SimpleCoach D3 Soccer YouTube Channel

[Ejay]

Wow.  A great interview with Coach Craig Appleby of Johns Hopkins University.  Appreciate his time and willingness to talk with me.

Craig Appleby, Head Men's Coach, Johns Hopkins University

This was a true long form interview.  I enjoyed it so much, I totally lost track of time.  Will probably break it up into three segments at some point.

Well... Gonna need to carve out the time to check this one out!!!

I eagerly await your thoughts

[Hopkins92]

Couple of things stuck out to me on tactics:

1) "My wife is the grammar person... I am the numbers guy." (Deep paraphrasing and too lazy to go back and pull the exact quote.)

This, to me, is very interesting and telling. Just in terms of how you see the world, interpret information and, yes, how you instruct your players. It's not a good or bad thing, it's just instructive as to how Coach A has set up his system over the years.

2) Again, paraphrasing.. Simple Coach's criticism (analysis) that the players seemed to be coached to pass to a cone after an early-season viewing, which drew a response from Coach A.

I found this exchange truly fascinating. Hearing him say that the intention is for autonomy from the players within the system, and that sometimes the player is making a read that Coach A doesn't agree with, but that's baked into how he trains and instructs... I have had a lot of similar discussions about Berhalter and the MNT lately. If you are playing the Man City positional style of play, the danger is that you start to morph into a team that values possession over everything. Coach A mentioned risk avoidance, and this is the danger of that system... that it subverts a positive/attacking possession style into a style that simply favors going East-West, mostly around the back, hoping for the opposition to almost be lulled into submission or becoming impatient and stretching themselves out of shape.

He understands this. He seems to want to adjust and instruct his players not to become too rigid. That's important for my psyche.

I also liked his honest evaluation of some of his earlier squads and how important culture is... I think he called a certain class full of goobers. First off, that's hilarious. Secondly, I like how he took what could've been a huge issue and flipped it around and actually built from that.

Finally, his discussion of the John Carroll game is pretty interesting. I like that they didn't try to have a built in excuse (snow) even though playing a snow game, if you're not used to it, is damn near impossible.

Great stuff, SC!!

[Hopkins92]

I also really enjoyed his honest assessment of where the program is, along with observations about the psychology of a team (using Messiah and F&M) as it relates to overall success. Nothing earth-shattering, but the self-awareness about JHU's program and the vacillating levels of confidence teams exhibit is striking.

Just overall, feels like the program is in very good hands. I'm always going to have pangs of frustration playing positional/possession, but a) it sure beats route one and b) this interview helped me see where HE has frustrations when the players are too timid with their play.

[SimpleCoach]

Have to confess that I didn't expect feedback like this.  You all made my day. 

Kind of humbled about it.  To think I am just going about this blind...

SC

[camosfan]

These one on ones are very helpful in understanding some of the challenges a coach  faces in trying to design a decent program at the D3 level, thanks again very well done!

[SimpleCoach]

Ok, another one.  This time covering recruiting.

So you want to play Division III soccer?

[GiveMeLiberty]

I thoroughly enjoy your content and appreciate the time you have invested in game analysis. Thanks for sharing your perspective and knowledge.
The interviews are spectacular. Very candid. I have a wish list for potential interviews as they would all provide unique insights into recruitment challenges and player development:

Retiring coach at the end of a long and successful career: Coach Andy Jennings Vassar College
Long standing coach with success at an Engineering school: Coach Adam Clinton RPI or Coach Ken Bovell MIT
Long standing coaches with recent success/vast improvement: Coach Roy Dunshee Washington College or Coach Keith Cappo Ursinus College
Female coach on the men's side: Coach Wyant NYU
Coach outside the Northeast/Mid West: Coach Palguta Colorado College

Your D3 recruiting video is spot on.
For elite academic D3 (NESCAC, Engineering schools listed above, "Mini Ivy's", etc.): Grades and scores are needed upfront for a pre-read before they can even think about your playing ability.
Tourneys are fine and 30 minutes of soccer in which you touch the ball 10-15 times gives a coach a clue about your play. However, an ID camp at the school gives them hours to see touches in their drills. Some people will tell you it is a money grab...maybe the 50 coach regional ID is a money grab...BUT the on campus ID at small D3 schools was a key recruitment tool for most of the places my son was interested in attending.

Keep up the great work!

[SimpleCoach]

I thoroughly enjoy your content and appreciate the time you have invested in game analysis. Thanks for sharing your perspective and knowledge.
The interviews are spectacular. Very candid. I have a wish list for potential interviews as they would all provide unique insights into recruitment challenges and player development:

Retiring coach at the end of a long and successful career: Coach Andy Jennings Vassar College
Long standing coach with success at an Engineering school: Coach Adam Clinton RPI or Coach Ken Bovell MIT
Long standing coaches with recent success/vast improvement: Coach Roy Dunshee Washington College or Coach Keith Cappo Ursinus College
Female coach on the men's side: Coach Wyant NYU
Coach outside the Northeast/Mid West: Coach Palguta Colorado College

Your D3 recruiting video is spot on.
For elite academic D3 (NESCAC, Engineering schools listed above, "Mini Ivy's", etc.): Grades and scores are needed upfront for a pre-read before they can even think about your playing ability.
Tourneys are fine and 30 minutes of soccer in which you touch the ball 10-15 times gives a coach a clue about your play. However, an ID camp at the school gives them hours to see touches in their drills. Some people will tell you it is a money grab...maybe the 50 coach regional ID is a money grab...BUT the on campus ID at small D3 schools was a key recruitment tool for most of the places my son was interested in attending.

Keep up the great work!

@GiveMeLiberty .... thanks for the comments.  Really do appreciate it.  More importantly its encouragement to keep going with what I am doing.  The affirmation I am finding on these boards is definitely giving me the energy to keep plugging along on building my global multimedia empire.

Re: Interviews.  Will take all of those and put them on the list.  For the record, I am speaking with Coach Dunshee next week, along with another Coach Gunderson at Muskingham in Ohio.  I've asked a few others but haven't heard word yet.  Also will be interviewing a couple of players in the next couple of weeks.  I psyched for that as it will be the start of what I hope will be a regular show where I just talk to players of note.

Thanks again to you.. and everyone else who has kept pushing me along!

SC

[Hopkins92]

Hey SC, just want to say (again, I think?) that the clips drawn from the longer form interviews are EXCELLENT. I posted the longform of your interview with Appleby on the Hopkins alumni page earlier this week, and then followed up with the Snow Bowl snippet. Just an FYI that you're getting some run on that pocket of the Interworld.

[SimpleCoach]

Ok.  Had to be in DC for business.  Made two campus visits, one while I was in DC, and the other I took a detour and went into areas of Maryland unknown.

Visited the home of the Washington College Shoremen and then got Holy with a visit to The Catholic University of America  

Hope you enjoy.

Oh as an update, this week I am interviewing Coach Kyle Dezotell of Tufts, Coach Roy Dunshee of Washington College, and the new women's head coach at Muskingum University, Dani Gunderson.  Action packed week.  And am lining up a few others for the following week. 

What have I got myself into??

[SimpleCoach]

In honor of today, I made a Quick Shot of Coach Reuben Burk talking about the 2021 Super Bowl match between Connecticut and Tufts in the NCAA Elite 8.  Crazy game that ended 5-4 with a Connecticut win.  This is from the original interview I did with him back in January.

Coach Burk on the NCAA Elite 8 Match Up between Connecticut and Tufts

[SimpleCoach]

Hey Hive.

Just posted my interview with Coach Kyle Dozetell of Tufts University.  Fantastic conversation and learned a lot.  Hope you enjoy watching as much as I had making it.

Tufts University Head Men's Coach, Kyle Dozetell

SC

[Hopkins92]

I'm only a few minutes in, and I have to jump into a meeting, but I wanted to say before I forget:

Even with very little connection to Tufts or NESCAC, what I'm finding about these interviews is that it's fascinating to hear about the journey's these folks take. Staying in the soccer world, even at the D2 and D3 level, is admirable and listening to their stories is just really cool.

[camosfan]

Even with very little connection to Tufts or NESCAC, what I'm finding about these interviews is that it's fascinating to hear about the journey's these folks take.


This is not unique to NESCAC, the journey of Hopkins current head coach is amazing!

[SimpleCoach]

I'm only a few minutes in, and I have to jump into a meeting, but I wanted to say before I forget:

Even with very little connection to Tufts or NESCAC, what I'm finding about these interviews is that it's fascinating to hear about the journey's these folks take. Staying in the soccer world, even at the D2 and D3 level, is admirable and listening to their stories is just really cool.

Honestly, its what I am finding most interesting as this is something so unique to every individual.  I spoke with Roy Dunshee of Washington ... will post soon ... and he really didnt get his first collegiate coaching gig until 10 years ago.