Coaches reflect on time spent at Truman

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016
Reporter says no to politics in athletics
split NFL fans along a political divide, but this is hardly
the first time the NFL has been involved in political
discussion.
Bob Costas, host of NBC’s Sunday Night Football,
is one example of a sportscaster dabbling in politics.
Following the 2012 suicide of Jovan Belcher, Kansas
City Chiefs linebacker, Costas spent a portion of the
following week’s pregame giving a monologue in
which he demanded federal gun control. The following
year, Costas spent another pregame talking about
the racist undertones of the Washington Redskins’
name and asked for the issue to be rectified. Costas’
comments made headlines and appeared on news
websites such as the Washington Post and USA Today.
Reactions to Costas’ words ranged from approving to
annoyed, but regardless of whether one agrees with
Costas or not, it does raise a question for all fans of
football — should political discussion be broadcast in
the NFL?
In the past few months, ESPN also has had its fair
share of political opinions. Renowned NFL Coach
Mike Ditka has stated his political point of view on
multiple occasions. During several ESPN interviews,
Ditka criticized President Barack Obama’s methods
of leading the United States. Additionally, Ditka
BY CURT WICHMER
Staff Writer
In recent NFL news, Sean Payton, head coach of the
New Orleans Saints, made a public statement about the
Louisiana Legislature. In a USA Today sports interview,
Payton mentioned the shooting death of former Saints
defensive end Will Smith and asked for gun control
laws to set greater restrictions on the availability of
firearms to the general public. Payton’s comments have
Coaches reflect on
time spent at Truman
BY TIM PICKEL
Staff Writer
Every year, Truman State’s athletic programs go
through the ritual of saying goodbye to senior students
and hello to newcomers. Less common, but arguably
more impactful, is when coaches decide to join or leave
these programs. While not committed to four-year terms
like the athletes, many coaches grow during their time in
these programs just as much as the athletes they coach,
and the programs can leave lasting impacts on their lives.
Cathy Monroe, former associate head softball coach, and
Jeramey Dockery, football defensive line coach, are two
examples of individuals who have used Truman Athletics
as a stepping stone in their coaching careers.
Monroe served as a softball coach at Truman for nine
seasons before landing the head coaching position at the
Missouri University of Science & Technology last offseason.
She spent seven years at Truman as an assistant and the
last two as an associate head coach. Monroe said going from
assistant coaching to head coaching can be a tough endeavor,
but because of circumstances last spring, Monroe said she was
able to get a taste for it before getting her first full-time gig.
“I was somewhat prepared for [head coaching] because
my last year at Truman, Erin Brown, the current head
coach, had her second child early in our spring season
and was comfortable giving me more responsibilities
while she was out for a brief time,” Monroe said.
Monroe said such an experience was valuable and
made the transition to coaching at Missouri S&T much
easier for her. But Monroe said it has not left her without
challenges. Monroe said one of the challenges as a head
coach is feeling more responsible for the outcome of a
game. Aside from that, Monroe said her biggest challenge
is lacking a full-time assistant coach at Missouri S&T.
While Monroe said it was difficult to leave Truman
behind after forming many long-standing relationships
with the coaching staff, colleagues and players, she said it
always has been a career goal to become a head coach. She
said she hopes to make Missouri S&T competitive in the
GLVC and, ultimately, the NCAA, and she said her position
at Missouri S&T won’t be just about the team’s record.
“Outside of wins and losses, I take great pride in the
opportunity to develop, challenge and empower young
women to make a difference in the world,” Monroe said.
Monroe is not alone in making the most of the Truman
coaching experience. Dockery was a player and student
assistant for Truman during his five years of school
here. After graduating and leaving Truman football, he
coached the defensive line at Southwest Minnesota State
University, but after a season of coaching for the Mustangs,
he returned to Truman to coach the same position.
Dockery said the main reason he came back to
Truman was to help develop and push the program he
played for to win a conference championship. He said
coaching at the school he played for drives him to help
the players on this team realize that goal.
Dockery said he greatly appreciated and always will
remember his time at Southwest Minnesota and the
connections it has provided him in the coaching world.
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mentioned his personal support of GOP frontrunner
Donald Trump. In this aspect, NBC and ESPN have
very different policies. A memo issued in January to
all of the sports network staff told them to “Refrain
from political editorializing, personal attacks or
‘drive-by’ comments regarding the candidates and
their campaigns — including but not limited to on
platforms such as Twitter or other social media,”
according to espn.com.
I tend to agree with ESPN’s “no political endorsing”
policy. An individual using a major television network to
promote their political views could lead to a lot of problems
for the network. We often have heard the phrase, “The
views of an individual do not necessarily reflect the views
of the group,” and the same applies to a major company.
Naturally, the opinions of society are divided when it comes
to politics, and the last thing a sports network wants is to
alienate a portion of its audience.
I personally think keeping politics out of the NFL is for
the best. The reason the NFL exists is to provide a contest
between teams that will entertain an audience — bringing
politics of any kind to the table will only serve to alienate
viewers and reduce network profits. There are very few
subjects we as a society can all agree on, but can we at
least agree on keeping politics out of football?
Joseph Wright/ Index (2013)
Above: Jeramey Dockery (no. 95), defensive line coach
and former Truman State football player, lines up for
the coin toss. Dockery played for the Bulldogs before
working on the staff at Southwest Minnesota State
University, and is now back at Truman as a coach.
“I now know guys coaching all over the country from
the D-I level to high school, and can call on them for
advice and to talk ball," Dockery said. "Some of the things
I do now are because of the group of guys I coached with
at Southwest.”
Having the ability to pursue his two passions —
coaching football and strength and conditioning — was
another big reason why Dockery said he decided to
return to his alma mater. Dockery said he is proud to
continue the program’s excellence beyond his playing
years and said he has a strong level of commitment to
Bulldog football.
Both Dockery and Monroe said they are thankful for
the experience they acquired while coaching in Bulldog
athletics and appreciate Truman's role in helping them
shape their futures.
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