It's not uncommon to see Scott Srnka running up and down the football field with his players in between - and during - drills.
However, Tuesday afternoon he ran with them in the head-coaching role.
Srnka assumed an interim head football coach position Sunday in the wake of Robby Long's dismissal two games into the season. After a conditioning practice Monday, Srnka instructed his assistant coaches for the first time - all while maintaining his defensive coordinator responsibilities.
Srnka was hired last season after spending 17 years at his Alma Mater, Rhodes College. Rhodes and DePauw previously faced off each year when the Tigers were in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
This is Srnka's first experience as a head football coach, and one that he did not expect to receive.
"Everybody is in a state of shock," Srnka said Monday. "For me, we've just got to continue to move forward, and we'll get the frustration out on the field and we'll work hard every day to get better. This is a time where we can come together and gel.
"We've been talking all season about adversity and challenges. This is a big challenge for us, it really is. It's something you don't ever dream happens."
Stevie Baker-Watson, DePauw's athletic director, said Sunday that Srnka was the clear choice for the interim position not just because of his football coaching experience, but also for some head coaching positions he held at Rhodes. He was head strength and conditioning coach, head men's golf coach and was an assistant track and field coach.
Srnka graduated from Rhodes in 1987 with a major in art. He then attended Ohio University where he earned a masters of science in health promotion and disease prevention and was a football graduate assistant coach.
After Ohio, Srnka coached at Urbana University in Urbana, Ohio, as the defensive coordinator for one year and then moved on to Baldwin-Wallace College for four seasons where he coached quarterbacks, running backs and kickers. Srnka also was an assistant softball coach.
"He spent 17 years as a defensive coordinator at Rhodes College," Baker-Watson said Sunday. "That made it a good choice to put him in that role. He's very calm, I would say he appropriately reacts to things. I've been impressed with him this far. He made it an easy choice in an unfortunate circumstance to put him in that role."
In a players' written statement, which was approved by Srnka, the four DePauw captains voiced their approval for Srnka on Monday afternoon.
"Our team is fully supportive of coach Srnka," senior tight end Bobby Coburn said. "He's an outstanding coach with a great football mind and an even better guy who genuinely cares about all of us as players and as people. We're excited for the possibilities and the success that will be recognized under coach Srnka."
Srnka, known by players to be a personable coach and motivator, said he wants his team to not just be good players on the field, but good people and students.
"It's all about them and the college, and the alums," Srnka said. "There's a huge stake it in for [the alumni]. The pride and the tradition - I think that's an extremely important component for this college, and I want our guys to understand that.
"This is a special place, and they're playing in a special program. I want to get better every day so we can make those alums proud."