FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Good timing on Engle’s side in return ‘home’ to DePauw

Thursday, May 14, 2020
DePauw graduate Michael Engle is in his second coaching stint at his alma mater.
DePauw photo

Good timing and good connections are important tools in any job search, and DePauw grad Michael Engle utilized both of those factors in a recent return to his alma mater as offensive skill coordinator coach.

Monday was Engle’s first day on the job with new coach Brett Dietz, and was also the same day that his previous school — Florida Tech — eliminated its football program due to COVID-19 budgetary problems.

The move was obviously already in place prior to Florida Tech’s decision, and Engle is understandably happy with the way things turned out.

“I don’t think anybody saw that coming at Florida Tech,” Engle said. “It’s an unbelievably unfortunate situation, and I feel absolutely awful for everyone involved. The staff, the coaches and the players are all unbelievable people and I hurt for every single one of them.

“I’m just incredibly grateful to coach Dietz and the university to be able to come ‘home’,” he added. “I’m a 2011 graduate of the university, so DePauw has always had a special place in my heart. I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything. To be able to come back and make a difference in the lives of current and future student-athletes is really an exciting opportunity.

“If I can pay it forward like some of the coaches I’ve had, I’d like to do that. I’m really excited to get to work.”

Michael Engle

Engle, 31, coached running backs for one season at DePauw after leading the Tigers to their most recent conference championship and NCAA playoff appearance in 2010.

From there, he had stops at Bryant University in Rhode Island and West Virginia Wesleyan before going to Florida Tech.

“I was very fortunate to get the wide receivers job at Bryant,” Engle said. “I spent four years there under Marty Fine. He was a tremendous mentor and coach, and I learned so much from him about football, staff responsibilities and I grew as both a person and a coach.”

At West Virginia Wesleyan, Engle got the opportunity to be the team’s offensive coordinator.

“It was an opportunity to learn and grow, and coordinate an offense through trial and error,” he said. “It was another great learning experience for me. I probably learned as much there as much as anywhere I’ve been. Del Smith was the head coach there, and gave a young guy a great opportunity.”

Engle was in West Virginia for a year and a half before heading to Florida Tech to work three seasons for fellow Terre Haute native Steve Englehart.

“Steve was the head coach at Rose-Hulman and recruited me to go there,” Engle said. “I’ve known him for a long time, and he gave me a great opportunity to coach receivers and then move into coaching special teams and quarterbacks and running backs. He was a great boss with tremendous football knowledge.

“I hope they all enjoyed working with me as much as I enjoyed working with them.”

The move also brings Engle much closer to family than he’s been for a long time. He’s single, and that fact has contributed to his flexibility.

“That explains how you can move from Indiana to Rhode Island to West Virginia to Florida and back to Indiana,” he joked.

He noted that family was a big factor in his most recent move.

“The ability to get back to DePauw was a huge selling point, but to be within an hour of home and family is great also,” he said. “Moving around a lot is part of the coaching experience, part of the growth and development and part of shaping you into who you are as a coach and a person.”

"Feel Good Friday" is sponsored by Brad Tucker State Farm Insurance of Greencastle.

Dietz, who was a first-year wide receivers coach with DePauw during Engle’s senior year, had been talking with his former player about joining his staff since he took over in January.

“When I got the job, he knew there was going to be an offensive skill coordinator position opening and we started talking in January about coming to DePauw,” he said. “He was happy where he was, and he wasn’t just going to take anything. I had to recruit him. We hired Adam Morris as offensive line coach, and we think we hit a home run with him, too.”

Dietz noted that Morris also had an interesting first day on his staff.

“That was the last day that anyone was allowed on campus,” Dietz said. “He’s only been on campus for one day, and he’s been working from home like all of us have.”

Dietz noted that Engle accepted the job three weeks ago, but there is a three-week waiting period for new hires for background checks and other procedural tasks to take place.

“He called me on Monday and said he owed me a big thank you,” Dietz recalls. “It’s just crazy, and my jaw just hit the floor when he told me about Florida Tech.”

Dietz has been following Engle’s career “every step of the way,” and the two stayed in contact.

“He’s really one of the first guys I thought of,” Dietz said. “When I took over as head coach, I knew I had to replace myself. I think the important thing to know is that I didn’t want to someone just like myself — I wanted to hire someone who could fill in some of my weaknesses as a coach. I think Engle and I will fit in well together.

“He’s very smart and very analytical, and he’s going to look at things differently than I do, which is a really good thing.”

One particular area of expertise that Engle lends is in the area of special teams, which he coordinated at Florida Tech.

“Coach [Bill] Lynch did most of our special teams here last year, so that was going to be a need that he can help fill,” Dietz said. “Not that he’s going to be the only special teams coach, but he can help with the knowledge there. He really became a great fit. Once the players get to know him they will respect him.

“He’s a rising star in this profession, and we’re lucky to have him,” he added. “I’m glad it all worked out for both of us.”