OPSU’s Gaskamp stresses academics, community service and spirituality for football team

July 19, 2012

New Oklahoma Panhandle State University head football coach Russell Gaskamp addresses the Guymon Lions Club Tuesday night about his program to inspire football players, community outreach and improving performance on the football field. Gaskamp is flanked by his wife, Justine Gaskamp, and Lions president Jim Harris. Staff photo/John Plestina

Now more than two months at the helm of the Aggie football program, Russell Gaskamp is settling into his new position and inaugurating his community outreach program in Guymon and the surrounding communities.
The new Oklahoma Panhandle State University head coach said inspiring players and community service are high priorities while addressing the Guymon Lions Club at the Ambassador Inn Tuesday night.
A few days after Gaskamp, 36, was named head football coach on May 2, he told the Guymon Daily Herald that one of his priorities is initiating three pillars of Aggie football — academics, community service and spirituality.
“If we can get better in those areas as men, the wins and losses will take care of themselves,” he told the Herald in May.
Academics
Academic excellence by football players is a high priority for the new coach. He said in May that he wants to see every football player graduate with a degree.
Tuesday night, Gaskamp talked about mandatory tutoring for players earning low grades.
Community service
“You’re going to see a lot more of them (Aggie football players) here in the community,” Gaskamp said. “That’s why community service is such an important part of what we are going to do.”
OPSU football players parked cars at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena during the Pioneer Days rodeo and volunteered at the barbecue during Pioneer Days and other events. Some of the players will be doing community service for Victory United Methodist Church.
“We want not only for you to be involved in our football program, we want our guys to be involved in the community of Guymon,” Gaskamp told the Lions.
“We’re going to do a number of different things in the community,” he said.
Gaskamp said many of his players have told him they wish more people would attend Aggies home games. He said he hopes to accomplish that in part by having his players visible in Guymon and the surrounding area and by giving the community a winning team.
Spirituality
Inspiring players with a culture of spirituality is Gaskamp’s third pillar of Aggie football.
He said players are encouraged to attend devotionals.
Football fundamentals
Gaskamp, a seven-year veteran of the Lone Star Conference, came to OPSU with offensive coaching experience, most recently as offensive coordinator at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. He previously served as offensive line coach at Angelo State, where he increased offensive production nearly 1,500 yards the first season he was there. Before that, Gaskamp was offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and he served on the coaching staff at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
While the Aggies were 5-6 two years ago and 3-7 last year, what was impressive was that OPSU was ranked No. 2 in the nation last year in overall defense in Division II, but the offense could improve.
“Last year, they were the second ranked overall unit,” Gaskamp said.
“I’m pretty excited about where we will be defensively if we can stay healthy,” Gaskamp said.
Offensively, he wants to increase the tempo of games with no huddles except during timeouts.
“We will be no huddle as fast as you can go,” Gaskamp said.
He said in May that he hopes to get 90 to 100 snaps per game.
There are several changes on the coaching staff.
Gaskamp said the Aggies will hold a spring scrimmage in Guymon but there will not be any games played in Guymon.
Gaskamp, an Oklahoma native, is a 1994 Weatherford High School graduate and a former fighting Eagle that played against the Guymon Tigers about two decades ago. He went on to be a University of Texas center on the offensive line. He earned a bachelor’s degree in management from UT and a master’s in educational leadership from Sam Houston State University.
Gaskamp’s wife, Justine, arrived in Guymon about two weeks ago. They live in Goodwell.
He wants OPSU alumni, especially former football players, to contact him at rgaskamp@opsu.edu.