The Daily News is introducing you to lesser-known players and coaches on the Ball State football team this spring. Check back until the Spring Game on April 20 for interviews with different players and coaches. Today’s edition features defensive line coach Chad Wilt. Wilt is from Carlisle, Pa., and graduated from Taylor University in 2000. He is in his third season as a coach for Ball State.
Q: What’s one thing about you that a lot of people don’t know?
A: I love to run. I’ve been training for the past couple years and done the Indy half-marathon. I love to mountain bike too. If it’s outdoors and active, I’m probably going to be all for it.
Q: What was your best time?
A: Last year, I ran the Indy half-marathon in a little over one hour and 50 minutes, so under two hours.
Q: After a long run, what’s the first thing you go to for food?
A: If it’s a really good run, I’m going to try to stay healthy. I love fruits, fresh fruits and some yogurt. If my inner fat kid wants to come out, which he certainly comes out too often, give me a good steak dinner down at St. Elmos. I love St. Elmos. I love seafood. Salmons, shrimps crabs. It’s hard for me to choose one. I do love food.
Q: Have you had the shrimp cocktail from St. Elmos?
A: Absolutely. It’ll clear your sinuses right up. I love the shrimp cocktail. I was down there a couple weeks ago and I had that.
Q: In your coaching career, who has been the most difficult player to gameplan against?
A: Devin Hester. When I was a grad assistant at Virginia, we played Miami when Devin Hester was there and he was special. He could do it all. Run it, catch it, return it. He was certainly a guy who you had to always know where he was. In 2009, I coached against CJ Spiller from Clemson. Phenomenal player. Phenomenal. Kind of the same guy. Speed, power, make you miss in the open field in the return. Another guy who just did it all. We [Ball State] didn’t have to see Sammy Watkins this year when we played Clemson. Another one would be Ryan Broyles from Oklahoma. We played Oklahoma two years ago. He’d be the third guy. These guys are special players.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about coaching?
A: Relationships with the players. Spending time with them, at numerous levels, seeing them get it. Whether it’s the schemes, whether it’s the techniques or for them to see what life is about, what the future could be for them. Seeing them grow up and mature. Nick Miles is going to be going into his third year with us. The maturation process that Nick has gone through in his three years with us, that’s the most rewarding part.
Q: What’s the thing that makes you the maddest as a coach?
A: When players don’t play hard. A guy that’s going through the motions. And that could be in individual skill development, it could be in a scrimmage situation or it could be in a game. When you just say “Man. He’s not playing hard.“ Everybody is going to make a mental mistake. Everybody’s going to screw up an assignment. That doesn’t mean it’s acceptable, but that’s going to happen. The thing that you do control is your effort.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not coaching?
A: I love to read. I like spy novels, espionage, stuff like that. I like some personal development things too, leadership, spiritual improvement books. A variety of books.
