HHF/ GID interview with Andrean Head Coach Chris Skinner

[Guest DT]

HHF interview with Andrean Head Coach Chris Skinner

 

The 59er football machine keeps rolling and despite big graduation losses on offense, Andrean is primed to compete behind one of the state's elite defenders in Drayk Bowen.

 

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

 

Question 1

For starters, please tell us about your background. Where are you from originally, what is your educational and football playing background. When and why did you decide to get into coaching and who were some of your key mentors along the way?

Response

I grew up mostly in The Region (born in Texas but also lived in Illinois and Tennessee as a child). I attended Andrean High School and graduated in 2006. I was a four-year letterwinner and was fortunate to play on the 2004 State Championship team. I did not play collegiate football - instead attended Purdue University in West Lafayette. Brett St. Germain, who was my coach at Andrean and a mentor of mine, asked me if I wanted to help coach in the summer of 2007. I fell in love with it instantly and decided to come back on the weekends to help coach. I ended up switching my major to Biology Education because I knew it was the career I wanted to pursue. I continued to coach at Andrean in the summer and weekends while finishing my four years at Purdue. I even did my student teaching at West Lafayette High School under the mentorship of Marshall Overley after their State Championship in 2009. He was a fantastic Biology teacher and coach, and that experience cemented my career decision. Following graduation from Purdue, I was fortunate to be hired by my alma mater!

 

Question 2

Its been a long hot summer and drills and competitions are now complete. How would you assess your teams progress this summer, where did you see some key areas of strength, and what did you identify as areas where you need to see some improvement heading into the season opener.

Response

It's been a productive summer but not one without challenges. We actively promote multi-sport participation at Andrean, and more than 60% of our athletes are at least dual-sport athletes. More than one-third alone are football-baseball. I love that our athletes are afforded this opportunity. It makes Andrean special since the multi-sport athlete is becoming less common.. We had an inconsistent attendance throughout the summer due to AAU basketball and travel baseball though. We encourage our players to attend collegiate and exposure camps as well. Add it all up and it becomes a challenge to install and implement when different groups of players are absent at various times. And to be clear, I'm not complaining. I was a three-sport athlete in high school. I want these kids to experience all types of competition. There's nothing like high school sports, and I am not a fan of sport specialization. As a staff we had to be creative in how we organized summer sessions while our athletes balanced multiple responsibilities. The weakness is simply needing more reps together as a complete unit. On the flip side, the strength is that this group seems to have bonded closely in these past two months. That bodes well for the grind of the season.

 

Question 3

We have spoken at length this summer with coaches from around the state about the critical importance of strength and speed development training as it relates to team success. Many public schools, especially in Indianapolis, have tremendous facilities and dedicated coaching and have made huge progress in this area. How would you characterize the strength and speed development program at Andrean, has the school administration invested in this area in terms of coaching and equipment, and do you perceive this area as a difference maker between yourselves and most of the competition you see at the 2A and 3A level?

Response

It's difficult for me to answer that without knowing exactly what other schools are doing. I will say that speed/strength development is an absolute priority for us. It might be the most important aspect of our program in regards to long-term success. Especially considering every team on our regular season schedule is at least two class sizes above us. When I was hired as the head coach, one of the first things I did was reach out to strength coaches at collegiate programs like Ohio State and Stanford (who at the time were implementing cutting-edge training techniques). Part of our staff went to Ohio State's coaches clinic four years ago to learn more about their off-season and in-season training programs. Those experiences have guided our decision-making to a large degree. Our weight room was remodeled after the 2013 State Championship season thanks to a supportive alumnus. New racks and platforms were installed. It was custom designed to maximize efficiency given our available space. Two years ago we built a Cardio Room with a few lower-body machines. Overall, we have the equipment and space to accommodate our speed/strength demands. As a coach I'm extremely grateful for that. As an alumnus, I'm proud that the school has invested in the development of our athletes. Since a significant portion of our athletes are multi-sport, it's also important that our programs cater to a variety of muscle groups to better their entire athletic base. I've been happy with the results of both our in-season and off-season programs in terms of player development. We'll continue to stay current and adapt as we try to gain any advantage on that front.

 

Question 4

Coach this will be your 6th season now since taking over from Phil Mason after the 2015 season. This is clearly now your program with your stamp and your footprint. What is the core identity of Andrean football today? What will you be doing offensively and defensively this season, and will you be making any changes or adjustments based on returning personnel?

Response

To me, this program is about more than on-field success. High school football can be such a positive, life-changing experience. As coaches, I feel it is our responsibility to provide a meaningful experience for our kids. One that extends well beyond the four years of high school. We talk about the Andrean Football Family, and we do things within our program to make it more than words. We do community service projects, many team-bonding activities, mix freshmen with seniors for acclimation, etc. Winning and playing time, while important goals, should not be the main determinants in the enjoyment of Andrean Football. That's the core identity of this program despite people on the outside not observing much of that. We also want Andrean Football to properly prepare our athletes for collegiate football - for those that choose to follow that path. The placement and success of our alumni in the collegiate football world has shown that we have been effective in doing so. Watching our alums play in the B1G, win D3 National Championships, play in NAIA National Championships, earn Conference Honors, etc. has been very rewarding for our coaching staff over the years. From an on-field perspective, we want to utilize our athletes. Our offense and defense are designed to highlight athletes and put them in space. I'd like to think our offensive and defensive schemes are player-friendly. We adapt every year as well. Part of our off-season goals is to assess the season, look at returning personnel and adjust schemes to fit their strengths. We don't have a rigid system that our players must fit in. We make tweaks to showcase their skill sets.

 

Question 5

Your team has consistently been in the post season mix, with regional and semi state appearances over the past two seasons, continuing the Andrean legacy of dominance and championship level football. Andrean will remain in Class 2A this year based on the Success Factor point system. We've received a mixed bag of responses about the SF from coaches throughout the state, some in favor, some against. What is your position on the Success Factor, do you see it as a reward or a penalty, and do you feel the SF has achieved its goal of contributing to the maintenance of competitive balance in Indiana High school Football?

Response

My viewpoint on this has changed over the years. We were a 2A enrollment playing in 4A my first season. Then the next two years we dropped into 3A and lost to West Lafayette in the Sectional Championship in consecutive seasons. It's easy to sit back and think about the hurdles of playing up a class (penalty), but those West Lafayette teams were loaded. That 2018 team was the best team we've played in my five seasons - barring maybe last year's Merrillville team. Overall, I think the Success Factor is fair on the whole and view it more as a reward and challenge. I would like to see the time period extended to three or maybe four years to get a better representation of a program's dominance as compared to stringing together two successful classes.

 

Question 6

Andrean returns one of the elite level players in the state in 6-2, 215 lb junior linebacker Drayk Bowen, who is ranked as the Top Junior recruit in the state by most recruiting services and the most highly rated player in Andrean football history. . How has Drayk progressed this summer, and what can you tell us about his overall game and his impact on your roster? Also, how many starters do your return in 2021, and who are some of the other key players who will be making a difference for the 59ers on Friday nights this fall?

Response

Drayk is a fantastic athlete and person. He truly represents what it means to be an Andrean Football player. 4.2 GPA, respectful to faculty and staff, tireless work ethic, relentless motor on the field. He is a great role model for how to achieve success through discipline and dedication. I hope all our players take notice of that alone. He was busy this summer rotating between our practices, summer baseball with the Indy Bulls and doing a tour of colleges in the South. Despite all that, he has toned up even more and improved his explosiveness. I'm excited to see him flying around on Friday nights again. We actually only return 2 starters on offense and 6 starters on defense. Our philosophy is to play anyone and everyone that can physically compete on a Friday night, so there is more experience returning than on paper. Our Senior Inside Linebacker, Eddie Bastardo, is someone that doesn't get enough recognition for his play because of Drayk getting most of that attention. Dom DiTola (Tight End) and Alonzo Paul (Wide Receiver) will be three-year starters and two players we will rely on for experience early in the season. Seniors Dh'mari Wright (Defensive End) and Danny O'Shea (Safety) also bring play-making ability to the defense. With the losses to graduation, there are opportunities available for some younger players. I'm excited to see who shows out under the lights!

 

Question 7

For a school with a 2a enrollment, you play a rugged schedule that will test your team both early and late in the season. You open up with traditional rival 6A Merrillville, and then play 6A Crown Point for the first time in school history, which will be a major Region event with the return of Coach Buzea to the sidelines. If that weren't enough to test your team early, you then travel to Grands Rapids Catholic in Michigan and then to East Chicago Central before starting your NCC schedule. Your first home game isn't till week 6. In general, what is your philosophy on scheduling as you strive to test and challenge your team, but still preserve freshness and depth for the post season?

Response

(Side note: The game against East Chicago is home. That's our Homecoming game.)

I've always been an advocate of a strong non-conference schedule. High-level competition gives a true sense of strengths and weaknesses. It provides a high-stakes environment that mimics playoff atmosphere. Iron sharpen iron type of philosophy I suppose. It's also great exposure for our players in terms of recruiting. Collegiate programs get to evaluate our players against 4A, 5A and 6A schools. And for me as a competitor, it's simple: who doesn't want to play in big games, against good competition, in front of large crowds? There is definitely a depth challenge that is difficult for us to overcome at times. We've come away from the non-conference schedule with injuries and being "banged up". But that goes back to our off-season and in-season training. We incorporate routines to expedite the recovery and prime their bodies for the physicality of each week. There is also a large level of responsibility on the players to ice, eat well, get sleep, stretch and do what we ask of them on the recovery front.

 

Question 8

Collectively, we might be in the strongest era ever for Catholic football in Indiana . In Indianapolis, Roncalli is absolutely loaded, Cathedral is regarded as the 2nd best team in the state behind Center Grove, and Bishop Chatard is coming off two consecutive dominating seasons. FW Dwenger, Evansville Memorial and Mishawaka Marian are all playing at a very high level. What are you observing at the lower levels, in the feeder systems and in CYO football that is continuing to feed your varsity programs with highly talented players?

Response

Don't forget about Fort Wayne Luers and Lafayette Central Catholic either! CYO Football.... I really wish we had that in Northwest Indiana but unfortunately we do not. There are CYO sports but not football. Outside of a handful of players I know are coming to Andrean, we actually know very little about our freshmen classes from year to year. Many of our players have never even played football before coming to Andrean. We rely so heavily on their development. We have a motto of "Tradition Never Graduates". This is the motivating factor behind their development from freshman year to senior year. Maybe it's the established culture that allows them to flourish once they buy-in. Maybe they learn from the upperclassmen that show them the ropes. Maybe it's the entire standard of our athletic department. I think it can all be summed up by the saying "success begets success". There is a sense of pride in continuing the legacy that was created before you walked in those doors. You can feel it when you walk through the hallways and see the Andrean Sports Hall of Fame pictures hanging on the walls. I know I felt it as a player, and we want our players to understand their role in continuing the tradition.

 

Question 9

What are your thoughts on the state tournament setup? Are you happy with the sectional assignments? Would you like to see some type of seeding?

Response

I love our tournament. I think the IHSAA and Indianapolis Colts do a great job with the State Finals. I think having everyone make the tournament is important as well. Regular seasons can be long and teams in Week 1 can look very different in Week 10. Plus, scheduling would be different if there were parameters to making the playoff. Larger schools may not want to schedule us non-conference knowing our enrollment may hurt their strength of schedule. If I could make any change, I might have Regional and/or Semi-State Championships be played at designated, centrally-located sites. This would remove any home field advantages due to field, crowds or travel. I go back and forth on that though.

 

Question 10

With a tremendously challenging regular season schedule and an equally difficult postseason path to Lucas Oil, your team will be supremely challenged this year to clear all those hurdles and make another run in the post season. . What are your goals and expectations for Andrean football this season, and do you feel this years edition has what it takes to make another run to Lucas Oil in November?

Response

Our goals are the same as ever: compete for a conference championship and play into November. Our success will depend on a few things. First, how healthy will we be in Week 10? Second, how effective will our offense be with a completely new offensive line, loss of the school's all-time leading rusher, new Quarterback under center and needing to replace two Wide Receivers that combined for 251 career receptions, 3,205 career receiving yards and 40 receiving touchdowns? Third, how dynamic can our defense be in terms of creating turnovers? I never make predictions when it comes to the postseason. Too many factors at play. Hopefully things click for us and we can make a run!

 

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

[DE]

Fun story...

When I was still coaching at KV, Andrean came down to play.  This was 2012 or 2014.  After the game, our parents would leave us burgers and hot dogs in the coaches office.  We had plenty left over, so I took them out to share with the Andrean coaching staff.  As I was taking the tray over to Coach Komara (one of my former coaches at LC), I see a hand reach in to take one.  I say, sorry, these are for the coaches only.  The person who reached in says, I am a coach.  I look at Coach Komara for clarification and he was laughing.  He says yep, that is Coach Skinner.  😂

Sorry Coach, thought you were a player.

[southend]

Seems dedicated to the program.. and in it for the long haul. Hope he has success.

[southend]

56 minutes ago, DE said:

Fun story...

When I was still coaching at KV, Andrean came down to play.  This was 2012 or 2014.  After the game, our parents would leave us burgers and hot dogs in the coaches office.  We had plenty left over, so I took them out to share with the Andrean coaching staff.  As I was taking the tray over to Coach Komara (one of my former coaches at LC), I see a hand reach in to take one.  I say, sorry, these are for the coaches only.  The person who reached in says, I am a coach.  I look at Coach Komara for clarification and he was laughing.  He says yep, that is Coach Skinner.  😂

Sorry Coach, thought you were a player.

Funny. Yea, everyone now, is starting to look young. 

[MarshallCounty]

Seems like a good dude.

[southend]

I like his answer to question 5, adapting his schemes to his personnel. Although I think this is imperative to having a championship caliber team, how many dont do this? And are they ever really successful as far as winning championships? 

[cpg1970]

Should never be playing at 2A

[Guest DT]

17 minutes ago, cpg1970 said:

Should never be playing at 2A

I dont understand why they would want to.  Its like getting an award for being the tallest midget.