HHF/ GID Interview with Highland Trojans Head Coach Pete Koulianos

[Guest DT]

HHF Interview with Highland Trojans Head Coach Pete Koulianos

 

Coach K enters his 4th season at Highland with a goal of breaking thru in the rugged Northwest Crossroads Conference and making a run at a long sought after sectional title.

 

Hello Coach Koulianos, and thanks for joining us at Hoosier High School Football.

Question 1

It's been a long hot summer and team drills and competitions are now complete. How would you assess the summer sessions for Highland football, what were some areas of strength you will look to leverage in the fall, and what are some areas in need of more work?

Question 2

You are entering your 4th season at Highland, and your program has won 4 games each season but averaging less than 2 wins per year in conference play. What is the core identity of this Highland football program today? How are your numbers and depth stacking up against other 4A local schools both in and out of conference?

Question 3

Highland football has been home to 3 Indiana Hall of Fame football coaches in Ken Sypult, Dave Shelbourne and Brad Smith. That is a claim that many schools cannot make, including Munster and Hobart. Yet Highland is not considered a "football " school. It is known better around the state for its baseball program and for girls basketball. The school has also endured 30 years of declining enrollment, which seems to have stabilized in the past 5 years. Has it been a challenge to find athletes in the school who want to come out and play football, in an age where there are so many other options, both inside and outside of the school walls?

Question 4

The NCC is a pretty solid football conference, even though it plays a bit in the shadow of The DAC . Highland is a perfect fit size wise, but the Trojans have struggled mightily in league play since the departure of Coach Smith 20 years ago. Highland has cycled through 5 staff changes over that 20 year period, which in and of itself makes building a consistent winner nearly impossible. Is the Highland program, in your view, capable of competing with Lowell, Hobart and Andrean year in and year out?

Question 5

NCC expansion has been a hot button issue since the departure of Griffith several years ago to the GLAC. Many fans would have liked to see Morton and the new Hammond Central join the conference , raising the leagues football profile by adding two 5A schools. The NCC went in the other direction and added 3A Hanover Central. What are your thoughts on the move, and how does adding Hanover Central improve the conference's overall football strength, both short term and long term?

Question 6

Many schools that are stuck in the middle or are having difficulty building momentum decide to change their identity and specialize in a certain style of play. Some run the wishbone or the wing t. Others play power I tackle to tackle football. Some like to throw the ball 50 to 60 times a game. What is your core philosophy on offense, and would you prefer to be committed to one style of play or do you adapt based on the roster personnel you have on hand?

Question 7

Four years in , Highland football fans are looking for some home grown talent that has come up through your feeder system and under your direction, some kids that are All Conference, All State capable players and Friday night difference makers. Who will be your key returning starters this fall on both sides of the ball, as well as special teams?

Question 8

Highland is a school with solid facilities and an administration that puts a high value on interscholastic athletics. Strength and conditioning is an area where some schools can close the gap on their peers and possibly overtake them under the right set of conditions. How would you assess the Highland strength, speed and conditioning program today, and is this an area of focus that you can leverage to close that gap between your program and those annually at the top of the NCC?

Question 9

In your view, what are the 3 biggest obstacles holding back Highland football from advancing to the point that you envisioned when you took the job four years ago? And heading into the upcoming fall season, what are your goals and expectations for this group in 2021, and do you see them taking that next step forward as they work towards climbing that conference ladder and working towards competing for a sectional championship?

 

Responses

1. I feel as though our summer has been a complete success. We are currently attempting to get some young guys ready to go, and they have responded in a positive manner. Our team intensity and commitment have been really good this year. I think there is still a lot of growing up to do, but the kids seem to be up to the task. Unfortunately, in our league we will need our kids to grow up quickly in order to be successful.

2. We have been attempting to build this program from the ground up. Our goal as a staff coming in was to increase numbers and participation at the lower levels first. That would give us time to coach the kids for more than a couple years. We are working to create a blue collar, hard working mentality with our kids. Our roster is increasing every year. We had a minor blip with COVID last year. We are currently in the mid to high 50's. I feel as though numbers wise, we stack up well with the teams in our conference. Depth is starting to come around for us. We feel very comfortable with our 2 deep guys.

3. Certainly it is an honor to be the football coach at Highland High School. I am well aware of the coaching legends that have come before me. It is definitely a goal of mine to make those guys proud of the things that we are doing here. I think numbers are always going to be an issue for most places. Like you mentioned, there are tons of options for kids in today's society. We are trying to provide the kids with an experience that will make them feel appreciated and attract more students to our game.

4. I think that continuity is important in any program. The successful programs have had consistent leadership and staffing through the ups and downs. We (staff) are very happy here and hope to be here for a long time. I think there is cohesion being built throughout our program. I don't think competing year in and year out is out of the question.

5. Our conference is perennially in the top half of the 3-4A conference discussion. It is a grinder for sure. I think when you look at Hanover Central, this is another solid program being added to the mix. They are increasing in enrollment and I can see them being 4A in the very near future. Hanover adds another quality opponent to our schedule and conference.

6. For us, our philosophy is to build around the kids that we have. It gives us flexibility year to year and allows us to adjust to our strengths. The lingo, plays, and such are the same throughout our program. We just tend to dress our plays up differently based upon personnel. At the end of the day though, we are a downhill running team.

7. Offensively we have a good core of kids coming back. We have Nick Steele at quarterback. Braydon Jones, Stevie Salman, and Andrew Sands at WR. At running back, we have Drew Barsich and Leo Luviano returning. Up front, we have Dylan Hanson, and Vincent Cruz. These guys have been multi year starters for us. Defensively, we have Nick Steele and Joe Opitz at Safety. Up front we have Drew Barsich, and Vincent Cruz returning. Our kicker has been a starter since his sophomore year, and that is Ian Fulkerson. We have a nice core of young guys that will be stepping in and playing.

8. Our S&C program is an asset for us. We have definitely poured over the program to make sure that we are maximizing our efficiency. We feel very good about where we are in the weight room.

9. From my perspective, we have a few obstacles that we are working towards eliminating. I think the most important one is our kids figuring out how to win tight ball games. When we have typically been in games, we have struggled to make the play that is needed to win. In addition, the idea that we are playing teams that cannot be beat. The mentality that we are similar (or as good) as the teams in our league needs to become prevalent amongst our kids. We have been too inconsistent in our play. I feel very strongly that our 2021 team will take steps forward in the season. We knew coming in that we needed to change the culture completely and set our standard! That has been our sole focus. I think we have been making tremendous strides in becoming a consistent factor in our conference.

 

Thanks Coach K , and as a proud Highland alum, I wish you, your staff and "our" team all the best in the coming season.

 

Tim Phillips      Highland Trojans        Class of 1979

[DE]

1 hour ago, DT said:

HHF Interview with Highland Trojans Head Coach Pete Koulianos

 

Coach K enters his 4th season at Highland with a goal of breaking thru in the rugged Northwest Crossroads Conference and making a run at a long sought after sectional title.

 

Hello Coach Koulianos, and thanks for joining us at Hoosier High School Football.

Question 1

It's been a long hot summer and team drills and competitions are now complete. How would you assess the summer sessions for Highland football, what were some areas of strength you will look to leverage in the fall, and what are some areas in need of more work?

Question 2

You are entering your 4th season at Highland, and your program has won 4 games each season but averaging less than 2 wins per year in conference play. What is the core identity of this Highland football program today? How are your numbers and depth stacking up against other 4A local schools both in and out of conference?

Question 3

Highland football has been home to 3 Indiana Hall of Fame football coaches in Ken Sypult, Dave Shelbourne and Brad Smith. That is a claim that many schools cannot make, including Munster and Hobart. Yet Highland is not considered a "football " school. It is known better around the state for its baseball program and for girls basketball. The school has also endured 30 years of declining enrollment, which seems to have stabilized in the past 5 years. Has it been a challenge to find athletes in the school who want to come out and play football, in an age where there are so many other options, both inside and outside of the school walls?

Question 4

The NCC is a pretty solid football conference, even though it plays a bit in the shadow of The DAC . Highland is a perfect fit size wise, but the Trojans have struggled mightily in league play since the departure of Coach Smith 20 years ago. Highland has cycled through 5 staff changes over that 20 year period, which in and of itself makes building a consistent winner nearly impossible. Is the Highland program, in your view, capable of competing with Lowell, Hobart and Andrean year in and year out?

Question 5

NCC expansion has been a hot button issue since the departure of Griffith several years ago to the GLAC. Many fans would have liked to see Morton and the new Hammond Central join the conference , raising the leagues football profile by adding two 5A schools. The NCC went in the other direction and added 3A Hanover Central. What are your thoughts on the move, and how does adding Hanover Central improve the conference's overall football strength, both short term and long term?

Question 6

Many schools that are stuck in the middle or are having difficulty building momentum decide to change their identity and specialize in a certain style of play. Some run the wishbone or the wing t. Others play power I tackle to tackle football. Some like to throw the ball 50 to 60 times a game. What is your core philosophy on offense, and would you prefer to be committed to one style of play or do you adapt based on the roster personnel you have on hand?

Question 7

Four years in , Highland football fans are looking for some home grown talent that has come up through your feeder system and under your direction, some kids that are All Conference, All State capable players and Friday night difference makers. Who will be your key returning starters this fall on both sides of the ball, as well as special teams?

Question 8

Highland is a school with solid facilities and an administration that puts a high value on interscholastic athletics. Strength and conditioning is an area where some schools can close the gap on their peers and possibly overtake them under the right set of conditions. How would you assess the Highland strength, speed and conditioning program today, and is this an area of focus that you can leverage to close that gap between your program and those annually at the top of the NCC?

Question 9

In your view, what are the 3 biggest obstacles holding back Highland football from advancing to the point that you envisioned when you took the job four years ago? And heading into the upcoming fall season, what are your goals and expectations for this group in 2021, and do you see them taking that next step forward as they work towards climbing that conference ladder and working towards competing for a sectional championship?

 

Responses

1. I feel as though our summer has been a complete success. We are currently attempting to get some young guys ready to go, and they have responded in a positive manner. Our team intensity and commitment have been really good this year. I think there is still a lot of growing up to do, but the kids seem to be up to the task. Unfortunately, in our league we will need our kids to grow up quickly in order to be successful.

2. We have been attempting to build this program from the ground up. Our goal as a staff coming in was to increase numbers and participation at the lower levels first. That would give us time to coach the kids for more than a couple years. We are working to create a blue collar, hard working mentality with our kids. Our roster is increasing every year. We had a minor blip with COVID last year. We are currently in the mid to high 50's. I feel as though numbers wise, we stack up well with the teams in our conference. Depth is starting to come around for us. We feel very comfortable with our 2 deep guys.

3. Certainly it is an honor to be the football coach at Highland High School. I am well aware of the coaching legends that have come before me. It is definitely a goal of mine to make those guys proud of the things that we are doing here. I think numbers are always going to be an issue for most places. Like you mentioned, there are tons of options for kids in today's society. We are trying to provide the kids with an experience that will make them feel appreciated and attract more students to our game.

4. I think that continuity is important in any program. The successful programs have had consistent leadership and staffing through the ups and downs. We (staff) are very happy here and hope to be here for a long time. I think there is cohesion being built throughout our program. I don't think competing year in and year out is out of the question.

5. Our conference is perennially in the top half of the 3-4A conference discussion. It is a grinder for sure. I think when you look at Hanover Central, this is another solid program being added to the mix. They are increasing in enrollment and I can see them being 4A in the very near future. Hanover adds another quality opponent to our schedule and conference.

6. For us, our philosophy is to build around the kids that we have. It gives us flexibility year to year and allows us to adjust to our strengths. The lingo, plays, and such are the same throughout our program. We just tend to dress our plays up differently based upon personnel. At the end of the day though, we are a downhill running team.

7. Offensively we have a good core of kids coming back. We have Nick Steele at quarterback. Braydon Jones, Stevie Salman, and Andrew Sands at WR. At running back, we have Drew Barsich and Leo Luviano returning. Up front, we have Dylan Hanson, and Vincent Cruz. These guys have been multi year starters for us. Defensively, we have Nick Steele and Joe Opitz at Safety. Up front we have Drew Barsich, and Vincent Cruz returning. Our kicker has been a starter since his sophomore year, and that is Ian Fulkerson. We have a nice core of young guys that will be stepping in and playing.

8. Our S&C program is an asset for us. We have definitely poured over the program to make sure that we are maximizing our efficiency. We feel very good about where we are in the weight room.

9. From my perspective, we have a few obstacles that we are working towards eliminating. I think the most important one is our kids figuring out how to win tight ball games. When we have typically been in games, we have struggled to make the play that is needed to win. In addition, the idea that we are playing teams that cannot be beat. The mentality that we are similar (or as good) as the teams in our league needs to become prevalent amongst our kids. We have been too inconsistent in our play. I feel very strongly that our 2021 team will take steps forward in the season. We knew coming in that we needed to change the culture completely and set our standard! That has been our sole focus. I think we have been making tremendous strides in becoming a consistent factor in our conference.

 

Thanks Coach K , and as a proud Highland alum, I wish you, your staff and "our" team all the best in the coming season.

 

Tim Phillips      Highland Trojans        Class of 1979

Pete is a GREAT guy and coach.  He was a senior OL when I was a sophomore QB at Lake Central.  He was a  VERY good OT that was the anchor of our line when we went to the state finals in '93.

 

[Guest DT]

6 minutes ago, DE said:

Pete is a GREAT guy and coach.  He was a senior OL when I was a sophomore QB at Lake Central.  He was a  VERY good OT that was the anchor of our line when we went to the state finals in '93.

 

Good guy.  Has a huge challenge ahead trying to catch up to Andrean, Lowell and Hobart.  Highland has one win over those 3 in their last 40 games or so.   They've never beaten Hobart .  KV is getting better.  Munster cant get any worse.