I Applied for the Wisconsin OC Job

Jesse Temple of The Athletic recently wrote a story chronicling the "meme applications" submitted for the Wisconsin Badgers' offensive coordinator job. Many fans took this as an opportunity to apply based on their NCAA 14 prowess or vent their frustrations at head coach Luke Fickell. And yes, I applied as well. However, while some applications were purely for shits and giggles, mine straddled that fine line between serious and absurd.

On one hand I keep my resume updated and was able to whip up a pretty solid cover letter in my opinion. On the other what actually counts, you know my credentials, though spanning over two decades does not include a single second at the collegiate level or will it ever. To add even more insult to my already pathetic application, I lack one of the fundamental qualifications for the job: a bachelor's degree. In short, my chances of landing even an email acknowledging UW even received it were less than zero. But that wasn’t really the point.

So why did I do it. Well let's start at the beginning...this is not the first time. As many of you all know public universities are required to make their job openings public and to accept applications. And what started years ago, the first job I applied for was the Ole Miss HC position that I lost out to Lane Kiffin, as like everyone else a joke has turned into an annual ritual. Have I ever held delusions of grandeur that I would ever get one of these jobs? Not in the slightest. To me it is a reminder of the humor, humility, motivation, and persistence needed to be a coach. And it may seem silly but it's the little things like this that help keep me going.

I know where I coach and the level of my expertise is sorely lacking compared to my counterparts back home. Now I will say my job is unique in that at times it feels like coaching Pop Warner through pro football and everything in between from coaching rookies who have never seen the sport at all ages to negotiating contracts and dealing with city councils and national federations. But to a person who matters all they can do is chuckle at what I have to offer. And while I hope my applications look a bit different since they don't feature power point presentations on video game stats and playbooks we can all acknowledge the humor in the endeavor.

Humility has been my greatest teacher over the course of my coaching career. The sinking feeling that no matter how hard you try and how much effort you put into this game it can still disappoint you to your deepest core and make you question why put in the effort. And whenever I feel the sense of accomplishment of seeing my players succeed and maybe picking up a bit of hardware I'm always humbled by the fact that without continued hard work it could all be over in a blink of an eye.

No matter how proud I am of what I have done or how crowded my office gets with trophies applying for jobs like this reminds me that I am nowhere near the peak. I will never get to those highest levels, but that doesn't change my approach and my attitude toward the game.

I have dozens upon dozens of coaching jobs listed on my resume. Every little position I've held over the last 23 years is there, and it may sound silly but it is extremely motivating to update the resume with added details every year. Just this past year I was able to add a couple more medals to the tally. This is also fueling my persistence to continue to grow within the sport and continue to push the boundaries of what someone in my position is capable of achieving.

So what's next? Does the joke live on and will I keep sending in applications? Probably, but maybe the joke is wearing a little thing. Part of the reason I'm even writing this piece is put in the words what's actually happening and how ridiculous it is and that I actually read it. I've been frustrated over the last several years applying for jobs within the Danish football community that I am beyond qualified for only to be rejected for reasons such as I am TOO QUALIFIED for the job (is that a nice way to say I'm too old?) or that I'm too competitive (we keep score don't we?). So why send in meme applications when my real ones are being rejected? In the words of the great Roger Murtagh "I'm getting too old for this shit".

If this is the end at least I went out applying for the one job I really wanted. And no I never got the rejection letter that would have held a prominent place on my wall but I would like to think over the years someone has looked at what I've writing and had a bit of a smile at the end.

Maybe I need to spend some time playing more video games to be taken seriously.