SS PODCAST: Mike Swider on coaching college football, leaving a legacy, preaching the Gospel

THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
WITH JASON ROMANO, FEATURING MIKE SWIDER

Mike Swider served as the head coach of the Wheaton College football team for 24 years and spent a total of 35 seasons as a member of the Wheaton football coaching staff. He took the helm of the Wheaton football program in 1996 and announced his retirement at the conclusion of Wheaton’s record-setting 2019 season.

In his 24 seasons as head coach, Wheaton posted a 209-52 record, an .801 winning percentage, which ranks him first among Wheaton’s 22 all-time head football coaches. Upon his retirement, Swider held the eighth-highest winning percentage of any active Division III coach and was among the top-15 highest winning percentages of any coach in Division III history with 10 or more years of experience. During Swider’s tenure as head coach, the program reached the NCAA playoffs 10 times, won nine conference titles, produced 43 All-Americans and 237 All-Conference players.

In Swider’s final season as head coach in 2019, his 12-1 team tied the most wins in a single season in program history, finished the season ranked No. 5 in the D3football.com top-25 poll, and won the conference championship for the ninth time under Swider. He was honored as the CCIW (College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) Coach of the Year for the seventh time, the second-highest total in conference history.

Today on the podcast, we talk to Swider about his legacy as a college football coach, his desire to disciple his players, how he keeps perspective, the importance of relationships, and why he chose Jesus.

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