June 18, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

(Editor's Note:  Dana Howard appeared recently on the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular syndicated radio show.)

Larry Smith: We appreciate you taking a little bit of time today. A lot of fans aren't may not realize that you have a legacy on the Illini softball team, as your daughter Zoie is on the team.

Dana Howard: This year was her sophomore year and she's enjoying it. They didn't fare too well this year, but hopefully, next year, when she gets more playing time, that will boost them to go to the NCAAs again.

Mike Cagley: Yeah, that would be great to see them back in the NCAA. You've been through a lot as an athlete. How do you coach somebody through going through times when they're not getting the playing time? What do you advise you know, your daughter or players so that they can get out onto the field?

DH: Be prepared, be ready. Stay ready. Your time is coming. When your time comes, they can have no excuses for why you can't play. Because you're ready, you're prepared. You prepare for this moment, all your life. So when you get it, seize it. That's where it is. My coaches used to say, "Wally Pipp," and I'm like, "Who's Wally Pipp," and they'd say, "Exactly."

LS: (laughing) For those who don't know, do a Google. P I P P, we can tell you but it's a better story if you look it up yourself if you don't know who Wally Pipp is! But yeah, great story, a cautionary tale you're exactly right. I want to get your opinion on things in regard to when you were at the peak of your playing career, to now, in terms of playing time; you lose your spot to somebody else. Have things changed at all over the past couple of decades that you can see?

DH: I think coaches have changed because coaching seems a bit different now to me. From what I've seen, it seems like some coaches are afraid to make kids uncomfortable. The coaches got the best out of me. If I didn't do something right, I don't care if I'm a first-team All-Big 10 or First Team All-American. Now know if I say this, but get my ass. Make me the best I can be. Don't coddle me because when you coddle me, all of a sudden, I feel like if you say anything to me, I'm gonna get upset. In order to get the best out of somebody, they have to be uncomfortable.

MC: Do you think the transfer portal and people's ability to just up and leave has maybe made it a lot harder for the coaches to do some of those things that work so well to motivate you?

DH: Yeah. It does. I mean, I kind of like the transfer portal, to be honest with you, because some of these coaches, to be honest, aren't the best coaches and aren't the best people. So they sometimes have just something out for certain kids. If, for whatever reason, a person rubs them the wrong way, they immediately get put in a doghouse and you could never find the kid. But when the kid gets a fresh start at a different university, now all the attributes that you'd like about him or her in high school, he or she is showing because now they not only know I can just go out there making a mistake, they get the grace that other kids have been getting, instead of, you know, playing tight where I can't drop a ball, I can't strike out. Everybody strikes out, everybody drops passes, everybody misses tackles, and everybody misses jumpers. So that's the grace that sometimes that will get him or her in order for them to say 'You know what, this is what I've been doing all my life, this is what I do.' But when you sometimes want a kid and don't give him the opportunity that everybody else is giving you, to me, it's not the best coaching.

LS:  You bring up a great point. Another advantage to the portal is that if you get a situation that doesn't fit you, you can get a restart, right? And then we learn either one of two things; either with the coaching was a bad situation, and with the fresh start, you now can play up to the potential that we thought you had at the beginning. Or the other thing happens and that maybe this level is too much for you and you can't succeed at this level. I mean, that's a great point.

DH: Either way, you're getting better because you're getting a true tone to you, or you're shining like you knew you could shine. As we all know, you learn from losing, you don't learn from winning. So you learn from losing, you learn from mistakes. So if you put in your mind that "Hey, there's something I need to learn from, this is what I need to get better to be a D1 ballplayer," or "I already knew that I was that person." So, either way, you're getting better. So learn from your losses.

MC: You know, one thing that you did was you redshirted your first year, and then you were a four-year starter, which is pretty rare in the Big 10. How did you approach that redshirt year? How did you use that to make yourself a better player?

DH: Well, to be honest with you, I hated it. In practice, I would go out there and just try. It was so depressing. Every day I went out there, just to show what I could do every day. But the fortunate part for me was, I got an opportunity to be a better ballplayer, get acclimated to school, and get bigger, faster, and stronger, it just made me an overall better person. From that, it just helped me as far as graduating in four years, my fifth year getting my master's degree, all those things I probably wouldn't have done. Had I come in on day one, starting my redshirt first year playing. I would have been ready, but not physically ready or mentally ready. So that's one thing that a lot of these kids don't understand.

LS: Let's talk about this Illini football team right now and what Bret Bielema has done. He's really turning around very quickly now. Eight wins and he's got this program in the right direction. Illinois is actually back in the national conversation again.

DH: Yeah Bret, he's a college coach. A true college coach, one of those old-school guys. He understands what he needs to do, what he wants from his program, and he goes out and makes it happen. He's a great recruiter, a personable person. He's a good dude that understands the college game. And now that now you can go and get different guys who might not for instance, fit a particular program, is a plus for a guy like him.

He's my guy, we hit the recruiting trail together, if he needs me to come to high schools locally, in St. Louis metropolitan area, I'm there and we build on, you know, trying to help them do what they need to do. And to get the kid they need to get because there's nobody better than a guy like me, or guys like me, who've gone to the University of Illinois, and know the culture, and know what needs to be done to get it back to its glory days. Now, I mean, we haven't had any national championships since the Red Grange days, but I mean, hey, if he keeps building as he can build it, all it takes is one of those TCU years, where you come out strong and play well, and you get the kids to believe in you, the student between college and pros is when the kids start believing, and they believe in what you're selling. They'll run through a brick wall for you.

LS: Hey, Dana. We know you're on the move. We appreciate your time and we'll catch up with you soon.

DH: Thanks guys!  I-L-L!

LS & MC: I-N-I!