*Editor's note: This article was written by high school journalists attending Ball State Journalism Workshops. Bryant attends Perry Meridian High School, and Hunter is a student at Carmel High School.
Brian Etelman is looking for winners.
“Someone who never settles, is self driven and self motivated.”
This is the premise of Etelman's coaching style and what he has tried to implement as he heads into his second season as Ball State's cross country and track and field coach.
It has been an uphill climb for the Cardinals, as they finished last in the MAC in both the cross country and track championship meets last season.
However, for the first time in three years, the team had a medalist in track — a bronze in high jump for freshman Regan Lewis. Athletes who had never scored a point in their collegiate career were scoring points. At the outdoor track meet, the team's overall score was greater than their scores for the past three years combined.
He expects coaching and recruiting will help bring small improvements as soon as next year.
“This time next year, I think we’ll certainly have a couple [athletes competing in nationals] with some of the incoming kids that we have. … We have some returners who I think are going to do a good job for us too,” he said.
The key? A team-wide “change of culture,” Etelman said.
Sitting in the house of a potential prospect, he observes the mannerisms portrayed in simple conversation. Does she speak for herself? Are the parents overbearing, indifferent?
Next, does she ask questions? Sitting in front of her potential coach, side by side with her parents, does she step up and ask him, “What can I do? When would you like me to do it, and how?” Or does she tell him what she wants to do and how she wants to do it.
These are all things Etelman has to consider in the first meeting with a prospect.
Etelman called the recruiting process the most strenuous part of his job, but also one that will pay off. He continued to praise the incoming recruit class and stressed his optimism, saying, “We can only go up from here.”
A few months before graduating high school, Etelman had aspirations of playing college basketball, but he decided to pick up track before finishing high school. Being a collegiate track coach was nowhere on his radar of potential career choices.
“I wasn’t really intending on ever getting into it in the first place,” he said. After starting track, Etelman’s focus shifted from basketball to running. He accepted an offer to run track in college at Division II Clayton State, later transferring to Georgia, where he was an All-American sprinter.
He coached in his home state of Georgia, at Missouri and at Miami of Ohio before coming to Ball State in June 2015.
Now, a large part of his job is trying to convince others to come to Muncie.
“I want us to be a serious contender,” he said. “I want to be winning championships.”
He uses his own self-driven personality to motivate his players.
“I just try to set the goals really high for these kids,” he said. “We’re going to rise and fall together.”
He also tries to instill confidence in his athletes.
“If you don’t think that you could be successful at any level, I don’t know why I would want to coach you,” he said.
Etelman said his plan will probably take five to seven years to fully pan out, with the desired result being multiple championships for Ball State. He said he wants the Cardinals to be a consistent contender in the MAC and to be able to look back after reaching his goal and see a “complete 180” in comparison to where the team is now.
Despite lacking the large market or rich history that some athletes desire when choosing a school, Etelman’s recruiting mentality brings in people who he hopes will help the team improve, taking athletes with passion over those who may have more talent but a smaller desire for winning.
“I can appreciate a kid who’s maybe not there talent-wise,” he said, “so I will default to someone who’s really driven.”
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