Back to school
St. Michael's coaches pursue master's degrees

Alex McIntire | photo editor
amcintire@smcvt.edu

Baseball head coach Seth Cole had to manage his time this fall semester between his team, class, and his full-time job as St. Michael's Sports Information Director. Alex McIntire, photo

While many student-athletes at St. Michael’s College may feel swamped when trying to balance a sport and school work, they are no longer the only ones feeling the pressure. 

No longer can some St. Michael’s athletes complain about how much work they have and that their coaches don’t understand. When the coaches are taking classes as well, homework becomes a new bond that both player and coach can share.

Currently, three St. Michael’s head coaches are in the process of earning their master’s degree and two other coaches just recently finished earning their master's degrees as well.  Baseball head coach Seth Cole and women’s basketball head coach Jen Niebling are enrolled in the St. Michael’s master’s degree program and volleyball coach Emily Verbridge is enrolled at the University of Vermont doctorate of physical therapy program. 

More pencils, more books, more teachers' dirty looks 

College courses, especially within master’s programs, have become increasingly expensive but when a school offers its faculty and staff free classes, many choose to take advantage of the opportunity. 

Cole, who graduated from St. Michael’s in 2001, is working towards his masters in education.  When he found out the school offered one free class every semester, the opportunity was hard to pass up, he says. 

Once signed up for the class, the challenge of managing time between class, practice and his job as the St. Michael’s sports information director proved to be no walk in the park, he says.

“It certainly is challenging,” Cole says.  “But not much different than what student-athlete undergrads are going through in terms of managing their time in the classroom and on the field.”

While many of the classes for the master's program are offered in the evening, some of the classes fall in the afternoon, which can present scheduling conflicts.  Because of Cole’s class schedule, the baseball team was forced to move many of its Thursday practices to an earlier, 6 a.m. time slot. 

Niebling will be resuming classes in the spring.  Since basketball spans two semesters, she’ll be signing up for classes to fulfill her master’s in theology just in time for the second half of the basketball season. 

“[The team’s] physical demands are different than mine,” Niebling says comparing her own workload to her student-athletes’ workload.  “I’m not the one running up and down the court.  And sometimes when they see me working on a paper or doing work on the bus, maybe its good for them to see that and say, ‘Oh, well Coach is working too.'”

Women's basketball head coach Jen Niebling supports her team during practice. Niebling will resume taking classes to fulfill her master's degree in theology next semester. Alex McIntire, photo

Educating the educated

It may be common for students to gripe about how much work they have behind closed doors, but according to St. Michael’s Associate Athletic Director Chris Kenny, the coaches don’t often mention such problems in the athletic department office.  They just make it work, he says. 

“I don’t really hear a whole lot about classes in the office,” Kenny says. “People just kind of grind it out and get it done.”

The hard work these coaches are putting into classes, along with performing well in their jobs, does not go unnoticed by the athletic department.  As long as these coaches can maintain a healthy balance in their lives, the athletic department promotes their higher education opportunities, Kenny says.

“It’s always beneficial to have folks who are pursuing a higher education,” he says.  “We at the school and in the department are very supportive of that.” 

This trend of coaches going back to school may not have anything to do with their position as coaches, but rather a new trend in the pursuit of higher education.  Cole accredits his decision to earn a master’s degree to what society is beginning to look for in employees, he says.

“It’s become a growing trend in society, for better or worse, that the undergrad degree will open a door that furthers your progress and career, and now it's nice to have that grad degree as well,” Cole says.  “I think that’s what’s triggering some people, or at least me.”

Neither Niebling or Cole have specific ideas of what they are going to do with their respective master's degrees.  Both are more set on waiting and seeing what doors open, they say.

Student-athletes and student-coaches

Time management is key to being successful for any coach who is in the coaching/student situation, Cole and Niebling both say.  These coaches have control over more than their own time.  Because Cole has to alter his practice times, his players have to be able to cope with changes as well, and the same goes with Niebling’s athletes. When she has to schedule practices late at night because of early evening classes, the whole team feels the effects, she says. 

“It’s really never a big deal,” senior baseball captain Evan Grenier says. “Sometimes we have practice early in the morning, but regardless, practice gets done.  We’re never missing classes because coach is going to class.”

When exams and midterms come around, athletes may get caught up in worrying about a big test and slip away mentally from practice for a moment or two.  According to Grenier, because of Cole’s dedication to the sport and the team, signs of his work overload and mental fatigue aren’t expressed by Cole around the team.

“His head is always in the game and he’s always ready to play baseball,” Grenier says.  “I think it's great that he’s taking classes because it also helps him stay more connected to the school.” 

With fall baseball over, Cole will be free to focus on classes for the remainder of the semester, whereas Niebling is just about to step into yet another stress-filled semester of homework, tests and playoff games.