In 2010 the Amherst Falcons were looking to rebrand the state of their football program. A season before, the Falcons were a underachieving 1-8 overall. They turned to a young coaching staff lead by Mark Lusic and Doug Spadoni. Those two coaches led the charge and won 4 state championships in 7 years. How did they turn the program from a miserable 1-8, to one of the best high school football programs in the state?
About the episode
Aidan Jastromski guides a deep dive into the history of the Amherst Falcons historic run at 4 state championships in 7 years. Mark Lusic and Doug Spadoni take us into the world of coaching high school football and how to turn a program into a powerhouse.
Full transcript below
Aidan Jastromski: Hey everybody. My name is Aidan Jastromski. And today I’m joined by Mark Lusic and Doug Spadoni – the, if you will, founding fathers of the modern-day Amherst Falcons football program. How are you guys doing?
Mark Lusic: Good, how are you.
Doug Spadoni: Great.
Aidan Jastromski: I’m doing good. I’m doing good. So, tell us a little bit about your guys’ background in football, like where you guys came from, you know.
Mark Lusic: I’m originally from southeast Wisconsin, down in Waukesha. So I went to Catholic Memorial, had a pretty good head coach there. He’s still there actually, he’s been there for 47 years probably – Bill Young. And then I went to Whitewater. I played a year there and then got an education. My first job was actually with Waupaca. This is how I met Coach Spadoni – in Waupaca – was there for five years. Budget cuts kind of like got laid off due to the budget cuts. So I was just coaching JV softball, some freshman girls basketball and I was actually just kind of a volunteer football coach there and ended up lost my job because of budget cuts as I said before. And then got lucky enough to be hired 10 minutes down the road at the football job opening up and threw my hat in the ringer. Wasn’t quite sure I was going to do that, but I did it and then Coach Spadoni actually said he’d come with me and that’s kind of how we started, how we ended up here, how I ended up here.
Doug Spadoni: I’m from Appleton. I got my first job in Waupaca and then same deal. We lost our jobs due to budget cuts and we coached freshman football there together and. And then when I lost my job, I got a job at Mosinee. And I agreed to help out and that’s when we started coaching at Amherst.
Aidan Jastromski: So what was the program like when you guys first came here? What was like the record, what was the atmosphere like? I guess you could say.
Mark Lusic: It was not… the program was struggling. It’s the best way I could probably say it. I probably didn’t realize how much it was struggling, to be honest with you. I didn’t want to know what happened before I showed up because I don’t think that’s… you know they can’t do anything about it, so let’s just kind of let sleeping dogs lie. I know they were one in eight the year before we showed up. You know, now I know a lot more about the history of the program. I know more now than I did at the time. I mean the biggest thing was we had no seniors. There was no senior class, so when we started, there was no seniors. So we had a pretty good sophomore class. We had a freshman class coming in, some juniors, so we had 36 kids in the program I think was 35. 35 kids to start with. So that was the biggest thing. Just trying to get kids out to play.
Doug Spadoni: Weak.
Mark Lusic: Weak, slow, not very smart.
Doug Spadoni: We were the strongest guys in the program at the time.
Mark Lusic: That’s not saying a whole lot.
Doug Spadoni: Right.
Aidan Jastromski: So how did you guys get people like out to play? What was your… was there like a specific process you guys did or was that kind of just like put the word out in people’s ears and…?
Mark Lusic: I think the biggest thing is you got to change the culture and how you change the culture. You just got to show it on the practice field. I didn’t promise kids and we didn’t promise them anything. I said the word success – we will have success. You know, and I think that’s that helped a lot. I think the kids knew right off the bat, we were serious. We knew what we were doing and we wanted to win. So I think they, I think there’s a trust factor pretty much right away. It helped, I think. The kids – they wanted to win. They’re good to be… this is a great community. So the kids wanted to play. It wasn’t like they didn’t want to play, it was just that, you know, the past programs are not very good. So that’s, you know, it wasn’t like they were you know we always knew they were full of athletes in the school. I mean, we always heard that, I mean, even in Waupaca we heard those things. So this having success, you know, like I said success wasn’t like winning a state title. We had four and five our first year and that was a very successful season. It was a very successful season, so.
Doug Spadoni: Yeah. And he had to change the culture because he was in the school. So he had to get guys out. He had to change it. How they acted within the school, getting them into the weight room. Yeah. And it came down to practice. There’s two great examples that I always cite. #1 – The first practice, they’re all chitter chattering. And Mark told one of them in no uncertain terms to shut up and then everyone just got dead silent. The other one is one of the best players we still have ever had in the history, ever – we kicked him out of practice. And the next day, Mark had a meeting with he and his dad and Mark said basically either in it or out, but either way we’re going to be good. So make up your mind.
Aidan Jastromski: So. That was what year that was 2010. And then how are you guys in 11?
Mark Lusic: The weight room helped. The biggest thing – I think we knew we were doing something right after our first game in 2010. We had a senior come out and then we ended up having one senior on the team and I think I knew right then and there we were going in the right direction, you know. And then the following year, we had more kids come out. We went from 36 in the program to I think we probably hit 50 probably. Right. Probably high 40s. Fifty. I mean, we were doing something. The weight room helped, the kids bought in. Now, we weren’t like… we are still stronger now than we were, you know, like that first year but one year of doing it, we went to some clinics which helped tremendously. We changed our scheme – offensively and defensively – to make our players fit better with what we could actually do with them, you know. We won a conference, we tied for conference. We won a conference title, went to Level 3 which is the quarter finals in the playoffs and….You know that we lost the game out here. I remember showing up and we played at 1:00 that day. So 1:00, I think. And I got here at 10:00. I’m just that kind of person. And people were already getting their seats ready. And I went “this is different, this is pretty cool”. Like, you know, like something. There’s something different here, man. And it was exciting. And that was really exciting. So I think in 2011 we made the jump and I think we made the jump faster than I thought it would be. I was hoping to chase the Conference title after my third year. That was my goal. My goal – our goal – was kind of the third year you kind of have the pieces going so you’re probably a year ahead of schedule, I think.
Doug Spadoni: We were good. We were ten and two. Yeah, we were way ahead of schedule.
Aidan Jastromski: Did you have that kind of schedule set out like you said after your third year?
Mark Lusic: I never told the guys no.
Aidan Jastromski: Kind of have the pieces lined up to where you want to be or?
Mark Lusic: I never told anybody that, you know that was just in my head. That was your goal, to try to compete like try to compete for a conference title, I mean. Every time I talk to coaches, you know you’re not going to win a state title year in and year out.
Doug Spadoni: We were drinking beer at his house the night he took the job that we decided to do it, and I remember we’re like, “you think we could ever go to state? Like ever?” We didn’t know.
Mark Lusic: You know, I mean, here’s the thing, the funny part. After our last game in 2010, I sat around, we sat around, in the bar – myself and three other coaches. Spadoni was there also. I said we’re never being weak again. I’m never freaking doing this again. We’re gonna start winning, and here we go. From here on out, I don’t give a shit what it takes. Yeah, but anyways. And I meant it and I haven’t missed the weight room since we’ve been putting pressure on guys. It’s not always easy. I’m not going to lie. But so 2011 – yeah, we were ahead of schedule. I mean, there’s no doubt. I remember telling a friend of mine, that this is my conference from here on out. I’m never giving it up. We’re going to win every year and I’m going to compete every year. I’m not saying we’re going to win every year but we’re gonna compete every year. And we have every single year since 2010, really, so.
Aidan Jastromski: Yeah, and I was, you know, going over this article, it says a lot on how your guys’s program was built in the weight room. And there was a big emphasis on that. And how do you guys think like, as the game of football is evolving I think there’s been a drastic change in how people, especially student athletes, like like the seniors and and the juniors carry themselves. How it seemed like football was such a more tougher, hard nosed sport than it is today. How do you think like when you guys look back on it, how has that changed from like you know from what was it like back then? That’s what I’m. I guess I’m trying to say. So how was football? Was it hard? I was like that. Yeah, yeah.
Mark Lusic: Was it more violence? Was it more violent 15 years ago?
Aidan Jastromski: Yeah.
Mark Lusic: I don’t think so. I think.
Doug Spadoni: It’s keep evolving, they get strong, bigger, stronger and faster.
Mark Lusic: They have tried to cut out tackling in practice. They’ve been trying to keep it safer. You know what I mean? That that has changed. The WIIA in 2011 or 2013, excuse me, changed some rules. So that has changed. You can’t just go tackle 20, You know, for three hours a day and just crack skulls. Now when I was in high school, I’m sure when he was in high school, that was how it was. You freaking tackled. non-stop.
Doug Spadoni: And even when we started.
Mark Lusic: When we started, yeah. I’m not saying it was very smart. It probably wasn’t. I mean, you know, and that was we’ve we’ve evolved that way trying to keep kids. We’re trying to keep kids safer. Now, there is a certain point, though, and we will both agree. On this one you got to be physical. Sometimes your going to have to learn how to tackle. Sometimes you got to nut It up and there’s no doubt about that. You know, playing two hand tag every day at practice, It doesn’t translate to Friday nights. You know what I mean? So. There is. I don’t know, a finer line. We are bigger and stronger though, so you do have to be careful with that. You know, when you’re when you, you can, when you have youth football kids, they can tackle all day long. They don’t have big, you know not really big enough to hurt, you know, really hurt themselves, I guess is to say is.
Doug Spadoni: And the way the game is played, I think more to your point, AJ is, especially offensively, the game is played more in space. Yeah, 15-20 years ago it probably got and people like it’s tough. It’s not like it was.
Mark Lusic: The perimeter.
Doug Spadoni: Because there were two backs, there was tight ends everywhere. Every. A lot of it was. Just. Like coming at you all the time and now the game Is…
Mark Lusic: Spread.
Doug Spadoni: Yeah. More spread offenses are prevalent now they’re the dominant.
Mark Lusic: But I think it’s coming back full circle back to two back. You look at the state championship game, a lot of teams are running two back, tight ends again. It’s like it, it evolves all the time, it goes back and forth and everybody is trying to stay ahead of each other. You know what I mean, personnel. So.
Doug Spadoni: But don’t get caught into that. The players are just like they were. Players are the same as when I was playing. Yeah, they still want the same things and they still will listen to coaching. They will be held accountable and they want to be told. They want to be led, yeah.
Aidan Jastromski: Yeah.
Doug Spadoni: So.
Aidan Jastromski: And I think, correct me if I’m wrong, I think. From what I’ve heard, you guys kind of introduced like the option and how that that’s still a big part of the program. Was that kind of something you guys when you guys first came here that was kind of something you added to the playbook or was that you know was option already?
Mark Lusic: No, it was we were in 2-back. It really came down to personnel. I went down to see I went down to see Tony Annese was a coach down at Ferris state, he’s won a state national title over there. Division Two. He won multiple state titles in in Michigan at…Muskegon and Muskegon High School everywhere he’s gone, he’s won. But anyways, I saw him in a clinic and he ran this offense and it made sense to me. I knew some, I knew option from high school. We didn’t run a lot because lets be honest I was slow so when you run quarterback and you’re slow, you can’t do that, but It made sense to me and we had the personnel we were, we never thought we’d have the big lineman, so why try to block them all? Like why try to block all the defense if you don’t have to? You know, we had a good quarterback, we had good athletes, but the size, now we did don’t get me wrong It’s in some of those, our four year run, we had some pretty fixed lineman. Hell one is playing in NFL right now we should a couple of them should be actually right now, but. So the option was more of like it made sense to me and it made sense with our personnel. So that’s the reason why we went that and I still understand it, but it’s still evolving every single year. I’m trying to put things you know trying to evolve so.
Aidan Jastromski: So I think. Thats In 2012, and that’s the first state championship, right? What was that feeling like when you guys finally, you know, finally held up the gold ball for the first time?
Mark Lusic: Relief. I didn’t enjoy It. Now understand something I enjoyed it. Don’t get me wrong, but it is more of an exhale. You know, for three years and try to put this all together. And for me, it was more of a relief than anything else like. And of course it’s not healthy. I don’t recommend it. Before I even walked off the field, I was already putting together 213 in my head, which is pretty stupid. I should probably take a second to smile. I know that now it’s OK to smile. But at the time. I. I didn’t. which way its a good way to burn yourself out pretty quickly, but. It was. It was awesome. Don’t get me wrong, it it. I don’t know how else to say it. I mean it Just sounds, you know, it’s it’s it’s a relief, but it’s also it’s a blast and we played a hell of a game, you know, we had a…go ahead you can tell the story. But. We had a backup quarterback. We lost an all state quarterback that in Level 4 that the pre, the semifinal game and we put the pieces together.
Doug Spadoni: Z’s kid did you know that?
Aidan Jastromski: Chris, yeah.
Mark Lusic: So, we lost our starting quarterback, who was legitimate all state like you know. AP all state.
Doug Spadoni: All schools combined.
Mark Lusic: So that was a killer. So it took me. I’ll be honest, we had a I would say I I had a hangover from like that. You know you you got everything ready to go, you’re excited and then you lose your best player going into the biggest game of the year and how do you like put that together? You know. And it really took me about Tuesday afternoon. Right before practice. I had a coach. And no few other words. Basically said you know what forget the other team lets worry about ourselves and I kind of snapped out of it. I would have been OK dont get me wrong, but was also, you know, we’re good too. We have a damn good defense. We got other pieces. We have a damn good backup quarterback who I do trust. It was Just that you know, and then and then doing It with that was
Doug Spadoni: It was Caleb Glennon. Thats who was the back up. And he was unbelievable athlete so.
Mark Lusic: Yeah, it wasn’t like we were putting out, you know, some Joe Schmo out there. But never playing the the position for three years does make a…it’s a little nervous.
Aidan Jastromski: Yeah. And I think it’s kind of cool that that I get to do this kind of interview thing because I was. I mean, what was? How old was Jack?
Doug Spadoni: 2nd grade.
Aidan Jastromski: Then yeah, second grade, I remember.
Doug Spadoni: Did you go to Madison the first year? Do you remember in second grade going.
Aidan Jastromski: I didn’t go to. I didn’t go to Madison the first year, but I think I went. Was it? Yeah, I think I was at 14. I think it was at 14. But I remember. Now saying I can probably. Probably won’t care, but I was just like man. Once I get to high school like I’m scared. Like I don’t know. And that’s why that’s originally why I didn’t, you know, come out to play. I was so scared like because I remember being in those practices, especially in like middle school. And you look up and how like you guys ran practice was. So I don’t know if you compare to today like. It was so much tougher.
Mark Lusic: It seems it does seem more intimidating. When you when you’re looking outside in. I remember when I was in high school, when I was in grade school, looking out across. You know, our our team played across the, you know, the basically across the field. And I remember watching going like man, they look huge. And then when you get there, it’s that’s it’s just like you’re just in high school, you know what I mean, I’m not saying you were wrong there. Like it is. It can be. I think we’ve had some players probably not played because of that reason. They think it’s “Oh my God. All we do Is like crack skulls” and it’s really hard. You know, but it’s you until you come out and. Until you come out and you realize it’s not that bad, it’s not, You know it’s.
Aidan Jastromski: And do you think that was like the key to making it to state is how hard you guys practiced or is that kind of like just the nature of the beast.
Mark Lusic: Talent. Yes, its a combination… you can answer this one.
Doug Spadoni: Somewhat. Like he said, there’s things that we would do differently now. Things that would probably pretty. Stupid to do. You know, we would even in Level 4 or even the week of the state we were out there like we would turn headlights on cars so we could stay out past dark and. You know, probably we could do things a little. We do do things a little Smarter now. Yeah, you know.
Aidan Jastromski: And do you think that’s kind of…so me being a young coach it’s just talking about basketball and and you know where I’m going to be next year or this coming year. one of my worries is getting kids to believe in the system. Like, you know what I’m saying? The way you guys coach, getting kids to believe that and not jump ship and I feel like especially with the basketball program, I think that’s been kind of an issue is especially when I was a freshman. Seeing all those kids jump ship in that senior class you had like Elwood, Lincoln. I think some of those guys just had different ideas and stuff for the future. How do you guys get people to stay on the course and stay believing in the program? Do you think that once you guys won that state title that that shows kids like “holy cow, they’ve proved themselves as coaches? Now we are going to believe in the program” like is that kind of a big thing you guys think about or is that kind of just what comes after you guys win.
Doug Spadoni: Well it doesn’t hurt. There’s no doubt it doesn’t hurt that we’ve, I mean, we’ve probably lost some players because they think we’re *****. Over the years, we’ve probably gained players just because they’re like, “I want to be good. I just want to play the team that’s good.” So that does give you some credibility, but it doesn’t necessarily make it any easier in recruiting players.
Mark Lusic: I think it’s harder. And most people, most coaches think just because you win, you get kids just want to come and play. It was harder they actually like less…I think the season was so long. It goes longer and you’re not guaranteed to win. I mean, winning helps, Dont get me wrong, it cures a lot of problems let’s be honest. Well, the truth is this. I wouldn’t coach, if I didn’t win. If I’m going .500 every year, I’m not out here. I’m not. That’s just the way I am. I’m not. We spend hours and hours of our lives in this stuff and it’s like I want some results. You know what I mean? I want some my payback. So to answer your question. I mean it sounds weird, but you better you better know you better believe. First off, you better believe in it. That’s the thing, kids will find out real quickly if you don’t believe in like a system, you know what I mean? Like. If you don’t know your own system. And they gotta just…all they want is success. They just want, they just want to play. They want to have some success, you know? And that’s the biggest thing. And how do you do that? I mean, you can try to tell kids keep it in house, blah-Blah-blah. But yeah, I think. You got to have a voice I guess. I’m looking at you Spadoni, but you gotta have a voice kinda. I mean, you got to find something that that. That only goes, yeah.
Doug Spadoni: You’re selling yourself in a way. You know that there’s the, there’s the masthead, purveyor of the entire program right there. And yes, he can be a prick at times. But also that if there’s no if there’s no substance he builds relationships with them too. As you know. You know what I’m saying? Like it’s not just, like, do this, lift. It’s you have to, you have to give them something like, “hey, what did you do this weekend?” And genuinely have an interest In them. Which he does, because if you don’t, they’ll see through that too. Then you can ***** at someone all day long, but after a while they just go “you Know what? **** this. All I do is get yelled at, and I have no relationship with any coaches.” And if this is, you know, yeah, there’s no enjoyment in that. There’s no fulfillment in that. Forget fun. So that helps.
Aidan Jastromski: So what are you guys like, when you went into it, are there like pieces of like what am I going to, like your, I guess, kind of like foundation of coaching. Is there things you emphasize more like your three most emphasized ways to coach I guess to say.
Mark Lusic: I mean not much different then my classroom. Better show up on time. You better be accountable. We’re gonna hold you accountable. You hold me accountable too, though, like. You know, I think that, you know, we always say we always say like…you know, if I told you guys go to the weight room and I didn’t show up. How long would it last? You know what I mean? It’d be unfair. All of a sudden, I’m walking the hall and going “Hey, where were you this week?” You know, like that’s not fair to you guys. So it’s like I expect myself to be there. You expect, you know. I expect you guys to be there, so. I don’t know accountability I would say is probably the biggest one, show up on the time. Accountability, show respect. I mean it’s kind of the same stuff even in the classroom. You know, but I think the biggest thing I’ve changed a little bit is when I first came here was I was kind of, I was, I came from a lot of coaching of “my way or the highway”. I don’t know if Spadoni was the same guy. A lot of coaches of the 90s were “my way or the highway” and “this is how it is” and things have changed a little bit. You know you can’t just say “my way or the highway”, but you can also say this is how we’re gonna do things and blah-blah-blah, you know? But you better know why you’re doing them too, you know, like. And I guess that kind of make sense, I’m trying to figure out how to…we don’t just do something just cause I want to do it and go like, “oh, this, you know, it’s kind of cool. I caught this on, you know, I watched this on the NFL this weekend. We’re gonna try this.” You know, it’s it’s not, so.
Aidan Jastromski: Do you do you think when it gets to you guys win a state championship, now does that idea of “my way or the highway” kind of set into play because of you guys proved that that works or is there
Mark Lusic: Well, it wasn’t like I would say more than my first year probably was more “my way or the highway”. Not every kid’s the same. I guess that’s the biggest thing. Maybe hold them all accountable. But you some kids, you know…
Doug Spadoni: Treat them all fair but not equal.
Mark Lusic: Right. And that’s in the classroom too. You know that same thing? It’s the same rules.
Doug Spadoni: There’s different circumstances and different lives and…
Mark Lusic: Just because something’s fair does mean it’s. Equal. Right. You know what I mean?
Doug Spadoni: I think the better you become, the more comfortable become as a coach, the more you know what you’re doing, the more you can actually be less of “my way or the highway”. You know? Once you really know what you’re doing, you feel that you got the players. You can say like – what do you guys want to run here? Like, do you feel comfortable? Can you guard that guy?
Aidan Jastromski: A trust kind of thing?
Doug Spadoni: A trust – you can give it back to them. You know I think when I started, I was way more less apt to do that. Like – “just shut up, this is my idea”.
Mark Lusic: You’re afraid the kids will think you don’t what you’re doing. You don’t want that either. You know, even if you do, it’s like, OK, I mean, I’m OK. There’s no doubt now. I mean, in practice, I’ll say a whole lot here. “Let’s look at something – this doesn’t make any sense to me”. Now, 10 years ago, I would have been very nervous saying that. Going like a guy seeing through me, you know. And it may not seem like that out there, but it is. It just happened. Yeah, I mean, yeah. There’s no doubt.
Aidan Jastromski: So then it’s 2013. I think especially for me that’s kind of a year that I don’t remember much. Do you? Is there a reason why?
Mark Lusic: I think our players, and I mean this wholeheartedly, I think our players coming off that year. We lost 15 seniors and they were good. And I mean like really good players. And I think the younger guys never expected to be good. So they kind of like… the intensity in the weight room wasn’t very good. The buying in wasn’t as strong as it used to be. They all bought in and we had… our senior class was kind of a different senior class. Yeah. Some guys were into it. Some guys were eh… You know, we were very young and it took a while to get clicking. We went to level 4 that year. We should have been in the state title game again. We were good enough to go back to state and win a state title again. They just didn’t realize it. It just took a long time for us to get clicking. You know what I mean?
Mark Lusic: So it was a weird year, weird off-season, right? You would agree. And the season was weird. It was like starting all over again.
Doug Spadoni: We went 8 and 1. We lost to Schiocton and it was ungodly.
Mark Lusic: Yeah, they were one of the best teams I’d ever seen.
Doug Spadoni: They won like, 580 to 50 – was their total for the year.
Mark Lusic: Wisports ranked them as one of the top 10 best teams ever in small schools. They beat us 21-14. But it was just another grind of a year, whatever. It’s just- it is what it is. I mean we just fell short. We turned the ball over a couple of times in Level 4, which killed us. We had the game in control and we just made some mistakes. Well, we actually learned a lot after that year – of what not to do as coaches. We got better as coaches the following year.
Aidan Jastromski: Did you – was there any sense of when you lost that game that… coming off a state championship, then losing the playoffs, that it was kind of going backwards? Or were you guys, just like we’re still progressing.
Mark Lusic: We were OK. We basically started… The team that won in 2015 that ended up being one of the best teams ever in state history – they were all sophomores. So we were basically integrating some seniors with some juniors with some like a huge sophomore group that was all playing. And those guys shouldn’t have been playing yet probably. You know what I mean? Like they were, they weren’t ready, but they had to play. We had enough pieces around them to, like, kind of hide some of them. Especially at the beginning of the season. And the truth – that Schiocton team we were talking about – they should have kicked the shit out of us. Right. Talent wise they had… the talent gap in that year, ok, with Gary Tower on that team, but they were still sophomores. They weren’t seniors yet, you know. I mean, they weren’t two years in. They should have kicked the snot out of us. But we were very well prepared and we ran what we heard run and we did what we could do. They just… they were just too good. I mean, whatever, it happens.
Doug Spadoni: You know how they do like the pain train? Stuff like that? They did it then, but they were a lot louder and scarier because they were that good. That was truly like – ooh.
Aidan Jastromski: Yeah. So then that was 2013. Now onto 14 and that’s the state championship loss.
Doug Spadoni: Yeah.
Aidan Jastromski: I know,you guys wore all white, right? And you guys never did that again.
Mark Lusic: That was just the rule I made with the guys. Like, we all wanted color. We’re never doing this again. You’re gonna ruin this for everybody.
Aidan Jastromski: Yeah. So what was the feeling like you guys have now witnessed what it feels like to win. Now dealing with the loss. What was that kind of feeling, I guess, compared to winning a state championship?
Mark Lusic: Well, that season was cold. That’s what I remember the most. Like, it was such a cold…
Doug Spadoni: Yeah, it was like 0° at last Level 3 and beyond.
Mark Lusic: Yeah, our field was frozen by Level 3. I think the biggest thing was we were very talented. The team we lost to, Lancaster, was very good. One of the best teams we’ve ever played against. So it wasn’t like… Once again, we turned the ball over. It wasn’t like we lost the game to an inferior opponent. It was just that they just beat out of us, you know. And we got to get better so…
Doug Spadoni: Defensively, we couldn’t tackle their guys. It was just a mess. Defensively it was a mess.
Mark Lusic: The perfect storm. So I told the team, the seniors, after that season, after our last team meeting, I said “let’s not let’s not kid ourselves”. My exact words were “let’s not kid ourselves. Our goal is to win a state title next year”. And they all looked at me. They all looked at each other, said OK and I said OK, let’s go. That’s the last time we ever talked about the state title game. And, from then on, that group of young men, really, they led and they won. Now, understand that we still coach. And I saw in the off season, they really did a good job of holding each other accountable, showing up, doing their job, but overall…
Aidan Jastromski: And that’s getting in 2015, right?
Mark Lusic: Going into 2015, yeah. So the loss in 14, the biggest thing was the coaches – we got some help from Pat Cerroni. Luke Venne, who’s now at Point. So they sat down with us – what, six or seven Sundays in a row. We went to Oshkosh and they told us how it was and they ripped us, they ripped our hearts out.
Doug Spadoni: Verified some things. It was good.
Mark Lusic: Well, they ripped our hearts out. And the first time I met Pat Cerroni – he said, “here’s your f’n problem, within 3 plays of the state game, here’s your f’n problem”. And I went, “oh, man”. He’s like, “I’m gonna tell you how it is”. And we had to hear it. It was OK. You know – you win a state title, you lose a state title. You should be like, as a coach like you’re OK. But no, we were trying to get better. We still are, you know? And we got better. Trust me, we got better.
Aidan Jastromski: And, going into 2015, talking about the leaders. When is the point… because, I know during my senior season, that there was a certain point where the seniors kind of took over that team, you know? And I think you guys both agree that when your players can take over the team, that’s when you can become really good. When is that? What are the defining moments that you can see? Is there like a defining moment that you see when players start to take over a team?
Doug Spadoni: No – it’s a process, an evolution. There’s not one lightning bolt moment. It’s just all of a sudden like – oh things are happening. You can just kind of sense it.
Mark Lusic: You start to sense it, usually your hoping by the end of the season, you’re doing it. And when we say that it usually it’s just like. They start…you start fixing the mistakes in practice. The players start fixing them. You know, fixing the issues in practice before we have to say it, you know what I mean? So instead of me start ******** all of a sudden, its like I “I already know what I did wrong.” That make sense to you? You know, like you guys start fixing and start holding each other more accountable. Practice becomes way more fun. and It’s not like we’re, you know, there’s a grind. Every season has a… basketball has a grind, baseball. Every sport has a grind is. When the guys start to go like, “OK, this is not a grind anymore. This is fun.” like and you guys, usually its your seniors to see the end is coming and you know in the back of your head you always know what’s coming and you don’t want it to end yet. And it’s like you know, so that’s usually what happens in my opinion. You agree with that?
Doug Spadoni: Yeah.
Mark Lusic: With that I mean.
Doug Spadoni: Yeah, for sure. That’s I couldn’t have said it better. Yes.
Aidan Jastromski: And that 2015 team that had, Tyler was a senior right, Garrett. And that whole that was. I guess in my opinion, that was probably the best class you guys have coached like senior class like the most talented.
Mark Lusic: Most likely. That team was stacked though from. I mean, we won two more after that. So you can tell there’s some talent on that, that roster also. I mean like the the juniors were very good and the sophomores were very good. So I mean, it wasn’t like they were just…
Photo credit: Raiders Media Team
Aidan Jastromski: Do you think that having that class like that kind of propelled you guys to the 16 and 17 championship or is that just how they led and and kind of set an example.
Mark Lusic: Yes, I would. I I think it it helped. I think they kind of knew what.
Mark Lusic: Once again, I don’t…what?
Doug Spadoni: Did you sit down the 16 team?
Mark Lusic: The 16 team said, well, after the season of 15, I told the 16 team…
Doug Spadoni: They’re kind of knuckleheads the 16 team.
Mark Lusic: They were. And I said to them, I said “we’re going back-to-back this year.” We’re going back-to-back and I said “you guys don’t believe it. I do.” We’re going ******* back-to-back this year. And they all kind of looked at me like, you know? but I knew we had the pieces to do it.And you know, we were talking about that before, you know, we talked about before, like you gotta have pieces. You know, sometimes some teams just dont have enough pieces to do it. You gotta have a great team, great guys but you know. This past year, I’ll be honest, you know we had great kids. We just didn’t have the pieces. You know, sometimes you got to have pieces, you know. And that sixteen team had the pieces. 17 I wasn’t as confident, but I should have probably been, but we, you know, it was…we lost a lot of pieces again, you know, its hard to go back-to-back-to-back so. But yeah the 16 team was kind of knuckleheads so they need a little more leadership. I guess you would probably say is. Direction.
Aidan Jastromski: How did you guys do that? What was…
Mark Lusic: Just keep your thumb on them.
Doug Spadoni: Oh yeah…
Mark Lusic: Keep them motivated.
Doug Spadoni: Especially those guys.
Mark Lusic: The the big, you know, the big picture. But by the end of the season that that team took over.
Aidan Jastromski: Does that show itself in class too? Was that a class thing too?
Mark Lusic: Oh my God. Thats one of our lowest GPAs. There is no doubt they were…
Doug Spadoni: You will see a lot of those guys down at Orlow. All the time.
Aidan Jastromski: So that was that was 16. And 17. What was that Carters…when was Carters…
Mark Lusic: Yes that was Carters kick.
Aidan Jastromski: That was it? OK. How was that…
Doug Spadoni: No that was 16.
Mark Lusic: No, yeah, he won it in 16. 17 was probably…
Doug Spadoni: 17 was Holderman got hurt.
Mark Lusic: Holderman got hurt going into the freaking finals. It’s when we played the Chenal brothers.
Doug Spadoni: Yes.
Mark Lusic: Leo Chenal and John Chenal Well…
Aidan Jastromski: Oh yeah, yes.
Mark Lusic: They are having pretty good careers also.
Mark Lusic: 17…17 for me was a long season. We had a lot of issues off the field, not like kids being jerk-offs, Just a lot of family issues, a lot of stuff going on. I didn’t tell most of my staff what was going on. I kept all in the house, but it was a long season that way for myself, just like trying to balance kids issues off the field to on the field. Trying to put everything together at all times. It, you know, it was a long season, but we put the pieces together again and maybe I keep saying put the pieces together.
Doug Spadoni: Probably our least talented team of all the teams that actually went to state.
Mark Lusic: We started some, we started some guys that you’d laugh at and go like, you know, “can they tie their own shoes?” But they were seniors, and they were ready to play. They had…
Doug Spadoni: We went to the state game without Bryce Holderman was…
Mark Lusic: Should have been all state if he would have started. You know, but we put the pieces together then again, you know. It’s just like you got to do it. And I think one of the big things is “next man up”. We’ve always preached that. It has helped tremendously.
Aidan Jastromski: You talk about the off field issues. How do you guys deal with that, I guess?
Doug Spadoni: Depends what it is?
Mark Lusic: Depends what it is. And I don’t need to know everything. You know what I mean. But I do want to know, like, if you’re hurting, I want to know what’s going on. Like I’m, I’m here to help you. You know, like football, and I do forget this, I think he’ll mostly agree with this. Sometimes we do forget it’s just football, you know? And sometimes you gotta look yourself “Hold on here. This is just football.” We gotta like, it’s a bigger thing here, you know.
Doug Spadoni: We always tell them, even the teams that win state, this better not be the highlight of your life. You better not be in some bar 10 years from now, saying like “the best moment of my life is winning!” You know. Like, In the end it is…
Mark Lusic: It’s OK to say it if its funny, haha. And its like…
Doug Spadoni: It was fun, enjoyable, but it’s not…
Mark Lusic: Don’t tell me it’s the best moment…yeah, you know, so.
Doug Spadoni: Yes.
Mark Lusic: Trying to keep. Just trying to keep kids happy, you know, and be concerned. And sometimes all it is they want you to be concerned. Sometimes just help to just talk to somebody you know? I mean, as you going back to what you said the beginning at the beginning like. The kids got to know you care. And that’s the truth. I mean, they know you care they’ll do a, they’ll go through a brick wall for you.
Doug Spadoni: Yeah.
Mark Lusic: You know? And then how do you do that? You could actually, honestly have to care.
Doug Spadoni: Sincerely.
Mark Lusic: Yeah. Sincerely care.
Doug Spadoni: Because here’s the thing. We don’t all of a sudden like build a relationship with them in August, as you know, you know what I mean? Like we’re with them like nearly every day, You know, if we just talked about football and lifting with them all I mean they just…
Mark Lusic: They would be over.
Doug Spadoni: Yeah.
Aidan Jastromski: So now from…we’ll group 2018 and and beyond as kind of one big…present I guess you could say. What’s it like now coaching…is there a difference between coaching on like, using grass and turf as like a metaphor, as kind of you guys have proved yourselves now. Is there a difference between coaching now and coaching back then?
Mark Lusic: Here’s the thing. I think what you’re asking me is why we haven’t won yet in the last eight years. Fair enough. 5-6 years or whatever it is now, people asked me that before, you know. We went, we went to level 4 in 19. 20 we were prime to make a state-run.
Doug Spadoni: 19 and 20.
Mark Lusic: 19 and 20 we were very good. 21 we ran into, we just ran into a damn good team. We lost by a two point conversion. 22 we had the WIAA and last year we just struggled. OK. So my point is we’ve had the team, we’ve had the talent. So I’m not like…you know, that that’s the two biggest ones is the powers that be have not, we haven’t had a chance to play probably the two best team. Would you say probably? 21 better than 22? It’s a horse apiece. Whatever it is, I’m not saying we would have won state. But we had the power.
Doug Spadoni: I think 22 is, actually had had more balance.
Mark Lusic: More balanced.
Doug Spadoni: 21 was more top heavy.
Mark Lusic: So its not like we could, you know, it’s like…is it, Is it frustrating?
Doug Spadoni: We would have loved to take a run with your senior group. That would have been fun to see what happened.
Mark Lusic: Like in COVID, COVID and your class was primed to go. Now heres the thing about your class, you guys werent at the beginning of the season. We became that team and we were clicking. And that’s the thing. You know, sometimes when your just clicking your just clicking, you know. Last years team I was hoping I was hoping to get that, you know. Even in 21 we weren’t, we were never clicking. We were always kind of stuck in the mud, you know. Sometimes you you just have those years sometimes.
Doug Spadoni: But even…
Mark Lusic: In 19, sometimes too, we were kind of like, offensively especially, we were not as dynamic.
Doug Spadoni: Overall, we were good in 19.
Mark Lusic: We were good, yeah.
Doug Spadoni: But we just ran into a once in a generation team. Startford.
Mark Lusic: Stratford in 19. And I give him all the credit. Dont get me wrong, we’re not taking anything away from them. It’s just like, it was good. And then we..
Doug Spadoni: Right. They were just, they were studly.
Mark Lusic: So I mean, it’s not like I…
Doug Spadoni: 18 we were not good.
Mark Lusic: 18 we were overachievers
Doug Spadoni: We were 9-3. We went to Level 3, but by our standards we were not good.
Mark Lusic: We overachieved way, way, overachieved, and we were not very good.
Doug Spadoni: We overachieved. We lost 21 out of 22 starters in 18.
Mark Lusic: That didn’t help…going into 18.
Doug Spadoni: Going into 18, yeah.
Mark Lusic: I didn’t realize that does make a…and I think the biggest thing though was in 18, the kids finally admitted we didn’t realize how hard you have to work to be good. The name on the jersey finally caught up with us like, “hey, we’re just Amherst. We’ll just be good because we’re Amherst” and it was like oh my God. Like, we don’t…that was a shock to everybody. I knew it was coming sooner or later. It just happened to be that year. So.
Aidan Jastromski: Talking when we were talking on…was that Friday. I thought one of the more interesting points that was brought up was, I think Andy might have brought up the fact that the parents kind of were always in on everything and now you could probably say that they’re not so much.
Mark Lusic: I don’t think it’s. I don’t know if that’s true or not. It’s it depends. You have a class sometimes I mean I…
Doug Spadoni: Like the parents were like always around doing ****?
Aidan Jastromski: Yeah.
Mark Lusic: Like the only thing with team meals, I think more than anything, they seem more excited. I don’t know.
Doug Spadoni: I haven’t noticed a drop off.
Mark Lusic: I don’t know. Friday nights are packed.
Doug Spadoni: Listen, there’s a tendency to always to, to look in hindsight for the older generation to be like “ah the newer generation, they don’t do it like we did.” and a lot of the time that’s crap. The truth is, like you’re saying, like why we haven’t won it in six years, probably three or four of those years we had a very good chance like. You know, I don’t want to sound like ****** ***, but we don’t feel like we’re on the decline. And the truth is if you can maximize your talent. Every year. You can always be competitive. Now, some years you’ll be better than others, but if you’re dip people are like “well, it’s cyclical. Eventually you’re gonna suck ****.” I’m like, “well, I hope seven and four is our our dip.” like last year. You know what I’m saying? And good programs in high school football, that is the dip. You know, every once every great while you’ll be, you know, down here, but it’s relatively not that bad. You know what im saying?
Mark Lusic: Just looks bad for us.
Doug Spadoni: It looks bad for us.
Mark Lusic: Going back to the parents, Im probably a bad person to ask that question too. I’ve never like, I’ve never sat on the sidelines. I’ve never, like, hung out. You know what I mean? I’ve, I’ve never done any of this stuff with parents. I don’t know the answer to that one. Andy Treb knows more then I. it’s like I don’t, you know, my wife. I dont know, it’s a little different for being a head coach than it is to be, you know, a fan. So I don’t know. If there’s a dip, I don’t really feel it. I mean, the the fans are the stands are packed. I mean, parents are always excited. They’re always, I mean football seasons around it’s, here we go.
Doug Spadoni: Like your your seniors, I mean, I just saw those parents were somewhere, every, every Friday night, you know, drinking beers and doing whatever. So it…yeah.
Aidan Jastromski: So. We’ll go two more here. What are your guys’s thoughts on, like I have an opinion. We’ll see what you guys say. With like…coaches, you see this in the NFL on how coaches are… two bad seasons and they’re out. Then two bad seasons and they’re out. How do you think that affects a program to where…so, like you guys have been around a long time. I’m sure kids are more…like ready to play for you guys, you guys, they know what’s coming. You know what I’m saying? What’s it like to…what do you guys think about, “I’m not going to have, I’m having a bad season.” So like, I guess the AD, “I’m having, we’re having a bad season. Let’s get rid of the coach and see if that changes anything.” Do you guys think that will change anything or does that hurt more than it helps.
Mark Lusic: Well, NFL is hard one to explain. NFL, you’re hired to be fired. You’re hired to win. You don’t win you’re out. Now do I agree with it all the time? No, I don’t. I think they should hold onto some of these coaches longer. How do you build the program? Whatever. I’m just saying. In high school there is a respe…I don’t know it it does happen and it’s sometimes it’s stupid like but I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on inside the high school either, you know. And The thing is you got to have a strong administration. I had Mark Luschwager, who was… well we both did, who protected me from a lot of things. Things that I didn’t know went on. I didn’t have to hear. You know what I mean? So it does help. You know, so I I think… I dont know if that answers your question or not. Do I like it? No. But is it, is high school sports become a business? Not yet a full business, but it’s you’re hired. You’re head coach, you’re expected to win. Or be, you know, productive. Now some schools, I think fire coaches and they don’t look at who they actually have in their schools like. You know, sometimes, you know.
Doug Spadoni: it’s always what’s the alternative.
Mark Lusic: Right. Who do you want in?
Doug Spadoni: let’s get rid of XYZ, but who’s going to replace them?
Mark Lusic: Right. And that’s the next thing. Who wants a job too? It’s not like people are lining up these days for freaking high school jobs. Like, you know, we are, to Mark Luschwager, our old principal, said like, you know, 30 years ago, if you were a head football coach, it was like whoa, you’re a head football coach. It was impressive. You know what my credentials were when I got hired here? I was a teacher. Basically why I got hired. And I’m well aware of that. You know how things have ch…you know. So it’s not like it’s there’s not people pounding down the doors to be like a head basketball coach.
Doug Spadoni: This isn’t Texas.
Mark Lusic: Right. You know what I mean? That’s the thing. So here in Wisconsin’s a little different. And like you said, what’s the alternative? You fire a coach. You better have somebody, you better have a plan. Who’s next, you know? And do they want it? And that’s…you know that that’s, you know, how many people for the football job when I was here my first, I think two people applied. Myself and Wayne Groshek. The only two people applied for it. So its not like, you know, people are pounding down the door for coaching jobs so I don’t know. I mean, yeah, and that’s…
Doug Spadoni: That’s, to what your original question was, I think like no, it’s not a healthy way to coach. Yeah, you have to block that out if you feel that way. But you have to fall in love with the process Aidan. You know, of just being a coach. Like to be good, it has to be a 12 month job. To be truly good year in and year out. It has to be. So you got to really embrace that process.
Aidan Jastromski: So what are your guys’s plans for the future of the program? What do you guys hope to achieve or or what do you guys think’s going to come with the future.
Doug Spadoni: Win every game. The rest of our career.
Mark Lusic: I always say, you know, make the make it, punch your ticket to the playoffs, make a run at, win conference, and then make a run in the playoffs. That’s all, or make a run in the…that’s always my goal. Nothing’s changed. Umm. We’re always looking at better. I mean the thing is I’m not, we’re not stagnant. I’m not, if I don’t like something, I’m not, you know, just cause something worked last year it doesn’t necessarily mean it will work this year. So I gotta adjust. I’ll adjust. You know, you’ll adjust your personnel. You got to adjust how things are working. You know, I’ve got some new things going on in the weightroom. Just trying to change things like just trying to make things better, make or have more team building, whatever I got to do. Some years you got to do this. Some years you don’t. So we’re always trying to…I’m always trying to put the pieces together. I mean, I said the word how many times now, but it’s like you’re always trying to make a puzzle and trying to put the pieces where they need to be put. And take your chances, and that’s my job. That’s our job, you know, and that’s to put the best players in the right spots and hopefully, you know, it gives you a chance. You know, as I said before, I coach to win. I mean, I don’t care anymore if people know. I mean, it’s not, I’m not here to freaking go five and four, seven and four. It’s not my goal. Like its, and the reason is I put, we put so much damn time in this. It’s not like, I want freaking results. You know how it is, like, you know…
Doug Spadoni: And how do you get there? How do you get to like, you want to win this, that, and the other? like today we’re hoping these knuckleheads show up and lift. You know what I mean?
Mark Lusic: Thats where I’m going right now.
Doug Spadoni: It’s like 1 Foot ahead of the other.
Mark Lusic: Now here’s the truth. I’d love to coach basketball like I love, I love baseball too. But you know why I don’t? I don’t wanna put the time in. And it’d be unfair all of a sudden, like, you know, in February, if our team wasn’t very good and I’m going to be ******** and moaning but guess what. It’s my fault. Cause I didn’t want to. You know, I didn’t want to put the time in, and that’s why I don’t throw my hat in the ring. But I also won’t be the, I’m not gonna be the first guy ******** about the coach. How good of a job he didn’t do because, like, I’m not doing it so. You know what I mean, that’s not like my, you know, I think we do a pretty good job of keeping our mouth shut when it comes to other coaches because its like we don’t want to do the job either. We understand how much time you put in so.
Doug Spadoni: Don’t ever dog other programs to the players ever, ever, ever, ever.
Mark Lusic: Oh god especially at the school.
Doug Spadoni: Don’t do it.
Mark Lusic: They’ll figure it out themselves.
Doug Spadoni: Don’t walk up to a player and be like, “oh, basketball sucks, doesn’t it?” or whatever. Don’t ever do that.
Mark Lusic: You’ll cut your own throat.
Doug Spadoni: yes.
Aidan Jastromski: All right. Well, thank you guys. I appreciate it.
Mark Lusic: Thank you.
About the author: Aidan Jastromski
Aidan Jastromski is a student at the University of Stevens Point and is studying Physical Education. Aidan grew up with sports around him 24/7. He went to Amherst High school and graduated there in 2023. Aidan was a 4 sport athlete at Amherst but always gravitated towards football. Aidan played under Coach Lusic and Coach Spadoni for the four years he played. Aidan now coaches along side both of them for the Amherst High school football team as well as coaching high school basketball at Amherst.
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