Interviews: Kori Stoffregen of DePauw (IN)
(Photo courtesy of DePauw assistant coach Linda Skaggs)
Coach Stoffregen has been the head coach for the men’s and women’s cross country programs at DePauw since 1996. Last year at the 2005 NCAA Division III Cross Country Great Lakes Region the men’s team finished 4th while the women’s team placed 3rd. At the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships the women’s team finished 16th overall. This past weekend both the men’s and women’s programs finished as the overall team champions at the SCAC Championships. Both the men’s and women’s teams are currently ranked 25th in the latest Week 6 Division III National Polls.
By: Derick Lawrence and Keith Solverson (11/02/2006)
How did you get started in running and do you currently continue to run?
Being from small town Iowa, I was out for every sport and band!! My passion was football but at 120 lbs, I was getting killed and knew there was no future. Because of the success I was having in track and a great cross country coach in Mike Sinram, I gave up on football and joined the cross country team my junior year of high school.
Currently, I do run about 3-4 times per week (more in the summer). I guess I quench my competitive thirst through my teams and my golf game. I do, however, have running goals. They are to get my two daughters interested in the sport and to prevent cardiovascular disease!
Could you tell us about your collegiate running career at Wartburg College (most memorable experiences, progression of your training each year)?
Running cross country at Wartburg College was one of the greatest collegiate experiences I could have ever asked for. I had the best teammates and a wonderful mentor in Coach John Kurtt. My training was relatively low miles. I probably only ran about 50 miles per week. I stayed healthy for four years and I think that was the key to my success earning all-American honors as a senior. My most memorable experience at Wartburg was “What Camp”. Every year before school started, Coach Kurtt would take about ten of us to Estes Park, Colorado for “Wartburg High Altitude Camp.” We would stay at Ron (Wartburg philosophy professor) and Ginny Alexander’s cabin for a week. We would run, work, and act like mountain men. The cabin had no running water so we had to bathe in the local stream. I think I still hold the record for most cold water push-ups!!!
What made you choose a career in coaching and what steps did you take to achieve this goal?
I really had no intentions of being a coach. My goal was to teach and then become an elementary school principal. I didn’t get a teaching job my first year out of college so I looked at other options. Fortunately, I got a job back at Wartburg as an admissions officer. Then new cross country coach, Steve Johnson, found out that I had taken a job in admissions and asked me to help out with the team. I said yes immediately and was his assistant coach for five years. Steve is the reason I am coaching today. I loved my experience working with him. I had the best of both worlds as I learned how to recruit in the admissions office and learn how to coach from Steve. During that time, I earned my master’s degree at University of Northern Iowa. About the time that I finished up my degree, the DePauw job opened up and I was lucky enough to be offered the current position I have now.
What do you enjoy the most about coaching?
I love the everyday contact with the team. There is nothing better than watching a student/athlete grow, mature, and improve as a runner and a person over the course of four years.
What key concepts do you believe are necessary for success of a collegiate cross country runner?
I believe it is all about attitude. What you put in is what you get out. If you go through the motions, you will not improve. If you commit to your goals 24/7, you will achieve the goals you are striving for.
Could you briefly describe your training philosophy (volume, intensity, frequency, etc.)
Our training is not a whole lot different from the other coaches that you have interviewed…..which makes me think we are doing the right things!!! My personal philosophy is that we keep things really simple. We work really hard at individualizing the program with the long term development as the goal. Our macro cycles consist of progressive volume, strength, date pace, goal pace, and what I call championship tweaking. Our training is always based on the talents, health, and fitness level of the individual and is rarely the same every year. We constantly adapt our training even in the middle of a workout. As a team, we usually meet five times per week and run one very hard workout per week.
What does a typical micro cycle look like for your team from September to mid-October?
This is what we did the week of our conference meet. Some of the athletes do morning runs on their own based on their mileage goals.
Su - On your own. Long/recovery run.
M- Dynamic drills. Recovery run. Sideline strides.
T- Dynamic drills. 2 x 2500m-tempo. 3 x 1200m-race pace.
W – On your own. Recovery run or off or pool.
Th – Dynamic drills. Recovery run. Sideline strides.
F – Pre-meet. Easy run.
S – Race.
DePauw University Nature Park
(Photo courtesy of DePauw assistant coach Linda Skaggs)
We are very lucky that we have access to the DePauw Nature Park that features 10 miles of trails right on our campus. Our training distances may be a little non-traditional based on the trail loops that we have.
Tell us about your coaching staff?
My cross country coaching staff consists of full time assistant coach Linda Skaggs and graduate assistant Keith Solverson. Linda has been my assistant for 6 years and she is wonderful! She is very popular with the team and works hard to take care of the little things. I really think Linda and I complement each other well. She is extremely organized where I can be a little too laid back. She coaches the throwers for track and field. Keith is in his first year as my graduate assistant. Keith really fits in well and has lots to offer. He is a Wartburg grad which brings back lots of memories for me. We have had several outstanding GA's like Joe Eby and Eric Fruth. I love the Division III kids.
What training related material (books, journal articles, etc.) to you commonly refer to throughout a cross country season?
I do refer to Daniels and Vigil occasionally but for the most part I do what I think works through trial and error during my time at DePauw.
How would you compare this year’s men’s and women’s teams to your teams in the past?
SCAC Championships
(Photo courtesy of DePauw assistant coach Linda Skaggs)
Both teams have the potential to be the best teams I have ever had at DePauw. Our women have great depth and a close gap, but we really don’t have that strong #1 that we have had the last couple of years (although freshman Lauren Reich has recently stepped up as a good #1 runner.) If we keep that gap close and we continue to improve, we could be pretty good. We have great captains in Emily Mason and Liz Ulrich. They have really got this team to come together.
Our men’s team has been hit hard by graduation the last couple of years so most would think we would be down this year. We really needed guys to step up to remain in the hunt at conference and regionals. Fortunately we have been able to do that. We have great senior leadership in all-American Chad Bennett and Drew Wyant and tremendous commitment from the rest of the team. We also have the best looking athlete we have ever had at DePauw in Derick Lawrence. I am really excited to see how both of the DePauw teams finish as the season comes to a close.
What do you hope your athletes will gain from their four years of being in your program?
Obviously I want my athletes to look back and remember what a great time they had being on the DePauw cross country and track teams. But what I really hope is that they see how important it is to fully commit to something and not just go through the motions. Discover that balance in life and go for it.
How do you balance both family responsibilities and coaching duties?
Halloween 2006
(photo courtesy of the Stoffregen family)
My family is the most important thing in my life. I am so lucky to have a wife and two daughters that are interested in my teams. They travel with us. In fact, my daughters were the only two kids at the cross country banquet at nationals last year and we were the last table to eat!! How’s that for parental patience!! They come to practice and run with the team (at least around the track for a couple of laps.) My wife, Stacie, runs our Finish Lynx system for home meets. Coaching is not a traditional 9-5 job and you could easily work 80 hours a week. Early in my coaching career I decided not to get trapped by the coach’s time-consuming bottomless pit. Keeping that balance, I believe, has actually given me more energy for both my family and the team. When it comes to mentoring my athletes, I want them to have more than just the coach/athlete relationship. I also want the team to see me as a husband and a father.
What advice would you give to those that are aspiring to be a collegiate cross country coach?
The coaches that you have previously interviewed have given great advice for training and what it takes to be a great coach. I guess the only thing that I would add is that every college environment is different. Every college has its advantages and disadvantages. As a new coach you need to find a way to exploit those advantages and minimize the distractions. There is no cookie cutter program that works for every college. You have to discover what works best for your school.
Thanks to Coach Stoffregen for a great interview.
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Untitled Comment
8:16 PM, November 5, 2006
.. Posted by Anonymous
It is Kieth Solverson, not Keith. Excellent interview.
Untitled Comment
10:36 PM, November 7, 2006
.. Posted by Anonymous
And his middle name is Nancy, how about that?
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