Wheeling, W. Va. - As the countdown to the 2023 football season begins, the Mountain East Conference (MEC) has been preparing with their virtual MEC Football Media Day event. Each day, the conference is releasing a different media day interview with each team leading up to the season opener with all 11 teams in action on Thursday, August 31st. On Monday, Wheeling University Head Football Coach Zac Bruney's interview was shared as he previews the upcoming Wheeling Football schedule.
The 2022 season once again saw the program take another step forward, breaking the single season win record and finishing in a tie for fourth in the MEC. The Cardinals had a lot of fifth-year guys leading the way in former Cardinals Sy Alli, Brandon Munoz, and Lowell Patron who were all key contributors to the team's success. The Cardinals found themselves in the NCAA DII playoff race heading into their week eight matchup with Concord and were winning close games throughout the year that kept them in the hunt. With Bruney and his staff having experience on the field, it was a recipe for success in helping the team continue their progression.
"Anytime you can compete at a high level and win games I think it gives your guys confidence," said Bruney. "We had our best season to this point from a win-loss standpoint, but I think it also left a taste of wanting more because we lost some close games. We also won some close games which in the past we haven't been able to break through and win too many close games, but last year we did win some close games. Experience wise anytime you can have success, hopefully success breeds success, and you can grow and develop your program."
As the team enters the 2023 season, many veterans on the field are gone but will be replaced by guys waiting their turn. The team enters the year with one of their biggest rosters in program history, topping out at around 140 guys, with around 50 of those players being freshman/transfer students. The turnover is expected in any program, but Bruney is looking to use that turnover to continue the tradition that the older guys have built over the program's first five seasons.
"It is important to have older guys, but it's also important to have guys within the program that are hungry for that next step to contributing to your team from a starting standpoint or to a rotational standpoint," said Bruney. "The last couple of years we have finally been able to have that and in 21 and 22, that predicated more success because we were older, more mature, bigger, faster, and stronger through the development in our program."
Along with the veterans of the program that Buney has, he and his staff also brought in an extensive recruiting class that includes around 50 new players. Throughout camp, the team has been doing a series of split practices that helped the older guys get their work, while also bringing the new players along in the system. It is something that Bruney and his team have been doing over the last few years as he gets his players acclimated to college football.
"I will say we are really excited overall about the class we have coming in," said Bruney. "Our roster number now is right around 150 and for most Division II schools anywhere from 120-160 is usually where you hit where you have a really good breakdown of your classes. The biggest adjustment for first year guys is learning what to do. It is not really predicated on talent, and it's not really predicated on football experience, it's just being in a new system. The coach's job is to get them acclimated and get them coached up and get them learning what we are doing as fast as possible."
With camp entering its third and final week this week, Bruney says his team's goals are more centered around the day-to-day rather than wins and losses. He wants to get everyone in his program on the same page with the day-to-day things and then look for the wins and losses to come with that success. The MEC schedule always offers challenges every week, and Bruney wants his guys to be prepared to face those challenges by taking care of the little things every day.
"My emphasis to our guys has always been we want to get to a point where we are player led," said Bruney. "I think over the last 18 months we are getting to that point. If your players can be leading the dance consistently in your day-to-day, the accountability, the core values, the coaches kind of guide the ship and the players do the brunt of the work. Our goals are to be consistent in our day-to-day, being accountable, being on time, being at everything when we are supposed to be there, being prepared, the details matter. I tell our guys don't get bored with the details. It is hard to stay fully focused on the little things because you're always focused on the big picture, but I think our primary goal is always going to be embrace the process the right way, have intentional purpose in our day-to-day, and then focusing on the little things. Because if we take care of the little things then the big things, your games, your wins will hopefully take care of themselves."
The Wheeling University Football team opens the 2023 season on Thursday, August 31st, when they host Seton Hill with kick-off at 7 PM.
