University of Delaware Athletics
FATHER'S DAY: Blue Hen Head Coaches Celebrate Day with Special Memories
6/21/2015 12:53:00 AM | Delaware Athletics
By Evan Spinner
UD Athletics Media Relations Summer Intern
Throughout most of the world, Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the positive influence of fathers in society.
The holiday originated in 1910, in Spokane Wash., when Sonora Smart Dodd wished to honor her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran and a single parent to six children. Her wish to recognize all fathers and the special role that they play in the lives of children continues to this day.
And while certainly not all collegiate head coaches are fathers, the leadership qualities needed to be successful are quite similar. Just ask the 10 University of Delaware head coaches who are proud to call themselves Dad.
Both roles have similar responsibilities with the goal of providing for, protecting, and teaching a group of youngsters. The word father is defined as “a man in relation to his natural child or children”.
The definition of a coach is essentially the same, but without the physical relation. It reads, “a person who trains an athlete or a team of athletes.”
For a coach to have success with a team and communicate on a personal level, they must know the backgrounds of their athletes, their likes and dislikes, and how they respond to events that occur around them.
The 10 Blue Hen head coaches who answer to both titles – Jim Sherman (baseball), Monté Ross 
men's basketball), Rolf van de Kerkhof (field hockey), Dave Brock (football), Mike Keogh (men's golf), Bob Shillinglaw (men's lacrosse), Ian Hennessy (men's soccer), Scott Grzenda (women's soccer), John Seneca (interim softball), and John Hayman (men's and women's swimming & diving) - must carefully balance their time as a coach and as a parent on a daily basis.
“There is very little difference in being a father and being a coach from my perspective,” said Ross, who has a son, Justin, and a daughter, Lauren (photo at left). “I try to treat every young man on my team as if he were my own son, with every decision being made with respect to what is best for them.”
He relates having a family to being a coach because he feels that athletes deserve the same care and discipline whether they are part of a team or a family.
“Being a father has been the greatest gift in my life,” said Grzenda, a father of three (Zachary, Nathan, and Kaitlyn - at right) who closed out his 25th year as head coach this past fall. “Just as you are a part of your children's lives, you become a big part of your players' lives. You watch them work incredibly hard, you see them struggle and succeed, you take pride in what they accomplish, as well as console them when they fail.”
Hennessy, who has two young daughters (Mackenzie and Kyra - below left), has been able to create life lessons from his children.
“My kids are a constant reminder for me to allow for enjoyment and pleasure in life and this is something I try to pass on to our student-athletes,” said Hennessy, who has led the Blue Hens to two NCAA Tournament appearances over the last four seasons.
Hennessy believes that humor and staying relaxed is an important part of our daily lives, but he wants his children and his athletes to understand that it's beneficial to be serious. However, it's more important to know when to not be.
While learning how to be a father helps in the process of coaching, it is important to remember that these men would not be what they are today without the presence and guidance of their own fathers.
“My parents were both physical education teachers and coaches and I was exposed to all the funny and positive stories at the dinner table throughout the years,” said Hayman, who has led the UD swimming and diving teams since 1989. “I was hooked. I knew I wanted to coach and raise a family much like my parents. I have been very fortunate that my wife (Tamara) and four children (Josh, Jacob, Lindsay, and Tessa) have understood the commitment that I have made to my sport. On those occasions that I was able to 'see them shine' in a particular event or function it was a memorable and joyous experience for us all.”
Another great example of this comes from Keogh, Delaware's men's golf coach and the 2015 CAA Coach of the Year who has two grown children.
Mike's late father, Peter Keogh, taught him how to play golf at a young age. He was always hard on him, but his motive was to get Mike to learn the game and mature. In 1996, Peter Keogh passed away about a month before Father's Day.
When the holiday came around, Mike, with respect to his father, found himself playing golf with a group of friends early that Sunday morning.
There was no wind in the air that day when Mike went to reach for his six-iron on the tee at the par three fifth hole. But Mike felt the presence of his father, who always told him to “put enough club in your hands.” Mike switched to a five-iron, and despite a sudden gust of wind in his face that came out of nowhere, promptly drained his first-ever hole-in-one. On Father's Day no less.
“I realized that my father would always be with me and that the lessons I learned will never go away,” said Keogh. “I relate this to my style of coaching and always try to treat my players the way my father used to coach me.”
Father's Day is a joyous occasion for families to gather together and celebrate. Those men who are fortunate enough to be both fathers and coaches – including those 10 Blue Hen mentors - will have yet another chance to reflect on the positive influences they have not only on their own children, but on their student-athletes as well.
