OS: What was your record this season?
TM: 3-7
OS: Where did you think you would be at in the beginning of the season? Did you fall short or did you prevail over your own prediction?
TM: We had hoped this is where we could be. The one game we look back on that we know got away from us was Butler in game one. That's a game we should have won.
OS: Will you be re-applying for the head coach position next year?
TM: I have absolutely zero plans of going anywhere. This is where I want to be as long as they want me to be here. I'm 100% committed to this program.
OS: What would you say to the community for the ongoing support you got this season?
TM: It never went unnoticed. The energy at the home games was amazing. We can't thank everyone enough. Those type of atmospheres are what Friday nights are all about.
OS: Brag on your seniors; tell me how you’re going to miss them . . .
TM: We've told them over and over that they will leave a legacy as the group that made the foundation to build on moving forward. The adversity that they've faced in the last 4 years will help take them to great places in their life. They always came back, even when things were really tough. That will be hard to replace.
OS: Thank your assistant coaches . . . ?
TM: Our entire staff has been a great pleasure to work with this year. It takes everyone to build a program and I couldn't be happier to do it with anyone else.
OS: Are you coaching any winter sports?
TM: Yes, I also coach wrestling in the winter and we have already started practicing this week.
OS: How does your team look for next year with your outgoing seniors?
TM: We look promising. We are definitely losing some key pieces to our program with the seniors we are losing but we have to have the next man up mentality. We will have to use the off season to get those upcoming players ready. It's never going to get any easier. Several conference teams will have a lot of returning starters next year. We have to continue to get better. The weight room has to be a top priority for our returners. It's a must that we work to get stronger and faster.
OS: Brag on some of those underclassmen . . . ?
TM: I never like to brag on any single player but we do have several kids returning that played a big role on Friday nights. We look forward to seeing them progress over the next several months.
OS: Any additional comments?
TM: First and foremost we set out to change the culture and the mindset of the program. While we took some great strides in the past few months, we're still not where we want to be. Progress is being made, and when we get to that point, it's going to be really fun to see. Our biggest goal is to find a way to keep our athletes interested from the youth level all the way through high school. We have some great youth talent coming up in the next few years and we need to keep all those age groups bought in. 2024 season in now loading.
OS: Thank you for giving me an awesome season to cover!
