That ‘something’

Gene Steinmeyer

It’s amazing there have been five national championships since 1998 at Northwest, and four other times we played in the championship game. Adam Dorrel, the head coach of the football juggernaut, explained it this way, “We couldn’t have done it without senior leadership.” Maybe that’s the “something” that makes our football program so successful.

Northwest football is especially blessed with that “something” that allows it to more often than not play for football championships. Mel Tjeerdsma, the first national champion football coach and now athletic director, developed that “something.” Adam Dorrel has kept it going with his second national championship since taking over five years ago.

It’s hard to describe that “something.” Maybe it’s especially great leadership from the head coach? Is it the outstanding job the assistant coaches do year in and year out? Is it the tradition that has been developed and nurtured? Maybe Northwest has a secret formula to their recruiting?

Whatever that “something” is, it remains a mystery to coaches who venture away from Northwest to begin their own program. I don’t think anyone can deny the coaching genius of Jim Svoboda, the head coach at Central Missouri or the potential of Josh Lamberson, the first year head coach at the Nebraska-Kearney.

It’s a dream of every assistant coach to someday lead his or her own program. Other coaches have left Northwest, but none have found the success that the Bearcat football program has enjoyed.

I came to Northwest to coach women’s basketball in 1999, the year of the second national championship. It was a tough year for me. At one point, that team lost 18 straight games.

I’ll never forget the morning Mel stopped by my office in the middle of the losing streak. He took me to breakfast at Hy-Vee. His message was clear: Do it the right way and I’d find success. Mel pointed out his career at Northwest started with a 0-11 season.

I really appreciated the advice. My teams did find success, but never on the consistent level as the football team. We never played in that final game of the season, either.

My program had a full complement of scholarships. I had plenty of coaches on my staff. Most years I felt great about my coaching staff, having been lucky to have Lori Hopkins as an assistant for eight years. There were others, too, and outstanding graduate assistants.

There were better basketball facilities than found at Northwest, but football can say the same thing. Despite all the great improvements for football, you only have to look 42 miles down the road to see the latest trend for NCAA Division II football programs — an indoor playing facility. I was told by the Pittsburg State’s women’s basketball coach that the Gorillas’ indoor facility was larger than any NFL indoor complex.

Yet put it all together and you still only find one program that has that “something.” Coaches from other programs have gone on to great successes. Jerry Kill, formerly at Emporia State, made it all the way to the University of Minnesota as their head coach before his health forced him to resign.

Willie Fritz, the former head coach at Central Missouri, just took the head football job at Tulane in New Orleans. It was only a few years ago Fritz was scratching his head, trying to figure out how to beat the Bearcats. Most years, that result eluded him. He could never find that “something.”

I can’t tell you how impressed I was of Mel’s offensive and defensive coordinators when I moved to Northwest. I had seen Jim Svoboda and Scott Bostwick coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University while I was at Doane College. I knew how good of football coaches Mel had hired.

It would be easy to say that assistant coaches like Jim and Scott were that “something” that is found at the Northwest football program. However, other assistants have come and gone and the end results remain the same.

Right now you might deduct that Rich Wright, the defensive coordinator, and Charlie Flohr, the offensive coordinator, provide that “something” for the program. It would be hard to believe the defense could be in better hands than when Scott Bostwick patrolled the sidelines in a red baseball hat. The red hat remains but now it’s on Rich’s head and the defense hasn’t missed a step.

Charlie is the architect, along with Adam, of one of the most prolific offenses in Division II football. Charlie started as a position coach, coming to Maryville from Wyoming. He used to have his office across from mine. After a couple of years, I could tell if Charlie expected a tough game just by how he described the opposition to me. He never hesitated to talk to me about the upcoming games.

Maybe that’s the “something” in Northwest football. Every football coach always treated me as one of them, even though I coached women. Beside Charlie, my favorite was Scott Bostwick. He would sit down in my office and give me his defensive game plan. Scott would even listen when I would give him my game plan for a women’s basketball game.

From Mel to the short head coaching time of Scott Bostwick and now to Adam, that “something” has never left the program. I can’t tell you what that “something” is or I would have won more women’s basketball games. I can also tell you I miss Scott even today. He definitely had that “something.”

One piece of advice for all the spoiled fans of Northwest football: The future looks bright, but you can’t take anything for granted. We may not always play in the final game of the season, but as long as that “something” exists, we won’t be away from it long.