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Ask The Coach…
Name: DEAN PAUL (Click Here For Bio)
College: OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY
1) Who were your three biggest influences in your career?
- Larry Kehres HC FB coach Mount Union – (played for LK for 5 seasons & worked for him from winter of 1990 thru June of 1991).
- Ken Okeefe OC at Iowa (coached for Kenny when he was the HD coach at Allegheny and Fordham).
- Jim Barnes Hd Coach Augustana (coached for Jim when he was HD coach at College of Wooster)
2) What advice would you give to young coaches?
- Be Dedicated (there are no short cuts)
- Do a great job wherever you currently are employed (the people you work with can be your greatest advocates)
- Love your players (they will play hard for you if they feel you care about them)
- Learn the game (commit to personal development thru clinics, visits, mull over ideas and draw them against the best people you play)
- Demonstrate Initiative (anyone can do what they are told)
- Become a great recruiter (quickest way to advance in the profession)
3) What has been your favorite memory from your coaching career?
- The relationships with the players and coaches. Weddings, graduations, etc with the players after they graduate
4) If you had to coach another sport, what would it be?
- Skiing (waterskiing / wakeboarding in the summer – snow skiing in the winter)
5) Who do you think will be the surprise team in the OAC in 2009?
- You can “build a case” for several teams , I expect the season to be very competitive and fun to watch.
6) What is your offensive philosophy?
- Evaluate which players can make plays and what personnel groups will allow us to utilize their talents.
- Identify which formations will accentuate the players and personnel groups while creating challenges for the opponent.
- Design plays that will allow us to run the ball well, throw the ball effectively while making the opponent defend the entire field.
7) What are some of the trends you see in college football?
- Spread offenses & pressure defenses
8) If there was a part of the game of football you could change, what would it be?
- More respect for the opponents. You can compete against your own individual best effort while being respectful of the team on the other sideline.
9) Should NCAA I-A have a playoff system?
-Yes – it would be fun to watch, I am not sure I understand all the challenges that currently exist.
10) Who are some of your favorite players you have coached?
- I admire any player who can finish 4 years of college football at the non-scholarship level.
11) One word to describe yourself?
- Passionate.
12) What is something very few people know about you?
- That I have three brothers who played college football in OAC (Doug DB at Baldwin Wallace – Brian DL at Mount Union – Chad Rb at Muskingum) in addition to my sister (Lyndsey) who ran track at William Mary.
13) What was the last book you read?
- The Last Lecture – (Randy Pausch / Jeffrey Zaslow)
14) If you could invite anyone, dead or alive, to dinner, who would it be? And why?
- (wife Tonya , daughter Kendra, sons Bryce and Brandon- Parents Marty and Marilyn) –
- Coaching requires a great deal of time away from wife and kids and I have fun with my parents.
15) What do you do in your spare time? Hobbies?
- Golf / skiing / Coaching T Ball.
Favorites
Favorite Food: Italian
Favorite Place to Eat: LOCAL --The Bistro – Lima OH / ANYWHERE -- Macaroni Grill
Favorite TV Show: The Office
Favorite Holiday: Fourth of JULY – with family on the boat.
Favorite Quote: “Concern for man himself and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavors. Never forget this in the midst of your diagrams and equations.” Albert Einstein.
Favorite Movie: Christmas Vacation or Hoosiers
Favorite Music: Everything from Country to Alternative Rock to R&B
This or That
Morning or Night: NIGHT
Grass or Turf: GRASS
Steak or Fish: FISH
Run or Throw: WHATEVER WE NEED TO WIN –
Text or Call: CALL
Email or Mail: EMAIL
Golf or Fish: GOLF
Day Game or Night Game: DAY -
Jones to Attend Ohio Northern University
Chase Jones has committed to attend Ohio Northern University this fall. Chase currently attends Walsh Jesuit High School in Ohio. He will play football for the Polar Bears. Chase was a two year letter winner at Walsh Jesuit and competed on their track team.
Martin to Attend Ohio Northern University
Cory Martin has committed to attend Ohio Northern University this fall. He will play Defensive Line for the Polar Bears. Cory attended Ellet High School. He is the son of Dave and Kim Martin.
Sitgraves to Attend Ohio Northern University
Josh Sitgraves has committed to attend Ohio Northern University this fall. Joshua currently attends Richmond Heights High School in Ohio. He will play football for the Polar Bears. Following his senior season he received All- League and All-District Honors on the Defensive Line.
Mitchell to Attend Ohio Northern University
Eric Mitchell has committed to attend Ohio Northern University this fall and major pre-law. Eric currently attends Bellefontaine High School in Ohio. He will play football for the Polar Bears. Following his senior season he received All-League honors. Eric is the son of Lionel and Tracey Mitchell.
Fischer to Attend Ohio Northern University
Jaron Fischer has committed to attend Ohio Northern University this fall. Jaron currently attends Kettering Fairmont High School in Ohio. He will play football for the Polar Bears. Jaron is the son of Thomas and Traci Fischer of Kettering, Ohio.
Newman to Attend Ohio Northern University
Nicholas Newman has committed to attend Ohio Northern University this fall and will major in chemistry. Nicholas currently attends London High School in Ohio. He will play football for the Polar Bears. Following his senior year he received All-League and All-County recognition. Nicholas also received the Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity Award and was a three time player of the week.
Troy Rothenbuhler has accepted a position as an assistant football coach at Ohio Northern, effective July 1, 2009.
Rothenbuhler will serve as offensive coordinator and will coach the quarterbacks for the Polar Bears.
“I am very excited to get started at Ohio Northern, Rothenbuhler said. “I am looking forward to stepping into a winning program. I’m excited to work with Head Coach Dean Paul, his staff and to being working with the outstanding student/athletes at ONU.”
He comes to Ohio Northern after a 6-year stint as an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University.
He served two seasons as the assistant head coach and one as the offensive coordinator (passing game). He also served as the recruiting coordinator from 2003-07.
Rothenbuhler also coached receivers, tight ends and defensive linemen and helped the Falcons earn bids to GMAC Bowl in 2004 and 2007 as well as the Motor City Bowl in 2003.
As recruiting coordinator, he helped BGSU forge a strong footprint in recruiting some of the top players in the state of Ohio and throughout the Midwest and southeastern United States.
He spent the 2002 season as offensive coordinator at Heidelberg after five seasons as an assistant coach at Arkansas State. During his tenure with theIndians, he coached both tight ends and receivers.
A 1995 graduate of Ohio State, Rothenbuhler was a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes in 1995 and 1996 where he worked with the quarterbacks and tight ends.
From 1992-94, he was a student assistant at OSU, assisting with the team's wide receivers.
During his time with the Buckeyes, he worked with teams that appeared in one Rose Bowl, three Citrus Bowls and one Holiday Bowl.
He is a 1989 graduate of Oregon Clay High School.
Troy and his wife, Amy, a Campbell native, are the parents of one daughter, Madison (10) and a son, Jake (4).
The Polar Bears are coming off a 5-5 season in 2008 and have posted 13 consecutive upper division finishes in the rugged Ohio Athletic Conference.
Northern will open its 2009 season on Sept. 5 against North Central (Ill.) at 1:30 pm at Dial-Roberson Stadium.
The on-field success of Ohio Northern University’s football program speaks for itself. Out of 237 Division III football teams across the country, the Polar Bears are just one of 11 to finish the season nationally ranked in the top 35 in at least four of the past five years. More importantly, that success has been mirrored off the field by the team’s commitment in the classroom.
This spring quarter, the football team earned a team grade point average of 2.73, higher than the national male student body average for four-year institutions (2.72). This achievement reflects one of the best spring quarter performances in recent history, and it is an important part of the strategy to place Ohio Northern among the premiere small college football programs in the country.
“One of our program’s top objectives is to become the academic trendsetters on campus,” says Head Football Coach Dean Paul. “At Ohio Northern, the “student” in student-athlete holds genuine meaning. We expect our players to both manage rigorous academic challenges and meet the demands of a highly competitive intercollegiate football program.”
Of the active players on this year’s roster, 40 achieved a grade point average of a 3.0 or better, 18 players were at 3.5 or above, and eight earned a perfect 4.0.
“Success in the classroom means reaching one’s full potential—a balancing act which requires organizational skills, careful planning and a strong sense of priorities,” said Paul.
The football team’s accomplishments in the classroom can be attributed in part to the Academic Game Plan (AGP) the coaching staff implemented soon after coach Paul took the helm. The AGP exposes players to goal setting, time/event management, test taking, and note-taking skills. During each quarter, coaches monitor the academic progress of each player through individual meetings. Prior to Coach Paul’s arrival the team GPA was just 2.5.
“We appreciate the commitment our players have demonstrated both in the classroom and on the field,” he adds. “Their success in balancing the academic and athletic rigors of an institution like Ohio Northern University speaks volumes about their personal willingness to be the best.”
News Release By: ONU Football
