Originally from the Syracuse area, he attended Christian Brothers Academy before playing linebacker and studying studio art at Colgate University. At Colgate he helped lead the Raiders to Patriot League title in 2008.
Hadley shown here during his stint as a defensive coach at Ithaca.
Our conversation is below, Hadley's responses are in bold text:
Although you're new to the Hobart coaching staff, you're not new to Division III football. How's your perspective changed now that you're on Hobart's team vs. being on the opposite sidelines from the Statesmen?
It has been a pleasure being on this staff since Day 1. Coaching against Hobart has always been the most challenging and most memorable times as a DIII coach. The Statesmen have always been a team that we circled as a special opponent when I was at previous schools. The tradition I have become a part of is the best part of being here. Incredible support from alumni and the history we have here make Hobart a great place to work.
You've had the opportunity to coach alongside several Division III "legends", such as Mike Welch at Ithaca and Mark Raymond, who did an awesome job turning around the Saint Lawrence and Williams College programs. What are some of the best lessons you've learned from them and how will you apply those as a coach for the Statesmen?
While coaching for Coach Welch and Coach Raymond have been amazing experiences, the assistant coaches I have worked under and alongside have taught me just as much about college football as the head coaches have. Men like Mark McDonough (Williams D.C.), Jack Mrozinski (Salve Regina D.C.), Tom Blumenauer (Williams OL), Scott Brisson (Lehigh O.C.), Dan Puckhaber (SLU H.C.) have all played a role in my development as a coach and mentor to student-athletes. I have been unbelievably fortunate to be around those coaches. They shaped who I was when Kevin DeWall first hired me (which has, to this day, been the best opportunity anyone has given me in this profession). Since my first day working for Coach Raymond, I have learned how to recruit the right way, polished my work ethic, learned further how to collaborate with a campus, compassion and love for each other and the students you coach, and undeniable loyalty. My experience working with Jenn Potter and Ithaca Women's Track and Field was the "X factor" in my career. Those women taught me just as much as any football coach has.
How have your past experiences shaped your approach to coaching / philosophy?
As a young coach, I was able to wear many hats. The more responsibilities you take on, the more you learn. Some of those learning experiences are harder than others, but each of them have shaped me into a coach with empathy, sympathy (and knowing the difference between the two); a coach who is dependable; a coach who truly cares; a loyal, hard-working man who will do everything possible to make sure the students get the most out of their experience.
How do you think being a student athlete at a school like Hobart is similar to your experience as one at Colgate? What do you think are the differences?
Hadley was a three-year starter for the Raiders at LB.
What does "Player Development"- from your new job title - mean to you?
To this coaching staff, college football is more than wins, losses, and stats. Our responsibility is to ensure each student we come in contact with leaves here a better man than when we first met him. While much of my time will be focusing on the individualized physical development of our students (through collaboration with Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Gray), I spend a great deal of time teaching Hobart Statesmen valuable leadership skills and character development. My goal is to mold better fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons. Before they take on those roles, I work to create the most explosive, healthiest football players. I teach strength, conditioning, nutrition, mental fitness, leadership, career building, character development, punctuality, etiquette, humor, love, etc. "Player Development" fits a little better on a business card or at the end of an email signature.
The defensive backfield struggled last season, as evidenced in Hobart's pass defense stats. What do you plan to work on to bolster this unit in preseason camp?
Our hope is that each of the DBs takes a huge step forward this pre-season in their communication and confidence. We have an exciting group returning. The defensive backs need to be the most dependable people on the football field. To do that, personal accountability and merit need to be extremely high. It's going to take a great deal of repetition and studying to get there. Based on the experience I had with them in the Spring, I'm very happy to be working with this group. They are not okay with being okay. Each of them bring something great to the table, but collectively, we need to eliminate some fear of failure to be a truly dangerous group of men the Statesmen DBs are meant to be.
I saw something on social media that your "leg day workout" is pretty tough - what's up with that ;)?
Every day is "leg day" or you won't be able to get from Point A to Point B faster than the other guy. We preach technique and movement more than we chase numbers. Sometimes, when you get to your true, full range of motion you start to use muscles you didn't know you had. They might be sore for a few days, but we'll eliminate major injuries that way. We like to squat, lunge, RDL, clean, run. I'm excited for Coach Gray to get to campus.
Speaking of social media, you and some of the other assistant coaches have very strong twitter games. How critical is that to recruit today's 16-18 year old future Statesmen?
Recruiting is obviously a major aspect of college athletics. Recruiting strong student-athletes and what you do with those student-athletes once they're on campus is essentially the name of the game. With "strong Twitter game" I think you are referring to our sense of humor (or maybe lack thereof) and use of GIFs, quotes, graphics [I was and they are pretty funny, I have to say]. We're not doing anything different than some others in the profession but we like to have fun with our social media accounts. Social media in college football is like an arms race: who can have the best graphics, GIFs, tweets, instagrams, etc. This group of coaches always remains professional, but we think it's important to be informative, transparent, honest, and (above all) be ourselves. Open and honest communication and developing a relationship with our prospects is more important than a Michael Scott GIF or a great Photoshop job, but we like to mix it up.
On a more personal level, how does it feel to be "back home" in Upstate NY? What are some of your favorite aspects of being a Genevan?
While my future wife is from the South Shore of Massachusetts (Marshfield, MA), I will always prefer an Upstate New York lake to the Atlantic Ocean. Transitioning to another institution is always difficult for coaches and their families but knowing Coach DeWall, Coach Cragg, Art Garvey, Mike Green, Aaron Backhaus and moving an hour from where I grew up and went to college has made this a seamless move. I love the scenery, traffic, food, weather (yes...weather), and most importantly the people. I developed some strong friendships with New Englanders and will always appreciate them and view them as an extension of my family, but there's something special about Upstate New Yorkers (specifically Finger Lakes residents). Can't beat it. #FLX
Hobart sure has a great assistant coach with this hire. While I've been aware of him on the D3 scene for a few years now, I'm looking forward to meeting him (and his fiance' Allison) in a couple of weeks at the Brockport game. Next time I'll have to ask Coach Hads where we can find his artwork for sale in Downtown Geneva or maybe on display at Houghton House?
Thanks again for reading - only 18 days until the season opener!
Let's Go 'Bart!
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