Fall is back, and so is Wesleyan football in brand new fashion. While the majority of students flooded back to campus Labor Day weekend for the start of classes, the team had already been hard at work for several weeks. While the Cardinals have finished in the bottom half of the NESCAC standings for the past five seasons, optimism is running high under the direction of new head coach Mike Whalen ’83.
Whalen came to Wesleyan from Williams College, where he served six seasons as the head coach of the Ephs, accruing a 38-10 record, including one undefeated season (8-0) in 2006. In his tenure at Williams, Whalen won four Little Three titles and all six matches against the Cardinals. Without question Whalen knows how to win; however, due to NESCAC regulations for practicing out of season, the new coaching staff is strapped for time as they work to implement some drastic changes.
“The biggest thing for us is our preseason,” Whalen said, “With no spring practice and an abbreviated preseason, it’s very challenging for us as coaches to implement new systems on both sides of the ball, both offensively and defensively.”
Despite only having little over a month to adapt to a new style of play, the players are excited about the team’s new direction.
“The guys have been very receptive to the new coaching staff,” said Jon Lis ’13. “Everyone is willing to learn the new system and put in the work necessary to have a winning season.”
While the team has only a short amount of time to learn the new systems created by Whalen and the rest of his staff, the team is lucky to have 46 letter winners returning and 19 of 24 starters. Led by tri-captains Joe Giaimo ’11, Justin Freres ’11, and Nick Seara ’11, Wesleyan looks to improve on its 3-5 record from the 2009 season. Seara returns at center, coming off a successful junior season that earned him second team All-NESCAC honors. Freres, a safety, was also a member of the second team All-NESCAC on defense, recording 76 total tackles, seventh most in the NESCAC. Giaimo, formerly a quarterback for the Cardinals, returns to bring leadership to the offense at tight end.
The Cardinals shared sixth place with Bowdoin last season, accumulating a 3-5 record, earning three losses in very close games. Of the five losses, two were suffered in overtime, one of which came from Trinity, who finished second overall in the NESCAC last season. Another loss came from Hamilton on the road in the second game of the season, a game in which the Cardinals were up 14-0 after the first half. The 2010 campaign begins on September 25th at Middlebury College, with three of the Cardinal’s first four games on the road.
“The first half of the season is going to be critical,” Whalen said, “We’re going to have to adapt the road warrior mentality, and get our kids ready for those challenges.”