Above The Whistle
Welcome to Above The Whistle. The podcast that takes you beyond the X's and O's and into the mindset of greatness as we sit down with coaches/athletic directors/former players across the country.
Above The Whistle
Coach Casey Sutera: Leading with Love and Resilience
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Join us for an inspiring conversation with Coach Casey Sutera, the celebrated Utah High School Association's 5A Coach of the Year. Coach Sutera opens up about his transition from feeling adrift after his playing days to discovering a calling in coaching that not only nurtures athletes but enriches their lives with invaluable lessons. His philosophy of leading with love and building trust within his team is a testament to the powerful influence of family and mentors in shaping a leader who cares deeply about both personal and athletic development.
Explore a gripping tale of resilience in college football, as we follow the journey from an unheralded walk-on at Southern Utah to earning a scholarship at the University of Utah. The narrative unfolds with pivotal moments that challenge comfort zones and ultimately lead to personal growth. This episode also takes a thought-provoking look at the implications of today's college football landscape, pondering the character-shaping role of adversity amidst the allure of the transfer portal and NIL agreements.
We wrap up by celebrating the essence of team chemistry and leadership. Discover how active involvement and leading by example forge bonds stronger than any playbook strategy. Coach Sutera reflects on the transition to head coach, where the balance of community support and personal humility becomes crucial. Hear personal anecdotes that highlight the highs and lows of this journey, underscoring sports' profound power to build character, inspire ambition, and nurture lifelong bonds.
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You know, one of the most important kids you'll ever coach is the one that needs the program more than the program needs that kid. Welcome to Above the Whistle with your host, devin McCann. Alright, we're live, okay. Welcome to another edition of Above the Whistle. On today's episode we sit down with Coach Casey Cetera, brighton High School, bengals. Today's episode we sit down with Coach Casey Cetera, brighton High School Bengals. Utah High School Association. Coach of the Year for 5A right. Yep, how does that sound when you hear that?
Speaker 2Oh, it's cool. It's obviously you know. That's not why you do it, but it's. You know. You have goals and aspirations in your profession and it's cool to be recognized for sure.
Speaker 1Yeah, kind of help the listener understand this though, because, like we were talking just a minute ago, this isn't just for the sport of football. This is per classification, so 5A in your case, all the sports it transcends football. It's as a coach of any sport.
Speaker 2It transcends football. As a coach of any sport, you were recognized as one of the elite coaches our kids and the academics and all those things because you know, learning those things through football and sports is the most important thing. So I was proud of that, that it was recognized, that it wasn't just about the winning and losing, which is important, for sure, but it was. You know all those other things and they're recognized, that you know I care about and value those things within our team.
Speaker 1Absolutely. What is your coaching philosophy, I mean, and has that changed over the years or?
Speaker 2No, probably not. It's always lead with love, right? I mean, ultimately I want them to learn life lessons and the players to learn life lessons. But for them to trust me is they have to know how much I care about them first. And that's just, you know, been instilled in me and my family, you know, probably instilled that, you know. You know my family growing up and that's how they were. So, yeah, I think it's that. But also, yeah, sports are important because you know you learn life skills through athletics. So that's probably my whole philosophy is surrounding that and we start there and then we plug in all the X's and O's and other things after that.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean there's a saying that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, right?
Speaker 2Exactly.
Speaker 1So it really does start there and I think you've always like I think most people recognize you as a player coach, first and foremost like your players absolutely love you, right yeah.
Speaker 2I would hope so, and they know how much you love them.
Speaker 1Even more importantly, so how did you get into coaching? I mean, where did it all start? I mean from my perspective and you know, we grew up together, we grew up in Murray and I mean it was just like you were born to be a coach, like I don't know what you would do if you weren't a coach. Have you ever thought of that?
Speaker 2No, I, you know what's funny is when I was playing I didn't really think about like coaching. I just love sports and you know I grew up playing with your brother and your dad was, you know, my coach with my uncle and I remember just loving all the things I did and just, um, you know, working hard towards that. So when I was done playing I kind of was lost, to be honest with you, because I had worked so hard. Um, you know, my whole life to, you know, be good at sports and football was particular I kind of focused on once I got into high school. So once I was done, I didn't, I was a little lost. I love the strength conditioning side and originally I was going to go into strength conditioning, um, personal training. I was working at tree house actually, right when I got done, um did that for three months and I decided I need to work with athletes. I could just tell I wanted to work with athletes that were hungry, like I was when I was playing. So my brother, frankie, who coaches with me he's our defensive coordinator was playing at Juan Diego and they kind of approached me about helping with their defensive line and, you know, started helping the summer. I'm like this is what I want to do.
Speaker 2Um, a PE job actually opened like late, like someone had either quit or you know there was turnover, and I got a PE job in August. Didn't never thought I would go into teaching at all and I got the PE job in August. I remember my first class. It was like 60 kids and I walk in there I'm like I don't know what I'm doing at all. I had zero background in classroom management but I knew. But the kids, I did gravitate towards the kids and they, you know I could tell early that the kids, you know they trusted me. They could tell I cared about them and that wasn't hard to like. Start building relationships with my players and the kids that I taught, that and that wasn't hard to like. Start building relationships with my players and the kids that I taught, that wasn't hard at all. And then to add the football side and be able to do what you love, it was pretty seamless. And I went back to school actually to get a master's in education so I could make this my full-time thing and my lifelong career.
Speaker 1That's awesome, yeah, I mean kind of a match made in heaven, um with the passions and love that you know you have in your life and everything, who were some of the mentors you had, you know, growing up, um through coaching and things like that.
Speaker 2Yeah, well, I'd say the first one, like I look at both of my parents, would probably be the biggest ones. Um, my dad was not. My dad did coach me in baseball and you probably remember that, but my dad was not. He was an athlete up until about 12 years old, played baseball and then he had to work full time. He's a rebar placing construction tough guy, just like your dad we're. Our dads are very similar, so he's just a mentor. So how I saw him work, like his work ethic and how he approached things, he was a big mentor.
Speaker 2And then I look at my mom, who is one of the, you know, best people I know and one of the most caring, loving people. I think that's, with those two contrasting things, is probably what made me, you know, suited for coaching, cause I can be a little bit more like my dad when I need to give a little tough love, but also put my arm around someone when they, when I need, you know, to be more like my mom. So those probably be the big ones. But then you look at, like you know, in little league coaching you were around that with your brother, ryan, who was a stud, by the way. Ryan was a guy that hey, much better player than I growing up, and your dad Ron and my uncle Chris were huge mentors to me.
Speaker 2Your dad Ron actually is one of the people that taught me how to do hard things right. I remember jump offsides have to do 50 pushups on the spot, you know, and at the time I was like this is just really, really hard, but I can see why he's doing it, you know, and I'm so grateful that I had people like that and coaches like that when I was a kid that made things tough and held me accountable, but also those coaches I knew they cared about me too, so, like I never questioned that for a second. Um, so yeah, I had really good coaches, young, and and you know you could probably tell the story about how we were really successful, like I don't think you guys ever lost I mean you guys literally won the championship every year yeah, and they were, I mean just great, great coaches, great people.
Speaker 2But I think the biggest thing is they taught us to work hard and to earn everything we get. And, um, you know, like we said, my uncle worked for my dad. He was a construction guy, your dad, ron was. You know. They were all on the job site together they come. I remember them still being all in their work clothes and like tattered jeans covered in dust.
Speaker 1Still, yeah, you know, I still hear the stories of you know I remember your dad doing push-ups on his, his knuckles and you know that's just people that that's been seared into so many kids. Memories, memories is my dad on his fist doing push-ups with the kids, oh yeah.
Speaker 2That was the thing about that. I would say the same thing about my dad too. Is they led by example? And I think in coaching now that's one of the biggest things is, I would never expect my players to do anything that I wasn't willing to do. Now I'm getting to the point where I can't quite do everything with them Like I used to cause. I don't want to get injured.
Speaker 2I have a good story about that later but, yeah, but I want to be, I want to lead from the front and I want them to feel like I'm, I'm in it with them. You know, and I learned that as a young age with your dad doing pushups right there with us, every one, every single practice. Um, you know, I got into high school. I do some coaches in high school too, like west meyer, and you know wade meyer, coach aoyagi I don't know if you remember, david aoyagi was our sophomore coach, but those guys were really good for my confidence when I got into high school.
Speaker 2You know that's an awkward time, um, and I think for for them, they were really good at building me up when I got into high school and, just you know, making me trust myself, and then you know so they were really big mentors as well. So I've had so many good coaches.
Speaker 1And then you know, getting to college and then it's like Did Wes Meyer help with you going to Southern Utah? Yeah, he did. He was a big. Was he down there as the head coach or a coach?
Journey From Walk-on to Scholarship
Speaker 2He was. So he was really good friends with Gary Anderson, who was the head coach. When I first went down there. I was actually originally going to go to Utah and Gary and Wes both visited me. It was like in the spring I think, after we graduated, and they invited me down and said they had a little bit of scholarship money to come down there. And I ended up going down there and you know it was good to have that familiarity with Wes because he's such a good guy and you know.
Speaker 2And then Coach Anderson was probably a lot like our dads he is that. So it didn't bother me to play for him because he was all about, you know, tough love. But when you earned it he was there to. You know I owe a lot to him as well was there to. You know, I I owe a lot to him as well. Coach anderson was a he. Everything he ever promised me, all he ever promised, is if you work hard, then you're gonna have a chance. And and you know, things happen and he, he always stuck to his word that way.
Speaker 1So yeah, yeah. So you go, you know, down to southern utah and then from there you ended up going up to the? U of u correct? And was that? Did you transfer, did, did you walk on?
Speaker 2Well it was. Yeah, I guess it's different now. There's no transfer portal but I so I played two years at Southern Utah and had a great experience. One thing that was really good about it is I learned, you know, I was away from home first time away from home, got the college life for a couple of years, and I love Cedar city. I really liked the program there. I just kind of the way I am and I guess probably go back to how my dad, if you know my dad I always wondered I wanted a little more. I wanted to see what I was like capable of doing. I still had a red shirt, so back then to transfer up you would have to sit a year. Um, coach Anderson, who recruited me down there, ended up going back to be the D coordinator and the D line coach and so I had a little connection there. So going back I knew that he was there and he'd probably again, just like he did when I was at Southern Utah. I knew he would help me through it and give me a shot to prove myself. So I had a redshirt year.
Speaker 2I transferred in the spring. So when I went back to Utah I had a spring ball to kind of prove myself to coach Whittingham and all the other coaches. And I actually had. There was some injuries, so I got a lot more reps in spring ball than I normally would have got, cause I don't think if it was for those injuries I would have gotten those reps. And with the reps I got, I did pretty well and I was still a walk-on. And with the reps I got, I did pretty well and I was still a walk on. So I actually walked on. I you know I was on a scholarship at Southern Utah. I came home and I was living at home, so actually I wasn't really it wasn't that big of a you know cause I didn't have to pay for housing. It wasn't that big a deal that way, and my fortune of my parents helped me out always have helped me out on any dream I wanted to chase. So I uh yeah, I came back, walked on, had a spring ball that went really well.
Speaker 2Um, one of the tougher times is when we hit the fall and I'm red shirting. I couldn't suit for any games because of the rules. Back then I was on scout team. I hadn't been on scout team since I was a sophomore in high school and I'm back as a junior with all the incoming freshmen out of high school on scout team running all the you know all the plays for the opposing team.
Speaker 2I remember coach Ludwig put me they had a call when we're playing Arizona and it was a Casey call, cause it was I was whatever player that was their big time linebacker. They moved me around and that was their call in the game. So I remember that. I learned a lot, though, and it was made me more hungry that year that I couldn't play and I couldn't suit. I remember the first time I got a Susan the bowl game against Georgia tech. We ended up beating Georgia tech um and uh Emerald bowl in San Francisco, and that was a big moment. I didn't play one snap, but I got to put the uniform on. It was like a whole years of work, for that moment was like a big deal to me, you know.
Speaker 1So yeah, no, that's awesome. So you go up to the U of U and you play there a couple of years, right, yeah, and I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you end up actually earning a scholarship while at the U, correct?
Speaker 2Yep, yeah. So I earned a scholarship after I think it was. So I had that full year and then it was another semester, so it was about three semesters. I earned a scholarship when I started playing quite a bit as a junior. I was rotating in quite a bit as a junior playing defensive line and then my senior year, again I was on scholarship and had a good year and ended up playing.
Speaker 2I never was a superstar. If anyone knows my name in the football world, like as far as playing, they're a big Utah fan and the coaching I definitely probably know me more for coaching than I do playing. But yeah, it was a good experience. I learned a lot and I'm I never have regretted that for a minute. I'm taking that leap to go to that level, even though I maybe would have had a chance to play more and maybe start at Southern Utah, just cause, I don't know, it made me. It's like those hard things that you want to do to make to make you who you are. That was, that was my journey and I probably wouldn't be doing what I am now if it wasn't for that move.
Navigating the College Football Landscape
Speaker 1To be honest with you, no, I mean, you always hear, in order for you to truly grow, you have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations. Right, and I kind of want to segue with that. Just with the transfer portal, like you said, it wasn't a big thing then. You know, you transferred, you sat out a year. There was different rules. What is your take on the transfer portal now? And do you think it's a good thing? Where? I mean someone like you, you sat out an entire year. It made you hungrier, it made you work harder. Now, kids, if they have that adversity, if they don't have that playing time guaranteed, you see them jumping at the first chance of, you know, maybe starting somewhere else. I mean, is this really where we want to go with college? Well, it's tough I think there's.
Speaker 2I think there's probably it's not all negative, we'll put it that way. It's all negative. I think it gives opportunities. Um, I do think you hit it on the head. I think the biggest thing is like is kids maybe are running away from that hard work and that adversity that's going to make them better in the big picture of life? Um, and I think we've kind of lost sight a little bit on that.
Speaker 2Um, I know there is kids that have had opportunities because they transfer and you know, maybe you know opens doors for them. You even see it in high school sometimes. You know, maybe you know opens doors for them. You even see it in high school sometimes. You know, and we've had kids that have moved here, you know younger, and I know it's given them opportunities and you know so it's hard because I've seen the other side.
Speaker 2For me, I'm in a situation where I'm very fortunate because of the way I grew up, with my family situation and my parents were well off, I was able to do that and walk on and you know they paid for a little bit of school where you know another kid might not, and you know you add the NIL stuff with it too and like those are big time financial opportunities. So it's like, if you, you know you, it's hard to knock a kid for doing it. If it's going to change maybe their trajectory, their life or their status, maybe going pro or things like that, I don't knock that, but I do worry about it the running away from the hard work and running away from competition, because that's what life is Like. I said, I do see both sides. I'm going to be a fence sitter right here, but I think that's the biggest concern you hit on the head is running away from hard work and adversity.
Speaker 1Yeah, to your point. Right now, jaden Daniels comes to mind. Right, he's down there at Arizona State transfers. There's videos right now surfacing of his teammates being like he wasn't any good anyways, good riddance to him. He goes to LSU, wins the Heisman second pick in the NFL draft. Now he has Washington in the NFC championship game. Does that happen if he doesn't transfer? I'm not sure. Like it was a good opportunity for him.
Speaker 1He obviously made the best of the situation, but I do fear that you know there are for every one Jaden Daniels, you know 10 to 15 that go into the transfer portal and they don't even, you know, get a chance to go somewhere else. Or they just they don't face adversity and they don't go through the trials of, you know, really working hard and bearing down and grinding through something. It's yeah, there's. There's two sides to the coin for sure. With that said, where do you feel that NIL is starting to come in? Like Ohio State wins the national championship game last night? You look at their fund. If you want to call it that their NIL collective, they're number one. Is that where we're headed with nils and the schools that have the most money to pay for kids will be on top, or yeah, well, you know it's kind of funny.
Speaker 2Frankie, my brother frankie and I talk about when they originally we got the the checks for being on the ncaa football game. Right, we got these checks that were when they had the whole big lawsuit there and thinking about how we were pumped just to get like I think I got like a 1500 check and frankie was, he was on the game two years and I was on the game one year, so he got like a double that.
Speaker 2But hey, we were just pumped to get that right and I think originally when it was, when that happened it was, I think they just threw it out there so quickly and didn't put any regulation on it. It just got a little out of hand. And now it kind of seems like the wild wild west a little bit. I don't think the intention of it's bad. I do think that it's a big money, like there's a lot of money being made, and I again, I'm probably not the best one to ask, cause I don't know the specifics, cause I tend to focus on our team a lot, but like I do think yeah, it's getting a little crazy. And again you add that with the transfer portal, all those things, um, yeah, I don't know, I don't.
Speaker 2I I feel like eventually there's gonna have to be some cap put on it. You know, even look at the nfl, at least there's a cap. I feel like you know at least they need to go kind of on the lines of that put a cap cap on it. So at least it's a fair, at least it's a little more fair, I should say, for teams. I think Ohio State shoot, they were going to be there anyway. They're good teams and good development Coach does a good job. But that part of. It is kind of disappointing that you don't see the development side. I even college coaches have been coming coming around and they don't talk a lot because they don't want to say too much. But I said, how hard is that? That you have to re-recruit your players and worry about that.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2And then like development too, because I think that's the exciting thing about like seeing a player come through and see how they grow from their freshman year, and I do think some coaches struggle in the new age of college football that they don't get to see that as much, and you know. So, again, I probably same thing as a transfer portal. I think there's positives. I do think players, like should be able to get paid for things, especially with the big business that this is. But I also see that like yeah, we got to put some regulations on it because it's getting a little crazy.
Speaker 1I mean, I've heard there is a proposed cap of some sort, right, and yeah, I think there needs to be a cap. Whether that's 20 million, whatever that is, I don't know. And even if it is 20 million, I think that it makes it hard for several schools to even compete at that. But someone you made a comment as far as the development and seeing kids come through the program, Someone like Coach Whittingham do you think that's hard for him as things have changed? I mean, Nick Saban, when he retired, said this isn't college football anymore and that seems to be one of the things that kind of drove him away. I mean, you have a relationship with Whittingham, you know him. What are your thoughts there?
Speaker 2Yeah, I think, like knowing Coach Witt and knowing how he is, I think he's a big developmental coach, like I think that's been the strength of Utah football is like the development and I think now you kind of see that that's kind of where you know. I think it's tough Like I could see guys like Saban. Those old cats have been around a long time and yeah, it's probably hard for them and I think coach Witt has adapted and I think coach Saban adapted and some of those coaches. But yeah, I think a lot of the reason those guys coach is because of that and I think coach Saban adapted and some of those coaches. But yeah, I think a lot of the reason those guys coach is because of that and I think it's hard.
Speaker 2Um, I, I was listening to coach wit talk on. It was after a game. I went to the I think it was the Iowa state game and I was listening to him talk and it was like really refreshing to see like coach like talk about. You know, they were struggling, right, they lost that game late and they just couldn't find a way to get wins, but he talked about how the players are going to be better in life for that and it's like that, you, that all that tells you all you need to know about coach winningham that for sure, I'm sure it's frustrating for him to not be able to, you know, develop kids and see guys leave, and because that's what he stands for, that's who he is, um, but I think he's adapted pretty well, um, to the circumstances.
Speaker 2But yeah, I don't know, I, I don't know how I would handle that. That would be a hard one if I was in college. I, I love high school still has a little there's, you know, there's kids that come and go, and there's a little more of that than when we were in school, but you still get to see those guys develop. I think that would be really tough. I'm sure he would say it's probably tough too. I don't think I'm putting words in his mouth to say that it's tough to see those kids maybe not develop and work their way up through.
Speaker 1I mean I would imagine so right, Do you see any sort of trickle down effect into the high school game?
Speaker 2Yeah, I do, I do. I think there's kids that are, you know, and it's tough. I think there are certain schools where you know kids in their mind don't think they're getting opportunities and they want to go elsewhere. Because they want to, you know, they want an opportunity to go play in college and and I think coaches actually do a good job finding kids wherever they're at I think that's a little bit of a misconception, you know.
Speaker 2I don't think you have to be at a certain school to get recruited, especially like if you're a big time recruit it's. It's harder to get recruited in high school, no matter where you're at now, um, unless you're at, you know, one of the top in Utah, top 15 to 20 players. All the other players are having to really like, look at schools and really, you know, put themselves out there to get offers that maybe five, 10 years ago they would be getting different ones you know so our kids.
Speaker 2We have a lot of kids here that I know and I try to be honest with our kids is like, hey, if you're getting an opportunity to play anywhere right now, like it's a really good thing, you know so and that gets, yeah, but I do think there's a trickle down for sure there's. I think you see more kids transferring for sure in high school now. It's way more than when I first started coaching, even more in the last five years and you know it's tough and I'm not saying that we haven't had kids have transferred in and being great for us and had good experience and helped our team and been good for our culture and you know. But again, I think there is a lot of that, more than there was five 10 years ago.
Speaker 1Absolutely. Um, you mentioned culture. So you come from Corner Canyon up to Brighton. Did you know? I mean, this is your first head coaching job, right? Did you know what kind of culture you wanted to bring to Brighton, how you wanted to instill that, how you wanted to create a foundation going forward?
Speaker 2Yeah, and I'm really fortunate to work with Coach Kerr. I worked with him for five years at Corner Canyon. I worked with him for four years at Jordan before that, and I mean, coach does obviously does it, and there's not many better than him. Um, so to me going into a head coaching position, there were things were different, like probably 90% of it. I'm like why would you change it? I know coaches instilled a huge work ethic in the kids over there and you know I was in a big part, a big part of being there when we were building that. Uh, and I saw it and I saw the kids change and I saw the kids mindset change. So what was really cool to see that and kind of be in a similar position when I came here. It was like I had the vision and what it looked like and where the starting point was so like I would say 90% of it. I wanted it to be a lot like what we did there.
Speaker 1Okay, what was the starting point?
Speaker 2I think the starting point was really good. We had I coach him who's at Sky Ridge now. It was definitely not a losing program. He had got it back to. You know they were nine wins. I think they were kind of struggling to get playoff wins. That was kind of the thing.
Speaker 2And then before, like coach bullet, you're sitting in his desk right now but, he coach bullet it was, you know, 10 years ago they had they were in the semis or the finals almost every year and and he really valued the weight room and those things. So it wasn't like there was a ton as far as like it wasn't a program that was broke at all, it was just I think it was a few things I think a big culture, the weight room culture. That you know what. You know I was a big, that was a big thing for me and why I was able to play at the level I did. You knew me when I was younger and what I ended up getting to when I was playing. You know that was a big part. That, I think's really helped our team.
Speaker 2And starting to do 6 am workouts something that we did at Corner Canyon and I did a lot in college just to develop that toughness and also to develop the togetherness. Right, it's not just the weight room and the physical, it's about the mental and it's about the togetherness when you have to get up and do hard things with your teammates. You couldn't do that by yourself. Like not many people can get up and do those things. There is people out there and you know I probably can now because I developed that back then. But, like when you're a teenager in high school, you're not going to go do that. Not many kids there's a few, but not many are going to do that. But when your teammates are there and relying on you, mates are there and relying on you. I've talked to Karen he's probably talked to you about this when you interviewed him but that is about 90% of your culture, right there.
Speaker 2You get them going 6 am and working in the weight room and grinding like that develops a lot of it.
Fostering Team Chemistry and Culture
Speaker 1It's funny because that's exactly what he said, right, and you mentioned it earlier. As far as leading out front, you guys kind of instilled this 6 am, you're in the weight room, you're working out, but you guys are in there working out with these kids, right, you guys aren't just sitting here in the office blaring music as they're working out. You write it out on the whiteboard and then you guys just kind of sit back and hang out. You guys are out there actually working out with the boys and it really does. It builds this team chemistry and kind of this.
Speaker 1You know you guys are doing hard things together. Like you said, that togetherness of it all. It just builds like this brother-in-arms type mentality, right, and so when it's the fourth quarter and things are hard they've been through hard things already they trust one another. They know their brother on the right and left of them have put in as much work as they have and they can trust them in a moment. That's crucial in a game and it's funny to hear that you both that is the foundation of what you guys have both built I mean extremely successful programs.
Speaker 2Yeah, and we again we don't do schematically we were talking before we came on we don't do things exactly the same. I'm a defensive-minded coach. We probably run the ball a little more, we try to control the clock and we play really really good defense Not that we can't throw the ball, but that's kind of our thing. Where over there it was a little more aggressive and defensively, we coach a little bit different here, the defense. We try to probably dictate what we're doing a little more defensively. Here we're over there.
Speaker 1It's more of an Urban Meyer versus Coach Whittingham.
Speaker 2I think, is how I always kind of relate, you guys.
Speaker 1It's a good comparison.
Speaker 2No for sure. But, like I said, all those things, there's more than one right way to do things, but it's non-negotiable that you're going to be a hard worker and high character and those are the things that your programs build off of. And I would say this was the first year I wasn't calling plays. I turned it over calling defensive plays and have a great offensive coordinator, caden Meacham, and my brother, frankie. We got better this year because I felt like I could take a step back and really focus on the big picture and culture.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2And it was instilling that culture into everybody, not just the defensive players, you know, and it was you know, and a lot of that comes to toughness and, you know, working hard.
Speaker 2And then probably one thing when I came here is I wanted to make sure and coach does a good job with this. A corner two is like service and being a good human being and being like representing ourself in this building and everywhere you go. Like, like representing yourself in a positive, like that's right, you're either going to be part of the solution, you're part of the problem. So in this school, I want to know that we're making Brighton high school a better place, not just you know. I want to know that we're making Brighton High School a better place, not just you know, being good on the field and working hard. I want, like Brighton High School, to be a better place because our football players make it that way and I make it that way and I'm a good example, and our coaching staff, you know, and that was important to me, like right from the start, is like you know, I know how visible like football is and I know how visible like football is and I know I don't take my position for granted ever.
Speaker 2And I know how, you know so yeah, I think that was a big thing for me is just make sure that we were viewed in a positive and that you know we were, you know our players were viewed in that way.
Leading by Example
Speaker 1Yeah, did you? Do you have any sort of like mottos or slogans or anything that you kind of you know put on the gym wall or anything like that?
Speaker 2Yeah, we always. You know, it's funny. We talk about this bring the juice all the time. So we like draw the juice box meter up there on the board and I rate them every day, practice and weight room like how much juice they bring, Because I think that's a big one.
Speaker 2energy, yeah, but yeah, like core value wise, that's one of the things is rep is represent your yourself and the program in a positive light. That's a big one. For me it was like, um, you know, when you talk character, those are big things. And one thing that you look at, I and we have signs up here. There's more to it than that, but I think what you do in the day to-day, you can have a sign up there and you can do that. But are you being the example of that as a coach? Are you focusing on those things by being the example and and emphasizing those on the day-to-day?
Speaker 2because if you're not, then that sign is doesn't mean anything. So I think there's that's one thing that, like care, he'll talk to he doesn't. He's not big on the signs no, that's not his set up.
Speaker 1Bring that up, I'm probably more than him. Yes, yes, I'm big on signs and mottos and things like that, but that was kind of one of the shocking things is when I sat down with Coach Kerr is I mean, he doesn't really do that. He leads by example, he builds the culture by setting 6 am weightlifting or he's out there running track with the kids or he does it. It's not just words. But then I've gone to other you know Bishop Gorman, and they talk about like they have actual meetings once a week where they sit down and talk about certain attributes of character and discipline and they have an hour-long class and they break it down and they have slogans all over the place, and so it's just always interesting to see how different coaches kind of try to instill that into these young, impressionable minds.
Speaker 2One we do and, like I said, I think we do have some of those things and we do leadership trainings and meetings and I and I meet with our captains a lot. Yeah, it's again I tell the seniors and the captains this is I'm just here trying to guide and guide you guys, but you're, it's your team, like, and, um, it's really cool when I can hear my captains get up and I'm, you know, they speak, and then I go to speak and they've already said everything I'm going to say and that's I think that's the true thing is like, and I think they probably get that more from not what I say, but how I carry myself. I really do. I think that's the biggest thing is like, if I'm the example, that that the actions speak way louder than the words.
Speaker 2So, um, I I used to worry a lot more when I was coaching when I was younger, that, like, I always say the perfect thing and it's like, you know, I'm just going to be myself and and you know, hopefully myself is good enough, you know, and the kids um see that and want to emulate that, you know, and I'm not perfect, not even close, but like that they see that I care and that I'm trying to make them better people and that's one cool thing that you know listening to some of the teachers and admin around like the players talk about that they know that that's important to me, that they know them being a good person's important and it's not just about football, um and that makes me probably as happy as anything to hear that they. They know that I want them to be good people first and that's number one. And it is number one and you can say that, but you really have to emphasize that.
Speaker 1It's always crazy, I mean, like in little league football especially, you know, like coaches who yell at the refs and are arguing with the rest. You see their teams and the kids follow suit, right Like they're the ones you know getting up and they're upset with the refs after a bad call or a missed call and things like that. But it all starts from the top and kind of trickles down, um, and so I think it's yeah to your point. Actions speak louder than words and you know there's no different from little league to the NFL. If you, as the head coach, you're kind of the figurehead, you set the tone, the culture, all that, and if that's what's important to you and you eat, live and breathe that motto, I mean people are going to emulate that. It's going to radiate, it's going to be seen by everyone just through your small little daily actions, right.
Speaker 2So that was one of the more shocking things, actually, and I mean I'm fortunate again to work with coach care and he gave me probably as much autonomy as any assistant coach could have probably as much autonomy as any assistant coach could have. And you know, he let me. Hey, the defense is yours. And I felt like our defensive players on the field emulated myself and Coach Frankie, my brother Frankie, because he was a big part of it, and our defense coaches, coach Lopez and all. But I didn't realize how different it was when you're head coach and like how much those kids really emulate who you are. It was shocking to me because I always thought, well, I had a big role, but it's a lot more when you're so.
Speaker 1What is that? What's the big step going from DC to head coach? What was the biggest shock to you?
Building a Coaching Staff Community
Speaker 2Well, the good thing. So I'll tell you the good thing. I waited quite a while to do it. I coached for 12, so years before I became a head coach. I'm glad I did that because the football side and the program side and all the organization of that wasn't a huge shock to me because I had done it and I worked with one of the best. And then with my experiences in college and playing for coach witt and like the coaches I did, that wasn't the harder part but, like you know, behind the scenes is always tough. Yeah, I remember them handing me the budget, you know, or the athletic creator. Here you go, here's the budget, now figure it out. And I was like, oh my gosh, like I, I just looked at, I was overwhelmed.
Speaker 2I remember I went home, talked to my wife, nico, and I'm like I don't know if I can do this. And then you start to meet people and understand that you don't have to do it alone. Like I have so many good people in this community that are, you know, willing to help, and my assistant coaches and our admin. It's like you start to meet those people. I remember, like the next week I started to interview people. Like I interviewed. You know, talk to people in the little league you know just tried to build that relationship and, you know, connect things and like they were helping me out with things. And then talking to our, our board and our team moms and like they're a huge help and do so much behind the scenes to, you know, support me and like you know, and then you meet with other people and then you say, hey, I can do this.
Speaker 2You know, and that was probably the bigger shock. I knew it was coming, but I just didn't. You know, I think the bigger shock was like you could always be doing something and it's like for me, the hardest part is how do I turn off and not like cause there's always something you could work on, and I'm sure it's just like being a business owner. My dad was a business owner and I remember him. He was awesome because he could go from, you know, chewing out his employees and dropping F-bombs to playing with us.
Speaker 2In the next sentence, and I was like I'm almost have to, like I've, you know, I'll be on the phone talking to college coaches or, you know, addressing something in season that we got to address, or talking to my brother or OC about something. And then the next breath, I that we got to address or talking to my brother or OC about something. And then the next breath, I'm playing with my kids and I think that's the biggest thing. I've had to find balance. More Okay that, but yeah, there's. You know, I felt like the football side wasn't overwhelming because I had been around so many good people and I knew what the plan. I had a really strong vision of what it should look like. Yeah, because of that, you know.
Speaker 1So because of that, you know, um. So yeah, I think you know the smartest people are the ones that realize they're not so much insecurities but just their weaknesses right, and then surround themselves with people whose your weaknesses are their strengths. That's the key. Like no one's going to be able to do everything you know at-plus level, but having the humility and the self-awareness to go okay, I have no idea how to operate a budget here. Let me talk to some admin people and get some input and things like that. I think that's truly the key of someone that's extremely smart.
Speaker 2Well, coming in. Part of that, too, is I think I've been humbled when you're the head coach. It's always I think I've been humbled and like it's when you're the head coach. It's always, I think, coming in. I felt like I needed to have all the answers to every single thing that everyone asked me like oh the, and like you know what you don't? And it's okay to say that you don't have those answers and and people are okay with that. Like the same. It comes down to hey, they know you care and you know you're doing your best. That's all you can do and get the people to help you in those areas. And that's probably where I've grown the most is like hey, you know what? I all admit that I have. I'm not perfect and there's things I'm not good at, but like I'm going to get people to help with that and I feel like that's the great thing about our coaching staff and our community is there's just like it's a good fit that way.
Speaker 1Yeah Well, and people see that you're genuine, that you're not trying to BS and, you know, just fake your way through it. If you're genuine and you recognize that and you have the self-awareness, people are going to, they're going to help, they're going to step up and it's a community right, it takes everybody.
Speaker 2You might be the figurehead of it, but I I mean there's a lot, a lot of other people involved with brighton football. Oh man, do I know? There's so much I I really didn't understand with when I was at corner. I didn't quite understand how much goes on behind. That coach did that. I never even heard about, right, because he was doing that and it was like you know, I, just I even. I mean not that I didn't have a ton of respect for coach before, but even more so now. I look at him and how he does it and I'm just like man, I wish I would have like known that because I could ask him questions, because now I'd be, you know, and now it's hard.
Speaker 1We, we try to talk, but we're I was gonna say do you guys still talk now? I mean different classifications, so you might be able to yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, we talk.
Speaker 2we're actually playing next year.
Speaker 1Oh, are you guys really?
Speaker 2We are so first time I will be there, yeah, so we're, we talk, but it usually is like this We'll text and I'm the worst texting, but I try.
Speaker 1I'm getting better now because I have to be.
Speaker 2I can attest to that. You're so, but when I call care, we sit and talk for two hours. I'm like we could talk for hours, you know.
Speaker 1With that said, coach care is not the greatest either.
Speaker 2No, he's not, so we just so when we do talk, it's like we just talk for hours and hours, but like we just text mostly just try to you know, but like you said, it's yeah, you kind of like miss that we were around each other every minute and got to. You know, it's like we have to catch up and it takes a long time to get caught up on everything, right.
Speaker 1When did you know you wanted to be a head coach, though? Was there a moment where you decided, okay, I really am ready to go test myself at the next level? And then did you wait for a certain job opening? Were you selective with?
Speaker 2that, yeah, well, we had. So when I first started coaching um at juan diego that's where I first started with my brother yeah, um, I actually was the jv head coach right out the gate. Right, hey, you're gonna be the jv head coach, which is it's obviously a lot different. You're going to managing the game but you're not managing the whole program by any means. But, right, I'm like, you know, at that point, you know, I really had the aspirations to want to be a defensive coordinator, for sure, like really early, just because I really enjoyed that part of it and x's and o's, and like I think it was a challenge.
Speaker 2Um, I really didn't understand coverages really as well as I thought I did until I started calling defense. I understood the, you know, I played d-line, understood the front, the blitzes, blitzes, all those things, the technique there, but like the defensive back play and coverages I didn't understand very well. So it was a big challenge for me. But I like kind of thought about, hey, may I, you know, one day I could be a head coach. And then when I got to be a defensive coordinator and started working with Coach Kerr and I was like, you know, I'm good doing, I, I'm growing, I felt like I was growing, I could do this forever, right. Like I felt. Like you know, we had a pretty magical run at corner absolutely, and I remember 66 and three right at that time I was telling I tell people I'm like I have the best job ever.
Speaker 2I get a call, defense and coach gives me all this autonomy and I don't have to deal with all the headache of being a head coach. You know, when I got approached a few times I even interviewed, actually at Juan Diego, I remember, back during COVID, just because I was like it was more like kind of wanting to go through the process, but I don't know if I was all in and wanting to do it, right, okay, and then I was kind of waiting for like the right kind of school and fit for me and if I was going to do it. But even really not until like the last few years I even year at corner, I was like man, I think I want to. I'm at a point where I want to again come. You know, only comfortable when you're uncomfortable, kind of thing. Right, I was getting uncomfortable again Cause I wanted, like I wanted, to grow as a person. I had nothing to do, I couldn't have had a better coach to work for, I couldn't have been in a better program.
Speaker 2Um, but like I knew that I, I kind of started to feel like hey, just like I, when I went to leave Southern Utah. I'm like I really want to see what I'm, if I can do this and challenge myself. So, yeah, really, in the last couple of years when I was at Corner, I started to think about it and I didn't really interview. A couple of people contacted me about head coaching. If I was interested and I did I told them no and then when this Brighton job came up, I was like, honestly, this is one that I feel like I could go to and I felt like it was a similar position that we were at Corner, like it was a similar position that we were at corner and I felt like it was we could you know?
Speaker 2build something special and take that next step to where we're getting your wife, isn't she? Uh, yeah, a brighton alum my wife's a brighton alum, and then so is my mother-in-law, so they're both bright my mother her mom is a brighton alum.
Speaker 2so, um, I've had friends that have gone to brighton and I knew, you know growing up and things, but yeah, yeah, so that was a big one too. So my, my, my, my wife and my mother-in-law were really excited about when I took the job. But yeah, it was one that was this. I just knew it was like the right fit and I knew when I when they contact, kind of contacted and I went for the interview, I'm like I'm going to take this job if I have an opportunity at it. Okay, yeah. So it wasn't like I was really even thinking about it until that last part, you know.
Speaker 1What do you think, as a head coach, is your role? I mean your brother, he followed you up here. Does Frankie have aspirations of being a head coach and do you try to help him and talk to him about that, if he asks? Or?
Speaker 2Well, I would be willing to help any of our coaches if that's what they wanted to do.
Speaker 2I think that's a pretty big and big compliment to our program If our coaches are being sought out or if they want to go. I would never want to hold our coaches back. Obviously I'd be sad if my brother left or any of our coaches left, because we have a good staff. But to me that's a compliment on our program and we have coaches. There's a lot of coaches in our staff that could do that if they wanted to. I don't know if Frankie, he's not a teacher.
Speaker 2So, he's not in the building. I think he just likes the football fix. I think this was the first year he called defense and that was a big growth thing for him. He loved it, he loved the challenge of it and we got better on defense with me not calling it so he's really smart and does a good job. Same thing with our offensive coordinator. I know he's done interviews kind of for the experience of it and been in the running for some jobs.
Speaker 2But he just he's kind of the position wanting to learn too and grow. But I'm going to be the first one to just like. Care was with me. I know he didn't want me to leave and we, you know. And it was hard. That was probably some of the bigger tears I've ever cried, telling the kids over there that I had to leave.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Or that I was gonna leave and um, but like, care was my biggest advocate and I think I don't know if there's a person around besides my family that wants me to be successful more than him. That's how I would feel if any of my coaches went on yeah I'd want to be, you know, I would be the, you know, their biggest advocate and be their biggest cheerleader.
Speaker 1you know, unless they're playing Right, so, like next year, he's probably not going to week five five he's not. But yeah, and I've always known that and he's been happy and proud and I keep you know yeah, talking to him, you know, last year doing an interview with him, I mean he literally beams talking about you and then you can just see the genuine friendship and love that you guys have amongst one another. How is it coaching with your brother?
Speaker 2It's good, you know it's fun, it's actually so. When I first started coaching, he was playing right at Juan Diego. And then he went off to college and played at Utah State and had a really good career there and I remember that's when I first became a D coordinator. So I would ask him all these questions, especially about the secondary, and a lot of the reason we ran things when I was calling defense the way we did is because of stuff Frankie shared with me when he was playing and really taught me a lot that way.
Speaker 2So once he started coaching at Corner Canyon with us, it was like awesome. It was really really cool experience to coach with him and, just like we, our personalities, where Frankie's different than me. He's a little more fiery, I'm a little more even killed. He is the one that I have to tell to not yell at the refs but the kids love him.
Speaker 2I mean he's a guy that kids would run through a wall for it's fun though, we have a good time and like we talk, and I feel like it's funny because we when we to family dinners and Shane, my brother, shane, who coaches in the Riverton Little.
Speaker 1League. He's a commissioner now, right? Oh yeah, he's a commissioner. He got promoted to commissioner over there, oh yeah.
Speaker 2I mean, we talk football. Our wives probably get so sick of us talking ball, because that's 90% of what we talk about.
Speaker 1But if you marry into the Cetera family, you know what you're getting into For sure.
Speaker 2But yeah, it's been awesome. It's funny. So last year I think it was two years ago actually my parents were at the game my mom and my mom's always worried she always wants to make sure that we're not yelling at the refs or we're being disrespectful and Frankie was getting after officials for something and I was arguing with him and my mom was just shaking her head and she's just laughing about it. But it's been a good experience and it's really cool, I think.
Speaker 2And he's a lot younger than me. Frankie's seven years younger than me and the kids are always surprised. I show them pictures of when I was playing and he was like 100 pounds and I was 270 playing, but they're like, yeah, it's a big difference, but he's been awesome.
Speaker 1yeah, it's a big difference, but he's been awesome. I remember Frankie being like a three-year-old kid going down to Vegas and him hanging out yeah hanging out at our football tournaments in Vegas.
Speaker 2And that's why he is how he is. He's been a football and sports guy, since he was four years old.
Speaker 1You mentioned team moms a little bit earlier. As far as just you know just the culture and you know being the head coach and and just things involved, if there is one like like prototype team mom, it is your mom. Is Tammy. Like she was the team mom I swear, even when you were at the U of U right Like she is. Yeah.
Speaker 2She's, she's always and it's. She's always been involved and I've been very.
Speaker 2It's been awesome because my mom was involved from the time we were in little league and you know her brother, chris, was our coach and she was lot and she and her family grew up and that's where kind of the the love for the athletics you know with her brother Chris. She asked him to coach me Right Cause he didn't, he wasn't doing anything, and so he coached all the way up through with your dad. But, yeah, my mom was always involved. She was always there doing the team dinner.
Speaker 1So does she still like help out with?
Speaker 2No, she comes around, she's. It's funny because all our parents and our main like kind of boosters and team moms. Yeah, love my mom. They made a lanyard for her with my brother and you know, with all, all the all the kids have their.
Speaker 1You know, the parents have their players picture, but it's a picture of my brother and I.
Speaker 2That's awesome so she's like team grandma, I guess.
Speaker 1I don't know.
Speaker 2But she's yeah, she's great. She's always been super supportive and she really is the ultimate like, oh, she is the ultimate team mom.
Speaker 1Yeah, Like when I think team mom Tammy comes to mind.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Like no one did it better and no one cared more than.
Speaker 2Tammy. Well, and I think that's part of like where I have such a respect for the people in that position because I see my mom doing that or if, like, kids are not being respectful to those individuals that are helping out, like. That's probably where you're going to see a different side of me. Now you're not going to see the fun loving player coach anymore Like those are things again, because, yeah, there is a lot and like and um, that's not something you know that she did.
Speaker 2obviously she wanted to do it because it's for her sons, but she did that because she loved everybody and that's I get the same thing here at our school is like it's not just about their kid, they're doing it because they really want to give back and help the team. And my mom says she had you know she was a team mom and she really was the mom to a lot of kids like she's a second mom to everybody. Everyone was always at our house and everyone was, and I love that. Growing up I'm glad that I had that. That kids felt comfortable and they'll still go up to my parents and say you know the impact that they had on them and that's huge. I think that's the same thing in coaching. It's not much different, you know. It's like how much impact can you make in your time here? And that's one thing I know for sure that my mom and my dad had a big impact on all the people.
Speaker 1You really like you mentioned it earlier in the podcast here but you are truly a blend of your mom and dad because your dad really I mean tough as nails, probably the biggest calves I've ever seen. He was always mountain biking and just these rocks, you know, in his calves.
Speaker 1And then your mom is the ultimate team mom, as I mentioned, and just cared about everyone and wanted everyone to feel welcomed and just a part of everything and you really are like a blend of both of them. So, yeah, I appreciate you jumping on today. I always love catching up with you. I love you know, seeing the success you're having here at Brighton and just the accolades you're getting and just seeing how much your kids love you and, yeah, it's been a pleasure, man, I appreciate it.
Reflecting on Family, Success, and Goals
Speaker 2Thanks so much for having me on. It's really cool and it's like a throwback because we hung out so much. Oh yeah, you know Ryan was. You know Ryan was. You know your brother was a good friend of mine and a stud.
Speaker 2I'm telling you, I tell the kids all the time about your brother Ryan and how good of a player he was and, just like you know, I looked up to him. He was a guy that you didn't want to go against when you're. You know, probably a lot built me up because I had to go against your brother when I was a kid and you know, wipe myself off the ground and and go and get him again. But you, you know your family again, like it's pretty cool, it's like a full circle moment to see this and have you, you know, but it's really cool and I again I'm humbled about, you know, the success and those things. It's, yeah, I'm humbled by it because it's again it's about the players and it's about the community and it's about the whole staff and the whole big picture. It's about the whole staff and the whole big picture. It's cool to have the recognition for the things, but we're still building. And it's fun, we're in a good place, but we still want more.
Speaker 1Semi-finals last year. Semi-finals, yeah, finals this year.
Speaker 2Yeah, that's the goal and all the kids have talked about that. I've met with all our players and we've got close and did some things we haven't done at Brighton for a while. But I think the kids now are hey, we're hungry to win it all.
Speaker 1I mean you lost to the eventual champion.
Speaker 2right, you guys are right there, yeah last two years we've lost to the eventual champions and Bountiful's awesome.
Speaker 1They were good this year.
Speaker 2Coach Frack is a great guy and he does it the right way and they were a great team that you can tell has a great culture and, like you said, that kind of gives us a next step to strive for.
Speaker 1Well, I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to week five for sure. I'll be there and yeah, if you guys are in the championship game, I'll be in the front row with your mom cheering.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm sure she'll be right there. Well, thanks, Devin, Appreciate it.
Speaker 1Thanks brother Bye.