Sewanee Football: Coach Mac and the Road to Success

With spring practice just around the corner, I had the opportunity to sit down with Sewanee Football’s head coach, Andy McCollum. Coach Mac discussed the offseason, the upcoming spring season, and the continued effort the players and coaches have put in since August. Growth, character, and endurance were three themes that radiated throughout our discussion, which made me even more excited about the future of this program. 

Recruitment is a year-round process for Sewanee Football. For this coaching staff, it began last spring when they brought in 38 freshmen. Since then, they have visited over 800 high schools, ranging from Tennessee to Virginia to South Carolina to many more. Coach Mac emphasized the importance of forming relationships with these high school coaches as an opportunity to make Sewanee’s name known and acknowledged. Prospective players continue to visit our 13,000-acre domain to learn about Sewanee and our football program. Coach Mac and his coaching staff hope to add about 40 incoming freshmen to the roster to get the team up to 85 players; they have made great strides towards this goal, with many players already committing to become Sewanee Tiger. The coaching staff deeply believes that this recruiting class will make an impact on the program.

The 2023 season did not cease with their last game in the heat of Texas against Southwestern University; instead, it marked the beginning of a new chapter, one driven by the goal of becoming better and stronger against all opponents. As Coach Mac states, many of these goals began in the weight room, “We doubled down on our commitment to the weight room the day after the final game. We committed to become stronger; we had to look different”. Since this deal was arranged at the end of November, these student-athletes have proved themselves. They have committed themselves to improving, which can be perceived through their five-day-a-week workouts and the continuous effort poured into every step, lift, and run. Mentality is directly associated with commitment and dedication. A strong mentality creates belief in the possibility of exceeding expectations, ensuring you will become better. These student-athletes have created a strong mentality that allows them to see their potential, fight to become stronger, and keep each other accountable. Coach Mac discussed the encouragement and support in the weight room that has helped keep spirits high and created an environment that celebrates growth, hard work, and competition. As these workouts have come to a close due to the beginning of spring practice, Coach Mac proudly states, “We have had so much improvement. Our guys look different. Seeing the strides they have made and the strength gains they have achieved demonstrates what a good offseason it has been.”

As our conversation continued, Coach Mac discussed character and the importance of his players not only being elite players but also outstanding men off the field. Good character arises from the standards set within the locker room, on the turf, and in the classroom, demonstrating exactly what it means to be a Sewanee Tiger. Part of these standards are encouraged by the Leadership Group, which the players and coaches voted on. This group is made up of 10 players, including Kaleb Seay, Keegan Glaze, Harris Cravens, Kason Holder, Connor Maness, Micah Millraney, Michael Showalter, Ayden Langford, Jack Satterfield, and Gray Nischwitz. The Leadership Group is part of setting the standards for the spring season, the offseason, and the upcoming fall season. Becoming a great team begins with great character and an impeccable work ethic. Coach Mac states, “I want our team to be thought of on this campus as good people. As a team, I want our players to make decisions representing what Sewanee stands for in every aspect.” Part of this leadership group’s role is to ensure this is going on throughout campus and that every player keeps each other accountable. Team buy-in begins with great character, acknowledging mistakes, and continuing to improve on and off the field. This exemplifies what Sewanee Football stands for and the bright future ahead for these student-athletes.

 A passion for playing radiates in the hearts of these student-athletes and coaches. Their passion for and their commitment to each other provide the blueprint for on-field successes. These student-athletes and coaches care about becoming the best on and off the field and continuing the fight. At the end of our conversation, Coach Mac discussed the emotions felt during the Birmingham Southern game at Hardee-McGee Field, where 5,000 fans came to watch Sewanee Football compete against a rival team. A feeling of pride and excitement echoed across Harris Stadium, and Coach Mac saw this as a pivotal moment for Sewanee football and the Sewanee community. When acknowledging this moment, Coach Mac stated, “Hopefully, we are making strides where it looks like that all the time. People will support players who carry themselves in the right way on and off the field and players who fight until the end.” Coach Mac makes it clear how proud he is to represent Sewanee and how proud he is of his players who have begun to make the “hard” right decisions more than the easy wrong ones by holding themselves and their teammates accountable. Coach Mac, Coach Gaither, and Coach Hobbs have created an environment that cultivates mental toughness, physical toughness, good character, and continued betterment. These Sewanee Football players have bought into hard work on and off the field, knowing that character comes from team commitment. Through this commitment, their goals have become tangible, and spring practice provides the perfect stage for them to continue the fight.