(pre-pandemic file photo by Jason Mowry.)
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, Cap football won’t be turned around in a day,” Brian Foos, new head football coach, said.
Coming down from Madonna University in that state up north, Coach Foos is prepared to lead a “culture change” for the Crusaders Football program just as he has done before. Foos insisted that is the starting point for the Capital University football team.
“People know Capital University football, now it’s our job to change what they know it for,” Foos said.
Coming off a winless season, when the Crusaders had three straight scoreless weeks, Foos was asked what this tells him. With a chuckle, he shared that this tells him how much potential this team has.
“We only have one way to go,” Foos said, aiming to erase those memories from the program.
Changing the culture of a program is no small task, and cannot be done alone, so Foos made quick work assembling his new staff.
“You know I have been able to bring in a staff that all of which either individually or with me, has had a ton of success,” Foos said. “It’s humbling to see some of the people we’ve brought on board. Not only, do they believe in what Capital can be, but they believe in the direction I want to take the program.”
Foos talked over some of his game plan for the players to return to practice, noting that the most important agenda item is to get them back in shape.
“COVID is obviously going to put a hindrance to working out, but the nice part is at least I have experience with that coming from Madonna,” Foos said.
While getting the players back in shape will be the first step, the work doesn’t stop there, and neither do the obstacles.
“We’ve got to install a new offense and defense,” shared Coach Foos, “and we’re going to need to be a little bit more simple because we can’t teach it to them in the classroom first.”
Foos explained that while video instruction adds difficulty, he insists that Crusaders Football can rise to the challenge with patience.
Patience is something Foos stresses because that is overwhelmingly what he had to practice in the wake of this pandemic. One of the first steps Foos would have liked to take is getting to know his players on an individual level. However, because of the necessary safety precautions, interactions have been limited with his roster.
“I want to be able to express the help that we can provide them, the support that we can provide them,” Foos said. “And you know it’s difficult to do that over a zoom meeting.”
However, despite these obstacles, the Crusaders Football Program is being led by a coach that is confident in what they can achieve both on and off the field. Foos discussed his long term goals for the program, insisting first and foremost is education, followed by community service and football success.
“I want my guys to be the class of campus; opening doors, saying please, saying thank you, the things that put forth goodwill,” Foos said.
However, the new coach was not without his short term focus either, mainly getting the Crusaders back to a playoff-appearing program. “We’re not that far removed from three consecutive playoff appearances and competing for conference and national championships,” Foos said, “there is no reason why we can’t get back there, and hopefully as quickly as possible.”
While the Crusaders will hit the field on January 25 for their first official team practice, we will have until March 12 to see our newly shaped program in action. With the confidence and poise Foos expressed, the Fighting Quakers of Wilmington might be served some revenge from last season’s defeat.
