GBI Express

school program or to try this coaching profession. "I was fortunate that numerous I'd received post-graduate scholar- ships, and I knew I was going to go to graduate school right aſter I gradu- ated. I wanted to become a graduate assistant and see if I liked it. Funny how things work out — or didn't work out — I wasn't able to get a GA spot. I ended up going to San Diego State as a student assistant and just worked actually helping out on the practice field. I wasn't a coach of anything. But Coach (Ted) Tollner was the head coach, and he let me follow around a different group coach every week. I got to sit in meetings, and I got to fol- low them around and see what they did in practice. "The next year when a GA spot opened up, they had a former play- er who wanted to come back into coaching, so he got that job instead of myself. But they appreciated the work I' around and got me three different interviews for a coaching job at a ju- nior college, so I could go and coach at the junior college while I finished my master's. So that second year out of playing, I was the linebackers coach at Grossmont College (in El d done for them. They'd called gets into coaching obviously envi- sions someday moving up the lad- der and becoming a coordinator and someday getting a chance to be a head coach. I certainly would like that opportunity at some point in time and (I'm) trying to prepare myself right now to do that. That's definitely a goal of mine. " coaching that keeps you coming back every day? Tibesar: "It's a lot of Gold & Black: What is it about This sport, I have a passion for it. It's something that I really enjoy and if you can find something you enjoy doing, you're not going to work ev- things. Tibesar says one of his favorite parts of coaching is being around the players; he's had plenty of oppor- tunity of late, with the Boilermakers having practiced for the last three-plus weeks in prep for the 2012 season. Cajon, Calif.) and we went undefeat- ed and won the state championship in California and I was hooked. " around quite a bit for those next five years, right? Tibesar: "My first five years Gold & Black: You bounced were five different places. That's kind of the life of a young coach. If you want to get a chance to move up, you've got to move on. It was great. I met a lot of great people. I learned from a lot of people and got to the live the life of a gypsy a little bit. Tom Campbell ery day, you get to do something I love. That's how I look at coaching: I don't go to work every day, I get to go do something I love. The best part of the day is working with the players. I wish we got to work with them more. That was the nice thing the last three years coaching in pro football (in the CFL), you're actually around the players more. We're not around them as much as we' be (here). "But it's a great job. It's a great d like to profession. Like anything, it's not the perfect job for anybody. It's the right job for me. " j Then it all took me back to my alma mater, five years later, to go back and be a full-time coach and get my first salaried position, so to speak. That worked out great. I was there for five years. I learned from Dale Lennon and had a great experience. That's where I met my wife. So it was a re- ally good experience. " sive coordinator now. Do you have any aspirations to become a head coach? Tibesar: "I think anybody who Gold & Black: You're a defen- DISCOVERY IS OUR MISSION FINDING A CURE IS OUR GOAL www.cancerresearch.purdue.edu GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • volume 23, express 1 • 22

• Cover