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UT kicking it up a notch under its new head coach
by Elton Alexander, Plain Dealer Reporter , Plain Dealer
Any football coach will tell you he wants aggressive kids who play hard, listen and compete. He wants players going to class, practicing hard and playing tough.
University of Toledo first-year coach Tim Beckman is pushing the same values that his predecessor, Tom Amstutz, did. But the players are listening as if it is a whole new message.
"I think that is a very fair observation," UT Athletic Director Mike O'Brien said. "It's not the message as much as the messenger. It's a new face, a new kind of energy."
UT senior safety Lester Richmond said: "The energy and enthusiasm of coach Beckman and the coaching staff is contagious. That helped the players buy into it. And with everything being a competition, that helps make it fun. We compete for everything."
That is what comes with change - the open ears to listen to what they have heard many times before, and the infusion of energy that comes with a new coach and how he wants things done.
The key, of course, is maintaining that energy as the seasons wear on.
Toledo considers itself one of the elite programs in the Mid-American Conference. Between 1997 and 2004 under its previous two head coaches, Gary Pinkel (now at Missouri) and Amstutz, the Rockets played in five MAC championship games and won two.
But in the last four of Amstutz's eight seasons, the Rockets finished second, fourth, fifth and fifth again last season in the MAC
"I was contacted early on in the season," said Beckman, a Berea High School graduate who said he was not aware of the FBI investigation while he served as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State.
The chance to return to Ohio as a head coach was too much to ignore. Beckman, who spent four seasons at Ohio State and Oklahoma State, plus seven seasons at Bowling Green, was ready to lead his own program.
During those seasons, Beckman prepped under two national championship coaches in Bowling Green's Urban Meyer, now with defending national champion Florida, and Ohio State's Jim Tressel. Beckman coached in the national title game in 2006 with the Buckeyes.
"I have been in this league," Beckman said of his seven-year stint at BG (1998-2004). "I have gotten to coach in Ohio for two national championship coaches. I hope that's one of the reasons they hired me."
The next step is winning. How much of that the Rockets do will unfold in the fall. The schedule will be challenging, opening with games at Purdue, home against Colorado and a Sept. 19 date at Cleveland Browns Stadium against Ohio State.
"It's going to be a great opportunity to play in Browns Stadium against Ohio State," Beckman said. "It's going to be something to be standing on the sidelines, look across the field and be coaching against a guy [Tressel] I have the utmost respect for and his program."
Respect yes, but not awe. The Rockets admittedly spent part of spring preparing for every team on the schedule, including the Buckeyes.
"We've spent practices during spring specifically on each team," Beckman said with a grin. "We didn't forget anybody."
It's a good bet the Rockets didn't forget to listen, either.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253
BOX
The Tim Beckman file
Age: 44
Education: University of Findlay (1988), where he played football and earned a degree in physical education; earned a master's in education from Auburn in 1994.
Family: Wife, Kim; daughter, Lindsay; and sons, Tyler and Alex.
Coaching experience: Auburn (1988-89), Western Carolina (1990-95), Elon (1996-97), Bowling Green (1998-2004), Ohio State (2005-06) and Oklahoma State (2007-08).
Did you know? Dave Beckman, Tim's dad, coached in high school, college and professionally with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.
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