Gustavus Football team starts new season against Coe College this Saturday under new Head Coach Peter Haugen

This year’s Gustavus Football team will return many of its key starters from last season, but a familiar face will be noticeably absent on the sidelines as the team begins regular season play Saturday under a new head coach for the first time in 15 years.

Peter Haugen replaces long-time head coach Jay Schoenebeck, who stepped down from his position after last season to focus on spending more time with his family. A Bethel alumnus, Haugen has spent the past 15 years as head football coach at Minneapolis Washburn High School and is excited for his new opportunity.

“I am stepping into a bigger organization, so for me it has been a process to learn new systems and build new relationships,” Haugen said. “The move to the college level is an opportunity for me and my family to grow and be challenged. The transition is going well, and my family is happy to be here.”

Senior Quarterback Jordan Becker doesn’t feel that adapting to Haugen’s coaching will be an issue for the team heading into the season.

“In many ways, [Schoenebeck and Haugen] are very similar; both men demand high character, toughness and class out of their players,” Becker said. “After our first meeting with Coach Haugen, I knew that he would run a first-class program and expect a lot out of us as players just as Shoeny had.”

Senior Defensive Back and d3football.com preseason All-American Joe Welch also saw similarities in the two coaches.

“They both expect a lot from us, and I feel it’s because they both have their priorities in life straight,” Welch said. “In that minute [I first met Haugen] he expressed a true passion for the game and everything that comes with it.”

Coach Haugen himself is quick to note the numerous similarities between his predecessor and himself.

“I think Jay and I have many more things in common than not; we both value building relationships and seeing a staff and team come together,” Haugen said. “There will be some change in terms of scheme and organization, but that is to be expected in any new system.”

The team has had ample time to become familiar with their new coach during their rigorous training camp sessions that began in late August.

“Our days were long ones, but nothing out of the ordinary for us. We usually started around 7:00 a.m. and finished around 8:00 p.m. or so,” Becker said. “We went full pads a little more often; however, overall training and preparation were similar.”

From the very start of training camp, Haugen was immediately impressed with the performance of his players.

“I love our players and what they bring to the field each day. Attitude and effort coupled with a desire to grow as a team is a great recipe for good things to happen,” Haugen said. “It didn’t take long for me to see how fortunate I really am to be working with such a great group of young men.”

Most of the time spent on the field was used to learn new plays for the upcoming season. Among other changes, Haugen will use a huddle offense and transition from a spread offense to a two back set that will help the team focus more on establishing the running game.

“We don’t have a really thick playbook, just our bread and butter plays,” Junior Offensive Lineman Chris Martinez said. “We will continue to develop [the plays] and make game day adjustments as needed. We’ll be able to move the ball successfully as long as we stick to the plays.”

Haugen dismissed any notion that his team will have difficulties making the transition to the two back set offense.

“You see lots of different offenses out there today; one [is] not better than another, just different,” Haugen said. “We believe our players are picking things up quickly and that this transition will go well with the athletes we have running the new system.”

The GAC squad was one of the few teams in the country that didn’t start its season during Labor Day weekend. The Gusties finally get a chance to try out their new offense on an opponent when they open the season against Coe College on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1:00 p.m.

“Coe has some pretty good defensive linebackers, and they beat a good team in Augustana [already this year]. They still have lots to prove since we beat them last year, but they’ll want to beat us bad this time around,” Martinez said. “It’ll be a real test this week to see how our offense clicks.”

The offense returns many of its key starters despite the graduation of Chad Arlt, who rewrote the school’s record books by breaking nearly every receiving record in existence.

“Our offense returns many experienced players and will feature a new system that fits our personnel well,” Becker said. “Expect us to work hard, be physical and make big plays.”

On the other side of the ball, the Gustie defense will bring back the 3-4 defense that they adopted last season in hopes to better protect against the passing game of their opponents.

“The defense is looking very promising; we will have some young players really step up into starting roles, and I feel the returners are much more comfortable with our defensive plan,” Welch said. “There are always things to work on, but I feel as if we can really be something special.”

Players are trying to bridge the gap between upperclassmen and underclassmen in many ways, including the new concept of assigning each first-year student to an older player who acts as his academic adviser. Martinez said he noticed a team camaraderie that is stronger this year than in the past because of such changes.

“The success of this team will be greater because there’s lots more unity than in previous years,” Martinez said. “There’s just a feeling that we’re coming together more as a team.”

With the team’s returning talent and strong bonds, the players have set the bar high for their season in hopes of eclipsing last season’s 6-4 mark that saw them go 4-4 in Conference play.

“Coach Haugen, our coaching staff and us players have really come together well, and we have our sights set on having a successful year,” Becker said. “Our goals are to be one of the hardest hitting, most physical teams in the MIAC, play with class and be a championship team on and off the field.”

Haugen admitted that the team’s playing style may differ from previous years, but the goal will remain the same.

“The style of football will change to a degree, but our goal will be to continue to be a program that everyone in the college community, the town of St. Peter, parents and our committed alumni can and will be proud of.”