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Get the latest Division III bracket.
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Coordinators give Knights an extra edge
By MATT COSS, Courier Sports Writer
WAVERLY --- Wartburg's football team has struck a perfect balance.
The Knights, playing in their first Division III quarterfinal playoff game in 14 years Saturday at Wisconsin-Whitewater, have an abundance of experience on their roster with 22 seniors and a veteran head coach in Rick Willis.
Conversely, Wartburg has the exuberance of youth with four assistant coaches in new roles, including first-year coordinators Tim Morrison (offense) and Joel Dettwiler (defense).
"There's a little bit of an edge to what we're doing because they feel like they've got something to prove, like they were ready to be a coordinator," Willis said. "When you have that type of hunger on your staff, that carries over to your football team.
"With so many older guys on our team, one thing you have to guard against is complacency. The fact that our staff had some urgency to them and a hungry attitude has carried over to our team and made for a productive environment."
Morrison, a 1999 graduate of Wartburg, served as the offensive line coach for the past seven years. Once former head coach and offensive coordinator Eric Koehler bolted in late July for Division II Grand Valley State, Morrison stepped in --- three weeks before camp started.
"We definitely went into scramble mode a little bit," the 32-year-old Morrison said. "Sometimes I look back and think this might have been the best way to have it happen. There's wasn't a whole lot of time to think or fret."
Dettwiler, 34, meanwhile took over as defensive coordinator in mid-June after Jim Louis left for St. Cloud State. The Wisconsin-Platteville grad, who spent the previous four years as a position coach on Wartburg's defense, was prepared to leave Waverly this last summer.
"Actually, I had interviewed four different places and totally anticipated being gone, but the Friday before I was to interview at Wisconsin-La Crosse, Eric offered me the job here."
It has been an adjustment for both.
"The first couple of games were a little bit nerve-racking," Morrison said. "One of the things I've been trying to do throughout the season is slow the game down in my mind."
"The first meeting was kind of interesting," Dettwiler said. "Before, you hang out and were in a comfortable situation. Now, it's like, I've got to talk and lead this meeting."
Each has battled tough times on the field with their respective units, as well.
Early on, the Knights were near the bottom of the league in rushing --- something not typical for Wartburg.
"We just stressed to our kids to keep working at it and trust the things we're doing," Morrison said. "Right now, we're definitely starting to play our best football."
Dettwiler, meanwhile, had eight starters returning from the Iowa Conference's stingiest defensive unit, but the pieces didn't fall into place until midway through the season.
"Honestly, the low point was against Cornell," he said. "It got pretty heated on the sideline and things weren't going the way we anticipated. There was a sit down with all of us afterward, almost like a come to Jesus meeting, talking about how we weren't satisfied."
Regardless, the players believe the two been influential in Wartburg's extended playoff run.
"The last couple of weeks Coach Morrison has really put together a game plan that has really won us the ballgame," quarterback Nick Yordi said.
Freshman defensive back Josh VanDenHul echoes that about Dettwiler.
"He's a great leader," VanDenHul said. "He's a main key to why we've been winning."
And while the entire staff collabroates on game plans, Willis said most of the decisions fall on Morrison and Dettwiler's laps.
"There's just a time guys are ready to take the next step, to tackle the next challenge," Willis said. "Both those guys were ready. The reason those guys weren't doing it before was probably more due to the fact somebody else was already doing it, not that they weren't ready.
"As a head coach, I couldn't have expected anything better from our coordinators or entire staff with the effort and quality of work demonstrated throughout this season."
Contact Matt Coss at (319) 291-1468 or matt.coss@wcfcourier.com
Wartburg (10-2) at
No. 5 UW-Whitewater (11-1)
What: Division III quarterfinals
When: Saturday, noon
Where: Perkins Stadium, Whitewater, Wis.
Radio/online: KWAY (1470 AM)/www.go-knights.net
The Knights, playing in their first Division III quarterfinal playoff game in 14 years Saturday at Wisconsin-Whitewater, have an abundance of experience on their roster with 22 seniors and a veteran head coach in Rick Willis.
Conversely, Wartburg has the exuberance of youth with four assistant coaches in new roles, including first-year coordinators Tim Morrison (offense) and Joel Dettwiler (defense).
"There's a little bit of an edge to what we're doing because they feel like they've got something to prove, like they were ready to be a coordinator," Willis said. "When you have that type of hunger on your staff, that carries over to your football team.
"With so many older guys on our team, one thing you have to guard against is complacency. The fact that our staff had some urgency to them and a hungry attitude has carried over to our team and made for a productive environment."
Morrison, a 1999 graduate of Wartburg, served as the offensive line coach for the past seven years. Once former head coach and offensive coordinator Eric Koehler bolted in late July for Division II Grand Valley State, Morrison stepped in --- three weeks before camp started.
"We definitely went into scramble mode a little bit," the 32-year-old Morrison said. "Sometimes I look back and think this might have been the best way to have it happen. There's wasn't a whole lot of time to think or fret."
Dettwiler, 34, meanwhile took over as defensive coordinator in mid-June after Jim Louis left for St. Cloud State. The Wisconsin-Platteville grad, who spent the previous four years as a position coach on Wartburg's defense, was prepared to leave Waverly this last summer.
"Actually, I had interviewed four different places and totally anticipated being gone, but the Friday before I was to interview at Wisconsin-La Crosse, Eric offered me the job here."
It has been an adjustment for both.
"The first couple of games were a little bit nerve-racking," Morrison said. "One of the things I've been trying to do throughout the season is slow the game down in my mind."
"The first meeting was kind of interesting," Dettwiler said. "Before, you hang out and were in a comfortable situation. Now, it's like, I've got to talk and lead this meeting."
Each has battled tough times on the field with their respective units, as well.
Early on, the Knights were near the bottom of the league in rushing --- something not typical for Wartburg.
"We just stressed to our kids to keep working at it and trust the things we're doing," Morrison said. "Right now, we're definitely starting to play our best football."
Dettwiler, meanwhile, had eight starters returning from the Iowa Conference's stingiest defensive unit, but the pieces didn't fall into place until midway through the season.
"Honestly, the low point was against Cornell," he said. "It got pretty heated on the sideline and things weren't going the way we anticipated. There was a sit down with all of us afterward, almost like a come to Jesus meeting, talking about how we weren't satisfied."
Regardless, the players believe the two been influential in Wartburg's extended playoff run.
"The last couple of weeks Coach Morrison has really put together a game plan that has really won us the ballgame," quarterback Nick Yordi said.
Freshman defensive back Josh VanDenHul echoes that about Dettwiler.
"He's a great leader," VanDenHul said. "He's a main key to why we've been winning."
And while the entire staff collabroates on game plans, Willis said most of the decisions fall on Morrison and Dettwiler's laps.
"There's just a time guys are ready to take the next step, to tackle the next challenge," Willis said. "Both those guys were ready. The reason those guys weren't doing it before was probably more due to the fact somebody else was already doing it, not that they weren't ready.
"As a head coach, I couldn't have expected anything better from our coordinators or entire staff with the effort and quality of work demonstrated throughout this season."
Contact Matt Coss at (319) 291-1468 or matt.coss@wcfcourier.com
Wartburg (10-2) at
No. 5 UW-Whitewater (11-1)
What: Division III quarterfinals
When: Saturday, noon
Where: Perkins Stadium, Whitewater, Wis.
Radio/online: KWAY (1470 AM)/www.go-knights.net
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