Career Record � 334 - 67
Career Winning PCT. - .833
National Championships - 0
Conference Championships - 9
Bowl Record and winning pct � 13 - 3 (.813)
Playoff Record and winning pct � 9 � 8 (.529)
Current Teams � Florida (Bryant), Delaware Valley State (Leahy)
J3K: Is it safe to assume you�re an avid tea drinker?
ST: Hah, I like tea I guess, but the name actually comes from when I signed up for WhatIf, to play in a Spring Training baseball league, and the rest is history.
J3K: Well if anyone asks me, I�ll tell them you�re a big Earl Grey fan, hence the user name.
Age � 30
Born/raised � born and raised in Connecticut. Attended Middlebury College in Vermont, and law school in Boston.
Current location � Boston, MA
J3K: Seems like you enjoy the NE! I�ve never visited the area but I definitely wouldn�t mind. I�ve already been to three corners of the U.S., so I might as well hit the fourth!
ST: I love New England, definitely worth a visit, especially Boston! My fianc� spent a lot of time in San Diego so she is pushing me to move out there, but I don�t think I can do it!
Occupation � Attorney
J3K: Now that�s an occupation I wouldn�t have guessed in a million years, especially coming from that area, lol! My cousin recently graduated from law school in Boston after getting her bachelor�s here in Portland. How long have you been an attorney? I would imagine the profession can weigh a little more on the conscience than some jobs.
ST: Oh yeah, where did she go to school? I have been an attorney a little over 3 years. At times I guess it can tax the conscience, although that probably applies more to criminal attorneys, which I am not. I am careful to perform my work ethically, and other than that it is just a job like any other.
J3K: She attended the University of Portland before going to University of Boston. It seems you�ve got the right frame of mind to be in your profession; there�s too many questionable characters with Difong (Duke Lacrosse incident) being a shining recent example.
Girlfriend/wife? Engaged to be married
Kids? Not yet, but we plan on having a couple.
J3K: Congrats on the engagement. My wife of nearly two years and I didn�t necessarily plan on having our son, but now that he�s almost two we�re planning on having one more. It�s hard to find anything more rewarding than watching our son grow and learn every day.
ST: Sounds like you have a great and potentially growing family!
J3K: I�d like to think so! Having a family was always one thing I looked forward to and I enjoy every bottle filling, diaper changing minute of it.
Hobbies �
ST: Pearl Jam. I try and see as many shows as possible when they are touring both in the US and overseas. I also play the guitar.
J3K: Overseas, huh? What�s the furthest you�ve traveled to catch a Pearl Jam concert?
ST: Australia and New Zealand would be the furthest. I spent 6 months backpacking there after college and made sure I timed it so that PJ would be headed down while I was there. I have also seen them many times in Europe and throughout the US and Canada. I have several friends and family who tour with me (and now my fianc� as well), and we have a blast. It�s a good excuse to travel and we couple it with great music. I am passionate about music, not just PJ.
J3K: I remember when �Ten� came out and thought it was a great album. �Vs� was another album I enjoyed but I stopped listening to Pearl Jam shortly after �Vitalogy�.
ST: Sports, especially NCAA lacrosse, and I also closely follow the NFL, NCAA hoops/football, MLB, and international soccer.
J3K: Let�s lead off with a hot topic. What are your thoughts on the Duke LAX program and how they�ve handled their situation from last year?
ST: I know several people who are close to the situation and it was devastating on the guys, but they have rallied well and thankfully the public perception has turned in their favor. The 3 accused have amazing family support and will come out of this stronger young men. As a fellow attorney, I despise District Attorney Difong for what I consider to serious ethical violations. We�ll see what happens.
J3K: I was only as informed as much as Sportscenter could inform me in regards to the situation, which isn�t saying much at all. I definitely feel bad for the guys that are having to go through the whole situation but it made me wonder just how much had been going on and for how long, you know?
J3K: Shifting elsewhere, are you a regional fan or do you have favorites outside of the area? You know, in case you get tired of the Pats, Sox , and UConn men�s/women�s basketball teams doing well�
ST: My fandom is a bit schizophrenic. I am a huge Washington Redskins fan, UConn men�s hoops fan, Yankees fan, Notre Dame football fan, and Middlebury lacrosse fan. My father is a huge Yanks fan and went to ND, that is where those come from. I became a Skins fan in 82 when I was six years old and they won the Super Bowl. And I played lax at Middlebury. I HATE the Red Sox and the Pats, which is interesting when you live in Boston, haha. The last several years have been rough!
J3K: Oh man, I don�t see how you could walk the streets on a daily basis, lol! I�m sure you had plenty to celebrate during this past NFL season watching the Colts do their thing. I guess I can forgive you for being a Yanks fan (I�m from Georgia so I�m a Braves fan) on the basis that we both hate the Pats and Sox.
J3K: One last question before we move on � what do you think of David Beckham landing in MLS? I personally think his name alone should help increase exposure for MLS and hopefully will lead to more international talent heading over to this side of the pond.
ST: I actually don�t think it will have a big impact, unfortunately. Many people will go see him play one time but I don�t think it will lead to an increased fan base. He is an aging star, who frankly won�t even be one of the 3 best players on his own MLS team!
J3K: Yeah, I�m not a big soccer fan by any means but I majored in business so I naturally get intrigued by the business impact a guy like Beckham could bring to the league. He�s definitely in the twilight of his career, but you�d be hard-pressed to believe that if you only looked at the contract he signed!
ST: Obviously Whatif, or as Stephanie (my fianc�) calls it, �an invention of the Anti-Christ.�
J3K: Lol, that�s a little harsher than my wife. She usually just gives me a very pronounced eye-roll, especially when I tell her about recruits that I�m close to locking up or a big win I just had.
ST: Others � I read a lot (especially fantasy novels i.e. Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, Terry Goodkind, Terry Brooks, etc.), personal fitness, and golf.
J3K: I keep telling myself to read more but procrastination is winning that battle. I think I�ll try again tomorrow.
ST: I hear ya. It�s tough to focus on reading sometimes but once you start, you can�t stop. Try reading Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, you�ll get hooked!
J3K: I�ve got some kids books to return to the library so I might just check that out. The last book I read was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and I breezed through that book in just a few sittings.
J3K: How�s your golf game? I�ll hit the driving range with my dad but I don�t think I�d survive even 9 holes. I get frustrated enough playing Tiger Woods on the PS2 and I can always hit reset on that.
ST: I�m decent (currently an 8 handicap) but don�t play as much as I�d like. I broke my thumb last summer so I missed almost the entire golf season, which really sucked.
J3K: I�ll try to get out there this summer and play a few rounds. I consider myself to be a patient person, but golf definitely tests that patience.
J3K: Ok, time for my favorite part of every GD Interview as a reader. Let's talk about GD strategy.
J3K: You mentioned your first exposure to WIS was a Spring Training Baseball league. What led to you opening Pandora's Box, er, checking out Gridiron Dynasty?
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ST: A buddy of mine set up a Spring Training League, he invited me to play, I tried and it and loved it, and moved on to Sim Baseball.� I played for a while and did really well, but as soon as they announced HD and then GD, I moved on to that....
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J3K: Are you active in any other WIS games?
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ST: Yes, I am currently the coach at Syracuse in Smith in HD.� I quit playing Sim Baseball, it became to formulaic based on whatever stat the SIM happened to be overvaluing at the time.� I will eventually get into HBD.� �
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J3K: I plan on getting into HD as soon as I get a good grasp of GD. And at the rate I'm going, that may take a while, lol!
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J3K: In comparing the various WIS games that you've played, give me a top 5 list of features you'd like to see integrated into GD.
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ST: Playoffs at the DI-A level.� With only 2 out of conference games, its hard to create�a situation where the best teams play for the title every year.��
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ST: Improvement of SIM AI.� In HD a SIM AI team can beat you, in GD its a near impossibility.�
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ST: Lessening of Home Field Advantage.� Or at least put it on a sliding scale like HD, which uses an F to A+ rating.� I also would like the IQs to be on a sliding F to A+ scale like in HD.
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ST: Self scheduling.� I like being able to schedule my out of conference games in HD
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ST: Evolution.� This game has been stuck in neutral for way too long, time for some upgrades in the game play.� HD has many more updates.� �
J3K: Sounds strangely familiar with what a lot of other GD coaches seem to say. I wonder if the development team can hear the chatter�
J3K: In winning over 80% of the games you've played both in the regular season and post season, what do you attribute the most to your success? Good recruiting, good game planning, good luck?
ST: I have a fairly definitive system which I use for each team.� I feel as though I figured this game out to a degree in about Season 6 or 7 of Bryant.��
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J3K: Let's take a minute for some shout outs. Any fellow coaches you'd like to recognize who helped show you the ropes?
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ST: I haven't really had any coaches "show me the ropes" per say,�through sitemail or anything. Very rarely I will ask another coach a question if I notice he is doing something different.� An example, I asked carpediem a few weeks ago about his use of a full time blocking back.�� I think because I joined in Season 1, I have sort of built my own system.� However, while I�may not ask for advice, I do study the rosters of a few�other coaches (see below) to get some pointers.
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J3K: Care to share any techniques you've learned over time that helps you effectively land recruits? For example, at the DIII level you can typically get a recruit go from 'undecided' to 'considering only us' with a package of 3 HC and AC scouts.
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ST: Hmmmm, I would say I am an aggressive recruiter.� I like to establish myself in the early sessions.� And then if someone wants to battle me, they know what they are up against.
ST: I treat recruiting as though I were a GM of a baseball team, I follow the "moneyball" philosophy, in that I try and get guys for the best VALUE.� I rarely involve myself in recruiting battles, but when I do I know I will win because I have generally banked massive amounts of money.� An example would be, if the #2 OL is near me, but I know that there will be a big battle for him, but the #21 OL is equally close, and almost as good, I will bypass the #2 OL, let the others blow their cash on him and sign the #21 OL on the cheap.� That way in a future season, if there is a guy at a position I MUST have, I know I will have more money in the bank than my competition.
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J3K: Those are definitely sound words of wisdom that is echoed by many coaches in GD. I've even found myself starting to tell newer coaches the same thing and giving this example a thousand times over - every recruiting season I see plenty of second and third option guys on my watch list that go 'undecided' well into the signing period, and I see first option guys get fought over. At the end of the day, those second and third option guys might be slightly worse, but knowing how to pick battles is an essential part of recruiting.
ST: I also think it is very important to talk to other coaches�in your area and�negotiate recruits before wasting unneeded money in battles.� I am willing to share my recruiting list with virtually anyone, I have yet to find a negative to this strategy.
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ST: Finally, if I need an extra recruit, I will look in the area and find the coach involved in the most battles, and go after one of his�guys because I�assume his bank is strained.� �
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ST: My system�involves both what I look for in a�recruit and how I game plan.� I am not a spread sheet guy, and I don't write things down, so I might not put as much research into things as others, but I know what type of player I want at each position, and how they will fit into my daily game plan.��
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J3K: I'm a spreadsheet guy myself, and I'm a big fan of what cribbsstyle has to offer with his workbooks. If anything, I find it saves me a ton of time that I would normally spend ranking recruits and evaluating depth at positions. One thing I've noticed is that there are a lot of successful coaches that eyeball talent just as easily as I pull data.
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J3K: Again, care to share some insight on what to look for at the various field positions? I think coaches can get a huge head start by reading the GD Compass thread, but there seems to be some unknowns that make a world of difference between a 10 game winner and a CC/playoff team. As a veteran coach, what secondary attributes do you see that a new coach might not pay attention to?
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ST: I generally have great success with my TEs, and I attribute that to my over emphasis on Game Instinct for them.� In a running set, at TE with a high GI will find openings from which the QB can find him.�
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ST: WRs are my lowest priority at all times, I can generally find very solid mid-level WRs and fill my roster with those guys and still have one of the best passing attacks in the country without having to battle over big time recruits.�
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ST: I am recently of the school of thinking that Strength is the #1 priority for running backs.� Strength can override everything else, and give you that extra yard or two.�
ST: On defense, I firmly believe you need at least 2 elite DBs on your roster at any given time to be competitive against the top teams.� Also, I recruit LBs for my different sets, slower/stronger/tackling LBs for my running defense (4-4), high Game Instinct LBs for my "in-between" defense (4-3), and fast, athletic LBs with good hands for my pass defense (Nickel). �
ST: The other major factor is depth charts and distribution, again I have a pretty steady system, but I tweak it for each game depending on what I see in my opponent.
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J3K: Here's a good question I see asked on the forums every now and then. What are your thoughts on having a pure blocking back in running sets? Is one worth the roster spot for a running team?
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ST: This is something I am currently researching after watching carpediem use it in Bryant.� I personally do not think its worth it at this point, because, as soon as the #1 RB comes out, the "blocking back", moves up to RB #1 and he will be useless at that point.� I could be wrong though and I am still looking into it!
ST: With regards to game planning, I am generally willing to take big chances in the first half of games, because I know I will be able to adjust at half time, even if I am down by a considerable amount.� The SIM seems to have a way of working itself out, for better or for worse.� 4 of my biggest wins in this game were comebacks of more than 24 pts in the second half.� I almost treat the first half as a scrimmage a lot of times.� Sometimes what I do works, sometimes I have to adjust, but at that point I know what I am up against, and no matter what the score is, I feel I can win the second half.�
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J3K: I think this is indicative of how good of a game planner you are.
Say you're down 10 points at the half against a so-so coach. Give us some insight on how a veteran rips that opposing coach's heart out by engineering a second half rally that turns that 10 point deficit into a 17 point win.
ST: Change up my depth charts at half to get the freshest guys in the most important spots.� Say they are running a lot more than expected and I had to be in the 4-4�most of the 1st half.� I will bring my DLs from the Nickel set and move them to the 4-4 for the second half so I have fresh players out there.� This of course, assumes you have a deep team, which is essential.
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ST: There is a good chance against a so-so coach that I haven't shown him one of my offensive sets yet.� Sometimes I hold off on introducing the Pro-Set, which if used correctly can be devastating.� If I am down 10 points, I will probably break it out, and they won't be prepared, and will basically have to guess at whether I will run/pass or both.� And at that point I have them.�
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ST: Find out what was working and stick with it!� Just because you are losing at half time, even by 20+ points, doesn't mean you have to get pass happy and aggressive.� If I think I will eventually wear down his DL, I will continue to pound the ball.�
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ST: If I am losing, I put a LOT of emphasis into my opponents 1st possession of the second half.� Study their tendencies in prior games, and figure out what they like to do with�a lead.� If you can stop them on that first possession, you should be in great shape the rest of the half.�
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ST: I also monitor what the other very successful coaches are doing with their rosters, and try to mimic them in certain areas if I see they are doing something that works, that I am not doing.� �
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J3K: Off the top of your head, give me a handful of coaches that helped add a new wrinkle to your personal coaching strategies throughout the seasons.
ST: Deandg- he is the best coach in this game by FAR.� I always took the time to look at his rosters and figure out what he was doing that I wasn't and adjust accordingly.�
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ST: I also monitor ddingo, plague, and carpediem to see what they are doing.�� There are some other great coaches (i.e. tommy_cian, bronco2rings, showrunner�and my Byrant SEC�conference mates, etc..)�too, but currently, those are the 3�guys I watch.
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ST: Overall, and I know this is a sticky subject, but I would say 90% of the "successful" coaches in this game are bogus.� They built their teams by cherry picking, or beating up on SIMs early in the game.� Success breeds success in this game, because of recruiting advantages etc....so I really don't care what people's overall records are, or how many titles they have.� I want to see how they got there.� The above guys I named are proven winners.
J3K: Great stuff! Let's end the interview with these two questions:
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J3K: Give me a surprise pick for a coach you would want guiding your team to a NC.
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ST: Surprise pick, hmmmmm, if I had to pick one coach it would definitely be Deandg, if I had to pick a surprise it would be a guy rebelrooter, he is newer to the game and I don't think he participates on the Forums or conference chat boards, but he is building powerhouses at the D3 level in three worlds, King's (Leahy), Williams (Bryant), Averett (Warner), definitely a rising star in this game.� Check him out.
J3K: antonsirius vs snake_p in a barehanded fight to the death - who do you put your money on?
ST: I don't pay attention to snake_p and antonsirius on the boards, don't have the time for that crap!
J3K: As Porky Pig would say, �That�s all folks!�
