BY: Noah Stitt and Joseph Achour   

Being a coach is more than just blowing a whistle. Coaching is about developing relationships with your players and helping them as they prepare for their futures. In many instances, coaches are former players of their respective sports. That is the case for Coach Kalvin Oliver who just completed his 14th season as an assistant coach for the Shenandoah University football program.

Coach Oliver attended Shenandoah University back in 2000 where he and 131 other players helped start the SU program. Oliver’s first time coaching occurred when he was in high school and he coached  little league basketball and baseball. However football was always his favorite sport. After his freshman year he knew he wanted to be around football as long as possible.

After his playing career came to an end in 2004. Oliver was given the chance to come back and be an assistant coach. “I was fortunate to be offered the defensive line position soon after graduation. The school and the community has changed a ton since 2004. Changed and grown for the better.” One of the biggest things Oliver enjoys doing is giving back to the community he’s called home for so long. “I have enjoyed taking players back to my former elementary schools to mentor and give back to the community”.

The Shenandoah University football program has a lot to look forward to. They have had two consecutive seasons with a above .500 record. When asked to give his thoughts on the future of the program, Oliver said “SU football is going in the right direction and big things are going to happen. We are bringing in high character guys that are bettering the community and getting the opportunity to represent a great university on the field.”

Coaching is a big task and their are always going to be high expectations regardless on where your team is. There is more to coaching than holding a playbook and a headset on the sidelines though. Players will play hard and respect a coach if they do the same towards them. “I don’t know if I will ever stop coaching. I greatly enjoy watching young men grow up, graduate, and get ready for their professional careers. Knowing that I helped them is a great feeling.”

Photo courtesy of Shenandoah University Athletics