Coaches find it tough to get needed break from grind

When Glenbard East football coach Dennis Lueck made the decision to lose 40 pounds during the off-season, motivation came in waves.

"I love to water ski and snow ski," he said. "It's about being able to do the things I love to do."

One of those things is coaching the Rams.

Lueck, like every football coach who takes on the daunting task of running a high school program, struggles through a grind that extends for months as relaxing off-seasons become shortened to the point of myth.

Good habits are sacrificed for bad. Poor diet, lack of sleep, the high stress of game day and the extensive hours of preparation prove to be a dangerous combination as coaches inevitably wear down from the rigors of the job.

"I'd love to say I eat right and get enough sleep and listen to my wife, but it's just not true," said Naperville North coach Sean Drendel. "We want to give our kids the best opportunity to win, but something has to give. You have to spend more time than you actually have. Everyone gets worn down during the season."

It's not hard to find cases of the grind taking its toll.

Michigan State University coach Mark Dantonio suffered a heart attack following the Spartans' win over Notre Dame earlier this season. Florida's Urban Meyer nearly stepped away from coaching after experiencing chest pains late last year.

Closer to home, tragedy struck Immaculate Conception's football program two years ago when Bob Cozzi, who coached the Knights to the 2002 Class 3A state title, died of a heart attack.

It's the kind of worst-case scenario that lingers in the mind of many coaches. It's the kind of scenario that inspired Lueck to change his life.

"The grind is getting harder and harder," he said. "We haven't made the playoffs since 1999, and it does wear on you mentally and physically when you're working hard and not getting rewarded."

Lueck, 48, endured hip replacement surgery in 2007 and 2009. A scarier event occurred during the 2007 season when he struggled through a frightening bout of vertigo. It occurred again last year, a condition doctors told him was caused by stress.

That's when Lueck decided it was time to change. Diet and exercise, including bike rides to school, shed the pounds and made him feel a million times better.

The cliché combination of diet and exercise is something every coach recognizes. Putting a plan in action is difficult, especially during the season.

"I lift every day and I try to get enough sleep every night," said Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens. "But I know there's more I need to be doing."

There's also less that coaches could be doing. Montini coach Chris Andriano, for example, used to sleep on a cot at the school when game preparation lasted late into the night.

If they wanted to, coaches could spend 24 hours a day working on their teams. It's often tough to turn it off.

"I think it's something that comes with experience," said veteran Wheaton Warrenville South coach Ron Muhitch. "There's not a football coach in America that gets enough sleep, but I've learned to turn things off pretty well. I think it's important that you keep your health and family life balanced. I just had my 50 thousand mile checkup with the doctor last week, and I've got a wife who makes sure I eat well."

Whether it's eating, sleeping or exercising better, coaches know what they need to do even if they don't have time to do it.

Lueck made the time. And now he's feeling better than ever.

"It's a huge difference," he said. "I'm eating better, I have a lot more energy. It's something I should have done a long time ago."

kschmit@dailyherald.com