Career Record � 681-127
Career Winning PCT. - .843
National Championships - 1
Conference Championships - 15
Bowl Record � 14-5 (.737)
Playoff Record � 39-22 (.639)
Current Teams � Florida St. (Camp), BYU (Leahy), Boston College (Warner), California (Heisman)
The Man
Rob: Let�s start off with a couple of really easy questions: Name? Age?
rc1990: John Geer age 39.
Rob: Where are you from/where do you live now?
rc1990: I was born and raised in a small town in Wisconsin. Lived in Milwaukee for a while after I graduated from college, moved to Tampa for 4 years, then to Chicago for 3, and I now live in the St. Louis metropolitan area. I've moved quite a bit for better job opportunities, but I hope I found a place to settle. So far, I really like St. Louis. I'm a little surprised. I wasn't sure I would, but it's nice. Well...except for Cardinals this and Cardinals that everywhere. Baseball is definitely King in this town.
Rob: Married, single, kids?
rc1990: I'm married and have two boys ages 5 and 6.
Rob: What do you do for work?
rc1990: I'm a Vice President of Information Technology for a fortune 500 company located in St. Louis.
Rob: Favorite activities or Hobbies?
rc1990: As anyone with kids will probably tell you, all their activities have seem to become my hobbies. I help coach some of their sports teams, play catch in the backyard, shoot hoops, etc. I do like to get out and golf every now and then. Although I'm not very good. I believe "bad" would be the word to use. I also play video games to pass whatever small amount of free time I have. The sad part is I used to think I was pretty good, but my 5 year old can beat me straight up on some games. It's a tad embarrassing.
Rob: What are some of your favorite movies/actors
rc1990: I'm a big fan of Robert Deniro and Samuel L. Jackson. Mike Myers and Chris Farley always get me laughing. As far as favorite movies, there a lot. Spiderman 2 would be one...well only because I was an extra in that one. The movie itself wasn't that good though. What type of movie I like usually depends what mood I'm in. A good comedy is always welcome though. I have a cynical sense of humor, so I like the movies like Airplane!, Naked Gun, etc. "Surely you must be kidding." "I'm not kidding and stop calling me Shirley." Just something classic about that.
Rob: You named some great actors here. You're a big fan of Robert Deniro, Samuel L. Jackson, Mike Myers, Chris Farley. Deniro has a great sense of humor. He and Samuel L. Jackson can be two of the most intimidating actors in movies. Do you prefer them for their tough guy attitude or when they are in more humorous roles?
rc1990: I�d have to say the tough guy roles. They�re generally good when they do one or the other, but then they try to do a movie with both. "Analyze That"? C'mon...DeNiro couldn't be hurting for money that much, could he?
Rob: If you could insert yourself into a TV show what would it be?
rc1990: have never really thought about it. I guess I�d like to be a contestant on the price is right. There are some good prizes, and I�d get to spin that big wheel. That show always cracked me up; it's essentially an hour long commercial.
Rob: Favorite food?
rc1990: Overall I'd have to say Italian. My wife makes Penne Rustica just like they do at Macaroni Grill. That stuff is awesome and a heart attack waiting to happen.
Rob: Favorite sports figures?
rc1990: I grew up idolizing Dr. J. That guy was amazing. Larry Bird was a favorite of mine as well. Here's a guy who was horrible athletically (relative to every other NBAer), couldn't jump and awfully darn slow, but man...he could shoot the lights out. Incredible work ethic. He's a guy who you can reference when telling your kids about the benefits of persistence and work ethic. I was also always a big fan of Ray Nitschke (even though he was really before my time). No one looked the part of a linebacker more than he did. With the current players I'd have to say Brett Favre. I'm really glad he dicided to come back..
Rob: Favorite sports teams? Pro - College
rc1990: College - Wisconsin Badgers and Florida Gators. Pro - Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Bulls. I picked up a team pretty much everywhere I've lived. Doubt I'll pick one up here in STL, but friends, neighbors and the people I work with keep trying to swing me over to the Cardinals side.
Rob: If you could have been a professional Athlete in anyone sport. What would it be and what position?
rc1990: well, with my athletic ability, the best I could ever do was play DIII tennis and basketball. That being said, if could have been anything I wanted, I'd have to say QB of the Green Bay Packers.
Rob: Has Peyton Manning now fulfilled his destiny or does he still need to prove himself?
rc1990: I don't think he needs to prove anything. I don't think he needed to prove anything even before getting to the Super Bowl. It will definitely be easier for him in dealing with the media. Look at what happened to Dan Marino. One of the best QBs ever, and he always has that big "BUT" that comes after. "He's one of the best ever, BUT he never won a Super Bowl". It's a shame too, he was awesome. Football is such a team sport. No one player can win or lose a championship. Just ask Peyton's Dad.
Rob: How did you find out about the WIS website?
rc1990: To be honest, I can't really remember. It was a link on another site I think. Saw it and decided to give it a go at my Alma Mater in Leahy. They were a horrible team, and my recruiting that first season sucked.
Rob: How did you come up with your user name?
rc1990: Not very creative actually. RC for Ripon College (my alma mater) and 1990 is the year I graduated.
Rob: Do you play any other WIS games? If yes, which ones?
rc1990: I played HD for 2 seasons. I didn't really like it very much, so I haven't continued. I also just got in a HBD league Plague started up with a lot of seasoned GD coaches. It's definitely taking up my time now. I've somewhat neglected my GD responsibilities, and it's showed in some recent game results.
Rob: Do you have any other WIS IDs that you use? If so, how did you come up with the name?
rc1990: No other ids. Although my wife created "screwu" when WIS required her to have a userid to get me a gift certificate, so if you ever see "screwu" in your conference, you'll know it's me.
Rob: I know you have many great accomplishments but do you have a favorite GD moment?
rc1990: I'd have to say winning my lone national championship. I remember looking at the score on my blackberry while coaching first base at my kids� baseball game. I beat Jeff/Jayhawk to win it, and he's owned me ever since.
Rob: How many worlds are you in? Do you have a favorite World or team?
rc1990: I'm currently in 4 worlds, although I might drop one or two depending on whether or not I get into HBD. My favorite world would have to be Leahy. That was where I started. I now have quite a challenge there as well. Just took the BYU job. It's going to be a big-time project. It's amazing how 24 straight SIM coached seasons can really hurt the talent on a team. My favorite team is probably BC in Warner.
Rob: What do look for when applying for new teams?
rc1990: Nothing really anymore. In the past I'd look for solid RBs, an OL and DL that were fairly decent and the more open schollies in the first 2 seasons the better. Now it's more of who is in the conference. I look for other coaches I know will provide a challenge who are good guys.
Rob: Do look to run all their teams the same way, or do you run each one differently?
rc1990: Somewhat the same way. I use both Wishbone and ND Box as my primary offenses to run and Trips to pass. However, I'll use any formation (practiced or not) on both offense and defense. I haven't really seen a big impact of running a set that isn't practiced. You may get 1 or 2 penalties more per game, but the benefit of being able to throw anything into a game plan, to me outweighs the negatives of the couple penalties.
Rob: Any tips on recruiting?
rc1990: Nothing more than what everyone has seen already. Fill all your schollies, don't be afraid to recruit long distance even at the lower levels, pick your battles wisely and go into any battles with a budget for the player. Don't spend like a drunken sailor unless you go in wanting to spend like one. If you plan on doing something like that, get a backup lined up in case you lose the battle. Don't be afraid to back off a guy if you reach your budgeted amount for him.
Rob: How about advanced settings tips?
rc1990: I set my effectiveness ratings at 80% or higher. It all depends on what formation, quality of depth, stamina, etc. I know jconte said in some dev chat he thought it was nuts people set them that high, but I have RBs set at 95% in the wishbone (with 6 on my roster) and not everyone will get in the game. As far as distribution goes, I'll try to ride my best RBs and distribute the ball when passing. Never have your QB run the ball. I always set his distribution to 0.
Rob: Tips on practice time?
rc1990: I have mine set up for 20 minutes for my primary defense and running offense, 15 minutes for my primary passing offense and defense and 15 for ST. However, I do think it's overrated. Like I stated before, I'll run any set whether I've practiced it or not, and I haven't seen much, if any, negative impact.
Rob: Aggressiveness settings?
rc1990: On offense, I'll use anything depending on the situation and personnel, however mostly aggressive when running and conservative passing. On defense either conservative or aggressive for the same reasons. I'll never use very conservative defensive settings again. Every time I have, I've been completely torched.
Rob: What teams in your opinion are the most successful on offense...All pass, all run, or balanced. Why?
rc1990: I've always had success running the ball. I agree with what others have stated, you need to be able to run the ball in DIA to be successful.
Rob: Do you find it tougher to play against a team that passes all the time, Runs all the time, or just mixes it up.
rc1990: I don't think any are tougher than the others to play against. Those that mix things up make it tougher to game plan against, but not tougher to play. However, there isn't anything more frustrating than knowing exactly what someone is going to do and not being able to stop it.
Rob: Does Defense really matter or is it just about Offense?
rc1990: Defense does matter. The game is definitely offense biased, but a good defense can at least slow down a good offense.
Rob: What is the most important position on a team?
rc1990: . On offense definitely RBs and OLs. On defense without a doubt DLs. RBs and OLs, as I stated in D1A you need to be able to run the ball. DLs on defense, as most coaches are run oriented. In a dev chat, it was stated the way the SIM determines who makes the tackle is it first looks at DLs, then if they don't make the tackle then LBs followed by DBs. Given the run oriented nature of this game, if you have good DLs, it will cut down on the LBs and DBs impact in a game.
Rob: Do you feel the game is changing and have you had to alter the way you play the game?
rc1990: Since the defensive settings update, I don't think things are changing much, if at all.
Rob: I consider you one of the top coaches and you have given me some sound advice. Has anyone given you some new or interesting advice concerning the game recently that you have adapted into your game?
rc1990: I've received advice from quite a few coaches, and I really appreciate people taking the time and willing sharing. The most help I've received throughout my GD career has been from wod_row. When I started, I was delusional thinking I knew what was going on. After 2 preseason blowouts, I sought out wod_row and asked for advice. I'll never forget his first sitemail back to me: "Sure. I'll be more than happy to help. You pass too much." LOL. He created a monster. I remember one season at DIII Concordia in Camp I threw a total of 21 passes all season. Deandg is another that has offered up a lot of advice over the many seasons.
Rob: One coach that you would want to coach your team in a Championship game?
rc1990: This is a tough one. There are a lot of coaches I'd let coach for me. There are so many better coaches than me anyone of them would be fine. If I had to pick one though, I'll say jeffkahleb/34jayhawk.
Rob: One coach you find most difficult to coach against?
rc1990: without a doubt, plague. I have yet to beat him. I�m something 0-10 against him. He always seems to find a way to win. I�ll never forget one game we played where he completed an 11 yard pass to an OL on 4th & 10 to come from behind in the 4th to beat me.
Rob: Whom do you consider the top 5 coaches in the game?
rc1990: Loaded question here. I will undoubtedly leave some very good coaches off the list, but right now, in no particular order: cravedogg, carpediem33, chgunnz(s), jay/jeff and showrunner. (Honorary mention to mjmage, alvarado, captb71 and wod_row).
I will also offer up a list of coaches I think are top notch that fly under the radar but deserve to be any conversation on the topic of best coaches (you could call this your most underrated list): ttnorm, tcmac08, blackjesus9, rlahann and colson55555.
Two of the best "retired" coaches go to: deandg (you never knew what was coming when you played him) and duhbroncos (what he did at Oregon in Leahy in such a crappy recruiting location is amazing).
Rob: Favorite Level that you have played at?
rc1990: I like DIA as it offers the chance to go up against some of the games best coaches, but overall I like DIAA the best. I like the playoffs, and the chance to pull in a sleeper DIA caliber guy that can make a huge difference for your team.
Rob: Should the NCAA go to a Playoff in D1A?
rc1990: I think they should, but I doubt it will ever happen. I did find it funny this season, as the BCS commissioner said he had never seen such excitement throughout a season with it's playoff like atmosphere ever week. Uh...dude...you can have a playoff atmosphere every season if you just had a playoff.
Rob: Should WIS convert or create a world that has a D1A playoff system?
rc1990: if the NCAA does it, then they should do it. If someone wants the playoffs, let them stay in DIAA. However, I do think WIS needs to address a couple things if they stay with the bowls: a) don't scale down reward points at DIAA and b) fix the polls.
Rob: Should WIS create NFL world?
rc1990: I think it would be fun, but I would question the value of it from a business perspective. 32 teams at $10.95 per season doesn't seem like it would cover the cost of development and maintenance of the system.
Rob: Should WIS get rid of the firing system or does it just need to fine-tune it?
rc1990: I think they just need to fine-tune it. There is merit in the firing system to get coaches that don't deserve to be at a level out, and to give other coaches a chance. The problem is there are too many SIMs at DIA right now. Sure, the SIMs make your overall record look great, but is it really worth $10.95 to play 11 SIMs in a season? The other issue I have is I think their expectations are set too high. I went 13-1 at Florida State last season in Camp (best ever at FSU in that world), won my level 4 bowl and dropped to 'in jeopardy'. I also see a lot of coaches build up a team only to get fired for going 10-4. Those types of guys should stay and a lower turnover makes it more enjoyable. You make friends and create rivalries if you're in a conference a long time with someone.
Rob: �The Last Word� rc1990 has become a good friend of mine in the world of GD. He is a tough competitor and a great recruiter. I know first hand taking over a team that John has developed for a couple seasons is very rewarding and fun to manage. John sends me his recruiting recap after every class. He gives a great breakdown of each recruit and adds a nice touch of humor by giving each player a unique nickname.
John, I want to thank you for being so candid and taking the time.
Rob
