Accountability and pride.
Those are the two things that need to be in place in order for a high school program to succeed, according to Manitowoc Lincoln Athletic Director Stan Diedrich.
He was on the latest episode of the On the Line Podcast, where he spoke about the changes that are coming and have already happened at the school.
Football coach Greg Enz was let go after the last season, and longtime basketball coach Thadd Cornell resigned earlier this year.
While the football position has been filled by Evan Smith, the basketball position is still open.
“Any type of change is hard. If you say it’s easy, than you are a very unique individual,” Diedrich said. “We are creatures of habit. If something is good or bad, there is that unknown.”
The process of filling Cornell’s shoes is expected to begin very soon.
Smith, a co-host on the podcast, agreed with Diedrich, who said that there needs to be more accountability among the athletes.
“I’m not here to play for you. I’m not here to lift your weights. I’m not here to run your runs. I am here to show you how it’s done,” Smith said. “If you have any aspirations to get the next level, or just be a highly successful person…That is what you are going to get in my program. The winning will take care of itself.”
Diedrich and Smith also said their plan is to bring back a sense of pride in Lincoln athletics.
“We’re not Bay Port. We’re not Kimberly. We’re not Kimberly. You know what we are? We are Manitowoc Lincoln,” Diedrich said. “There’s always been a blue-collar work ethic here. To me, we need to instill that and have that work ethic.”
You can hear the full podcast on Spotify, the PodBean app, or by visiting SeehaferPodcastOnTheLine@PodBean.com.
