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Q&A with Tom Herman
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-06-09
There is more to the Iowa State football program than coach Paul Rhoads and the players in uniform. Assistant coaches can have as much to do with the program’s success as anyone else.
This is the second in a series of interviews throughout the summer with ISU assistant coaches dealing with their lives on and off the field. Offensive coordinator Tom Herman recently chatted with the Tribune about Mensa, the “it” factor with quarterbacks and his family.
Why did you get into coaching?
I just had an epiphany. I was doing stuff with broadcasting toward the end of my college days. It was a good path, but I sat down with myself and thought about how I wanted a job that didn’t feel like work. The only passion I felt toward a job where I would wake up before the alarm clock was football. I wasn’t good enough to go pro so the next thing would be coaching. I figured I came in so young that if it wasn’t for me at 28 or 30 I could still become a businessman.
What do you do with the rare off day?
I have a five-year-old and a two-year-old and I rarely get to see them or my wife so I spend a lot of my free time with them. I enjoy golf but with two kids I don’t get to play it as much as I would like. I don’t like spending a lot of my free time away from my family. I enjoy golf and reading.
How did you end up in Mensa?
I was getting ready to graduate college and my mom suggested it since I was in a bunch of gifted and skilled programs as a kid that I might want to join this group. If I qualified for it it would look good on a resume. I can’t say that it’s helped me in coaching that much. I don’t know how much it applies to coaching. I don’t really do much other than pay my dues.
What is the biggest key to being a successful quarterback?
You have to have “it”. (Texas coach) Mack Brown always talks about “it” from (former Texas coach) Darrell Royal. You just know if a guy has “it”. You can see it. Be it confidence, leadership, decision making skills, playing under pressure.
People say quarterback may be the most important position in sports. Isn’t it also one of the most dependent positions as well?
That’s kind of the beauty of offensive football. I talk to our guys all the time. Nothing in any area of organized sports is as interdependent, even on defense. On defense 10 guys can screw up and one guy can make a great play. On offense 10 guys do the right thing and one guy can screw up and make it a bad play. Offensively all the positions are interdependent. Quarterback is no different.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929, or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-06-09
Tom Herman is the Iowa State offensive coordinator.
File Photo
File Photo
There is more to the Iowa State football program than coach Paul Rhoads and the players in uniform. Assistant coaches can have as much to do with the program’s success as anyone else.
This is the second in a series of interviews throughout the summer with ISU assistant coaches dealing with their lives on and off the field. Offensive coordinator Tom Herman recently chatted with the Tribune about Mensa, the “it” factor with quarterbacks and his family.
Why did you get into coaching?
I just had an epiphany. I was doing stuff with broadcasting toward the end of my college days. It was a good path, but I sat down with myself and thought about how I wanted a job that didn’t feel like work. The only passion I felt toward a job where I would wake up before the alarm clock was football. I wasn’t good enough to go pro so the next thing would be coaching. I figured I came in so young that if it wasn’t for me at 28 or 30 I could still become a businessman.
What do you do with the rare off day?
I have a five-year-old and a two-year-old and I rarely get to see them or my wife so I spend a lot of my free time with them. I enjoy golf but with two kids I don’t get to play it as much as I would like. I don’t like spending a lot of my free time away from my family. I enjoy golf and reading.
How did you end up in Mensa?
I was getting ready to graduate college and my mom suggested it since I was in a bunch of gifted and skilled programs as a kid that I might want to join this group. If I qualified for it it would look good on a resume. I can’t say that it’s helped me in coaching that much. I don’t know how much it applies to coaching. I don’t really do much other than pay my dues.
What is the biggest key to being a successful quarterback?
You have to have “it”. (Texas coach) Mack Brown always talks about “it” from (former Texas coach) Darrell Royal. You just know if a guy has “it”. You can see it. Be it confidence, leadership, decision making skills, playing under pressure.
People say quarterback may be the most important position in sports. Isn’t it also one of the most dependent positions as well?
That’s kind of the beauty of offensive football. I talk to our guys all the time. Nothing in any area of organized sports is as interdependent, even on defense. On defense 10 guys can screw up and one guy can make a great play. On offense 10 guys do the right thing and one guy can screw up and make it a bad play. Offensively all the positions are interdependent. Quarterback is no different.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929, or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
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