Chad Rogosheske was hired as Hamline football coach earlier this week, and with the position comes an arduous task: returning the program at least to the level of respectability in terms of won-loss record that it enjoyed when Rogosheske was a player. The former Pipers running back played from 1994 to '97; in 1995, Hamline had its most recent winning season. Rogosheske spoke with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand about what he things it takes to revamp a struggling Division III program:
Q Did you hope at some point your career path would take you to back to Hamline as a head coach?
A It's interesting. When I decided to do the graduate-assistant route [2007 at Ohio State], it was pretty late in my career. I had already been a full-time coach. I asked some athletic directors and other people to advise me, "Does this make me a better candidate if I want to go the Division III route and pursue a head coaching opportunity?" and they all agreed that it does. The more experiences you have with different programs, the better candidate you are.
Q What are the most important things you've learned along the way?
A Being a coordinator at Hamline previously, I was responsible for an entire group of players, which was an excellent experience. Obviously Ohio State was a different world in terms of football than I was used to, and the resources they have. But I got to see what is in my estimation an outstanding football coach [Jim Tressel] lead a program that was in full swing and operating at a high level. And I was responsible there for coaching the kickers, punters and long snappers, so I got some very thorough special-teams experience, which was very valuable. Then I went to Bucknell [as offensive-line coach] and started brand new with a new staff. I got to see what that learning process is and how that development happens.
Q How do you go about getting the program back on a winning track?
A It's just going to take hard work and great people. We're going to have to look at doing things in as smart and efficient a fashion as possible. But I think there's great potential here. This place is different than when I was a student. ... They've done some great development projects with the look of campus. The stadium is still relatively new, and they added a new student center. It really has a nice feel and look to it. ... But we have to go to work realizing that potential.
Q It seems like facilities have become such a big deal in college sports, even at the D-III level. Have you noticed that shift, even from when you were a player until now?
