Washburn's Mitch Schurig returns as defensive coach
TOPEKA (KSNT) - Most people don't think of a quarterback as being a defensive guy.
"Having an offensive mindset, he can give us a different perspective," defensive end Braden Rose said. "It's been nice having him."
Three-year starting Washburn quarterback Mitch Schurig is proving those doubters wrong.
"Some of the offensive guys give him grief, being a traitor," head coach Craig Schurig said. "Now that he's on the defense."
Fans get to watch Mitch Schurig grow into a new role. Instead of being on the hash marks, he'll be on the new defensive line coach on the sidelines.
"When I wanted to GA, I told them I wanted to switch sides of the ball, learn a little bit more about the game because I knew, down the line, it would help me a lot," Mitch said. "Then, a full-time position here, having that history of doing it certainly helped out a lot."
He left his job at Minnesota State-Mankato to come back to his home team.
"There was a full-time position that ended up opening up, and I had a good chance to get an interview," Mitch said. "Interview went well, and now I'm back home."
His dad-turned-boss is happy about it, too.
"It's fun," Craig said. "It's great to see him. He enjoys coaching, and it's neat to see that passion that he has for coaching."
Mitch didn't have to convince his old teammates he was fit for the job.
"I hadn't really even thought about it," defensive tackle Landen Urban said. "He helps us a lot with recognizing blocks and different kinds of formations."
Mitch will miss being on the field, but he's excited for this new role.
"As a quarterback, you have a lot of control out on the field," Mitch said. "Now, on the coaching side, you don't have that control. So, it'll be different. It'll hit a little bit different come September 1."