Still competitive
SLIPPERY ROCK — Shawn Lutz, 37, is the defensive coordinator for the Slippery Rock University football team and has been a coach at The Rock since 1996.
Lutz is a West Virginia University University graduate, played tight end and was a three-year letterman with the Mountaineers.
He and his wife, Julie, have two sons: Logan, 10, and Gavin, 6.
What is your favorite part of coaching?“Practice. That's when we get to deal directly with the players. You deal with a lot of players one-on-one and practice time is how they get better. Helping players develop, learn and get better is the most rewarding part of coaching.“The first day a coach doesn't want to get out on the practice field, it's time to retire.”
What are your coaching aspirations down the road?“That's totally changed since I've come to SRU. When I first became a graduate assistant coach here, I figured I'd use this stop as a stepping stone toward becoming a Division I assistant coach or possibly a coordinator.“This path has taken me another route, though. I've learned the value of spending time with family here and you can do that in a Division II program, especially under Coach (George) Mihalik at Slippery Rock. My goal is now to become a Division II head coach.”
What's the biggest challenge of being a defensive coordinator?“It's hard anymore to stop people. People like high-scoring games and offensive coaches adjust their offenses to fit their personnel from year to year.“You need to constantly adjust and strategically adapt to what offenses are doing. We drove 12 hours to the University of Iowa just before spring ball because they have one of the best defenses in the country and we wanted to see how they do things.”
How is the working relationship among the veteran coaches at Slippery Rock?“Fantastic, and that shows up in recruiting. Recruits see the stability and family atmosphere when they visit because that's very visible here.“The wealth of knowledge and experience this staff brings to the table is unbelievable. We're the pulse of this program and players follow the coaches' lead. The longtime stability builds relationships with high school coaches, too.”
What is the favorite memory from your playing days?“We were 8-0 at WVU in 1993, my redshirt freshman year, and we upset Miami of Florida, which was also unbeaten, on national television at Mountaineer Field.“That Miami team had Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, Duane “The Rock” Johnson ... That win just felt incredible and it came in front of the biggest crowd in WVU football history.
How does playing football at WVU compare to coaching football at SRU?“Playing Division I football helps you prepare to be a coach. You're playing with guys from Florida, Delaware, nationwide recruits from rich and poor backgrounds, all types of people.“There's so much more pressure to win at the D-I level and your life revolves around football at that level. You have more time to watch film as a D-I player because it's expected. When I got ready for IUP for the first time as a coach, I was more than familiar with the big-game situation.
What made you want to go into coaching?“I wanted to try to make a difference in a young man's life. When I couldn't play anymore ... As a coach, you're still putting yourself in competitive situations and I love to win. I can't accept losing.”
<I>How do you feel about mounting violations occurring in Division I football?</I>“Athletes are so spoiled there and it comes down to that pressure to win. Coaches lose their jobs if they don't, so the standout players mean everything to them.“I don't believe collegiate athletes should be paid at that level. It's ridiculous. They're getting full scholarships, so they do get paid. They need to set an example. If someone does something wrong, terminate the guy.“We have players at Slippery Rock who stay here all summer, pound the weight room and don't get a dime for it. Some work at Summit Academy from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., go to bed, then show up for weight training at 2 p.m. That's dedication.”<I>Who is the most intense player you've ever coached at SRU?</I>“I have to give you three — defensive tackle Clint Forsha, defensive tackle John Sabo and defensive end Bill Elliott. The motor never stops. On offense, it's (center) Brian Minehart. He was a throwback, a Mike Webster-type.”<I>What was your most crushing loss in football?</I>“The (27-20) overtime loss to Indiana in the first round of the 1999 oplayoffs. The atmosphere in our stadium was tremendous that day and we crushed them (52-14) at their place during the regular season.“We had the team that year. I never totally got the taste of that loss out of my mouth until we played them again the next year.”<I>What was your most exhilarating win?</I>“Again, it was IUP. The year (2006) we beat them at their place for George's SRU career record-breaking (21-17) win total on national television.“That guy deserved that record and to get it on the field of our rival, and since George is from Ebensburg, to do it in his backyard was unforgettable, plus we needed a goal-line stand at the end to hold on.”<I>Will you steer your sons toward football?</I>“Our oldest plays for the Grove City Little Eagles now. I made him wait for a couple of years to make sure he was ready and that into it. If a kid's athletic, but timid, and takes that first hard hit before he's ready, he may never want to play sports again.“Julie and I believe in sports, but we want our kids to do what they want to do, give 100 percent and have fun doing it. Sports are great for kids because they're exercising, staying physically fit and they're learning life's lessons along the way.”<B><I></B></I>
