Lenoir Rhyne University Bears

Next weekend will be pretty special for the College Football Beat blog as I will be spending the weekend with the Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears football team. I will be updating the blog through out the day next Friday evening and Saturday with some insight of how a college team prepares for the game ahead. Head football coach Fred Goldsmith has granted me as much access that I need to give the readers of this blog a different perspective of Game Day. It will be homecoming weekend for the Bears as they prepare to take on the Wingate Bulldogs.

While for some this may not seem to be much of a deal at all, for me and this blog it is an opportunity to grow and get a behind the scenes look. While Lenoir-Rhyne is no University of Florida or Notre Dame, it is a chance to show you the reader what these student athletes go through to get ready . While just a weekend is probably not enough to truly reflect what it takes, it will be an eye opening experience for me and hopefully you the reader.


The Bears are coming of a 38-17 win over the Tusculum Pioneers on Saturday night. The win was the Bears 1st win ever at Tusculum. The Pioneers helped the Bears out by committing seven turnovers. L/R boasts the #2 rushing offense in the South Atlantic Conference and also ranks #2 in the country in Division II. The Bears are now 1-1 in conference play.

The Bears are coached by University of Florida alumnus Fred Goldsmith. Coach Goldsmith was named the 1992 Sports Illustrated Coach of the Year for his success at Rice University. In 1994 he was the Bobby Dodd Award for National Coach of the Year for Division I while at Duke University. Coach Goldsmith is in the middle of his third year as head coach. Goldsmith was also Head coach Slippery Rock. He has also been on the staff of Florida A&M, Air Force and Arkansas.
Goldsmith is trying to rebuild a program that has not had a winning season since 1993.

Things have not always been doom and gloom at L/R though as they were the 1960 NAIA National Chhampion with a perfect 11-0 season.

I did have a chance to ask Coach Goldsmith some questions during our meeting:



College Football Beat (CFB): How would you rate the season so far?

Coach Goldsmith (CG): We should be 5-0. We lost one game in overtime and then our second loss came because we gave up two big plays and couldn't overcome them in the pouring rain. It's tough to lose a game like that when you know you were the better team. It's tough to lose games like that when you are trying to rebuild a program.



CFB: Coach Goldsmith, having coached in the Football Championship Division what are some of the unique challenges that Lenoir-Rhyne poses?

CG: It's a complicated system here in D II. You are more of a GM and accountant than you are in the bigger schools. You only get 25 scholarships for 100 players so you need to work things out.



CFB: What are some of the positives of coaching at L/R?

CG: The travel is easy here in the South Atlantic Conference. Their are some schools in Division II that are taking six to eight hour bus rides to away games. Our longest ride is just over two hours. The size of the school is an enjoyment. This university is very selective of its students so we tend get better student athletes. We also have some great community support and that helps.



CFB: At the bigger schools a lot of players have dreams of moving to the NFL to you see much of that at this level?

CG: We have some kids that have those ambitions, and while you don't want to dampen their dreams, you need to stress the importance of getting their education. There are very few big school kids who make it to the NFL but there is always a chance. We stress that academics are related to their future.



CFB: What is the biggest problem you face in dealing with the student-athletes?

CG: If you can get them through the first two years they seem to take their academics more seriously. Something clicks late in the sophomore year for most of them. Upper classman lead by example though, that they need that education.



CFB: Is this the last stop on your coaching carousel?

CG: I though every place I coached at would be my last stop. I'm happy here. I'm 65 years old and I'm happy doing this. I want to do it. When I'm not happy doing it, I'll stop.



Lenoir-Rhyne University in 1891 and started playing football in 1907. L/R has an enrollment of 1600 hundred students. L/R is rated as one of the top private universities in the Southeast. It has a nationally recognized nursing program that currently is running at capacity with a waiting list. L/R is located in Hickory, North Carolina.