Although many students anticipate the football weather, environment, and the quarter in general, the coaches and staff enjoy the offseason with family and vacations, taking advantage of a well-deserved break from work. Although the work never really goes away.
Coach William John Plemons has been coaching at Cal Poly for the past six years. He started as a defensive football coach, then was promoted to the Assistant Head Coach in February of 2023.
Plemons has four kids, one of them is a Cal Poly student and football athlete, William Jr. He talks about how important quality time with his family is, but how he spends more time with his son during the season. " He's our guy, I see him more during the season than off the season, during the offseason, it's mostly only holidays."
As good as vacation and time off are, the work never stops. Some football coaches, if not all, meet through their break to start talking about the next season, what could be improved, and what's going on to make them better than the year before.
Right before the season is the most important part to be ready for the regular season. This includes scouting, traveling everywhere to pick the best players for the Football team. "We've been going to their schools, going to their homes, having dinner, talking to their families, and meeting each other."
Then it continues with transporting the students and families to the Campus itself to meet and learn about how it would work being a part of the team and the school.
Although a lot of work, a lot of the staff have been working together for a long time, which creates a bond that helps build trust and respect, knowing that the move they are making counts. " You earn respect, so when you're doing all this game planning, they can trust your choice of actions."
Cal Poly football isn't the only program that has staff working during the break. According to the article "What a College Football Coach Deals with in the Offseason" by Michael Felder, "The coaches have to balance family time with job obligations, recruiting, and of course, a lot of praying." Every coach is working with recruiting players during the offseason, and it takes more work and time. Although vacation during the offseason, the work never stops.