bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 0:18

Welcome to Tracking the Cats. I'm Bob Saban, along with my cohost Steve White. We're here every couple of weeks doing a podcast to get you inside the cat mounts and what things look like from a different perspective. We're brought to you as always by Stanbury Insurance. They have offices in Silva, Waynesville, and Highlands, and they are an all insurance company. They can do pretty much any type business commercial. Personal insurance, anything you need in those lines. So contact Stanbury Insurance right here in Western North Carolina today. We've got a great guest with us, Steve. We've got somebody who's been around the campus now four or five years. He's got a lot of experience in different backgrounds, not just college athletics. So we've got some great questions for Todd Sheley, the Director of Football operations, And glad to have you with us today, Todd.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 1:13

Glad to be here. Appreciate y'all having me

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 1:15

Yeah, I sort of missed Todd at university of Florida. I was there in the late sixties working on my graduate degree. And he didn't come along until the eighties because we was a little lapse in between our visits to to Gainesville.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 1:30

Just, just a little bit. Just a little bit.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 1:33

So how did you end up coming to Colorway? How did you, I guess you knew Coach Bell and you showed up here what, 2021 I think it was

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 1:42

That's correct. I came in on the original staff. There's, I think there's only maybe five of us left. But Coach Bell and I go back to college days. We were in college together. We grew up actually about 30 minutes apart. He was from Mayo, Florida.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 1:57

right.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 1:57

Perry, Florida. So we grew up very close and so I get to University of Florida a year before he and his wife caused that. Did and then I met them and got to know'em at the University of Florida and have been friends ever since. He and I had a class together and she and I was in the same curriculum at the University of Florida. And so we go back to actually college days. And your original question of how I got to Western, as I had told him through the years, the only time we ever got to work together previously was he had, he was a GA on Coach Spurrier staff in 1990. And I was with the Gators working then. I told him through the years that if he ever got to a division one level, that I would get back in the game and come work with him. So I held true to my, my my commitment and as soon as he was offered the job here. He called me and, and said he was gonna accept it. And, and I said, well, me go up there and take my wife up there to Colory and see where this place is'cause I'd never been here. And unbeknownst I'd been all around it and I heard a lot about it. But we came up for a, a four or five day visit and just walked around campus and in the community, and my wife fell in love with it. And so at that point in time, I called him back, said, I'm in. Okay. This'll be, this'll be good. So, that's how I got here.

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 3:22

Hey now

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 3:22

Wow.

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 3:23

what were you doing before you came to, with Coach Bell? I know down in Florida.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 3:28

Well, I graduated from University of Florida in 1988 and I did an internship with the Gators, and then I was hired I actually interviewed at South university of Central Florida, but I ended up pick picking the Gators. And so I started on staff there in 88. And Coach Bell had just left. He, he, he had, he, his time had to finish up. But Coach Odom our defensive coordinator, he come in in that time period. So I was my manage sports management was my degree. And so I stayed home working with the Gators and started in 88. And I, he left in 96 to go in the NFL during that, that eight year period, though, the Gators, we had won five SEC championships and played in two nationals. And a guy by the name of Spurrier, Steve Spurrier, from Johnson City, Tennessee, had come back home. He was at Duke at the time, and at the time, bill Berger was our athletic director. He went and got Steve and brought him. Back in 1990 and it turned gator football around. So, I was very blessed to be at that institution at that time'cause we won a lot of football games and I got to work with a lot of great coaches that time period. Then I moved to NFL in 96 after we won the national championship. Worked over with the Carolina Panthers doing operations. I did operations at the University of Florida too. Game operations, worked all events with a lot worked with a lot of different sports. Once I got to the NFLI, I enjoyed the season. Okay. But it just, it was just so different in working with pros versus 18, 19, 20, 20 1-year-old young men that were on their way to growing up. And so I, I, it just. Wasn't right. Plus I'd had started having children. I had my first son and I decided to get out of athletics and I got in real estate. And did very well there. And OP opened a company called Focus Real Estate Group, but my primary focus was relocating coaches at the University of Florida, Florida State, Jacksonville the Jaguars. I mean, I would, I would you know, relocate people like Urban Meyer. You know, I got a chance to work with him and Shelly and several of the defensive coordinators. Offensive coordinators. So my niche was really,'cause I had the relationships in the sports world and there, you know, it was a lot of turnover. So I was I built a company up there. It'll celebrate its 20th year next year. I have someone running it for me now, but that was something that I started and always I get the question, you know, do you ever see yourself getting back into. I said, yeah, I said, I, I, I would probably only work with one team, you know, the football, football versus operations for all the teams and administrative, and I would probably do it with someone that I cared about and could, you know, trust and would wanna work with so I could pick my own timing. Now, during this time, my children had grown up and become adults too. One of'em is actually a, a coach at. Florida and M University, it was right. The timing was right to get back into it. And it felt right. And that's what, you know, I, from graduation at University of Florida all the way to here at Colorway, that's, that's kind of how I got back into it. It was a good mixture of having the athletic background and also the business background.'cause now the sports, especially football, but it's such a big business with contracts and, and, and dealing with negotiations and dealing with all the aspects that you have to deal with daily. So it's, it was a good fit for me'cause I've got to see it at a 30,000 foot view with a great program like University of Florida and then having the business background too.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 7:04

You know I had never, and I don't think most people really know what a director of operations does, and I didn't know until about three or four years ago, a guy moved in up the street from me who was working with Jeff Collins at Georgia Tech. Scott Wallace, I think you know, Scott. And I got to know him and learn a little bit about what a heck of. Big job That is. So tell us a little bit more about that job and it was good to bump into Scott the other day. He said to say hi.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 7:33

Yeah, well, great. Yeah, Scott's a, Scott's a good friend of mine, actually. Ironically enough. Scott and I met, my wife and I was on the way to Florida and we were going by Georgia Tech to do a preliminary. You know, look around for the team that we played Georgia Tech a few years ago, Jeff Collins is one of the coaches when he took the job from Mississippi State at Florida as a defensive coordinator. He's one that, that my company relocated. So I got to know him and Jennifer real well and I knew, you know, he's a great Catamount. So anyway, long story short, my wife and I pull up, I didn't tell any of'em where I was coming. I just started, you know, going around and, and looking at the facilities and then add a check with Scott and. said, Hey Ed, I'd like to get a tour of the, the stadium. And and I said, by the way, just tell Coach Collins that Todd Sheeley said hello. And, and I'm in, you know, in town for my preliminary look around, you know, advanced. Type look and he said, get Sheely up here. So he had me come all the way to his office and my wife and just poured out the red carpet for us. We had a great revisit, but that was about March or April there before we played them, you know, that, that fall. That's how I met Scott. But as far as director of operations, we touch everything with the, that comes across a desk that has football on it pretty much. So if it's, if it's travel, if it's budgets. Working on future game schedules oversee player personnel, oversee director recruiting, you know, those type things. Some universities have it either director of football or chief of staff. Or either maybe at some, some points, some of my counterparts are general managers I go to every may to Dallas to a national meetings. And those are the three titles that you hear a lot. But they intertwine with the same responsibilities as, you know, really overseeing, you know, every aspect that comes and touches football, including, but not limited to the head coach's schedule sometimes, which can be a little bit. A little bit crazy with Coach Bell with'cause he'll, he'll pivot on you pretty quickly.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 9:41

Well, we, we appreciate you pinning him down on the couple of interviews that we've had. You've been our intermediary and thanks for that.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 9:48

Well, I know it's important and I know, like I said, that's, that's a part of it, that that's where the experience from University of Florida, you know, is, is the, I I see the big picture of why, you know, the media, the, the public relations, the inside stuff really matters and, and Coach Bell's one of those. He's so gracious and he's such a natural with. With you know, talking and, and promoting the program and he's just you know, it's hard to find somebody. I've been around him 40 years. It's hard to find somebody that doesn't like Kerwin Bell. If you, the closer you get to Florida, the more you're gonna like that. Love him.

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 10:19

That's right. Well you've got a home game coming up here a week from Saturday. Gardner Webb. take a typical week before a home game, and then maybe we want to go on a little later here, talk about what happens when you go on the road, but just like, what is your week like say for a home game weekend. What, what are your duties? What are you looking at?

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 10:41

Well, that's a great question. Most people think there's a lot to do, like the, you know, coming up this week, it's really checks and balances at this point, know our, my position is, say about four months ahead of the program or more. So a lot of my preliminary study. Day-to-day stuff has been done for this home game. Setting up meeting rooms for when we, you know, go eat pre-game meal or the Friday night meal up at, you know, at Ramsey the caterers. All those things are done, you know, months in advance. So by the time you get to the season, so when the coaches and the teams prepping in the summer and in spring, I'm really working on the fall. And if, if you're not, you're behind. Somebody asked me the other day, you know, said, you know, can we add a few hotel rooms here? I went, yeah, you should have told me in January. You know, so when we start, you know, negotiating and, and doing, our RFPs for hotels is really December, January. So by the time we get to, to, you know, the week, the Monday, Tuesday, you, so Wednesday before, it's really just checking rechecking, making sure those things happen. But I'm way behind schedule, you know, schedule if I'm, I'm, you know, have to wait till now to do something. So it's more like a checks and balances, you know, with things.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 12:02

So I guess if you are hitting the road that's at least as far in advance as what you're doing for home games and, and what all you're finding hotels, that's what are the types of hotels that guys like to stay at when you have to fly? How do you work out those things? And then of course, buses with, I think it's Cherokee Boys Club, still correct.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 12:22

Yeah, we have a contract with Cherokees. Boy, cliff, something we've, we've had since I've been here, inherited that. One things I inherited that I don't do anymore was they use a third party travel company to handle all that stuff. have relationships from years for hotel managers and vendors and stuff like that. So we can, we can negotiate a better deal typically because you don't have to involve a travel. Company that takes a portion of that. And in the SoCon, you're gonna repeat those every other year anyway. yeah, about December you start sending out the RFPs for the hotel. The big misconception among most people is that a football team can just stay anywhere. And unfortunately it's not, you gotta have a minimum of 55 beds just to carry our party. I mean, we, we carry between 65 and 70 rooms. You know, in our, in our fa party at the University of Florida, that could be anywhere between and and 105 because the, the travel party is so much bigger, you know. But here to get us on the road, we're looking at a hundred twenty five, a hundred thirty people. Aircraft, you're gonna have to book at least a year in advance. I mean, that's for charter. You know, 11 months you'd be cutting it close. We use Allegion, which I have relationships there. One of my high school buddies his son-in-law works for Allegion out there, and they usually take care of us with the crews and stuff like that. So relationships matter for sure. But we fly out of Asheville. So a lot of that stuff's done and. Typically, you know, you try to avoid those if you can, because just cost, like say flying to a money game or flying like Montana last year, you know that that trip is a, you know, a hundred grand, 95 grand on just the aircraft. On the other side of it, you got. and transportation that you'll have to have. So that's another 12 to 15. Then hotels that time of year in Montana, I guess there's still people wanting to see the Elks and everything out there. So that runs up the room rates, know, so all those things factor into it. And but, you know, having the relationships through the years with, with those type vendors, you know, helps and negotiate. And I, I do the RFP because I wanted to them to give us the best deal. If you just, you know, just throw somebody your business all the time and don't keep'em in check, you're not gonna get the best deal. But real estate world, I'm used to negotiating, you know, anywhere between a. A hundred thousand dollars deal and a$4 million deal, you know? so it's, it's it's second nature to me to, to try to get the best pricing and the best bang for the buck because not only do you have to house a football team with the, you know, 60, 70 rooms, you have to feed'em too. the banquet room, the meeting rooms, the, the food and beverage part of the equation that is huge and it rules out most hotels, so it, it, you have to identify the ones that have, you can at accommodate a big party like that. And fir first and foremost too, one of the questions I, I try to always ask if I'm using someone new is, have they ever hosted football? And if they haven't, that's a different animal because in, in our RFP RFPs, we actually identified that our football player's going to eat two and a half chicken breasts per s serving. And it's not one, I had a chef one time tell me, he said, yeah, feeding the football teams like, 90 member football teams like feeding 175 wedding party. You know, they just can eat. So, yeah. So all those things matter. You know, when, when you're working on those type deals and you know, there's a process I advance travel. So when, when the cats are rolling in, I'm already at the hotel. So when our, our guys get off the bus, they, they walk up to a table that says offense, defense or staff. They pick up their room key and they go to their room. I've already been there. The rooms are checked in, the housekeeping's done, and we're on a schedule at that point in time for within Coach. Coach Bell's. Not a guy or not a coach, that, that thinks that you're gonna cram a bunch of stuff down. We have very limited meetings that Friday night before, and then they have the team, you know, team Friday night meal. And then we get at Get Ready, started for game day and we eat four hours before game. And then we travel and try to be in the locker room or we, you know, we are in the locker room two hours before. Kickoff. And so those are some of the behind the scenes stuff. There's training room that's on site that the players have, so they can continue to do the, you know, form rolls or, you know, treatments that they need and getting preparation for the game. But, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm before the team and I'm after the team, so I usually, once I get'em on the bus after the game and got the pregame meal, I'm stick sticking around and. Mike Taylor and his equipment guy and I are usually some of the last ones, leave the facility and make sure everything's in check. So but that's a typical type situation with us.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 17:27

Do you have any stories around hotel experiences, like guys left something important behind, or somebody doesn't show up or sleep late? I'm sure that all of those things have probably happened.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 17:40

I will tell you there's, there's been some good ones, but I, I just, this one sticks in my mind and, and, and it's, it's one of the things where. know, the other part of the job description, I didn't mention that, that is the, is for director is the catchall. So when nobody else is to call, they call us. So leaving the hotel in Oklahoma the very first year. And co I get a, I get a, I'm on the, the fourth bus and, and, and, coach Bell's calling me says you know, I think my wife left her cell phone in the. Sweet and we're rolling. And one thing about him, when he gets to rolling on game day, there's no going back. So long story short, I'm thinking in my head, who is still at the hotel that can bring that, that cell phone, so I quickly call. Julie Gonzalez, which is the mother of our quarterback, and she was still there. And I called the, my contact person at the hotel and they went and opened the suite, got the phone, and she brought it to the, to the actually it wasn't Oklahoma, it was Arkansas. It was Arkansas because wasn't here that first year, so it was Arkansas. But yeah, there's all, that's just something that happens. We were in, we were in, montana last year, and a player left his wallet in the hotel. And there I get another call from, from Coach Bell and, and, and Mark Haskin, the, the video guy

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 19:07

Sure.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 19:08

still there at the hotel and he brought that one. So my immediate response is. Is to find somebody still there at the hotel'cause we can't go back. But the very funniest story, the best story of all was the Oklahoma trip when we pulled off and left a couple donors, you know, at the hotel. And it was, one of'em was Drew Barefoot. And, and they had missed the bus in getting on, on the bus. And long story short, like I said, EV you know, so Julie Miller, who's head of the Counter Mount Clubs calling me, we're in route and we're talking in Elite escort. I mean, these same guys have been escorting visiting teams in Oklahoma for. 13 or 14 years. And they love it. They stopped a whole interstate for us. We get there and, and I'm talking to Julie on the way and, and the two boost donors are there and she's worried about how their response is to missing the bus. And I said, Julie, I got it. No worries. So I. You know, we get to the locker room or get to, you know, the destination where they're gonna let us off. And the chief that I deal with from the state police, I said, look, I said couple donors miss the, you got any guys over near that way that can just bring them?'cause at that time on a FBS game, you got a hundred thousand people running up and down the interstate. So we, we thought they may miss the first quarter or whatever, and, and one of the officers right beside said. You know, the sergeant, I'll go get'em. And he took off I didn't think anything else about it. And Julie's, you know, tech, you know, calling me later and going, they showed up in like 15, 20 minutes they are just, they're snapping pictures in the back of the police car and they're just fired up. So what she thought was gonna turn out to be something negative, those guys had a real good time coming to the game in their own escort.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 20:56

That's great.

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 20:57

yeah, yeah. Well Todd, we talking about, in fact, I was talking to Bob earlier about the Skybox project and looking at the steel going up now behind for the first level. And so. Forth. How is that coming along? Do you think it's on schedule? Now what is this going to mean for cattle mouth football people? I think a lot of people don't understand. They think it's just a press box or an entertainment center, but we know it's a lot more than that for cat mouth football. Could you just talk a little bit about it? Yeah.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 21:28

Well, we're very excited about that at football because you know, our office are supposed to be shifted up there. The terrace section, the entertainment section that's gonna be for game day. You know, unbeknownst to me before I got here, few. I guess over the years things have been done to the stadium and as far as, you know, where we sit in college football, maybe, you know, a little behind the eight ball with chat and some of the others expanding. They understand that, that it's critical to have some nice facilities and some nice things, you know, for, for the guys to meet in and, and, and work out in and everything else. And so we've, you know, those. Those those things have been on the table now that you know, this is going to my fifth year. Now it's finally come and we can see the steel, like you said, it's real exciting because it shows the commitment of the university. know, to say, Hey, we're, we're going to pour into this program and and upgrade these facilities, our donors, and all the folks that have gotten behind this, this, this project. You know, we see this, we, you know, we've got. The second bit, I guess they call it, or phase, you know, it's to say with the weight room that's gonna affect all of our student athletes here, but I just think it's, you know, if you come look at the facilities and I, they've had several groups come around, I just think it was, you know, time and we're excited about it and I think it's gonna help take us to that next level and you know, in, in consistency of winning and, and, and attracting good, good student athletes to come and be a part of our program here.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 23:04

That's good. So couple of things that we are thinking about. What do you. Looking at as far as this upcoming season is concerned, how are you feeling about where we are with Kaz and, you know, we've talked to Coach Bell and we've talked to a couple other folks and everybody's feeling, we had Kirk Roach on alumni kicker last time and everybody's feeling pretty good about it. I'm just nervous to get Yeah, this is the year and I think Coach has got a shirt that says something about this is the year.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 23:36

Well, I'll, it, it's neat because you haven't been a University of Florida fan growing up, and then we finally won it in 84 when Coach Bell was, was, red shirt, freshmen and, and just getting start. So the momentum each year built and, and we used to have a saying back then, wait till next year, you know, that was our motto, you know,'cause we could never get over the hump. But, you know, boy, this sure feels like it. I like our depth. I think, you know, for the first time we've got some, some really solid, fourth and fifth year, guys that, you know, some, we recruited a few, we inherited the Kaleb, fishers, the Mike and Nelsons of the world that, that have somehow, whether it be COVID or an injury or something, they're here. So leadership, so I call depth and defense d and DI think both of those are gonna be something that Cata Oun Nation are gonna be really proud of this year. Step up. We've had the offense Coach Bell, wherever he is been, he is always had an offensive production. And Coach Spurrier was the same way. I mean, he could pull a Shane Matthews, you know, off of you know, the, the depth chart and, and, and go set records in 1990. When coach, coach, they're very similar. They're actually very similar in how. Want perfection in practice and perfection from the quarterback position and all. So offense is typically, usually there and sometimes you wonder, well, hey, is this year, you know, maybe we're a little light, or you got some guys that's gotta step up. But you know, the skillset guys that, that Coach Bell. he's one of the best. You know, like Coach Spur was just identifying talent that works within his offense. He knows what it looks like and I feel good about that part of it. But we're, I think where we've been struggling since we've been here is that depth on, the squad and, and specifically our defense. But with Coach Odom coming in, the guys are now gonna be more, not having to think about things. It's their second. in the system, and obviously growing up and maturing I'm excited about some transfer, you know, guys that we've got that's gonna make an immediate impact over there. So I think that's gonna be the biggest difference that we'll see. I'm excited to see in, you know, Catamount version of 2025, is that defense and then the, you know, the depth and, and, know, these, these days it's, it's changed so much. So the, the you, the more you can get guys to come back and, and buy in your program and not get in the portal and go to other places, and those two I mentioned like Caleb and Micah certainly had opportunities to go and do other things, but, you know, they were cat mounts and, and that's what, you know, that's, it's all about. And especially in this day and time and my, I'm excited to see them get out there and I hope our fans. You know, pay, pay attention to those guys and, and we we gonna, we wanna bring them out with a bang this year for sure. So, but it's, you're, you're right to get excited. So, so let's go

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 26:22

Right.

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 26:24

Yeah, you know me. I'm always excited now. It's always been since 61. It's just wait till next year. Wait till next. Next year. Next year. And guys, that's been a long time, if you can do the math. 61 to 85, so forth. So coach I know you've got some great stories about Coach Bell your relationship going back so far, university of Florida old stories, new stories. I know you've got a couple of good ones for us.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 26:51

Well I'll tell you, you know. Coach Bell's a player. We were, we were joking around about it the other day. His NIL value as a player at the University of Florida may have broke the bank. I mean, that's, that's what he meant to us. You know, that 84 season and he went on to break all kind of records. But a lot of people don't realize, you know, that if you didn't follow his career and know him from Mayo High School, he was eighth string on the depth chart. And he worked his way up. He, you know, in, in the system beat out a few guys and had a guy flunk out. And, but the greatest story from a player standpoint, he tells a lot and it's, it's how he basically got promoted to be the number one quarterback and we were. We were in the final days of camp and a guy named Dale Domany was a senior and going to be a starter. And, and Kerwin had worked his way up to, you know, a backup role you know, a day or so, or I think before camp ended or like their preseason. Just running in, in, in normal play and somebody rolls up on his, his ankle and knee and they take him off the field and Coach Bell comes in to relieve him. And, and Neil Anderson, who was part of that back field, looks at. Kerwin says in the huddles said, you better grow up fast. That's what they call Kerwin back then.'cause he was from the country and he had a, an accent like I do, you know, so, so he said, yeah, you know, so he got in and ran a few plays and it was done. And so they, you know, practice over and they go to the dining hall, which at that time all the players lived together and ate together. John Hall and. Kerwin tells the story, you know, he gets the plate and he goes to sit down. He was starving and I think it was oc ga Galen Hall at the time, or somebody comes up to him and attacks on his shoulder and said, we just got the, the MRI back on Dale, and, and he's done for the season. You're gonna be starting quarterback against the defending national champion Miami Hurricanes in about five days. He said he couldn't, he just gave his plate of food away. He said he couldn't, couldn't even eat it. So. There he was going against, I think it was Vinny Testa Verde or one of them guys back then. It was, you know, 1984 and he's in Tampa, Florida, and he led us within a minute, you know, basically a beating the defendant, national Hurricanes in his first start. And the next week I think we tie somebody and after that they roll off undefeated all the way. Through, and that's how he got his start at the University of Florida in just a freak accident. And, and he took it and ran with it. And he talks about luck all the time. You know you gotta be prepared and luck is when meets opportunity. And that's, that's Kerwin Bell. And he's done it at every stop. And, you know, he kept getting back on his horse after, you know, after Florida. Had a great career there. the, if you out in public with him somewhere and a Gator fan comes up, they're gonna remember the Auburn game. He was out for that game for three quarters and come back. We were down 17, nothing. Come back, let us to an 1817 victory and the last few seconds of the game ran in a two point conversion, and then this day that was still one of the greatest victories in Florida history. You know, at the timing of it. But we had never won an SEC championship prior to that year. And he tells a story coming back from Kentucky that year, and I was a student then and the, just the people everywhere in Gainesville streets and just welcomed that team back. They did a flyover of the stadium, that's a player story. Know, as a coach, he's he's knows what he wants. He is very offensive. I like Coach Spurrier is very laid back, you know you know, with his with his management skills and he expects you just to, you know, do do your job. But we funny story as a coach last year. we, we get, and he doesn't think of all the other things. Sometime he is so focused on football, but we're getting ready to play NC State. And of you know, I've got everything set, all the checks and balances. Done about three games, three days before the game. The Highway patrol that's going to escort us over there, North Carolina Highway Patrol calls, said Todd, we got a problem. I said, what's, what's the problem? I, he said, well, one of the presidential candidates is coming in the same time that you guys wanna leave the hotel and go to the stadium.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 31:32

No.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 31:33

I said, what does that mean? It says, well, it means y'all gonna have to wait. And I said, nah. I said, let me go talk with Coach Bell. And he goes, goes in there, he said, well, you just tell them that we gotta go first. And I go back, I call, I said, how am I going to do this? I said, I'm gonna go back and tell some president, they didn't even tell us who the presidential candidate was, but I go back in the office, call the North Carolina contact and said, I said, what am I gonna say? And I said. Coach Bell said that there's gonna be 8 million people watching that game, and if we don't arrive on time, it may be there's a lot of those voters out there, you know? So you convey that back to them, please? He hangs up. He calls me back in three minutes, says, he said, y'all can go first. I go in there and I just tell him, I said They bought it, they can go first. So, but he thought I could just change a whole presidential progression, know? And. It worked out because that's how we worked it out. But it's fun working with him. You know, it's, it's a blessing, you know, after all these years to, to I think the world to him and his family. I've known them too. His wife Ette, they were childhood sweethearts. and I, you know, graduated in the same college here at Florida. We all used to study together, you know, so it's been a nice run, you know, looking to come up and do something that's never been done and cat out. and, and that's to bring home a, a championship. And I'm, I'm having the time of my life, you know, working around great people and just enjoying, you know it's a great place, you know, but, but there's a lot of stories on Coach

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 33:11

Yeah.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 33:12

are, a couple is a player and a coach that, that people can appreciate. But appreciate. He's he's a winner. Wherever he's, he's gone. He's a winner for sure.

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 33:20

I think one of the greatest ones though is the, you know, they called him the throw in May Owen when he was at, in Gainesville from Mayo, Florida, smallest high school, I think playing football at that time in the state of Florida. And he said, David was talking about he and Cosette had been sweethearts since kindergarten. All through there she was the head majorette, he was the quarterback of the football team. And he says, you know, I we stayed sweethearts all that time and you know, you didn't have a whole lot to choose from. Mayo at that time, you know, and she looked over and she says, well, I didn't either.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 33:56

It's the truth. They probably graduated with 30 people in

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 33:59

Yeah.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 34:00

you know, so, nobody offered him a scholarship out of college. Coach Bowden, the story too is Coach Bowden actually offered him a walk on spot, just like Coach Pell did. the reason he accepted Coach Pell because of cassette's family, they had season tickets down there, so he kind, she was gonna go down there, so that's how he became a Gator versus a Seminole. But. there's, like I said, you can, I don't care where you go, there's, it's hard to find somebody that, that doesn't like Coach Bell. And, and he's, he's done a lot for people over the years and. Cares about his players. Like I, a lot of similarities between him and Coach Spurrier about how they conduct practice. He, he also, you know, played for, he was a backup to, Harbaugh there with Lindy Infante and that offense there and then playing in the CFL. So he, he, he knows offense and, and and, and does know how to. To rally a team and, and, and, and get good people. I mean, we're, that's one thing about our staff here. We've got five volunteers that come here that have graduated this year that wanna be on our staff and get experience and work. And I was telling somebody today our, our staffing looks more like a G five level. If you go look at our website and see we've got analysts, we've got, you know, extra position people for the coaches. So we are probably staff wise, as good as we've been. Since we've been here and it's just, you know you've got limited budgets, you know, at this level. But it's nice to have the extra help with scouting and analytics and you know, now, now with the portal and everything else, you just need you, you need an army of people to, to kind of get it all done.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 35:39

Right. Well one thing about Bell is that we're getting a more Catamount fans in Florida. My son is married to a woman down in Norman Beach and her dad, my son's father-in-law is a bull gator, and when I. When he found, he called me and said, Hey, I heard Kurt Wind Bell is gonna be Western Carolina's new coach, and I can wear a WCU shirt when I'm down in Florida. And people say, isn't that Coach Bell? Isn't that where Coach Bell is? So,

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 36:07

Yeah.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 36:08

yeah, folks know and, and love him and we're gaining fans because of it.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 36:12

Yeah. No. Well, the, the, the thing about it is, is one of the best kept secrets up here is that, that I first. in town, I probably saw half as many Florida tags as I did North Carolina tags. But the Florida people come up here to vacation,

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 36:27

Exactly.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 36:28

up the mountain and you know, and cashiers and highlands are, are retirees from Florida and you know, it's just a great place to be. But no, coach Bell did a show, a podcast yesterday for a group down in Florida. We get contacted quite a bit from those folks. They keep, they keep they keep tabs on us. They watch the cat mounts. I, I can tell you when we went in the fourth quarter up on NC State last year, I was on the sidelines. I was getting texts from people in Florida that I hadn't. or talked to in 30

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 36:57

Yeah.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 36:58

and man, they were pulling for us. They were like, they were pulling for us. So no, it's, you know, it's one of those things where we've got a lot of relationships, a lot of friends down there, hence why some of our, you know, teams being recruited from there, you know, Florida, Texas, some of those states produce a lot of the N-F-L-S-E-C guys, so, you know, your talent's always gonna be. Good down there if you can attract them to come to where you are. And you know, we found that Colway is a place that they like to come. I asked the Miami boys some, sometimes at practice. I said, it ain't like practicing down there. That heat in Miami, is it? They love it up here. So, but no, it's, it's I think we've got a lot of kind and just going anywhere. I wear my stuff in the, in the you know, flying back down to Florida or flying somewhere and there's a lot of Catamount people everywhere. you just don't realize it until you get out there and somebody's, oh, Western Carolina, you know? So I think it's gonna continue to grow. You know, as your, your athletic department advances soccer this year, you know, past couple years have, have, have been up there and. And the administration, the universities have been so supportive. You know, and, and I think understand the value of an athletic program, how they can be a front porch of, of your university. And you watch at, you think Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, they don't have attendance problems at those places because their athletic programs advance them up to where people, you know, are seeing them eyes on'em. I mean Chattanooga. You know, last year in with their basketball team and getting, and, and, and getting to do what they did and, and us going in the fourth quarter, how many people were Googling Western Carolina in the fourth quarter while they're watching that football game last year? So those type things can help advance your university and we had a great relationship with our administration there at Florida. Coach Bell is a big believer that he, he went and talked on campus last. Semester in several different classrooms and stuff like that. I get out and go Also you know, do some of that too. And, and we're good about, you know, we can't do it without the students in this university. I mean, this band, the band here, our band is phenomenal. And our game day, I've had, I'm in a chat group with other directors at all. The SoCon, they love coming here and playing because the atmosphere is college football.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 39:17

Absolutely.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 39:17

exemplifies college football

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 39:20

Absolutely.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 39:21

you know, it's, I was telling somebody the other day, it's like a, you know, you ever let Western get on top? They're gonna be hard to catch.'cause we're like a sleeping giant man, you know, and just keep churning because they know we're out there now. So it's

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 39:34

Right.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 39:34

gaining that respect and respect.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 39:38

Steve, you got anything else?

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 39:41

that pretty well sums it. I'll tell you, Todd, you've done a tremendous job of letting people on the inside of Western Carolina athletics and a lot of things that, you know, I hadn't thought about in a long time. And I know my memory's lapsing a little bit at times, but, but you've refreshed a lot of it. And again, out some great new insight to our athletics program, especially to Coach Bell and and our football program.

todd-shealy_1_08-21-2025_135632: 40:07

Excellent. Well, it was great, great being with you guys and yeah, it, it's good the people around here, the support group and, and as a director. Director, we've got director, recruiting, director, player, personnel, all those folks flow, you know, up to, to my position. And I, you know, we've been surrounding ourself with really good people even with inside athletics, with marketing Chad Garrity and his team, the ticket office, all those guys, just everybody's pulling. Pulling for everybody and it's just a fun environment to work in and we all have the same goal. And that's bringing Cattle Mountain Nation, this university, a championship in football like some of the other sports have done over the years and make everybody proud. And you know, we just encourage everybody to come out August 30th, students, pack it out, make it hard for those opponents. If coach and I were talking about the other day, we just win our home games and, and go on the road and win three or four, you know, we can be right there in the national hunt for things. You know with the way it's set up, we got six home games this year, so, you know, let's, let's pack the, the cat den out there or whatever you, you wanna call it, you know, and, and bring all the cat mounts back and, and, and, and be loud and be proud. And it's gonna be some fun Saturdays. Looking forward to it.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 41:16

Me too. I'm gonna get up there. It's only two and a half hour drive for me, so I'll be there for at least half the games plus Wake Forest and a couple of away games. So be good. And of course Steve's always there, so.

squadcaster-h8e0_1_08-21-2025_135632: 41:29

takes me 48 seconds to get there.

bob-sabin_1_08-21-2025_135633: 41:33

All right. Well thanks for being with us today, Todd. We really appreciate it. That about wraps it up for this edition of Tracking the Cats brought to you as always by Stanbury Insurance Silva, Waynesville and Highlands, and we'll see y'all in two weeks.