Boise State’s coaches, players go virtual to stay connected during coronavirus pandemic
With thousands of miles separating them after schools across the nation sent students and athletes home in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, college football coaches have been busy this spring trying to stay connected to their players.
At Boise State, a program in place before the pandemic spread through the United States has not only helped the Broncos’ coaches track their players’ workouts but also keep tabs on their everyday life and overall well-being.
Boise State’s small culture groups began in spring 2019, and defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding saw their value as soon as he arrived that year from Eastern Washington.
“I thought it was a phenomenal exercise as far as giving the players a voice and making it a player-driven team,” Schmedding said. “Coach (Bryan) Harsin sets the tone and we are all aligned with his vision, but when the players know they have a say, it elevates the leadership throughout the team, and really leadership is the difference-maker.”
Most coaches on staff, including graduate assistants, are assigned three or four players, and their groups consist of a cross section of offensive, defensive and special teams players to ensure coaches develop relationships beyond those in their positions.
“It’s a different voice with different people on the team,” offensive line coach Brad Bedell said. “It builds a bond between the team and the coaching staff, and it’s something that we’ll never forget.”
The Broncos’ longest tenured assistant, Kent Riddle, said the groups were shuffled and reassigned by Harsin in January. He also said, especially for coaches with large position groups, the program allows them to spend more time getting to know individual players.
“If you’re the O-line coach and you’ve got 18 guys, it’s nice to know somebody else is helping you,” Riddle said. “It’s hard to talk to 18 guys in a night. It’s not hard to talk to four guys in a night.”
Last season, coaches could catch up with members of their culture groups in the hallways or the weight room at the Broncos’ facility. Occasionally, one would pop into the office for a visit, or Harsin would end a staff meeting with “hit your culture groups up today.”
In a world of stay-home orders and social distancing, that’s no longer an option. These days, players and coaches meet virtually via FaceTime or Zoom.
At home in Murrieta, California, wide receiver Khalil Shakir said he speaks on the phone to his group leader, strength coach Jeff Pitman, several times a week, and they video conference as a group most weeks. He’s joined by cornerback Chris Mitchell and linebackers Tyler Crowe and Bruno DeRose, who Shakir recently learned is as much a natural in the kitchen as he is in the classroom.
Cornerback Avery Williams said his group sometimes talks about real-life issues, and sometimes they just call to check in with each other. Either way, he called the program a great way to get to know players at different positions that he otherwise may not interact with on a regular basis.
“It’s great to hear other people’s story and get to know guys you might not otherwise,” said Williams, who earned plenty of praise from his group leader, Bedell.
“Everybody sees what Avery does on the field, but they don’t see the determination off the field,” Bedell said. “That guy gets after it all the time. He’s constantly working on his craft and studying a pro or reading about the DB class in this draft. He’s a very determined human being.”
At a time when coaches can’t just walk across campus to check on their players, defensive line coach Spencer Danielson said regular contact from more than just a position coach is more critical than ever when it comes to making sure no details of a player’s life fall through the cracks.
“It’s so important so our players feel truly surrounded by their coaching staff,” said Danielson, who also has wide receiver CT Thomas and offensive lineman Ben Dooley in his group. “You’ve got all these different people that are checking in on you to either congratulate you when things are going good or come around you if something happened.”
The small culture groups are a new experience for wide receivers coach Matt Miller, who was hired in January. At Montana State, space limitations forced coaches and players to interact daily.
The program has also had a personal benefit for Miller. His group includes linebacker Riley Whimpey, who, like Miller, got married in the last few years.
“It’s awesome, especially for times like this where I’m connecting with defensive guys and building those relationships,” said Miller, who also has safety Tyreque Jones and long snapper Daniel Cantrell in his group.
For offensive lineman Donte Harrington, the culture groups offer an opportunity to get to know one of the Broncos’ newest coaches — graduate assistant Jared Pulu, a former defensive lineman at University of Washington, who medically retired in 2018.
“He’s even reached out to my family,” Harrington said. “He’s a young guy and has a son, and it’s cool to not only get to know him but to feel like he and all the coaches really care about us.”
Neither Boise State’s players nor their coaches know when they’ll be able to return to campus. There will be no shortage of work to do when that day comes, but thanks to the small culture groups, building chemistry will not be a concern.
This story was originally published April 20, 2020 at 9:13 AM.
