The process of finding a new football coach is narrowing, with the list down to 30 candidates.
More than 130 candidates who applied were split into three categories of A, B and C, with A being the slot for top contenders. Stevie Baker-Watson, director of athletics and recreational sports, worked with a committee comprised of students, coaches and faculty members to condense it to a list of viable candidates.
The process is significantly shorter than similar seraches because members of the committee know what they would like to see in a candidate.
“We want someone with a sense of community and understanding of liberal arts, who understands how dedicated DePauw students are, has the ability to recruit student athletes, and who has had a number of successes,” Baker-Watson said.
Most of the A qualifiers are experienced, though their experience varies. Some have worked at one place for a long time; others have worked at multiple places for a short time each but have accumulated an impressive amount of experience overall. However, very few of them have participated in a search candidacy in the past.
Selecting a coach entails getting to know the candidates. These include a written series of questions, a phone interview, and, if the candidate generates enough interest, an interview in person.
“We ask them 3 questions: one about liberal arts, one about alumni, and one about challenges that they would face and how they would overcome them,” Baker-Watson said. “We have follow-ups to those questions on the call. Once we figure out who is viable, we move to some in-person interview process.”
These three questions are given to the candidates in advance, while the remaining questions are answered during the phone interview. This gives the candidate familiarity with the material and provides for a comfortable interview.
“What I don’t want to do is place a candidate in a position where they might not know what’s coming to them on the phone interview,” Baker-Watson said.
Through the phone screenings, Baker-Watson and other committee members who listen in develop a rapport with the candidates and get a better idea of viable traits.
“We’re trying to get to know experience, skills and trades, how the candidate meshes with DePauw and what DePauw needs in this time of its history,” Baker-Watson said.
Students are also heavily involved in the decision-making process.
“We’re supposed to reach out and be the liaison between athletes and students, to see what they’re looking for in a coach,” said senior tennis player Reid Garlock, a student member of the committee.
Student athletes also have a big say.
The committee held a 45-minute meeting with the football team during which Baker-Watson collected feedback. Candidates will meet with the student athletes at least twice. Furthermore, student athletes are notified of finalists sooner than anybody else in the student body.
“The last two seasons haven’t been very successful, and we’re looking for someone who can come in here and help us be successful, whether it’s a similar coaching style to the one used in the past or not,” said junior defensive lineman Patrick Keller. “Whoever the right person is for that is the person who should get the job.”
Once somebody is chosen, the committee does its best to integrate the new coach into DePauw culture in a way that’s efficient.
“Since the candidates have one foot at current employment and one foot here, we try to be respectful and try to move it as quickly as possible,” Baker-Watson said. “But we don’t want to sacrifice time. We want to make sure we have a quality person.”
DePauw’s new football coach will likely be announced in early January.