Football welcomes new assistants
Campus Times
October 1, 1999
The 1999 La Verne football campaign is going well. The team is 2-0,
and has outscored its opponents 80-3. With such tremendous success on the
field, it is easy to overlook the fact that on the sidelines, five new coaches
are helping to steer this team toward its goals.
Head coach Don Morel has not only stocked his player roster with talent,
but buttressed his coaching staff as well.
"I feel that this is the strongest football coaching staff, overall,
in all of my 29 years here at the University," said Athletic Director
Jim Paschal.
The new coaches bring with them collegiate and international coaching
experience, playing experience at ULV and two Super Bowl rings.
Lionel Manuel, Jr., the new safeties coach, played collegiately at the
University of the Pacific before being drafted by the New York Giants in
1984. He played in New York from 1984 to 1991, winning two Super Bowls in
the process. The secondary is listening to his coaching, and that is reflected
by its success.
"The secondary's doing well," said Manuel. "We're going
to make good plays, and we're going to make bad plays. But we're coming
together as a unit. I like to call them the 'Killer Bees.' They put a sting
to you."
Mike Gutelius, a graduate assistant working on his master's in education,
joins the Leopards as defensive line coach. Entering his eighth year of
coaching, Gutelius was the defensive coordinator at Saint Norbert's College,
in Green Bay, Wis., and also coached at Catholic University in Washington,
D.C. He describes the defensive line's performance thus far as "above
average."
"They are playing with a very high effort level," said Gutelius.
"We need to refine our techniques to dominate, and we still need to
put a whole ball game together, but they are making some very good plays."
Co-defensive coordinator Gary Spielbuehler has joined the staff for
the 1999 campaign. He has previously coached at Glendale Junior College,
was defensive coordinator at Citrus College and served as defensive line
coach at Cal State Fullerton. Additionally, Spielbuehler briefly coached
the Cologne American Football Team in Cologne, Germany.
"It was a great situation. It was a whole new culture for me that
could only be experienced fully by living there," said Spielbuehler.
"The fans were rowdy and loud. They didn't always know when to cheer,
but they made a lot of noise."
He has enjoyed his experience at La Verne thus far and is pleased that
his defense has conceded three points in two games. He also said there is
room for improvement.
Sky Kitaoka, a sophomore special teams member, said, "Coach Spielbuehler
is very good with drills and footwork. He has made me a better skills player."
After a two-year hiatus, Jim Langley is once again a La Verne football
coach. He previously coached with the Leopards from 1991 through 1996. A
1985 ULV graduate and four-year starter for the football team, he knows
the conference inside and out. Langley earned Educator of the Year honors
twice at Pasadena High School.
Coaches' assistant Dan Honaker is gaining his first collegiate coaching
experience at ULV. He earned his bachelor's from Chico State in physical
education and is currently helping the team break down film and analyze
formations.
"This is a great experience for me," Honaker said. "We're
working hard to have a positive year."
With five new faces on the coaching staff, some may expect a difficult
period of transition for the team. It seems that this will not be the case
for La Verne.
"This is a very positive environment," said Honaker. "Don's
a great guy, and all the coaches are working well together."
William Kwon, a senior running back, said, "The fact is that we
have a very good coaching staff with a vast amount of knowledge."