Chris Feliciano, the head coach of women’s volleyball at the University of New Hampshire, sits down with us in this episode of the 35,000 feet podcast going over his first season as a coach. His start in coaching. His words of wisdom during these unprecedented times, and his advice for those who want to pursue college athletics route.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How this past season went for University of New Hampshire Women’s Volleyball team (0:21)

• How Coach Feliciano got into coaching (3:14)

• Chris’ favorite travel experience (8:29)

• One thing that no one knows about Chris (12:49)

• Chris’ advice to athletes wanting to play in college (13:57)

• Chris’ next adventure (16:04)

The Past Season for UNH’s Women’s Volleyball Team

Dakota: Hi, everybody. Welcome back. It's Dakota. And today, I'm sitting down with Coach Chris Feliciano, coach of the University of New Hampshire Women's Volleyball Team. Thanks Chris, for joining us today.

Chris: Hey, how you doing? How's everyone doing?

Dakota: Doing great. I'd love to just dive right in. Going back to this past season, tell us about the highs and lows that you had with your team.

Chris: Well, I think every season is its own journey, but anytime a new coach comes into a program, it definitely has a bunch of highs and a bunch of lows. But the thing, for me, that stands out the most, is just the perseverance of our program, the perseverance of our seniors, how we work together to bring back a level of competitiveness to New Hampshire Volleyball.

The seniors welcomed me with open arms, and we were able to really have a great competitive year, which ended in a post-season bid to the NIVC. And everyone should be proud of the efforts that they put forward, to make our season successful. That starts from the players, to the coaching staff, the administration, to our support staff. Everyone had a hand in our success last year, and that's what really stands out to me about the 2019 campaign.

Dakota: Awesome. Are there any challenges you have with being a first-year coach?

Chris: Well, first-year coaching New Hampshire, I play more of an uptempo system, both offensively and defensively. The biggest challenge was trying to get 14 athletes to come together quickly, to operate under the same umbrella in what we were trying to accomplish. We had seven athletes in the gym, five in which were seniors, that were used to doing things a certain way for three years. And there's an expression, if it's not broke, don't fix it. They've experienced a ton of success. Did a bid to the NCAA Tournament conference championships.

The biggest challenge was just getting everyone to buy-in. But slowly but surely, the success I believe, speaks for itself. At one point, we were ranked in the 120s in the RPI in the NCAA. The highest that the program has been ranked, in its history. So these are things that while I'm proud of, I'm more proud of our players for being able to accomplish these great tasks. And more importantly, also my coaching staff for helping us get over that hump.

Dakota: No, it sounds like it's probably pretty hard to come into a new program. But you guys did well, have a great record this season.

Chris: Yeah. We were real fortunate. From day one, when I got there in the Spring, everyone was hungry. Everybody wanted to go after it and put their best foot forward. The University of New Hampshire, it's a magical place, so you care about the product, you care about the people, you care about what we're doing. And that's both athletically and academically. It was definitely a magical time.

Chris Feliciano’s Journey to Coaching at UNH

Dakota: Awesome. I guess, going into your background, how did you end up in New Hampshire, in your coaching career?

Chris: Well, before I got to New Hampshire, I've coached D3, I've been a D1 second assistant. And then, I was a D1 head coach for eight years, at Rider University. We had a great year, last year at Rider. We went 19-11, lost in the semifinals of the conference playoffs. And it was just time. It was time for a new challenge for both myself and my family.

UNH gave me an opportunity to take on a bigger challenge, a bigger program. And also, afforded my wife an opportunity to raise our daughter. Right now, she's currently staying at home, raising my daughter, Ava. And she's pregnant with our second child, Xavier, will be here in July. Everything came together in the right way. And this is the direction that God pointed us in. We're very grateful for the opportunities and it's just been a blessing.

Dakota: Awesome. It's great to hear about that, and congratulations on the kid.

Chris: Well, thank you very much. God is good. God has been real good to us.

Dakota: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Going back to your players, you touched on this earlier when we were chatting. But how do you develop your players as both people and students, not just athletes?

Chris: Well, it's interesting because when I was doing my research about UNH, everyone would tell me that it's a great place. It's a family environment. And when I went on my interview, 45 minutes into my interview, my athletic director, Marty Scarano, he wanted to speak to my wife who had came for the interview, and was at the hotel. Just about what UNH represented and what UNH stood for.

And he actually had her come in, and he spoke to her for about 45 minutes, about this entire process and about what it looked like. I was floored by that, because the most important thing to me is my family. To have a potential employer want to talk about what it would mean to the family if we took the job at a certain position, without having the job yet, is tremendous. It shows tremendous values of your boss. It shows tremendous commitment to having a particular product. And that product is a family-oriented atmosphere.

I believe that the University of Hampshire, both the coaches, the administration, the professors, the support staff, they all embody that same vision. And that vision is to change who people are, or to enhance who people are by the time they leave, after graduating with a four-year degree or a five-year master's program, whatever their academic course of study is.

I've been at Rider, I've been at Fordham, I've been at New Jersey City University. And I've never seen anything like it, where it's been this way. It really makes you want to get up in the morning, and come to work and give 110%. I'm sure if you spoke to the other coaches or if you spoke to other administrators, they would tell you the same thing, they would feel the same way.

Dakota: Awesome. That sounds like a great place to be, for sure.

Chris: It really is. Just cold. It's just cold sometimes, but it's really nice. Yeah. I'm from New Jersey and originally, my family's from Puerto Rico. We've gotten acclimated to the cold weather. It's April and we're supposed to get snow on Saturday. But listen, I will trade a little bit longer, cold winter for the smiles. Just the smiles, the handshakes, the high-fives and feeling welcomed.

My daughter comes to work with me, twice a week, where she's walking in the hallway and everyone stops and says hello to her. I've got videos of my boss kicking a ball around with Ava, and Ava chasing the ball and laughing. It's very special. You're not going to find that in many work environments.

Dakota: That's awesome, you can handle the cold because of that.

Chris: Well, you buy a parka or a North Face, you're good to go.

Dakota: Mm-hmm (affirmative). With your players, how do you build that team bonding, team morale with them?

Chris: Well, you create a very positive environment, where questions are welcomed. You create an environment where the players know that they can come and speak to you if they need anything. You treat them right. You treat them like you would want your kids to be treated.

Ever since I've had my daughter, I try to take a step back and I'm not perfect at it, but I try to take a step back and I say, "How would I want someone to talk to my daughter, in this particular moment?" More often than not, we hit a home run with the approach. And then also, you've got to make sure that your support staff, or your coaching staff shares the same philosophy and approach.

I'm very lucky to have a first assistant by the name of Ashley Tenant, and a graduate assistant by the name of Tiffany. And then, even our athletic trainer, Heather Morrison. Everyone shares the same thing. We're here for work. We're also here to have a good time. We're here to take care of each other, and we're here to help each other grow as people. And obviously, here to help each other grow as a team and as players.

Coach Chris Feliciano’s Advice About Staying Safe During These Unprecedented Times

Dakota: Awesome. Some coaches travel with their team, internationally. Have you ever done that before?

Chris: I have not traveled with our team, yet. That is something that I'm hoping that we get a chance to do, within the next couple of years. Obviously, we have to do some fundraising. And obviously, with the COVID-19 crisis going on, we have to be mindful about safety and the health of our players. But that is for sure, something that we want to do in the near future.

Dakota: Yeah, for sure.

Chris: Yeah, but you know what? I'll say this. Be patient, be patient, be patient, be patient. As much as it stinks, as hard as it is to say, because I'm the first person that will tell you that I'm ready to get back in the gym with my athletes, I'll be the first person to tell you that I love being home with my family. But my responsibility is to work and to make sure my family is provided for. But this is a time that our country needs to just be patient, and be understanding of the circumstances that we're surrounded.

The reality of it is, is that we don't have all the facts and all the information. Everyone take a deep breath. For the people that have it, turn the PlayStation on or the Xbox on, or put the cable on and watch reruns of Sopranos, whatever you may have. And just be careful and take care of yourself.

I've had the blessing, over the past few weeks, to watch my daughter grow. And every coach will tell you, we're always on the road, we're always recruiting. Sometimes, our family takes the biggest hit of us not being there, because we don't get chances to see certain things. So through this crisis, I've actually had the... Like I said, I've been blessed to watch my daughter go from saying 20 words to saying 40 words. For her every morning, her wanting dad versus mom, and I thoroughly enjoy that.

While I'm excited for us to eventually go back, and get on the recruiting trail, and getting ready to prepare for matches and trying to win a conference championship, in the back of my mind, I'm going to be a little heartbroken that I won't be with my daughter 24/7. It's give and take, but again, the message is just enjoy what you have in front of you, right now. Don't be impatient.

We are getting what we need, not what we want, right now. And we need to just be continuously grateful for what we have. If you have a roof over your head, you have food in your refrigerator, you have your health, you don't need anything else for right now. Let's just be patient. We'll wait this out, together. We'll do this, together.

Dakota: I agree, and that's great advice. We definitely need to stay safe and healthy for the sake of everyone else, too. And not just [crosstalk 00:11:22]. How has, I guess, the situation affected recruiting? Because I know right now, it's probably recruiting season.

Chris: We're in a dead period, from the NCAA. I'm glad that they put a dead period out there, because unless a coach is told you can't go recruiting, we're going to figure out a way to go. Everything's been shut down. I continuously have conversations with our '21 class. And our incoming kids, we have actually, a Zoom call scheduled tomorrow. But it's been tough.

Fortunately for us, my staff and I, we did so much recruiting when we first took over the program, that we're actually ahead. We're not looking to recruit seven kids. We have a incoming class of 10 for 2020, coming in right now. And we already have a handful of athletes committed for '21. But we just can't get out there to go and watch, and see if we find a hidden gem. So it is challenging, but at the same time, it's the right thing to do.

I, personally, was on my way to a tournament in Colorado, called Colorado Crossroads, right when everything started to get worse. And right before I got on the bus to go to the airport, I double checked the website for the tournament. And the night before, they had sent out a message that they were still having the tournament, they weren't canceling it. Everyone is told, please come.

And then in the morning, literally five minutes before I got on this bus, they had canceled the tournament. And then, from that point on, they've canceled every single college combine, every single USA B or JBA tournament. Everything is shut down, and rightfully so, because it's a scary time right now.

Something People Might Not Know About Coach Chris Feliciano

Dakota: Yeah. What is one thing that no one knows about you, that you would like to share?

Chris: I'm a pretty open guy. Many people don't know that I am a giant Marvel fan, I guess. I collect comic books. Growing up, I didn't like reading. I had some challenges with my education. And my mom, who was a social worker, was very creative and turned me on to reading Spider-Man comic books. And a thousand comic books later and 25 different Marvel movies later, I'm still here standing.

I'm trying to get my daughter to like some Marvel stuff, on Disney+. Every once in a while, we put some stuff on and she'll watch. She knows who Captain America is. She gets excited. She points to the shield. I'm hoping to continue her Marvel education, as she gets older. And my son's education, once he joins us on this earth.

Dakota: Yeah. Awesome. Who's your favorite superhero?

Chris: Spider-Man, without a doubt.

Coach Chris Feliciano’s Advice to Future Collegiate Athletes

Dakota: Spider-man. All right. Last question. If you are an athlete wanting to play for a team at a university, college level, do you have any advice for them?

Chris: Find a coach or a program that best suits your personality and your morals. Too many kids these days with the transfer quota, are leaving to go to different schools, because they're making decisions in haste. It's important to develop relationships with coaches. And once you find a coach that fits your personality and fits what you want, don't hesitate to commit, if you know it's a fit, it's a fit.

Then once you do commit, and this is a cardinal sin that some athletes have been committing as of late, got to make sure that you're working twice as hard, once you get your scholarship. You want to put yourself in a position to be successful, come pre-season. A lot of athletes, unfortunately, will sign their scholarships or commit to a school, and then they'll take it easy.

Me, personally, my athletes that are coming in, they know that they're required to meet a certain standard. And that's why we recruited certain athletes to join our program, because that type of work ethic translates into success into our gym. Not only in our gym, but also into the classroom. We don't want anyone taking any days off. We want everyone on the grind and getting their hands in the dirt, at all times.

Dakota: Awesome. Great advice for not just athletes, but for life, right?

Chris: Yeah, absolutely. I think athletes that are blessed to play at the Division 1 level, don't lose sight of the word, blessed. You have a responsibility when you're given a gift, and that is to represent that gift at the highest moral standard. The world has changed, times have changed, but I still believe that that component exists.

I've seen it in my gym. I've seen it in the athletes that we've recruited to join our gym. And that's one of the things that we're looking for, future Wildcats. In the future, when we want to bring them to UNH, we're looking for that component.

Dakota: That's great. Well, thank you for coming on our podcast, today.

Chris: Thanks for having me.

Dakota: Yeah. Looking forward to next season, what are you most excited about?

Chris: Well, like I mentioned before, we've got a whole bunch of new faces coming in. We're going to have a very young team. I think we're going to have 17 athletes, either 19 or younger in our gym. We're truly excited, just for the youth movement. There's going to be some moments of greatness. There's going to be some moments of, go back to the drawing board and try again.

Our journey is going to be exciting, as long as we stick together, and we champion each other to be great. We pick each other up when things aren't going as planned, and we just keep our eyes focused on just getting better as athletes and as people.

Dakota: Awesome. Well, good luck for sure, Chris, next year on the season.

Chris: Well, thank you. I appreciate that.

Dakota: And through this whole situation with recruiting, and just being patient with your players, getting practice and training in. Good luck.

Chris: This is temporary. At some point, everything will be all right. I look at my daughter, Ava. And I said to my wife, Emily, earlier today, this is going to be part of her history when she's in sixth-grade social studies. They're going to be reading about the COVID crisis. They're going to come to us, and we're going to be able to talk about that. Never in a million years, did I think I would say that, because it makes me sound like an old man.

It's a temporary thing and we'll get past it. I, personally, believe that we'll be better for it. We're going to realize that some of the things that we took for granted, we shouldn't be taking for granted. And we're going to have a deeper appreciation for life, once this is all said and done.

Dakota: Yeah. Well said. Well, thanks again, for letting us get a glimpse into your team and into your life. It was great talking to you.

Chris: My pleasure.

University of New Hampshire Volleyball:

• University of New Hampshire Women’s Volleyball Team Twitter

• Coach Chris Feliciano Twitter

Podcast made in partnership with Acanela Expeditions

Theme Song - I’ll Just Be Me by Gravity Castle