Mathe, Fuller translate leadership, service to Wildcat football of present, future
Following 22 years of service to his country, Coach Ben Mathe now looks to turn the West Football program into a serious state competitor. Following the unexpected departure of Duane Hartkopf during the 2021 season, Andrew Dittburner stepped up to lead the Wildcats. Led by seniors Roman Martell, Riley Taylor and Zach Bancroft, the team snuck into a playoff spot, a feat unseen in over four years.
When the position for a new head coach became available during the winter, Oshkosh native Mathe saw an opportunity to flip a hometown team into a successful program.
“Taking over a high school football program has been what I've always wanted to do once I retired from the Navy,” he said. “After 22 years of service, the timing just worked out that Oshkosh West needed a head football coach as my family moved back home.”
Along with Mathe, most of his new coaching staff has strong ties to Oshkosh. Co-Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Logan Fuller grew up in Oshkosh and shares many values with Mathe.
“This is home,” Fuller said. “I decided to take this opportunity as I believed in Coach Mathe, his vision for the future and the potential in the players within this program.”
Fuller thinks highly of Mathe, and is very confident in his leadership and execution.
“He is a leader, committed to a relentless pursuit of excellence which carries throughout his overall goals and vision,” he said. “He’s an excellent communicator with a unique perspective on the game, and he will help inspire people around him to be better. In turn I feel he’s the right guy to lead us to a championship one day.”
Junior linebacker Kieran Patrick was immediately impressed after meeting the new Wildcat football coach.
“I knew from the very first presentation that he was very passionate about the sport and wanted to create a winning football program,” he said. “He made us feel like it was possible to win championships, and that he was going to make it happen.”
AJ Kohl, Junior safety, is very optimistic about the personnel change.
“Coach Mathe seems like a great guy, as he’s very knowledgeable about football and being healthy. I’m convinced he can make our team great,” he said. “I’m convinced he can make our team great.”
Being that they both spent a significant amount of time in the military, Mathe and Fuller believe in their abilities to successfully lead a team, no matter in what capacity.
“Instead of it being combat operations, it's football games,” Fuller said. “Coach Mathe and I have military backgrounds which help shape our perspective on how to operationally run organizations, but also an in-depth look at how to develop individuals to be successful.”
In addition to a successful football program, Mathe intends to institute a change in culture, hoping to create a new Wildcat Nation.
“My challenge to Wildcat Nation will be to match that motivation and energy at each of our football games this fall,” he said. “Wildcat Nation is our 12th player while we're on the field, as having a loud and excited student section at our games will be a huge advantage for us.”
Fuller believes that a change in culture comes with prioritizing the success of each individual athlete.
“The ultimate goal is that each student athlete walks away knowing they are better because of this program, not despite it,” he said. “The end state athletically is to have a dominant program that is in contention of winning state championships yearly. Academically, we want each of our players to be better prepared for the workforce, trade school or a traditional four year college than students that were not a part of the program.”
Mathe seeks to take a similar approach to construct a successful program.
“My main goal in becoming the head football coach of Oshkosh West is to establish a culture of excellence,” he said. “This will be done by setting a new norm of being comfortable with the uncomfortable. We will share values of respect, hard work, and grit, as well as a belief in being better than the day before in your pursuit of excellence.”
Patrick berlieves Mathe was certainly the right person for the job and is optimistic about his natural leadership.
“Coach Mathe is a very charismatic character, pumping up the team, and always making the team want to work harder,” he said. “He is very organized and this definitely helps people follow his plan and want to hop on board what he is doing.”
Similarly, Kohl favors the new additions to the growing coaching staff.
“I’ve never seen so many coaches on one team,” Kohl said. “Coach Mathe has put in so much effort to create the best possible coaching staff for us and I really think that we will be one of the best teams in the state because of it.”
Fuller argues that leading by example is the best form of leading a team of any capacity.
“Be the way, know the way, show the way; the same expectation I have for my players I hold for myself. Leadership isn’t a one size fits all approach,” he said.
As a natural leader, Mathe wasn’t pleased to find a lack of unity in the offseason workouts, and sought to institute immediate change, contributing to the evolution in culture.
“The only ‘issue’ which needed to be addressed was the football team all training together at the same time for the upcoming season,” Mathe said. “We were able to address this issue with 6 am workouts Monday through Friday.”
Patrick embraces the lifts and sees them as an opportunity to grow as a team.
“I think that if we can keep up attendance at off-season lifting, then our team will be very strong going into the season,” he said. “Not only will we be stronger as a team, we will have better team camaraderie and these things are essential for a winning football team.”
Although the past four years have been highlighted by drama in personnel changes and declining numbers, Mathe brings structure and leadership to the team, making for an optimistic future for the Wildcats.
“I am very fortunate to wake up each day living a dream as a head football coach of OW,” Mathe said. “The football players have seen the motivation and energy I bring each morning to our workouts, which I intend to continue with everything I'm able to be involved with at Oshkosh West.”
By John Vanden Heuvel
Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue 5
February 22nd, 2022