Inside the Headset with the AFCA American Football Coaches Association

This week on Inside the Headset – Presented by CoachComm, we sit down with Joe Gillespie, the Head Coach at Midway High School in Waco, Texas. In this conversation, Coach Gillespie shares why he chose to pursue coaching, some of the behind-the-scenes conversations that take place when making career decisions, and his passion for high school football in the state of Texas. Coach Gillespie was hired at Midway in January after stints as the Defensive Coordinator at Tulsa and TCU.  

Follow Coach Gillespie and Midway HS Football on social media here:  

@joe_gillespi3 & @MidwayFB 

1:04 Fulfilling the dream of being a football coach, getting on staff at Stephenville HS, challenges that come with leading a successful high school program.  

26:49 The impact that player health has on success, getting the opportunity to move to coaching in college, determining if a job is the right fit. 

46:00 Learning curves that came with being a first-time coordinator, behind the scenes conversations that happen in job transitions. 

1:01:28 Coaching at a place with no previous connections to the staff, similarities in successful teams at the high school level and the college level, returning to high school football.  

This week on Inside the Headset – Presented by CoachComm, we sit down with Mike Bloomgren, the Head Coach at Rice University. In this conversation, Coach Bloomgren takes us through his career that has taken him to schools across the country, explains the value of coaching at different levels of football, and talks through how he took the lessons others taught him and applied it to his coaching. Coach Bloomgren, who led the Owls to a bowl game last season, was recently selected as a member of the AFCA Board of Trustees.  

Follow Coach Bloomgren and Rice Football on social media here: 

@mbloom11 & @RiceFootball 

Show Notes:  

1:05 Starting out as a football coach, playing football vs. coaching football, including your significant other in career decisions.  

17:23 Sharpening your tools as a young coach and experience coaching in the NFL. 

28:15 Opportunity to coach at Stanford, interviewing and hiring coaches, making the jump to being a head coach.  

43:42 Turning down head coaching jobs in order to find the right fit, creating a culture, being named to the AFCA Board of Trustees. 

This week on Inside the Headset – Presented by CoachComm, we sit down with Jeff McMartin, the Head Coach at Central College. In this conversation, Coach McMartin discusses why he got into coaching, getting to serve as the head coach at his alma mater, and being selected as the President of the AFCA this past January. Coach McMartin has served as the Head Coach at Central College for 20 years and the Dutch have never finished a season below .500 during his tenure.  

Follow Coach McMartin and Central College Football on social media here:  

@mac4fb & @CUI_Football 

1:00 Getting started in the coaching profession, taking advantage of unexpected opportunities, working as a Graduate Assistant. 

23:07 Getting your first full-time job, involving your family in decisions to move/change jobs, serving as a track coach and a football coach.  

35:58 Sharpening your tools as you go throughout your career, flipping to the offensive side of the ball, taking your first coordinator job.  

51:32 Taking your first head coaching job at your alma mater, finding success year after year, experience being a part of the AFCA.   

This week on Inside the Headset – Presented by CoachComm, we sit down with Clark Lea, the Head Coach at Vanderbilt University. In this conversation, Coach Lea talks through his journey to becoming the head coach of his alma mater, working hard to earn job opportunities, and the value of constantly learning. Coach Lea, who was recently appointed to the AFCA Board of Trustees, is entering his fourth season with the Commodores.  

Show Notes: 

1:19 Early years in the coaching profession. 

17:57 First experience as a full-time coach being responsible for a position group. 

32:00 Years spent as a position coach to prepare yourself for a coordinator position. 

40:10 Challenges as a first-time coordinator and first-time head coach. 

This week on Inside the Headset – Presented by CoachComm, we sit down with Jay Norvell, the head coach at Colorado State University. In this conversation, Coach Norvell takes us through the journey he took to get to where he is today, his experiences in both high level college football and the NFL, and the people that helped him grow throughout his career. Coach Norvell, who just completed his second season leading the Rams, was recently selected to the AFCA Board of Trustees, representing the Mountain West Conference.  

Show Notes: 

1:01 Introduction 

1:19 When did you know that you wanted to be a football coach?  

3:23 Transitioning from a player to a coach 

5:17 Impact of being around well-known, popular coaches 

8:01 Transitioning from defense to offense 

10:49 Ending NFL career and beginning coaching career 

12:27 Opportunities to coach at Northern Iowa and Wisconsin 

14:58 Growth experienced while at Wisconsin 

16:34 Transition to Iowa State 

18:32 Largest areas of growth up to this point in your career 

20:54 Learning as a coach.  

23:56 Experience in the NFL  

29:42 Takeaways from being an NFL coach 

32:50 Developing your own offense in preparation for a coordinator job 

36:51 Learning curves that come with being a first-time coordinator 

39:55 How are you continuing to develop yourself professionally as you grow in your career? 

42:58 Experience at Oklahoma, stepping away from being a coordinator 

46:57 Process behind becoming a Head Coach for the first time 

48:57 Importance of building relationships  

51:44 Building a Staff and Investing in Minority Coaching Programs 

55:54 Being named to the AFCA Board of Trustees 

57:40 Conclusion 

This week on Inside the Headset – Presented by CoachComm, we sit down with Craig Bohl, the new Executive Director of the AFCA. In this conversation, Coach Bohl walks through his career as a coach, shares his love for College Football, and talks about his new role with the AFCA. Coach Bohl is a well-respected football coach and has had a long career of success highlighted by his time as the head coach at North Dakota State and, most recently, Wyoming.  

Show Notes: 

1:00 Introduction 

1:26 When did you decide you wanted to be a football coach? 

2:12 How did you grow in your first few years coaching? 

2:56 Differences between working as a Student Assistant and a Graduate Assistant 

4:21 Transition to North Dakota State  

5:07 How did you go about sharpening your tools as a young coach? 

6:51 Experience at North Dakota State 

7:34 Learning to coach unfamiliar positions  

9:15 Transition to Tulsa 

10:31 Transition to Wisconsin 

12:25 When did you start going to the AFCA convention? 

15:11 What position would you say is your position? 

16:40 First Coordinator position with Rice 

17:56 Differences between Year 1 and Year 2 as a coordinator 

19:31 Experience at Duke 

20:18 Uniqueness of working at Private Schools 

21:47 What advice would you give your younger self? 

23:34 Opportunity to return to Nebraska  

25:09 Differences in coaches over time 

26:36 Nebraska Football Culture 

31:08 Opportunity to take over as the Defensive Coordinator at Nebraska 

32:25 First Head Coaching opportunity at NDSU 

34:00 How did you know you were ready to be a head coach? 

35:19 Constructing a coaching staff as a head coach 

38:16 Experience in interviews 

39:50 What are some common characteristics of successful teams? 

41:40 What was your recruiting philosophy? 

44:38 Finding the right fit in a job 

49:13 What did you do on Day 1 at Wyoming? 

50:06 What are some takeaways from your time in the profession? 

52:20 What attracted you to the Executive Director position with the AFCA? 
53:54 What led you to get involved with the AFCA Board?  

54:47 Why is it important to get involved with the AFCA as a young coach? 

55:45 Conclusion