‘Whatever it takes’: Coach Jason Eck brings in former mentor John Stiegelmeier to inspire his Idaho Vandals football team

Aug. 5—John Stiegelmeier, “Coach Stig,” went out on top and retired after leading South Dakota State University to its first Football Championship Subdivision championship in 2022.

University of Idaho coach Jason Eck, whose Vandals reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs last season, brought his former boss to Moscow last week to watch practice, attend coaches’ meetings and address the team. It is the second year Stiegelmeier has offered preseason insights to Idaho, and his visit had the feel of a program that is close enough to greatness to look for the understated advantages that will help it take the final strides to a national title.

Eck also plans to bring former Vandal and three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth back to campus Aug. 16-18 to glean his insights and inspire Idaho’s team.

“I hope our players know we are going to do whatever it takes,” Eck says.

In Coach Stig’s case, Eck says he wanted the Vandals to get a dose of the optimism with which Stiegelmeier approached his job.

“He would always say ‘when we win a national championship’ not ‘if’ recalled Eck, who was the Jackrabbits’ offensive line coach from 2016-19 and offensive coordinator from 2019-21, before becoming head coach at Idaho.

“He is a program builder. He knows what a championship team looks like and how to build one,” Eck said.

Stiegelmeier coached SDSU for 26 season and retired as its winningest coach, with a 199-112 record. He took the Jackrabbits to the playoffs 12 times.

He amplified Eck’s characterization. “At this level of football, you are building a program not one class,” Stiegelmeier said. A basketball coach friend told him while college basketball in 90 percent recruiting and 10 percent coaching, the proportions are exactly reversed in football, he added.

At practice Sunday, Coach Stig was rocking some black and gold Vandal…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/whatever-takes-coach-jason-eck-020200045.html

Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.

Publish date : 2024-08-06 02:02:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.