‘They Want to Get a Ring’

It’s time to turn the page.

That was the message that Lehigh football coach Andy Coen delivered to his squad when it convened for off-season workouts this spring. In the wake of a disappointing 2014 season that saw the Mountain Hawks struggle to a 3-8 finish—including a difficult loss to Lafayette in the 150th playing of The Rivalry, held at Yankee Stadium—Coen says both his coaching staff and his players are fully committed to righting the ship in 2015.

There are certainly lessons to be learned from 2014, he says. But neither he nor his players are dwelling on last season's events; rather, they’re doing everything in their power to take the program back to the top of the Patriot League.

Coen, who is entering his 10th season as Lehigh’s coach, spoke with the Bulletin just after the conclusion of spring practices, sharing his thoughts about his team’s improved attitude, some planned tactical changes, promising new players and more.

LAST SEASON WAS A DIFFICULT ONE FOR THE PROGRAM. HOW HAS THE TEAM RESPONDED?

Well, as soon as we came back after the break and had a chance to meet with the kids, the message was about turning the page. One of the first things we did, because we have a really great leadership program here, was to get all of the kids together and get them caught up on some leadership training. Some of our senior leaders and others on the team got together over the course of six Fridays, early in the morning, to get a better understanding of ourselves and how we would be holding the kids accountable going forward. Then we met with the rest of the team in smaller groups and passed along that leadership message. I just recently finished up all of my exit interviews for spring ball, and I feel really pleased that those leadership messages have been well-received by everyone on the team.

HOW DID SPRING WORKOUTS GO?

This was a different kind of spring. We had very small numbers, because we graduated back-to-back classes of 25 and 22 and weren’t able to keep up with those numbers with recruiting. We also had seven guys out with off-season surgeries and some kids who were unable to play for us last year who were still going through the rehab process. That added to our issue with having small numbers. All spring, then, we weren’t going to be as physical as usual but we spent more time in the film room, did a lot of walk-throughs, and I think we were more efficient in what we were doing. I think we made some real strides. Given the numbers, I think it was a really successful spring.

YOU WERE ABLE TO BRING IN A LOT OF TALENTED PLAYERS WITH THIS MOST RECENT RECRUITING CLASS. CAN WE EXPECT THOSE FRESHMEN TO PLAY A BIG ROLE THIS SEASON?

We did have a very strong class. We’re bringing in 31 players and our expectations will be a little bit higher for those kids. I think what we’re seeing, as we’re getting deeper into the scholarship process, is that we’re recruiting some really talented players—especially at the skill positions. We’ll be counting on those kids to make an impact.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES HEADING INTO 2015?

Last season, our strength was on the offensive side of the ball, and that will still be the case. We played a sophomore quarterback in Nick Shafnisky; he was up and down but we’re hoping he can be more consistent for us this year. He was dynamic in some games and struggled in others. We moved the football well. But defensively we struggled and we’ve made some changes. We were a 4-3 team last year, and this year we’re moving to a 3-4. I think the strength of our defense right now is at linebacker, so it makes sense to have four of those guys on the field. Beyond that, we need to be more aggressive and more attacking on the defensive side of the ball, and that was a big part of the focus this spring.

HOW DO YOU THINK THIS TEAM WILL COMPETE IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE?

In this league, I really believe that anybody can beat anybody. We have a great group of seniors in this class. They’re a very united group, and I’m really happy with where we are. They want to get a ring. Our goals here have always been to beat Lafayette and win a Patriot League title. We’ve won three titles since I’ve been here, and we lost two others on the last day of the season. Heading into this season,  I think we’re a pretty motivated group.