. The right, the right fit for UWL isn’t usually the right fit for St. Mary’s. It probably, maybe it is from a soccer standpoint, but not the rest of what our campuses offer. And so, um, Nick and I, coach Rizzo and I have been able to, to kind of work together and we’ve actually, it’s a pretty cool experience.

Pretty cool camp. 

Matt: Yeah. That, that’s an awesome idea. I love that. Um, well, whether it’s camp a tournament, high school game, whatever the case may be, kinda what makes up the hierarchy of things you’re looking for in a player both on and off the field. 

Coach: Yeah, I think, um. We’re lucky, we’re like a mid-size public school.

Um, so we’re not, we’re, we’re pretty cost effective relative to most college experiences these days. Um, so we find, we, we, we look for players that can be successful here on campus. Um. We have a pretty cool social life on our campus if we’re being straight away about it. So, um, and our academics are pretty good, and so you have to be able to balance all three.

And so it’s really important for us to [00:07:00] find, uh, young women who can find the balance between being able to. Basically have these three big silos and being able to allocate the resources properly. We found that you can’t do all three of ’em at a hundred percent. Um, you just, there’s just not enough time in your day and enough resources.

Um, and then we like to play possession soccer. We’re a little bit, probably a little bit more possession based program than a lot of college programs and a lot of division three college programs. So it’s important that you can play with two feet. You can move, you understand, you understand movement. Like if I look at you and say, I need you to sit in this pocket.

If you look at me like I’m talking. From the moon, it’s not gonna go over very well, you know? Um, and so we, we, we, we, we, we like to use terminology and talk like that, so we really look for that. Um, but largely the biggest thing we search for is, uh, uh, players that want to be in a super competitive program that aren’t searching for their minutes, but are searching just to grow and develop as a player and understand that like if you play well.

You’re gonna play. And if you don’t play well, you’re not gonna play [00:08:00] because the kid next to you is gonna be playing well, and that’s how it works. Um, so we work really hard to find, um, players that like thrive in that competitive environment, in that competitive moment. Um, but yeah, we, I really enjoy that process.

I enjoy the recruiting process, so it’s, it’s great to get to meet all these people and figure out who’s the right fit for us and who are we the right fit for and that kind of stuff. 

Matt: That’s great. Well, you mentioned, uh, cost, and I’m not gonna hold you to hard numbers here, but as, as a former D three player myself, and, and it was funny, I just found like my, uh, college catalog view book from 1998 or whatever it was, to see the cost of, of what I of.

College was, which shocked me. ’cause both my wife and I went to Catholic and we looked at it, I was like, man, I thought it was like 10, $20,000 more than this. I guess it wasn’t bad, but I guess that’s, that’s time value of money. But, uh, correct. Yeah. So people question DD three, just because of cost. Hey, no, no, no.

[00:09:00] Athletic scholarships. Uh yep. Just gimme a, a general sense of. What does an average player coming to you, what, what are they, what are they looking at from a, an academic package overall cost, that kind of thing? Just as broad, broad strokes. 

Coach: Yeah. So we’re, uh, uh, so we have, we have in-state tuition, obviously we’re government.

Funded kind of. Yeah, it’s, we’re a state school, so, um, we have in-state tuition for Wisconsin kids. Uh, and we have reciprocity with Minnesota. So Minnesota students can come to Wisconsin for in-state, virtually in-state tuition too. Um, our in-state, I think this year is right around 16,000. That’s room board and tuition.

So that’s, it’s a real good value, um, to get academic money here. Um, as an in-state student. So meaning a Wisconsin, Minnesota resident, you gotta be pretty, you gotta be pretty bright. You gotta, um, have pretty good. A CT or SAT and then, um, pretty high GPA. Um, so most of, we, we tell our kids, we tell the kids that [00:10:00] we’re recruiting that as an in-state person, you should be prepared to pay full price.

Um, again, 16 being full price, you know? Um, so that’s kind of where we’re at. We’re outta state. We’re about 24, 25. Um, for outstate students, um, there is a little bit more money available for outstate students. Like our campus does a really good job of enticing those kids and, and doing that kind of stuff.

But, um, really, again, not a, not a terrible value. Um, and so, um, it’s, it’s more we, we really recruit on the. On the pretext that like this is the price. If it comes lower than that, great. But you have to be, we, we can’t, you can’t fall in love with us if your family’s not prepared to start at that number, you know?

Sure. Um, and so we, we really do that and that kind of stuff, but we have a lot of bright kids on our team that are getting some good academic money. Um, um, but when I say bright, I’m talking 32, 33 a CT kind of stuff. And so, yeah. Um, so really, really do well, uh, from that standpoint. Well, that’s 

Matt: one of the blessings of [00:11:00] recruiting women’s soccer, right?

That you tend to, it’s get more of those than you don’t. So it’s, it’s, it’s, yes. Yes. Well, no, I mean, and, and I appreciate that outlook because I feel like that’s different than a lot of other schools. A lot of it’s like, it, it’s like it’s going to a car dealership. There’s an MSRP, but no one actually pays that.

So you, but you guys kinda like, you’re, you’re more, uh, what’s, what’s the, dang it, now, I’m, I’m blanking on the name of the car, place the, uh. That that does the, the no haggle pricing. This is the price of the car. Yeah. Correct. Yeah. Yeah. So that, that’s which, which is good. ’cause I think it’d be a lot easier for people if there was more of that rather than the.

Here’s the high price, but it goes down here, here, here, here, here. And you just have no idea what you’re actually getting yourself into. But 

Coach: we have a ton of scholarships available for returning students, like through our foundation. Um, and basically if you apply for it, you can, you, you have a chance to get it and like that kind of stuff.

So, um, there’s a website that we share with everybody and it, there’s, there’s stuff available for incoming freshmen too. It’s just a lot of them are like in your major [00:12:00] and like you have to have a major declared and like, stuff like that. And that’s hard to do before you get here and stuff. But, um, so. For a long time we had a tuition freeze and I was able to say that pretty much everyone pays less their, the, the most they pay is their freshman year while the tuition freeze has been lifted by our state government.

So I can’t say that anymore. Um, but a lot of our kids get money sophomore, junior, and senior year that they didn’t get freshman year, which I think is good to help alleviate the cost and with stuff going up and that kind of stuff. So it’s good. 

Matt: Yeah. Awesome. Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the school.

So, yeah. You’ve been there a number of years now. You, you’ve had some great success, but what, talk to me, what makes, what makes the school unique? What are some cool things about the school? Maybe some things we wouldn’t even know by going through the website. 

Coach: Yeah, we have, uh, we have first class facilities.

Um, I have a, we have a soccer, uh, a soccer lacrosse facility that just us and women’s lacrosse use. Um, we have a touch line building, um, that has team rooms and press box and storage and restrooms and officials rooms and stuff. So like, [00:13:00] um, we, like, we have a, a big football stadium. We just built a. Well, it was, it a $36 million indoor facility for track and field and that everybody can train in and stuff like that.

So if indoor field house. And, um, so I think from that standpoint, we stand out a little bit, um, for, from a di division three perspective. Um, and then, uh, we get the best of both worlds. We’re a, a mid-tier public school that’s super athletic and has great, great student body just in general. Um, and so, uh, we get a lot of bright students who.

Played Multisport in, in high school. It was a multisport athlete in high school, whether they’d come here to play college sports or not. Um, we kind, we kinda get the best of both worlds. So it’s a pretty active campus and pretty cool environment to be in. Um, obviously we have a, when you have. 12,000 students in the same place.

The social scene can be cool and that kind of stuff. And so there’s a lot going on. And then our academics are nationally ranked and one of the best every year. We’re one of the best schools in the state of Wisconsin and the best, one of the best [00:14:00] schools in Midwest. And, um, so we, we can attract the, the.

The kid looking for the cool college experience, but we also can really attract the, the student that’s looking to go to med school and wants to get an undergrad that prepares them for med school or PA school or PT school or whatever they’re looking for. So, um, I enjoy that part about it. I’m, I’m, I’m, I was from Wisconsin.

I went to, I went to a state school and then did my master’s here. Um, and so I really value the, the state school education and, and can really s. I think do a good job selling that and talking about how it can set you up for the rest of your life, whether you wanna coach soccer or be a doctor, you know?

Matt: Yeah. That, that’s awesome. Well, you mentioned before, obviously that balance the, between the social life, the school life, and the sports life. Right? So specifically balancing that being a student athlete, what kind of support systems are there on campus to help students make sure they’re successful, both on the field, but also in the classroom?

Coach: Yeah, our campus does a great job of, uh, [00:15:00] supporting our student athletes. Um, in terms of, most of the faculty are fa, almost all the faculty are fantastic in terms of like, oh, you have a match. Great. Good luck. We’ll, we’ll cover everything when you get back. Do you know what I’m saying? Um, and so the support that we get on campus is, uh, we just started classes last week, and so all of our players.

Take a form letter to all their professors and give it to ’em. And I got a bunch of emails back, like, oh, I’m so excited to have so and so in class. You know, I played soccer in high school, or I did this and that and stuff. And so that part’s really, really cool. Um, really appreciative of the support we get.

Um, I tell all of our student athletes, especially in the recruiting process, when they ask the question about like, what kind of support do you have? I said, the biggest support you’re gonna have is you have. 28 to 30 other women who are, um, living the same thing you did that have taken the classes, have had the different professors.

You know, a large part of college is taking the professors that’s going to teach you what you need to know. Um, if it’s a class in your major and you need it, then you need to take the. Might need to take the hardest professor, the person that’s gonna teach you the most. You know, if it’s a gen ed class that you just have to get an A in, then maybe that’s [00:16:00] not the best solution.

And so, um, we really talk a lot about the resources and our campus does a great job in terms of the writing lab, the tutoring center, all that kind of stuff is super available to our student athletes and, and really gives them the resources and the opportunity to like. Do well. Um, there’s always the stigma that like, well, I can’t go use that.

But, um, as we continue to grow as evolve as a society, the stigma is getting less and less and we have more, like we, I beg our freshmen the first couple weeks, I’m like, go to the writing center. And they’re like, why? And I said, well, because they’re gonna make sure you get an A seemed pretty reasonable and you pay for it.

It’s part of your tuition, so go use it, you know? Um, so we really try to talk to our players about using those resources that are available on campus and, and that kind of stuff. 

Matt: No, that’s good. Well, let’s fast forward into next month, right heart of that conference schedule. Walk me through what’s a typical week look like for the players in terms of winter meals, practices, classes, game cadence.

Yeah, all that kind of stuff. 

Coach: Yeah. We’ve been, uh, [00:17:00] pretty lucky. So we train three to five every day, um, which is good. Um, post COVID, it just kind of things that every are, are. Has things changed post COVID? Um, there’s not a lot of positives, but from COVID, but there’s a couple. And one of them is that like, um, our class schedules kind of changed.

So before COVID we struggled to get everyone to training by four. We’d start at four and we’d have a couple kids show up late. And now we’ve been able, lucky that we can start every day at three so we can get outta here. So they can get outta here by 5, 5 30. And then. Um, get outta locker room by five 30 and have time to eat and study and have a life.

Uh, I think, which is really important. Um, we try to really stay in that three to five range. Um, so obviously if they have to do training room before and after that kind of eats up a little bit more time, but we really don’t, um, once school starts, we really try not to take much of their time. Um, outside of that, because I feel like.

They chose to come to a Division II school so they could have a balance. And I think it’s really important to meet them in that balance. Um, I think we can still be really competitive and compete at a national level and still allow [00:18:00] our kids to not have film in the morning and lifting in the afternoon and then training in the evening.

Um. And so we, we try really hard to stay in that window. Um, we do lift a little bit. Days we lift, we get done training a little bit earlier, and then we go about 20 minutes, 30 minutes after. Um, so we’ll get into that two and a half hour range on lifting days, one or two days, a weekend season. But besides for that, we really try to stay, um, in that, that window game day’s a little bit different.

And sometimes we get on a bus, like this week we’re getting on a bus on Friday to play Saturday, Sunday on the road. Um, so we do have some of that kind of stuff, but even for home games, um, we meet an hour and. 10 minutes before the match starts. And a lot of them show up an hour, two hours before the match.

But that’s because their, their rituals and routines are long and stuff like that. And so, um, and our athletic training staff, Alexis, our athletic trainer is fantastic and our students are great. And so, um, our student athletes do a really good job of taking care of themselves. So a lot of them do spend a lot of time in the athletic training room, but a lot of it’s preventative and a lot of it’s just trying to make sure they stay on [00:19:00] top of things before, um, it actually costs them training sessions and matches, which is.

You know, they’re, they’re young student athletes. What, what do they wanna do? They wanna play, like, that’s what they’re here for. They wanna play soccer, you know, so we, we try really hard to find opportunities for them to do that. 

Matt: That’s good. Well, let’s talk more about the team. Is there a roster size that you find is ideal that you’re trying to hit each year?

Coach: Um, yeah, I’ve always, in my head it’s always been around that 30 number. Um, it might be growing a little bit. Um, we like to carry four goalkeepers This year we have three. Um, we like to carry four goal three or four goalkeepers. Um, so I’ve always said that 26, 25, 26 field player range, but realistically it’s probably that 26, 27 field player range just with nicks and injuries and that kinda stuff.

You know, we have. 29 on the roster this year. Three goalkeepers, so that’s 26 field players. And we’ve had quite a few days in a row out here where we can’t play elevens because we got, we’ve got people that are dinged up and sure we’re conservative, like we hold you outta trainings and stuff like that just to make sure that your, your sore quad doesn’t become a [00:20:00] strain quad or a pulled quad.

Um, but. Ultimately that’s the reality, you know, and it happens every year. So then we have to, uh, plan accordingly. But I like to think at most positions that we have two and a half players at every position. So we have two left backs, and then we have a third player that can play left back, but she also maybe plays center back or she plays left winger and stuff like that.

So that’s kind of our magic number. 

Matt: Okay. Let’s talk about. The rest of the roster, the coaching staff. Now I will say, going to your website, looking at the coaching staff link, it’s the single most number of assistant coaches I think I’ve ever seen, especially the D three program. So talk to me about your staff.

Who else is there? What roles does everybody play? What’s that look like? 

Coach: Yeah, so it, it. This is the biggest we’ve ever been. And we, I’ve been pretty nervous about it, but it’s actually been working way better than I, I could have ever anticipated. So, um, so Ellie RN played for us for five years. She was a, a COVID freshman in 20 and then played for four years, was a three-time all American.

And, uh, our full-time assistant from last year left and Ellie has transitioned into that role. So she’s here, her office is right next to mine. She’s here [00:21:00] every day. Um, Ryan, uh, is actually a full-time assistant here. He’s in a joint role. Um, we have a pretty cool agreement with our local soccer club. Um, so he’s the DOC of the club, um, but works full-time at UWL.

His office is also right next to mine, so he’s here full-time. So we’re, we’re pretty lucky. We have two full-time soccer coaches now. They both have other duties, um, but realistically they’re on campus every day. They, they, they function as full-time soccer coaches. They travel with us and that kind of stuff, so that’s really good.

Um, Joe, uh, coach Sak has been with me all 12 years. He’s a long time friend of mine. Um, he’s a socialist. Teacher in town. Um, he’s my voice of reason. Um, I’m pretty, uh, high strung, high energy. That’s who I am. And he’s my combing piece. Uh, my wife says that he’s the one that reminds me to sit back down on the touchline that, uh, nobody wants to listen to me talk at this time.

So, uh, so no. So he’s been with me the whole time. So he’s, he’s, uh, a great asset to our program. He comes to pretty much everything. Um, in fall and that kind of stuff does a lot of recruiting for us. Um, he and [00:22:00] I have been together for so long that we can look at the same kid and kind of think the same thing.

Um, he says he can go recruiting and watch a kid and say, I think this is what this kid can do in our program. And then I’ll go watch the kid and I’ll be like, I agree. You know? And so that’s a really nice feature to have. Um. And then we have a couple other players that, or a couple other people that have joined us.

So Kenny Lloyd used to play in our program, um, and he’s been our goalkeeping assistant. He’s just part-time. He works here in town. Um, actually, him and his, uh, girlfriend are still in town, uh, because they’re gonna, she’s gonna go to. Uh, she played for in our program and she’s gonna go to vet school next year.

So she’s just taking a gap year, so they’re kind of hanging out. So he comes and trains our goalkeepers did last year, and then he trains our goalkeepers this year. So he’s around a little bit. Um, actually a lot of times he trains, he warms ’em up and then he goes, sits on the other side ’cause he wants to sit with his friends and that kind of stuff.

Um, which totally, totally understand. Um, and then Ari Green and Alexis Mann, our Alexis Mann played for us. She was also a COVID freshman. Um, played for four years. She’s still in town. She’s, uh, gap year. Um, working to, before [00:23:00] she goes to med school. And then Ari Green played at St. Kate’s. Started at St.

Thomas and played at St. Kate’s. Very good player, all region player, uh, all American. Um, and she’s in town, uh, and she works from home, um, as a data analyst. And so Alexis and Ari have been shown, have been around a lot, but they’re also doing a lot of film stuff for us. A lot of, uh, data analysis. Um, they’re both kind of.

Statistical nerds in a positive way. Um, and so that’s been, that’s been really good, really, really, really awesome for our program. And, um, as we joked one day when we were sitting on the touchline for a match, uh, we have seven All American Awards sitting on our touchline that get to interact with our players every day.

And, uh. I think that’s a huge impact. I think it’s really, really important that we put young women in front of our players and that they can say, I can be like them. I can aspire to be like them. Um, and so yeah, so it is big. Um, we’re lucky we have two full-time [00:24:00] assistants. We have a lot of other people that spend a lot of time in support of this program, but, uh, I think it’s worked out really well so far.

I’m knocking on wood that we can continue this year because we’ve never been this big, but it’s been awesome. 

Matt: Yeah. No, that’s fantastic. Well, you’ve given me a lot of time. I don’t want to, uh, I wanna be respectful here, but I’m gonna leave you with one last question. Yeah. And that is, if you had one piece of advice to give, you know, a girl a class 26, 27 going through this process, what would that be?

Coach: Yeah, I know it’s, um, I tell everyone that comes and visits our campus. Um. You get to make five or six really, really life changing decisions in your life. Um, a lot of them happen when you’re, uh, a young adult or an even an, an adult. Unfortunately, our society has set it up where one you have to make in your teenage years, and it can be scary, um, and.

Be in control of it, enjoy it. Um, I know that it probably involves some tears sometimes, um, but the reality is that, [00:25:00] uh, most of the time you’re having to choose between two or three really good options and it’s just a matter of finding the perfect option. Um, but a lot of your college experience is based on what you make of it.

Um, and I believe that strongly. And, um, I went to a school and had a great time. I went. Wouldn’t change it. Um, but I also know that I could have gone to a bunch of other schools and had a totally different experience, but still really look back on it and been positive about it and enjoyed it. Um, and the other thing I’ll say is I, I think it’s really, really important that you do some deep diving into the programs you’re looking at.

You know, ask the coaches the hard questions. Um, get on their campus, hang out with their players, ask the players the hard questions. Um. It’s okay. It’s okay if players leave the program. Um, that, that, that happens today. Okay. It, it is, it’s a reality. Um, it’s not okay. And it’s, you should ask questions if they’re bringing in 12 kids in every recruiting class and graduating two for consecutive years, you know, for five years in a row.

Um, I think that’s a really, that’s, [00:26:00] that’s why. And so, and there’s reasons to it sometimes, you know, injuries, that kind of stuff. Um, we had, uh, we had two kids. Leave the program this year in preseason for the first time, since in the first time in 10 years, I’ve had a player leave the program in preseason.

Now, one of ’em was hurt, like she coming off an ACL couldn’t get it right. Like, and so I can, I can talk about that. Do you know what I’m saying? Like that, like, I’m, I’m not, like, I’m not ashamed of that, you know? It was, it was hard for me. I love the kid to death. I wish her nothing the best. She could’ve really done it, but it was just.

Your body sometimes tells you that it’s over, you know? And so, um, I think it’s really, really important that these, that these young players and these high school players and these kids getting recruited take control of the process and, and just ask the tough questions and have the great conversations, you know?

And. Coaches say no. I say no to players that are really good all the time. And it’s not because you’re not good, it’s not because you’re not good enough. It’s not, it’s not for any reason, except for the fact that maybe our roster construction is just bad timing. You know, I’ve said no to a [00:27:00] bunch of players in 26, and I look at my assistants, I said, damn, if that kid was a 27, oh my God, you could be so good here.

You know? And then I just pray she doesn’t go to a school that I have to play every year, you know? And so. Um, it, it is the reality. And so we say, I have to say no a lot, and it’s not because I don’t think you’re, you could be special. I don’t think you’re a cool kid. I don’t think you’re smart. I don’t think you’re good enough.

All those things aren’t true, necessarily. True. Sometimes it’s just a matter of, it’s the nature of the beast and we have to manage our rosters and I feel very strongly that I have a commitment to our current players and, um, I do a really, really, really try to hold that dear to my heart that like, yeah, I could have 40 kids every year if we wanted, and 40 really good players, but yeah.

That’s not fair to the kids that have already come here and worked their butt and, and, and were promised that we would stay in that 30 plus or minus two or three range for their career, you know? And I believe that I have to hold true to that. So. 

Matt: Oh, that’s awesome. Well, coach, I really appreciate it. Wish you nothing but the best of luck, uh, the rest of the season.

You’re off to that hot start. I hope [00:28:00] it stays that way. And if you make it to, you know, any of the events down here in Bradenton, gimme a shout. Uh, and we’ll get together. All right. We can definitely do that. I appreciate you having me. All right, thanks coach. 

Coach: Thanks.