Maze run with Coach treyomo

There was no Maze yesterday as I figured the Wilk community would have the Devil and Friends podcast to appease their appetites. But alas the internet got killed by climate change. So we are going to have an interview to get to know another of our good coaches better. Everyone knows him but this will allow you to know the coach better, so enjoy.

Q:How did you get into GD given so many other options out there? And have you tried any of the other options out there? A:I found Gridiron Dynasty by accident. I play Strat-o-Matic baseball online and was told by a fellow player during a Vegas gathering about the What-if SIM baseball league. I tried one season of it and didn't like it, but was perusing the site and noticed the Dynasty games. GD was the first one I tried and I loved it immediately. I have strayed occasionally to a couple of other sites but none of them are as complete as GD. Q:What about GD keeps you here?

A:I love football and I am a numbers geek, so the analytics of GD really appeals to me. Q:How has the game changed since you joined?

A:Lots of trends and options have come and gone - injuries, discipline, the unstoppable wishbone passing attack, 15 INT TD returns in a season. I think the game is in a pretty good place right, especially since they added the detailed PBP - that really allows deeper analysis and can give an insightful coach huge advantages. Q:What is your favorite part of this game? And obviously what is your least favorite part of the game?

A:I love the ability to make adjustments on the fly - tendencies, depth charts, multiple formations and depth charts. You can have a different strategy and depth chart for every game, or you can go with a single stock plan for an entire season. I also enjoy the recruiting period - though that also can be my least favorite part - as a person who vacations at a cottage in the internet-free portion of Door County, Wisconsin, a poorly -timed vacation can really hamstring a recruiting class - can only claim to have to run into town so many times before my wife starts looking at me cross-eyed. Q:What would you like to see be improved in this game: As far as recruiting?

A:I really wish you could have a view of the next season's recruiting class during the current recruiting cycle - could add some new strategy. I may not overspend on a key position that's a little more distant now if I now I'll have a local stud next season. As far as game planning?

A:Would like a 1st half / 2nd half gameplanning role – if I’m in the lead late in the 1st half I want to stay aggressive, but late in the 2nd half I might want to dial back. Only way to do that currently is by changing the setting after every half. As far as the simulation?

A:I’m pretty happy with its current state, though I would like to see the onside recover rate dialed back – seems like too many onside kicks are recovered, especially when based on game situation the opponent would be expecting in. As far as realism and all the other bells and whistles?

A:Like ebel, I don’t really care about realism – if I have the right personnel, I should be able to pass for 1,000 yards in a game. Q:How many teams do you have and why that many?

A:Three teams is a good number for me – any more, and I lose focus on all of the teams, and any fewer leads to too much dead time.

Q:Why have you picked the schools that you picked, through time and the one you have now? Which school would you want to coach if you could and why?

A:One of my favorite parts of the game is picking a new school - I love studying existing rosters and identifying the SIM school that has the best chance to succeed early, both due to existing talent and recruiting situation. I've had great luck picking up turdly SIMs that have good talent at key positions, and turning them around quickly. I picked South Carolina in Wilkinson because they had an outstanding Jr. RB and pretty good young talent on the lines and at DB - nothing sentimental, just analytics. As with most DI coaches, I'd love to coach Penn State, but it's tough for me to move because I'm a SIM-recruit cutter that drags down my rep. Q:As far as was there any personal reasons to take certain teams?

A:I try to find challenges at DI - identify a BCS team with poor history in a pretty full conference and resurrect them. Probably my best achievement was taking Indiana in a full B1G conference to a conference title in year 5 with the school. I just took on Air Force in Hayes to try to get them their first ever human coached conference title in any world in WIS history, but thanks to awags's USC juggernaut I'm a lot closer to being fired than a conference title. Q:When job openings start, how often do you consider moving?

A:Unless my team is championship-worthy, I look at openings every season. My rep often restricts a move to an elite, but there are certain schools I'm always watching. Q:What schools would you like to coach the most? What teams would make you leave the program you have built in Columbia, SC?

A:When the Iowa schools are unfilled, I believe Minnesota is the #1 BCS school - no competition for local recruits and the best access to the occasional studs in Northern Wisconsin and the Dakotas. In reality, job change normally comes when I get bored at a program - Im not a coach who will stay at the same program for 50+ seasons. Q:Any advice you can share on how to build a great program in the SEC and compete against the great coaches in that conference?

A:A common thread in the forum goes back to a very old quote - "Recruits are fungible". Many coaches recommend against taking walk-ons, battle judiciously, fill your scholarships. I disagree. I'd rather recruit 8 great players and take 4 walk-ons than sign 12 decent-to-good players. You can't win in a BCS conference at a high level with good players -- you need top-notch talent to challenge for a championship. Don't battle for every player, but go after the difference makers. Protect your home turf, even against elites, especially early in your tenure. If I force an opponent to overspend, they may reconsider going after a recruit local to me in future recruiting periods, because they know I'll go balls to the wall for a player I really want. It took a couple years to perfect this method, and it certainly isn't for everyone, but it has worked for me. Q:What are your hopes with your current team? Another conference title and maybe a national title run?

A:With the recruiting strategy noted above, some times you miss at a position – right now I’m running with two walk-on QBs, so this is a down year. There’s too much talent in this conference and world to be a consistent conference title winner with a non-elite, but I would be happy making the conference title game every 2-3 seasons. If I can recruit well next season on defense and the OL, I believe I have a legitimate national title shot in three seasons when my redshirt RB Moore is a senior – he’s a high potential stud who is good enough to be the workhorse on a title team. Q:I will admit I was not sure about you team the last few years but now I have seen the light, your program is for real. Now the pressure is on for you to continue improving this program, are you up to it?

A:What makes Wilkinson especially tough for a non-elite is the high participation at DIAA – hard to find the cheap diamonds in the recruiting rough when almost every functional player is human committed early. Gonna be tough to duplicate the last two seasons, but we should remain decent enough to always be a thorn to the SEC elites. Q:What would make you just drop the game all together?

A:A stronger internet filter at my office! Q:What is the best advice for new coaches that they probably can’t find on the forum?

A:Even with fatigue playing a much reduced role, I always recommend to new coaches setting up formations to rest the best players. Why use my #1 QB/WR if that formation/down results in 100% running. Can I give my top DBs a break on 2nd and 2, since the offense will more than likely get the first down in the next two downs and it’s typically a running down? Nothing drives me more crazy than a failed drive when my top players are substituted out.

Many thanks coach for doing the interview and giving the community a chance to know you better. Hopefully the internet will be back in Arizona so that we can have the podcast. If not we have enough games to keep us entertained and the Maze will try to fill the void. Until the next time take it easy.