Above The Whistle
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Above The Whistle
Coach Junior Solovi: Crafting Champions in Life and Sport
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Coach Junior Solo takes us on a deeply personal journey back to his roots at West High School in Salt Lake City's Rose Park neighborhood. As both the football head coach and girls basketball coach at his alma mater, Solo has shouldered the weight of transforming programs that had struggled for decades while creating a brand that makes West a destination rather than a stepping stone.
"You can make all the excuses you want," Solo says with quiet determination, "but at the end of the day, we expect you guys to get out there, compete, and find a way to win." This philosophy has driven remarkable results, particularly with the girls basketball team, which went from winning just seven games in five years to a stunning 24-1 record and the school's first-ever state championship appearance.
What makes Solo's approach unique is his understanding of the community's challenges. Many of his athletes work full-time jobs to support their families, forcing football practices to run from 6:30 to 10:00 PM during summers. Despite smaller numbers than traditional 5A programs, Solo refuses to lower expectations. He schedules top out-of-state competition, believing these experiences build character while showing his athletes they can compete with anyone.
Beyond wins and losses, Solo focuses on creating post-high school opportunities for all his athletes. He organizes trades showcases where professionals introduce students to alternative career paths, reminding them that "football can end tomorrow" and they need plans beyond sports. His weekly check-ins with players build the relationships that form the foundation of his program.
When you listen to this episode, you'll understand why Solo leads the state in getting his athletes recruited to college, and why he believes that "one of the most important kids you'll ever coach is the one that needs the program more than the program needs that kid." Subscribe now to hear more stories of coaches creating lasting impacts through athletics.
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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. We're rolling All right. Welcome to another edition of Above the Whistle. This week we have on West High football coach and girls basketball coach, junior Solo V. Welcome to the show, man.
Speaker 2Oh, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1Let's start off. You went to West High School, right? Yes? So what does it mean personally to come back to your school where you're an alum, to come back and start coaching?
Speaker 2I think it means a little bit more to you. You know, you understand the community a little bit better, but you also you know a little bit more pressure. You know because the community knows who you are and they know what you're about, and, and so there's also a little bit more pressure that comes with being an alum as well. Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1I can only imagine. But, like you said, the support on the other side of that coin I'm sure it's just you know that's equally of importance.
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean, I think this community is unmatched when it comes to support. Just from the time I got here, they hadn't had a whole lot of success prior, and to see the fans, fans, the alumni come out like this is it's, it's pretty, pretty hardcore here right, right, yeah, um, so, yeah, let's, let's go back a little bit further.
Speaker 1Um, so, you're, are you from? You know salt lake here. Where did you?
Speaker 2grow up, grew up here in the rose park area. You know what's this. You know elementary, junior high here. Um, so definitely this is you know I still live here.
Speaker 1You know, I have a home.
Speaker 2Yeah, I have a home here in rose park and my family parents still live in the neighborhood. So, um, you know, we, you know this is, this is home for us, and so it, like I said, it was a tough decision to to leave a, you know, a good place at east when we were there for nine years.
Speaker 1But, right, you know, really love it here okay, um, so I want to talk about it a little bit. We were talking a little bit, you know, before. Uh, we got on. You're not only the, the football head coach, but the girls basketball yeah, coach how did that come about, and you know how do you shift um here between you know those two different seasons and just two different groups of kids.
Speaker 1You know how do you shift um between. You know those two different seasons and just two different groups of kids you know, I first experienced it at east.
Speaker 2uh, my daughter was at east and they couldn't find a basketball coach, okay, um, and they were, they were terrible and so, uh, you know, I just said, you know what? I I've coached boys, but I had never coached girls. Yeah, and uh decided to jump in there. And you know what? I've coached boys, but I had never coached girls. Yeah, and decided to jump in there. And you know, we had won a couple state championships with the girls over there and you know it was extremely busy, and so when I took the job here at West, I wasn't trying to take, I'm not doing that again.
Speaker 2Yeah, I wasn't trying to take another girls program and you know the girls had been struggling here for a little while and they had approached me on it.
Speaker 1So yeah, yeah, um. So I mean, as far as you mentioned, like, just how busy it is, um, talk to us a little bit, because football I mean nowadays, especially like when I grew up, I mean sports were a little bit more seasonal. Um, you know, football kind of ended and basketball started and then it was baseball and then it, you know, circled back around. Football now, especially, is it's year-round, like spring. Football is in full effect right now. Um, you got sevens football. I mean it's it's a year-round sport. So how are you able to go from football season and still, like I said, it's still going with spring and all those other things, and then be able to focus on girls' basketball?
Speaker 2I don't think there's a balance there that you're looking for. I think for me, it's more branding. I believe in branding a school and wherever I could help, I definitely wanted to help, right, um. So I think there's always um. I think people are always looking for a balance, and how does that work? I don't think there is one necessarily. I think it's extremely tough, uh, but I I I believe I have a good staff in football that kind of helps things as it's going, uh, while I'm in basketball and you know, stay in touch with them, and then the same thing in basketball. I believe I have a great staff in basketball. So, as we're getting things going again right now, they're definitely a staff I could lean on for those tough things, but for me, the energy just comes from, you know, branding. I want to brand West High, high school so it is that brand?
Speaker 1what's? What's the brand you you want?
Speaker 2you know, I want to think west high yeah, I want them to think it's successful in all things. Okay, you know, uh, we have a great ib program here, and so academics is a big deal here. You know we have a great debate team, robotics team, but sports have been struggling, you know, for a while, probably since the 90s, okay, and um, you know, we had a basketball championship about 10, 15 years ago, I think it was, and then I think softball had one of the couple. Other than that, you know, every sport has really struggled, and so the brand is what we're really trying to sell to our community of like this is a place you can go to, you know you don't have to go to this school or that.
Speaker 1Like this is a place you can go to, you know you don't have to go to this school or that school or this school, and like you can get it all here Is that hard in today's day and age of you know it's open enrollment and kids are, you know, going to different schools and you know getting exceptions to go play for the school across town and things like that how do you create that brand and create that culture where kids, especially homegrown from Rose Park and downtown Salt Lake here, still want to come to West and don't want to jump ship?
Balancing Football and Girls Basketball
Speaker 2I think it's, I think it's tough. I think everybody in the valley, especially in the valley from Ogden or Provo, you have to realize that open enrollment is what it is. You know, you can't get your feelings hurt if a family believes a different place is good for them, and the same for me. If a family feels this is a place for them and they walk through the doors and want to follow those rules, we're all about it. You know, I think we all grew up in a time where, like this wasn't, that wasn't a thing, and I think we all, you know, have kind of those feelings of, like man, it would be really nice if it went back, yeah, you know, to to that time, because it brings a different sense of community. Yeah, you know, um, but in the same, in the the same sense, it's open enrollment, it's what it is. You know, and I think you either. You know, similar to college sports with the transfer portal and NIL is like, yeah, you can hold strong on on those things, but also, like you, you have to understand that open enrollment is what it is.
Speaker 2You, every year, got to recruit your kids and that's what we're focused on. Is who's here? Focus on our kids, especially salt lake it's it's become. It's super expensive to live here in the city and close to downtown and you're not going to get a um, you know big house for the money you would. You know north or or south. So uh, for me I've learned to just accept it. Yeah, you know, we don't have a ton of kids, like most programs. As far as numbers wise Right, we probably sit around 65, 66 kids where traditional 5A program is going to be around 150 kids and up.
Speaker 1Yeah, double up yeah.
Speaker 2But we also don't make any excuses for it. So a lot of people think we have like all these kids coming here and that's. It's really not the case. Yeah.
Speaker 1I do want to just kind of touch on this a little bit, because you and I talked about this prior to jumping on as well. Just your reputation and, to your point, the brand you are creating. You know I have a kid that I actually coach and and his mom was like no, I'm taking, you know, my child, my son, I'm going to go play the junior down at West high school. So your reputation precedes you and you definitely are building, you know, something special here. So, like I said, I appreciate you jumping on today with us. So how do you shift gears though? Um, coaching you know football and then going and coaching girls basketball is that a different mindset? I mean you have to coach differently because you know men and women are different, or you coach the same, no matter what.
Speaker 2yeah, I I typically coach the same. Now, do I think you know girls and boys are different? Yeah, Do I think they respond differently to certain? Yeah, of course. Yeah, but I do just. I do think kids in general, they just want to be coached, and I think we just said I think the biggest thing that I do, that I focus on, is hiring good people around me coaches that are better than I am, coaches that know more, coaches that can help fill some blind spots that I can learn from as well. That will be pushed. But our expectation has been the same since I got here. We know that they haven't had any success and we know some of the setbacks that a lot of these kids are going to have. But it's also, at the same time, it's a great excuse, yeah, you know, and for us we're just like hey, man, here's the bar. You know this is a bar we're going to set and we expect you guys to get there.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean everyone's dealt a hand in life. Yeah, some are better hands, for sure, there's no denying that. Yeah, but you still have a hand and it's how you choose to play that hand right, exactly.
Speaker 2So. You know we have a ton of kids that work full-time jobs to feed their families and we pivot, you know. Yeah, for football we typically have to practice late at night during the summer. So we're in here like 6.30, in here until like 9.30 to 10. Oh really, so we're in here like 630, in here until like 930 to 10. You know, most kids got to work during the day Basketball. I had some girls that were at night, worked some graveyards. So again, there's things that these kids have to go through that most kids don't. But it's also what makes this community special to me.
Speaker 1Yeah, absolutely so. I've read somewhere where you said that you do a weekly check-in with your athletes and you kind of create groups with your coaching staff to do these weekly check-ins. Where did that come from and how do you think that helps build that sense of community within the team?
Speaker 2Well, I mean, you know we try our best to make sure we're in communication with these kids at all times, whether it's here in school, whether it's, you know, on the phone. Just like you said, this is a, you know, year round deal and for me, the year round deal, where it's not the football side, it's getting them to understand that everything else is just as important. And I know they, they know that, but it's just. I think that consistent communication is just as important and I know they know that, but it's just. I think that consistent communication is what we need.
Speaker 2Sometimes you have to reinforce it, yeah, reinforce it, whether it's good, bad, whether we have to be like hey, maybe this sports isn't the thing that you need to do right now, and we got to kind of move on from it and have them focus on certain things. Sometimes it's just a regular check-in hey, how are things going?
Speaker 1Have you had a situation where you've had someone who you know just family, you know struggles, things like that where they had to and you kind of had to let them know it might be okay to go ahead and step away from the sport for a little bit to help out the family situation?
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean, we had a kid last year. It was one of our best players, you know he was just in a situation where he had to take care of a family member and you know he was going to be here once a week. I was trying my best to figure out if we could make this work as far as, and we just came to a conclusion that you know he's just got to take care of family and you know we'll get back to it, you know, this coming year, so we're excited to have him back here. Okay, you know, um, but I I think each situation is so different and each situation is so tough and we try our best to work with everybody, but at the end of the day, the culture is what the culture is. Yeah, and we're consistently trying to define that. And you know people are like, oh, are you living in the gray? And and I was like, no, I mean, I think your culture is black and white. Yeah, but I think every kid is in a situation where, you know, it's individual.
Speaker 2Yeah, you have no idea what's going to make them tick or what's going to motivate them. And sometimes it is, sometimes it's moving on from the sport, sometimes it's being a little bit more lenient, you know, but being a little bit more lenient, you know. But those check-ins and those visits, and we try our best to be as consistent as we possibly can. But you know majority of my staff as well, they have nine to fives and you know so it's very, very tough but it's worth it. Yeah.
Speaker 1You've mentioned a couple of times your staff. How do you go about building a staff in that support system? I mean, I don't really choose a staff based on what they know, I choose a staff in that support system.
Speaker 2I mean, I don't really choose a staff based on what they know, I choose a staff based on how much they love kids. And where do we fit? Do they fit within the values that we want, which is, you know, we want accountability, we want dependability and we want availability, you know. And availability even though they're committed, even though they want to, they want to be here. You know, they got to take care of their families as well.
Speaker 2Yeah, so, you know, I can only pay these guys, like you know, a very small amount, but I mean, I'm not getting paid being here, you know, throughout the day. So it's, it has to be in a situation where you understand what the deal is here, understand that our goals are not going to be wavered and, um, you know, I think the staff is the most important, you know, um, you know, just have guys here that don't get paid while they're here, you know they're, they're just here strictly on trying to help our kids, get them better, and putting in time, and that availability is huge have you had, um, a staff member that you brought in before where it didn't quite work, that you know, maybe it was their availability, they just weren't able to to show up enough, or, you know, their, their perception or goals, or just their work ethic didn't quite align with what you're trying to build within your culture.
Speaker 1Yeah, and how did you handle that?
Speaker 2I mean, I don't pay these guys enough to fire anybody. So for me it's more of a if things don't work out, I'll try to make it work as much as possible. If things don't work out, I'll try to make it work as much as possible, but at the end of the day it's like if it doesn't work, they kind of they kind of know on their own.
Speaker 2Yeah, they kind of know that time-wise. If it's time-wise, you know, they're just not going to. They might want to have a bigger say, but maybe they just, you know, if it's not the case where they want a bigger say, know, then this might not be the place right so um you build your staff from the community here, you know, um you know with former just friends of yours.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean, I have uh some friends.
Speaker 2I have some guys that have been with me since I was at east that came down, um, you know, really, it's just who could put in the time, because it's the times we're asking you to put in, it's just. You know it's. Yeah, it's a lot of time, you know.
Speaker 1So I noticed this on your schedule last year and even, you know, a couple years prior to that, for your football you schedule a lot of out of state competition.
Speaker 2What's your?
Speaker 1what's the mind, you know mindset, behind that?
Speaker 2I think the mindset is what I told said earlier. You know the bar is where it's at. We, we want to win a state championship. We also want to create experiences and if you were to ask me you know what I want from this program? I I would say I want them to have a great experience. I think going out there and playing the very best in the country sends a message to your kids. You know, we're not afraid to play anybody. We don't have the money. We'll figure it out how to come up with that money and I think that's just the mindset that we've had.
Speaker 2Now the RPI it makes things a little tough because those out-of-state games they hurt you even if you win, it hurts you, yeah, and so you know, I think this year we're trying to take a different stance of, okay, let's play the rpi game then the following year, but we again, we, we want to be putting our kids in a situation like, hey, you could get it all here. Yeah, academics are here, the culture's here, the, the community is here, and we're trying to build a brand with all sports. But we're trying to build a brand with football. It's just like, hey, we're going to go out there and play. We're going to have a lot of fun doing it. Don't expect to win those games. It isn't when you're playing that level. Have we competed? Have we been close? Yes, yes, you know, but uh, again, the bar is the bar, you know. I I expect to go in every game um winning each game, and so it takes a lot of work, and the support staff, the parents, the people behind the scenes, well, especially on those, out-of-state games like.
Speaker 1I don't think people realize how much goes behind the scenes in trying to put a game on with someone from out of state, especially if you're the one traveling. I mean, you mentioned just the fundraising that's involved with that but just logistically to get that many kids and football gear and all that you know what's involved? I think it's definitely a stress, you know, and to petition the board to be able to let you go play. You know these out of state games.
Building the West High Brand
Speaker 2Yeah, all of it is. It still makes it worth it when they're out there and to see these kids. Most of these kids have never been on a plane or out of state or traveled. You know been in a hotel room, you know, so all of it comes with it. Or traveled, you know been in a hotel room, you know, so all of it comes with it. You know just dealing with the curfews dealing with. You know acting appropriate. You know meals. You know parents taking time off of work to come. You know, again, the staff. I mean you literally have to put all this time out to make it, to make it happen, but to me it's always the people, it's the families it's the kids people, it's the families, it's the kids.
Speaker 1It's worth it. Those experiences, those experience you never get them back. Yeah, yeah they. That's something that they'll always cherish and they'll always remember. So, yeah, I, I don't. I mean, there's a handful of programs in the state. You know that'll play a game, maybe two. Yeah, when I I saw your schedule last year and I'm like three out out-of-state teams last year, like yeah, that was crazy.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's a lot of fun. We sometimes have some scheduling issues but at the end of the day, I mean, you know my operations guy, tony Fahey, he's always looking for these new experiences and like, hey, this will be a great experience, this is a long-term power right here, so we know what we're getting into. A lot of people are like, why play those games? It's a lot of money, just to, you know, in people's eyes, just to go lose. And my mindset. I'm like, oh, we're actually going to win, but we're not living in reality. Understanding, hey, when you go play modern day, knowing exactly what you're playing, that's a big deal and that's going to be national wide, all-star talent. And uh, you know again, man, I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of that challenge.
Speaker 1And also, well, it puts you on a stage now where you're getting eyeballs on you as well. So you know, to your point earlier, you're building a brand where it's like hey, come play for West High School, we're going to put our kids, we're going to go play a modern day, a Bishop Gorman, whoever it might be, and we're going to be on a stage and you're going to have people watching that game nationally.
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean recruiting-wise. We lead the state in recruiting, getting our kids out. We're very proud of that. A lot of that has to do with the competition we play.
Speaker 1How much of that has to do with just what you guys are doing from a staff standpoint, though, and helping these kids with recruiting?
Speaker 2as well. I know that we work extremely hard in it. Yeah, um, you know we have three goals in this program. Um, we believe all programs are trying to build good young men. Like, I don't know one that isn't. Yeah, you know, um. So we believe that's a wash. You know, you're walking into a program, doesn't matter where you're at, they're gonna, they're gonna try to build good young men. So we believe in three things One, culture and win games.
Speaker 2You know, what is that? Culture, the experience, the kids, the families, making sure that's the priority, you know. And we got to win games. I mean, you can't get around that, you know. Two, get kids out, give them college opportunities, whether it's football, whether it's a trade, whether it's being an entrepreneur, whatever that road entails. We're expecting them to have an opportunity after this. And it's work. You're going to get a lot of no's before you get a maybe. So for me, when it comes to recruiting, I just won't accept a no. For a lot of these kids I'm just like I'll keep calling, I'll call another coach until someone says maybe you know and you know what they do with that opportunities on them. But for us it's like just get there, create the opportunity and it's paid off.
Speaker 1Yeah, you know. Yeah, no, I think you are probably one of the biggest advocates for recruiting for your kids yeah State and, like I said, it doesn't go unnoticed. I think a lot of people see that and that's why they're starting to look at West High School and hey, I want to take my kid there. Do you believe you can learn more through adversity or through success? Because you mentioned, you go to an out-of-state game and a lot of people might think you're setting your team up to lose. But how much can you learn through that adversity? And you're going with the mindset that we're going out there to win as well, but how much can you gain or learn from adversity?
Speaker 2Adversity is a part of it. What is from adversity? You know adversity is a part of it. You know what is the adversity. I think if you go into any situation, putting adversity is one of those things that you got to overcome, I think you're in trouble. I think for me, I think adversity is a part of life, is a decision whether you're a husband, a father. If you've done everything good in this life, you know there's going to be. You know some things that are put in front of your life. You got to make some decisions.
Speaker 2You know, for us, when it comes to football or girls basketball, to me, if you're not willing to take that on and you're not in the mindset of like, this is what's coming with it, this is the pressure that comes with it. I mean, to me, I don't even look at it. As far as adversity, I'm like all of it's an opportunity to me. You know it's an opportunity. It's an opportunity when you have a setback. It's opportunity when you lose a game. You know it's an opportunity when you win a game, like, what are you going to do, how you're going going to build off of that Adversity to me is like, again, I think it's a great excuse, yeah, but I just think it's just a part.
Speaker 2It's a part of the process. It's a part of the process. It's a part of your life. You're going to have adversities. I mean, I think winning brings more adversities than losing. Losing brings lower expectation. Yeah, that's why, from the very beginning, if you're a family that's coming to west or you're walking in here and you're like this is a place I would like, uh, to be a part of, you know, first thing we're doing is, hey, we expect to win. You know, is that, you know, in a lot of people's eyes like, oh, that can't just? Yeah, guys, of course we want to have fun in this process. We want to, we want to do all these things that the you know the process brings, but at the end of the day, nobody's having fun of your own.
Speaker 112 you know my dad, that was literally every time. So you know he coached me growing up and that was his like big saying before every season is like we're here to have fun, but losing's not fun, yeah, losing's not fun.
Speaker 2So I think if you don't set the bar to a place where it's like guys, we ain't, you know, I don't want to learn, I don't want to learn. You know, off of a loss, we might as well learn winning. We got things we got to fix. Hey, let's go win the game and then we'll learn and fix it Is losing a part of it. Yes, Is this something I don't want to be a part of?
Speaker 1No, it's hard. I mean you mentioned like when you're losing, you have a losing program, your expectations are lowered. If you're winning consistently, I mean you're on the top of the hill, you're king of the hill and people are coming after you. You have a target on your back. So, yeah, I mean there's even more adversity, you know, with the challenges of just maintaining success. Yeah, achieving success is one thing, but then maintaining it, maintaining is hard.
Speaker 2That's another level. We were at East, we were there for nine years. We created a culture, we were a part of a culture that was winning. We won a couple state championships. You know, I think it was harder. It was hard when we were like winning, but we couldn't win the big one, Right? You know, there was this pressure and this doubt, you know, and then when we won the championship, then there was like how do we follow this?
Speaker 1up.
Speaker 2Repeat yeah.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2You know the championship. Then there was like how do we follow this up? Repeat, yeah, yeah, you know how do we? How do we continue to get there? This third, what kind of adjustments. So you always got to tip your hat to. You know skyline of the 90s, you know that run. Uh, you look at what coach cares done on his run and that's kind of what we follow. You know, I look at the kids or look at my staff and I was just like, guys, there's a blue there. Guys, there's a blueprint, there's a blueprint, how to do it. And you can't help. But you know, I mean you could be a hater, you know which. I'm sure they have a lot of them. But at the end of the day, what Coach Care has done consistently is the reason why a lot of kids want to go there. The assumption for a lot of people that are in programs that are not having success is they're recruiting. The program itself is doing he doesn't need to recruit.
Speaker 2The program recruits. He's doing what he's supposed to do. It attracts kids to want to come there. Success breeds success. Yeah, and so that's what we're trying to achieve. We're winning games. We need the state of getting kids out. We're proud of that. But my message to the staff is still we need to win a state championship, whatever that takes. We're going to have to figure that out, but I don't want to hear any excuses. Let's get it done, yeah.
Speaker 1I love that. Speaking of winning the state championship, let's turn to the girls basketball. Um, I think I even I've read this somewhere where you didn't realize this last year winning the state championship. This was the first girls basketball state championship for east high school well for this for west high school or west high school, sorry, my apologies.
Speaker 2No, this was the first one they've actually been in. Now we didn't win it, um, and lost to you know, a great program that won back to back. Okay, um, did we believe we should have won it? Yeah, yeah, is it always end up being coaching? Yeah, you know, you, you got to look at yourself in the mirror and say, hey, what could I have done to put these young ladies, specifically these young ladies, in a better position? And the first thing is is admitting to yourself there was things you could have done and things you should have done better. Okay, um, was it a surprise, with west being the oldest school, that they've never been in a state championship? It was, yeah, and I think it did add a little, a little pressure mean for me, pressure-wise, I'm like, wow, this could be the first, you know, but man, what a run.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2You know it was a— 24-1,.
Speaker 1Right yeah 24-1.
Speaker 2You know, we had a chance to be—we were undefeated in every level, from our sophomores to JV, you know. So had we pulled this off, it definitely would have been, you know, an amazing. But you know, even with that, even with that, you know, even with the hurt, it was still something to look back on and say, wow, these young ladies really put it together and made a run. Yeah.
Speaker 1You can definitely. I mean, when they look back, we talk about experiences, but these young women look back. That'll be a season, a year that they always remember. Even though they didn't win the big one. The fact that they went on that run and were in the state championship yeah, it was to see the community rally behind.
Speaker 2I mean it's girls basketball, you know it's to see. I mean our games were crowded. You know our home games are crowded. Our playoff run we had a ton of fans. Fans that had none didn't know anything about our girls' basketball program, but it was West and that's what we represent. We represent a West community that has a plethora and a long history of alumni that up until the last 20 years, you know, was a power, right, you know. And for a lot of these kids they don't, they didn't know that, yeah, you know they weren't around, they weren't born, you know. But you know, when I was going to school here, we were a power in all sports. So I remember playing West yeah.
Speaker 2It was scary to come out and play West.
Speaker 1You know they're big kids and they smash mouth football, smash mouth basketball.
Speaker 2Yeah. So that's kind of what we represent and we're proud, I'm so proud of these young ladies. You know we do feel like we let one slip through our fingers, but you also you got to tip your hat to Bountiful, who came out and showed their experience and their poise at the you know, in a tight game at the very end. And you know in a in a tight game at the very end, and you know we just got to tip our hat to them and be ready for that situation when it comes up.
Speaker 1Yeah, you mentioned that East. You know you had to kind of break through that glass ceiling. What do you have to do, you know, with the girls basketball team here to to get past that and win that first championship.
Creating a Culture of Accountability
Speaker 2I don't think we changed much. I think we get in there, we get back to work and we continue to find ways to be better at the details. I don't think there's a secret recipe for even these schools that win. They're better at the details when the game counts, at the most crucial moments.
Speaker 1It's one of my favorite and it's a mantra I've stolen from Bill Walsh and used with my teams. But it's work hard, perform consistently, master the details, yeah yeah, like you said, there's no C. You know the secret, no magic pill. Get in there, master the details, perform consistently and do it when the pressure's on.
Speaker 2Yeah, so it's. You know, I think it's trying to create some consistency and you know inconsistency in your training and you know these families and these young ladies, they put a lot of work, they put a lot of work in and they expect us as a staff to come ready to push them, and so we're really excited about the group for next year. But we're also super sad with our seniors, because those, because those were, that was the group that we came in with, because what was your record when you took over for the basketball team?
Speaker 2They had only won like I think it had to have been like seven games in like four or five years. Oh, wow, okay, and you know. And so, yeah, they were struggling. They were struggling big time, and changing that mentality is not easy. No, because you know, you've been around it. Everybody says they want to win, but the moment you start to hold their kid accountable and their kid you know they ask to be held accountable. That's what they asked me to do, and now they're not getting as much playing time because we're holding them to accountability. Then, all of a sudden, it changed.
Speaker 2I don't know if I really want to win that bad, but winning takes a mentality shift and I don't think any coach feels good about putting anybody on the bench. I think you want your ideas. You would love to have everybody play, but this is the part where in life I think think that parents have are trying to. They always try to buffer to me. Yeah, you know, I think we grew up tough. I think our their parents grew up tough.
Speaker 1Um, yeah, and I think our parents grew up tougher yeah and so they're the parents that I'm.
Speaker 2You know people. Are the kids different? I was like, no, the parents are different, you know they're. They're doing exactly what most people do, you know. Let me take an easier route so my kids don't feel that pain, but they're really robbing them of an experience to grow.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, I, it's a. It's an easy cop out to say you know, kids are just different, yeah, you know, and they're not as tough and things like that. It's comes from us as parents. It stems from how we are choosing to parent and what we're allowing to slip by and to slide and not holding our kids to a higher accountability, I think, and that goes as parents, coaches and just society as a whole. So what's your long-term vision?
Speaker 2um, here at west high school, hey, my long-term vision is the brand of west is consistent. You know the man upstairs says this is enough, your time's done. You know anybody can jump in that seat. Understand that the vision of what we're trying to do and and keep it going. Yeah, um, so my long-term vision is that everybody in this building, from academic advisors to the teachers to athletics programs, has the same expectation that we do for our programs and to me, that's the biggest sign of the impact that you made. I think everybody wants to win games, everybody wants to win championships. That's all a part of it. We expect it, we 100% expect to be in that situation. But the long-term plan, the branding of West, it just lives on and it doesn't matter who's in that seat.
Speaker 1So, when someone graduates from West and they look back. What's the part they remember most about your program?
Speaker 2The experience, family, family, the work, yeah, all these things I believe everybody's trying to do. But the experience that we are trying to give these kids, where they say you can't. People ask me all the time why here it's so tough, you're not getting paid anything. Really. I mean it's wide, you're not getting paid anything really. I mean it's why, and I was like that's why because they keep saying you can't win here. Yeah, and that's what drives me, that's what keeps me here.
Speaker 2Okay, you know, a little chip on your shoulder, yeah, I mean it's like, again, you can make all the excuses you want, but at the end of the day it's like you know we're gonna get out there, whether we have 10 people or 20 or 50 or 100. It's like we expect you guys to get out there, compete, find a way to win the game. Yeah, and I think that's the message we're trying to send to our kids of just don't make excuses. It's easy to make an excuse I'm tired, I had to work last night, I don't have this, I don't have enough money, I don't have what so-and-so has and I'm like, yeah, that's a really good excuse. You know what's your response and that's what I'm expecting my staff every single time it's like. You know what's our response now? How are we going to respond to this?
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean you can find an excuse in anything, yeah.
Speaker 2But how do you respond to it? Like you said, what advice would you have? Winning a lot of games and letting your ego you know, your ego, you know start to tell you how great you are. And you know you've done this and you've done that. And you always got to remind yourself the people that are part of it your staff, your families, the kids. That's the culture, that's, that's the winning recipe. You know, get those people and make sure they're you know, they understand what you're trying to do. But that's that, to me, is what it's all about.
Speaker 1You know, it's you've mentioned a lot on the podcast, just experiences. Yeah, you know, obviously you played that out of state games and do things like that. What other experiences do you try to, you know, kind of generate, whether it's, you know, team dinners or just different activities outside to to build that culture?
Out-of-State Competition Experiences
Speaker 2and we try to do as much as we can. Like everybody. We go to lagoon or swimming, you know. Try to do some service projects. Um, you know, I think one of the things that we did last year that was pretty cool is we had our own kind of trade. We brought, you know, electricians out here, plumbers, you know, just trying to show these kids.
Speaker 2It's like, you know, whatever you believe in, I believe in God, but you know, god blessed you with a football talent, but that's not who you are. You know, if you're going to go to school, make sure you know what you're going to go to school for. Don't just go there and just take the generals and not know what might be. You're just wasting money, right, right, know why you're going. Same thing if you get a scholarship, the school's job is to keep you eligible. They're going to put you in the easiest degree. Try to put you in the easiest classes. Give you the easiest path. Your job is to find what you want to do when this is over. Make them, you know, use football as much as you possibly can, as much as they're going to try to use you and spit you out.
Speaker 2Yeah, so for me, those experiences of who you can be, because that's what it is Football. It can end tomorrow. It can end, you know, at the end of high school. It can end at the end of college. You know you might be one of those blessed to go to the NFL, but it's going to end there as well. Yeah, you know, I think I see most of the struggles is when you hadn't built any of that. Your whole life has been. I'm an athlete, I'm an athlete, I'm an athlete. That's all you've done. And so when you have to like, go do some, you know you're in the real world. I think a lot of that transition is so tough and so we're trying our best. We're trying our best to create these opportunities, and there's been a lot of people, a lot of great companies in the Valley that we've partnered up with that really helped.
Speaker 1That's awesome, yeah, you know, I mean, society is changing with you know AI and just you know just the different technologies and things like that. And I think trade schools, perhaps, when we were in, you know, in high school and college, like it was go to high school and then you went to college, it's just kind of a step and I think that's changed a little bit. And I think you know, a kid can, kid can, yeah, become a plumber, an electrician I just think, create their own business. I mean, they is a great.
Speaker 2There's a need. You know just like you said uh it's kind of been one of those things. It's and we're in high school. It's kind of a. I don't want to say that was like something you really wanted going to, but we didn't see the value we were just told to go to school, which is we all know, is a good thing.
Speaker 2If you know what you're going to school for exactly. You know it's. You know school is also a money grab. You know it's. If you don't know, you're going to be putting that money in a black hole.
Speaker 2Yeah, and it's got 40 credits yeah 40 credits in realizing, oh, I was supposed to take all these classes, yeah, right. So we realized real quick, because of you know the two generations there's such a need for people that can use their hands, and so there's a lot of money involved. Now, great careers where we're telling them there's nothing wrong with going to higher education, but this they're going to pay for you to be. I forgot, it's not an entrepreneur, but it's like they pay for all the training. They pay for you to be. Uh, I forgot, it's not an entrepreneur, but it's like a um. They come, they pay for. They pay for all the training. You know. They pay for you to um, just like yeah, an internship.
Speaker 2It's kind of an internship, but it's like you're basically on the job training oh okay, and they're paying for you to to do it and you're just signing on to be like, well, I'm not going to take all this training yeah, apprenticeship yeah, and we're not going to take this training and just like go to the highest bidder, like right, you go here, you stay here, we train you and then you do your thing from there.
Speaker 2Yeah, but there's a lot of money in it because there's a need, because no, but there's, you know. But the biggest thing we're trying to have them dream is like learn how to hustle. Yeah, learn how to go get yours within whatever you're doing, you know, learn how to go get it so, no, I think that's awesome, I think that's yeah.
Speaker 1I don't know how many schools are actually out there. You know going to that level to try to help their kids and you know, beyond high school and beyond the sport of whatever they're playing, when you talk about high school sports high school football, basketball what's the big rivalry for you guys here in the state? I?
Speaker 2think the big rivalry for us is still East Still.
Speaker 1East okay.
Speaker 2It's right next door. Yeah, Cross-time rivalry we hadn't played in 12 years, so the last two years has been amazing. We're not going to be able to play them this year now that we're in different regions and we couldn't get a scheduling. You know, get that scheduling, but to me the biggest rivalry still for West is still East.
Speaker 1Okay, yeah, Because I remember it being like yeah, West and East, that was a big rivalry, but for years you guys haven't played yeah. So, yeah, I was curious you know who in your mind was the biggest rivalry for the?
Speaker 2school.
Speaker 1Yeah, I tell you, man, that's the Especially.
Speaker 2I mean, you come from East. Yeah, we hadn't played. I was at East when we played the last time, which was 2012. And then so last year was when we first played, we played him here and you know I think anybody that was part of that game. It was special, it was a special night. A lot of people you know a lot of alumni at both sides. It means a lot to both communities, yeah, and really that you know we talked about open enrollment. That was one of the first times in a long time that you kind of felt that old community East versus West that I remember growing up into and again, it's a community that's right next door.
Speaker 1Right, yeah.
Speaker 2You know. So it was these last two years was like really fun. So it's going to be really disappointing not to have a game this year.
Speaker 1Will you be able to get it on the schedule for the following year? You know we're trying.
Speaker 2You're trying, you know. We've reached out to them and Highland and trying to figure out if we can make it a possibility. So for whatever reason, we can't get that thing scheduled right now.
Speaker 1Okay, yeah, when you look back, I mean by no means are you nearing the end of your career. You're just starting to get going, I think.
Speaker 2But what's been your most memorable moment thus far, both on the football and on the basketball side, I think. For football, I think memorable, I think each year brings some great memories. But I think football-wise was when we beat De La Salle Okay, and De La Salle Okay, and De La Salle never lost at home in like 35 years, yeah, and they were the number one team in the country and we actually modeled ourselves after them.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2And when we went out there and beat them, that was a big deal to us as far as us kind of getting in that situation. We had just won a state championship the year before. This was kind of like the next year we played the team that never punts. We played them and we beat them. That year we just kind of went on a roll. That year I think I was coaching my nephew and he was the all-state running back. He's had a great career and playing in the NFL now. I think that was probably the most memorable West win so far has been us beating East.
Speaker 2You know, I think that rivalry was so thick it was thick when we were there. I think it wasn't more about like it's just East and West, it was just that rivalry game you want to win, yeah, and for us that's the biggest deal. It wasn't more about like it's just East and West, it was just that rivalry game. You want to win, and for us that's the biggest deal.
Speaker 1Now, hopefully we win a state championship and we can surpass that, but so far that's what it's been Are you like an Urban? Meyer type, where you refer to East as the team on the side of the hill, or do you have to call them by their name?
Speaker 2Yeah, I don't get too wild on that, I just know who we're playing. Yeah, I and we. And I think, because I came, you know I was coaching there, yeah, uh, I think there's a different respect, you know, because we enjoyed it. You know, I think most people are like, oh, how was your experience? You know you come here. I was like I enjoyed my experience at east, but you know, most of those guys are your friends and most of those guys are, you know, people you grew up with and so, yeah, just the bragging rights of saying, yeah, we beat you this year. You know, even this year we're like, yeah, you guys don't want to schedule us.
Speaker 2Right, right, yeah you know, whatever it is, you know it isn't the case, but it's… it's fun to have that rivalry, and so those are, for me, just great moments, yeah yeah, and what about on the basketball side? Basketball side we won the two state championships at East. Okay, very similar. Those girls really took a program and it really modeled the change?
Speaker 1Did you say your daughter was on that team as well?
Speaker 2My daughter was on the first year. Okay, we lost in the semis.
Speaker 1Oh shoot, and then the next two years we had won it.
Speaker 2And then here at West was this year. In a lot of ways, I considered this year's basketball team probably one of the best teams I've ever coached, and the reason was just to see it all come together. We never really talked about being undefeated. I think we noticed it in the championship game. Yeah, going into the championship game because you're kind of like, dang, this is the end, and then people are talking about like wow, it's undefeated, you're undefeated. I think it creeped in.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's hard not to when someone else you know around you, because you know you're just going. He's talking about it.
Success Through Adversity
Speaker 2Getting to the next game, getting to the next, so when they're? We had one in the semis off of a last-second shot, yeah, and we're riding that high and we're going into the championship game and to really see these young ladies just really bring it together. You know, football and basketball is one of the best teams I've ever coached.
Speaker 1It taught me and our staff a lot yeah, um of how to approach. How many seniors were on that team that you'll lose?
Speaker 2um, we had four or five. Four or five, yeah, four or five um really crucial big personalities, yeah we return a lot.
Speaker 2We return a lot of girls that were part of it. But you know, every year when you're losing, you know you, you're losing a whole class. Yeah, so, some classes, it's like even in, you're losing A whole class. Yeah, some classes, it's like even in football. You're just like, wow, how are we going to replace that? But to you know, the seniors especially, they were here when it was just like it was terrible. Yeah, so to see them on that run.
Speaker 2You know, a lot of people know, like you know, anytime we lose it's a different discipline. But this one, this one hurt in a way where it was just like for me, I think, as you're getting a little older and you've been through a little bit more, you're just like, man, how many more opportunities you're gonna get with this? And then you're just looking at these young ladies in their face and like the commitment they gave to the program. Some of that commitment was giving up some playing time. Yeah, some of that commitment was, you know, giving up maybe a starter role. You know, maybe someone's role was a little bit bigger last year and they had a I don't want to say limit the role, but they understood their role. Yeah, yeah, and I think sometimes you can get lost in and I think it's hard for parents. I think every parent they want them out there.
Speaker 1I think the kids, especially in high school, understand it more than the parents.
Speaker 2Yeah, they 100% understand it, more than the parents, because they see it, they know they're in the gym every day and they see where they're at.
Speaker 2Every role is important. It's not football or basketball, it's to win a championship. Your role may be on the practice squad, and it's important, it's very important, and the teams that make it important, those are the teams that typically get to the end to win it. When you're at the end, everybody's good. Now it's who makes the least amount of mistakes right, who who's willing to take um. You know, make a play at a tough moment, but it's the small detail yeah, to get there yeah, to get there the roles.
Speaker 2You know everybody's role so important, from the custodian to parents, to the players.
Speaker 1So so with football, you know, and one of the the kind of common threads you know, doing this podcast to build culture, is a lot of it's done in the weight room With women's basketball, what would you kind of point to, if you have to point to, you know, kind of an area where you really build that team chemistry and you build that culture?
Speaker 2Same thing In the weight room, in the gym. Okay, being around each other, I think you really build that chemistry. I think, specifically for me, the turning point when you look back on the season. Where was that turning point where you're like, wow, yeah, it clicks, yeah, we got something here. When we went to California, we scheduled some top 10 teams. I'm looking at it like I want to win every game.
Speaker 1You do not shy away from top competition. Yeah, I was just like we go two and two.
Speaker 2If we go three, I said, man, we could go. Oh, and four. Yeah, we didn't know what to expect to see these ladies step in there and win each game and find a way to win, and it was different every game To me. California I came back from California I was like we got shot. We got something to tell by the chemistry. Yeah, you know where there are things throughout the way. You know where you know people are like Stone and Soul should do this. Yeah, that's all part of it. Yeah, yeah, but to me, the team California this year was California and it was. You know, that was when we had kept looking back on it and it Most teams were really good because I think three of the four teams were in a state championship for their divisions.
Speaker 2Okay, so it ended up being a really good experience.
Speaker 1Yeah, do you think there's that kind of magic moment in every season? I?
Speaker 2do. Okay, I think there's a moment where you just can feel it's clicking. Yeah, for this year, for football, we were trying to find that. Yeah, we had really great moments. But there wasn't a moment where I was just like, geez, this is clinking, we can build off of this. Yeah, it was like we felt like it was going in the right direction. Boom, something happened, whether it was an injury or we had a change, someone got sick or a death or whatever it was. You could tell it just like wasn't all together.
Speaker 1Even though we had a good season it still wasn't all together.
Breaking Through to Championship Games
Speaker 2It was like what was it? You know how come we didn't have that, and that's something that you know. For me, from the time you had that last game, it just keeps me up at night, Right, trying to figure out what is it. What can we do to avoid, you know, being in that situation, to get over the hump? Now, like I said, we're winning, we'll be another contender, we'll be a team that could win the state championship. What is it going to take from possible to actually doing it? Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, and it's small things.
Speaker 2It is, it is.
Speaker 1It's nothing like we talked about earlier. It's nothing, you know, gigantic. It's just these small little things. What keeps you up at night more you know. Looking back at you know some of these big wins, or is it those ones?
Speaker 2that got away. Every loss bothers me.
Speaker 1Yeah, are you able to, you know, recollect every single one of?
Speaker 2those losses. I can remember every single loss and it hurts like it was yesterday of those losses.
Speaker 1I can remember every single loss and it hurts like it was actually I, I. There's another common thread among, like you know, the elite of the elite, like you know, that champion mindset it's literally, it's the, the losses that keep people up and really drive them yeah, I mean I how should I say this?
Speaker 2I hate losing more than I like winning, okay, and so I absolutely despise losing. Yeah, and every loss eats at me. It feels like I age a little bit more, because you know when you lose.
Speaker 1I know you're trying to get some gray hair man.
Speaker 2Yeah, you know I just you know that it's coaching somewhere. Yeah, whether it was something, everything, something you could have done, or something a staff member could have done, or could we have touched a player differently, you know, could we have motivated the team a different way. But yeah, I think that's kind of the advantage of coaching two sports. Yeah, it forces me to move on, yeah. Yeah, true, I don't have too much time to dwell on it. I could kind of flip the script and be like okay, I got to get here now. But yeah, I still think about that championship game from this past, just from this couple months ago, for basketball. I remember losing in a Hail Mary to Logan at East with like 20 seconds left, with like 20 seconds left, and so I actually don't remember too much of the wins, to be honest, I remember certain moments, but I don't remember.
Speaker 1Assuming that's the same with your playing days, right? Yeah, you kind of remember the losses more than you do, even as a kid. Yeah.
Speaker 2You remember all those little things that we try to tell the players Like. You're going to remember the bus rides. You're going to remember the trips, the road trips. You're going to remember the things that you do outside the football field or walking off the football field than you will as you're on the football field. And that's why you want to create these memories, because it's like I still remember at Murray High driving the bus to play West High down here Like.
Speaker 1those are memories you have.
Speaker 2It's. You know what I'm saying? It's just like you remember it's an awesome thing to have with those and what are you going to do with it and the relationship you're going to build? And so for me, the relationships I've built with my staff, like they're my closest inner circle, you know, and so your family?
Speaker 1Yeah, you spend more time with them than you spend with your own family.
Speaker 2It's 100% true.
Speaker 1You know Well, man, I appreciate you jumping on the podcast today. It's been a pleasure. I look forward to, you know, watching both the football and the girls' basketball team this next year, and you really are. You're building something special down here.
Speaker 2Well, we appreciate it, man.
Speaker 1We look forward to putting your kids in Panther. All the recruiting. Good luck to you guys.
Speaker 2this year, though, man, it sounds like you guys are having a great experience with your team. What age group is it?
Speaker 1So it'll be Banter next year.
Speaker 2Go fast Is your kid on that team?
Speaker 1Yeah, my oldest is.
Speaker 2Wow.
Speaker 1Actually, excuse me, my middle, my oldest, is now actually going to be playing high school.
Speaker 2So, yeah, he was banned from high school. Enjoy it all, man. It goes fast. I would tell you if people were asking, would I choose that I would go back to Little League in a heartbeat, would you? It was just. I don't want to say so much. Funner Everything is. It's all fun To. I don't want to say so much funner Everything is. You know, it's all fun To me. In Little League they were so innocent and it wasn't as much of a business as it is in high school. Then you get to college, it's going to be even more of a business. You still got to win in Little League. You're still going to have complaining parents. You're still going to have it all and they're a little bit closer to you than they are in high school. But you know you as a good coach, you would know this. But to me, if I had a choice and I ever get the opportunity, I would probably go do Little League again.
Speaker 1Really, yeah, all right, well, maybe we can coach a Little League team.
Speaker 2We need to, we need to Definitely.
Speaker 1Cool man Well. I appreciate it. Thanks, we need to definitely Cool man Well.
Speaker 2I appreciate it. Thanks everyone, See you later.