Well traveled Podzimek ready to lead

Jeff Podzimek has a lot of experience coaching football at the collegiate level. But now, he is hoping his next stop comes as the head coach of Montana State University-Northern.

Podzimek, who played inside linebacker for three years at the University of Mary in North Dakota, as well as having coached at a number of different stops, was in Havre Wednesday to meet with the MSU-N search committee and hold an open public forum.

And Podzimek, like the others who have interviewed for the job, sees a lot of potential for the Lights football program.

"It reminds me a lot of Peru (State) and I had a great time there," Podzimek said. "We had a lot of local, blue-collar kids. They were kids from Nebraska that could afford to go to school. And I see a lot of those same things here. Tuition is affordable for them here. I think Northern has some great educational opportunities for kids, and I think it's a great opportunity and the right time for me."

Podzimek has done just about everything as a football coach. From coaching linebackers, defensive line, tight ends and special teams, he has a lot of expertise. He said that the offensive side of the ball wasn't his strength and that if he was hired, he would want to bring in an offensive coordinator.

However, he did say, he believes in a physical brand of football that would fit well in Montana.

"A lot of what you do, depends on who you have," Podzimek said. "But I know that if it's third and one yard, we need to be able to run the football and get that yard. The idea is to get the best 11 guys on the field, but that is one thing I want to establish, is being physical and getting those tough yards when we need them."

While some of the other candidates have a firm background in Montana, Podzimek does not. Yet, he said he liked the community of Havre and that part of his job initially would be building up those relationships across the state, especially when it comes to recruiting.

"I think the first thing you have to do, is go talk to those high school coaches," Podzimek said. "You have to build that relationship because they are going to be the ones that will help you find players. They will be the ones that have that little bit of information of where a kid might want to go or what he might be interested in academically, so that's important. That would be the first step. 'Cause we need to find those guys that are going to come in and work hard and be good on the football field and in the classroom as well."

Podzimek has spent the last couple of seasons as a consultant on defense and special teams for a Texas high school program, but he has also had coaching stints at the University of Mary, the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Peru State and Hastings College in Nebraska among other stops. He has never been more than a defensive coordinator, but he said all the experiences he gained will assist him in building the Lights.

"I am the kind of person that always has my hat on and keep my ears open," Podzimek said. "I have done a lot of different things and worked with a lot of really great football coaches, so I have that to use as a resource."

In terms of the kind of head coach he would be, Podzimek said he wouldn't necessarily call plays, although he is very comfortable doing that on defense. But that he might coach the special teams and coach the team as a whole.

"I would really have to look at who we have here," Podzimek said. "If we have coaches here that are capable, I wouldn't be opposed to having him run the defense. Then I could coach the special teams, which can sometimes help get you more players there, if the head coach is doing it. But I think there is something to be said for focusing on the entire team and not just one side of the ball."

One thing that always makes the Northern football job an attractive one is the fact that the Lights play in the Frontier Conference. The league is known as one of the toughest in the NAIA and even though Podzimek isn't overly familiar with it, he said he has coached against Carroll College and Rocky Mountain College.

"I know that the Frontier is a very competitive conference," Podzimek said. "There are some really good teams and there is some parity. I remember coaching against Carroll when (Mike) Van Diest first got his start there. And also against Rocky Mountain College."

As far as how the Lights fit in and what he thinks Northern could achieve within the Frontier, Podzimek was optimistic, saying that winning the Frontier Conference championship is a realistic goal.

"I do think winning a conference championship is possible," Podzimek said. "I don't want to just come here and be .500. I want to come here and I want to win. And that's what you want to do because if you win the conference championship, you get a playoff berth. If you get close to winning the conference, you are going to have a good shot at getting a playoff berth. And that's where I think we need to be year in and year out. It's going to take a couple (years), three years, but that's my vision."