Warsaw Native Bolinger Finds His Calling
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
EVANSTON, Ill. -ÊBrad Bolinger is 26. For the past two months he made his home in a hotel room. And he wouldn't trade places with anybody for anything.
Around here, people may remember Bolinger as a talented wide receiver who played for Warsaw's football team. He was a team captain who won all-conference and academic all-state awards.
After graduating from Warsaw in 1990, Bolinger's path took him to Franklin College, and then to Miami (Ohio). From Miami it took him to Northwestern University.
When head football coach Gary Barnett left Northwestern for Colorado earlier this year, the Wildcats named Randy Walker as the new coach. Walker, who led Miami to a 10-1 record last season, took seven of his nine coaches along with him to Northwestern. One of the seven was Bolinger, his defensive secondary coach. Bolinger holds the same position at Northwestern.
This is why Bolinger did not mind out living of a suitcase in a hotel room for two months. He is at a Big Ten school. To Bolinger, this is where it's at.
"This is my fifth year of coaching," he said. "I don't feel like I've gone to work yet. I'd rather be doing this than any normal 40-hour a week job."
Bolinger is one of the few. He, unlike most, knew for certain what he was born to do. He was born to coach.
"I knew all along I wanted to coach," he said. "My dad (Max) was a coach. I just wasn't sure if it would be at the high school level or college level."
At Franklin, Bolinger played defensive back for the football team, was a four-year letterman and was a team captain. He earned all-conference and mental attitude awards. He graduated with a degree in secondary education.
When his playing days ended, he stayed on at Franklin as a coach. For two years he was wide receivers coach, for one year the offensive coordinator.
Then he heard about an intriguing offer at Miami.
"I was offensive coordinator at Franklin when I heard there was a graduate assistant opening at Miami," he said. "The only way to become a Division I coach was to be a graduate assistant at that level.
"It was a calculated risk. I went from a full-time coordinator position to a graduate assistant. It wasn't unpaid, but it wasn't much to live on."
Bolinger coached at Miami for 1-1/2 years when Walker took him and several others to Northwestern.
In his eyes, his gamble has more than paid off. He is in the Big Ten.
"I'm in the best football conference in the country," he said. "We went 10-1 at Miami and didn't get a bowl game. We go 10-1 here, we're playing for a national championship."
For the last two months, Walker and his coaches have spent their time evaluating their players.
"They were in the middle of winter conditioning," Bolinger said. "We came in not knowing anybody. Knowing players at their positions is the biggest task."
College football may have only 11 or so games, but coaching is an 11-month, seven-days-a-week, at least 12-hours-a-day proposition. Spring football starts today. Coaches get a month off during the summer.
Bolinger works with 15 players. He watches game tapes by himself then watches them again with the whole staff.
In 1996, the Northwestern Wildcats were the talk of the college football world. The school known more for academics then athletics shocked all by advancing to the Rose Bowl. Since that time, the Wildcats have returned to their sub-.500 status.
Bolinger is asked when - or if - Northwestern will be a winning program again.
"I think we have great guys who work hard and are intelligent," he said. "They look good lifting and running, but it's easy to look good in shorts. We haven't seen them in pads yet.
"It definitely can be done. It will be done. It is tough to pinpoint a timeframe for it. We'll know more when we have spring practice."
Bolinger, who was interviewed in late March, was slated to move out of his hotel room and into a condo on April 1. This is not the only move he hopes to make. He dreams of moving up the coaching ranks as well.
"I definitely want to be a head coach at the highest level of the sport," he said. "To me, that doesn't necessarily mean professional. I would like to someday be a head coach in this conference." [[In-content Ad]]
EVANSTON, Ill. -ÊBrad Bolinger is 26. For the past two months he made his home in a hotel room. And he wouldn't trade places with anybody for anything.
Around here, people may remember Bolinger as a talented wide receiver who played for Warsaw's football team. He was a team captain who won all-conference and academic all-state awards.
After graduating from Warsaw in 1990, Bolinger's path took him to Franklin College, and then to Miami (Ohio). From Miami it took him to Northwestern University.
When head football coach Gary Barnett left Northwestern for Colorado earlier this year, the Wildcats named Randy Walker as the new coach. Walker, who led Miami to a 10-1 record last season, took seven of his nine coaches along with him to Northwestern. One of the seven was Bolinger, his defensive secondary coach. Bolinger holds the same position at Northwestern.
This is why Bolinger did not mind out living of a suitcase in a hotel room for two months. He is at a Big Ten school. To Bolinger, this is where it's at.
"This is my fifth year of coaching," he said. "I don't feel like I've gone to work yet. I'd rather be doing this than any normal 40-hour a week job."
Bolinger is one of the few. He, unlike most, knew for certain what he was born to do. He was born to coach.
"I knew all along I wanted to coach," he said. "My dad (Max) was a coach. I just wasn't sure if it would be at the high school level or college level."
At Franklin, Bolinger played defensive back for the football team, was a four-year letterman and was a team captain. He earned all-conference and mental attitude awards. He graduated with a degree in secondary education.
When his playing days ended, he stayed on at Franklin as a coach. For two years he was wide receivers coach, for one year the offensive coordinator.
Then he heard about an intriguing offer at Miami.
"I was offensive coordinator at Franklin when I heard there was a graduate assistant opening at Miami," he said. "The only way to become a Division I coach was to be a graduate assistant at that level.
"It was a calculated risk. I went from a full-time coordinator position to a graduate assistant. It wasn't unpaid, but it wasn't much to live on."
Bolinger coached at Miami for 1-1/2 years when Walker took him and several others to Northwestern.
In his eyes, his gamble has more than paid off. He is in the Big Ten.
"I'm in the best football conference in the country," he said. "We went 10-1 at Miami and didn't get a bowl game. We go 10-1 here, we're playing for a national championship."
For the last two months, Walker and his coaches have spent their time evaluating their players.
"They were in the middle of winter conditioning," Bolinger said. "We came in not knowing anybody. Knowing players at their positions is the biggest task."
College football may have only 11 or so games, but coaching is an 11-month, seven-days-a-week, at least 12-hours-a-day proposition. Spring football starts today. Coaches get a month off during the summer.
Bolinger works with 15 players. He watches game tapes by himself then watches them again with the whole staff.
In 1996, the Northwestern Wildcats were the talk of the college football world. The school known more for academics then athletics shocked all by advancing to the Rose Bowl. Since that time, the Wildcats have returned to their sub-.500 status.
Bolinger is asked when - or if - Northwestern will be a winning program again.
"I think we have great guys who work hard and are intelligent," he said. "They look good lifting and running, but it's easy to look good in shorts. We haven't seen them in pads yet.
"It definitely can be done. It will be done. It is tough to pinpoint a timeframe for it. We'll know more when we have spring practice."
Bolinger, who was interviewed in late March, was slated to move out of his hotel room and into a condo on April 1. This is not the only move he hopes to make. He dreams of moving up the coaching ranks as well.
"I definitely want to be a head coach at the highest level of the sport," he said. "To me, that doesn't necessarily mean professional. I would like to someday be a head coach in this conference." [[In-content Ad]]