HHF/GID Interview with South Bend Washington Coach Todd Stammich

[Guest DT]

HHF Interview with South Bend Washington Head Coach Todd Stammich

Hello Coach and thanks for joining us here at Hoosier High School Football :

Question 1.

As you enter Year 3 of your program at Washington, how would you assess the overall health of the program in terms of team depth, strength and speed, skill level , and overall team cohesiveness?

Response

The past year and a half has presented some pretty significant challenges to the process of building a program. The first offseason that our staff had to work with kids was dramatically affected by students not attending in person classes. We had opened a section of weight training second semester with over 20 students participating which abruptly ended that March. This past offseason was much more similar to a normal one, but we are still dealing with the effects of virtual learning. There was a definite increase this past off season in team cohesiveness and growth that comes from competing in the weight room. We are really proud of how our players have responded to the adversity that they faced this past year and half.

 

Question 2

South Bend public school enrollments continue to decline. There is steady talk of possible school closings or consolidations. How does any of this impact your program at Washington, and does it affect your short or long term planning?

Response

Those discussions really do not have an impact on our program. It may be surprising, but the players don't talk about it. They have maintained an exceptional focus on the upcoming season. Our players have many team and personal goals that they would like to accomplish. The decisions of the school corporation's administration are out of their control, so they don't waste a lot of time thinking about it. In terms of long term planning, I am not sure what benefit would be had by planning for our school to close and our program shut down. We plan for Washington to remain open. If decisions are made that prevent that, then we will deal with it as it comes.

 

Question 3

The NIC is one of the more interesting conferences in the state, and the only conference other than The Summit in Fort Wayne to have schools ranging from 2A to 6A. Your program is situated in the South Division with the 2A, 3A and 4A non private schools. Are you happy with the current conference alignment, and does it do everything it can to give you scheduling flexibility to do what you need to do to get your team prepared for the postseason

Response

Our division of the NIC provides plenty of competition for a 3A school like Washington. We have strong rivalries with the other South Bend schools in our division in Riley and Clay. Both of those games are very important to our players as they have grown up with most if not all of the players on those teams. Bremen, Jimtown and John Glenn are tough opponents year in and year out. All three are hard nosed, physical and fundamentally sound. You have to play good sound football to beat those teams. We feel confident that our schedule has the ability to prepare us for the playoffs.

 

Question 4

After a 6-4 season in 2019, your team slipped to 3-7 last year with an opening round sectional loss to Tippecanoe Valley. Based on what you are seeing in summer drills and based on the kids you have returning this fall, do you see an opportunity to get the program back on the winning side of the ledger and possibly make a run in the state tournament?

Response

Our 2019 team was blessed with 22 seniors that were tremendously athletic with lots of experience. The classes behind those seniors were smaller in number and had much less experience. Then the pandemic hit and it made it difficult to work with those younger players as well as recruit new ones. Our 2020 season started with several inexperienced underclassmen in important roles and it showed in the beginning of the season. We showed progress at the end of the season, though not enough to be satisfied with. We finished winning 3 of our last 5 games and we saw significant improvement in our young players' maturity and football IQ. We return our entire backfield and 4 offensive lineman with experience. On defense, we return 8 players that started at least one game last year, but many of those players also play offense. If we can stay healthy we have a chance to accomplish our goals.

 

Question 5

What kind of offensive and defensive schemes will you be employing this season, and are you making any adjustments based on returning personnel?

Response

Defensively we run a 4-2-5, but we definitely need to focus more on fundamentals than scheme. Offensively we run our own warped version of the Wing-T. We are excited to see what our first year players last year will do in their second year of running our offense.

 

Question 6

Who are your top kids returning on offense and defense this fall, and how are they performing in summer drills?

Response

Our top returning players on offense are the same as the ones on defense. Christian Johnson will be a three year starter on the offensive line and will anchor our defensive line. Braydon Hudson will play on the offensive line and also help us at Tight End as well as Inside Linebacker. Keishawn Grant is a returning starter on the Defensive line and will help solidify the Offensive line. Marshawn Lottie returns at Fullback. Devin Devries, Jason Dockery, Ty'shaun Grundy and Jeremy Johnson will all contribute at our skill positions. Josh Terrones returns at linebacker after stepping into that role late last year.

 

Question 7

Off season weight training and conditioning and speed development are a critical path to success in high school football today. Is this a barrier for South Bend public schools based on the facilities that you currently have access to?

Response

The barriers are not so much in our facilities at Washington. Our weight room was completely redone in the spring of 19, so our facilities in terms of strength training are outstanding. There is a strong commitment from our administration to improve the athletic facilities at Washington starting with our Athletic Director and our Principal. The biggest challenges are finding space in some student's schedules for a weight training class and the lack of a strength and conditioning coordinator. When I was hired at Washington I was fortunate to be able to spend time with some coaches of very successful programs and one of the many things they had in common was a large number of students enrolled in weight training and a full time strength and conditioning coach. If you truly want to compete at the highest level, then strength and speed development need to be a top priority and that commitment has to come from all levels of your school corporation. I believe that we are gaining support in that area, but it is difficult when your school corporation is dealing with several other areas of need

 

Question 8.

Several schools in the NIC have had recent success, including Elkhart, Marian, and New Prairie Penn will always be a factor due to their sheer size and numbers. Washington had that great 2011 team that went all the way to the state finals before losing to Cathedral. Since then its been rough going for the SB public schools. Even St Joe has had a tough time. What are the biggest challenges facing not only Washington, but all South Bend public schools, and are the tools in place to meet those challenges and get these programs moving back in the right direction?

Response

Participation due to complications from the pandemic is probably the biggest challenge facing South Bend schools. Virtual learning was difficult for many of our students as access to the internet or wifi was not always available. The return to in person learning in the fall will go a long way to improve our ability to stay connected to our students. One of our top priorities at Washington is recruiting the students who are already in our building. The Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors in our halls who may not be participating in a sport but have the ability to compete at a high level and competing would help improve their high school experience and increase their academic success. The best way to reach those students is through in-person conversations and those were difficult to create during virtual learning.

South Bend recently hired Milt Lee as the corporation Athletic Director and we have been impressed with his enthusiasm, vision and ability to get things done. He is highly motivated to see South Bend Athletics excell not just because it is his job, but as a former South Bend Athlete himself. I believe there is a renewed sense of urgency to provide a better experience for the student athletes in South Bend. We just need to continue the push to increase the value we place on athletic success as it has a tremendous positive impact on students academically and socially and goes a long way towards attracting and retaining students to our corporation.

 

Thanks Coach and best of luck to you and your team this season.

 

Tim Phillips

Hoosier High School Football

[southend]

This sounds familiar, student participation, in urban schools. Todd seems dedicated. 

[Guest DT]

5 hours ago, southend said:

This sounds familiar, student participation, in urban schools. Todd seems dedicated. 

Are you surprised that these interviews are not generating more forum discussion?

Just curious about your opinion

[southend]

I'll have to admit ,you would think these clowns around here would have more to say, yes. Not often do  posters , on this site ,get this kind of inside looks at programs and coaches. And from all over the state. These interviews are priceless for Indiana football fans.

[MarshallCounty]

Good read.