Each Monday of the fall semester, we’ll be bringing you three different “Getting to Know Them” profiles on coaches, athletic administrators and athletic trainers at Slippery Rock to introduce you to the folks behind the scenes here at The Rock. Next up, we check in with football head coach Shawn Lutz.

QUICK BIO
Lutz is in his 25th overall year at Slippery Rock University and his fifth season as the head coach of the football program, where he has led The Rock to a 39-11 record the previous four seasons. Named the Don Hansen Football Gazette Division II National Coach of the Year in 2019, Lutz is coming off leading SRU to its best season in school history last fall with a 13-1 record and a trip to the national semifinals. He has been named the PSAC West Coach of the Year in each of the last two seasons after completing back-to-back undefeated years in divisional play. A 1996 graduate of West Virginia and a former tight end for the Mountaineers, Lutz spent 20 seasons as an assistant at Slippery Rock before taking over as head coach after the 2015 season. 

IN HIS WORDS
Q: What’s the first concert you went to? What’s the most recent concert you went to?
A: The first concert I went to was Night Ranger and the most recent was Snoop Dogg. 

Q: What was your favorite subject in school? Why?
A: U.S. History was my favorite subject. My father was in the Army and served in Vietnam. I loved learning about the strategy of the Civil War.

Q: What was your first job growing up?
A: I worked as an umpire for baseball games. 

Q: When did you know you wanted to go into a career in collegiate athletics?
A: After I played college football at WVU, when I knew the NFL wasn’t going to happen. 

Q: Tell us about your family.
A: I have three sons that are my world. My oldest is Logan, who is a 19-year old redshirt freshman on the Duquesne football team. My middle son is Gavin, who is a 15-year old ninth graded that plays football and basketball. My youngest is Easton, who is five. My girlfriend Jerilyn also has two daughters that I adore and love having around, Molly and Chloe. 

Q: What was the last book you read? Thoughts on it?
A: I read Bill Belichick’s book. I enjoyed learning about the way he handles organization and approach.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite movie? You can give us a few if you can’t pick just one.
A: Braveheart, all of the Rocky movies and Top Gun.

Q: What’s your favorite meal?
A: Spaghetti and meatballs.

Q: What meal/dish/item are you best at cooking? 
A: Love to grill anything.

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant? What do you order there?
A: Rachel’s Roadhouse. I order the filet sandwich.

Q: What was your first car? What’s your dream car?
A: First car was an Oldsmobile Cutlass. Dream car would be a black Escalade.

Q: What artists and/or songs on your current most-listened to playlist?
A: Mostly old-school rap. I listen to a lot of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. 

Q: Favorite TV show of all-time?
A: Friday Night Lights.

Q: What’s the best advice you ever received and who did it come from?
A: “Be who you are and not someone else” and “everyone will not like you and that’s ok! Leaders are not always the most popular people in the room!” Jerry Bejbl told me that.

Q: What’s your favorite season/type of weather? Why?
A: Fall of course because it’s football season. I do love the heat in summer also! I hate winter with it being cold.

Q: How do you relax?
A: Spend with my family and girlfriend! 

Q: When you go grocery shopping, are you the “Make a List” person or the “Just Wing It” person?
A: List.

Q: Where is one place you haven’t visited yet, but you definitely plan to?
A: Key West.

Q: You could have dinner with three people living or dead, who would they be and why? 
A: LeBron James, Martin Luther King Jr. and Tom Brady because they are all leaders and winners. I would love to ask them about how they view success.

Q: Are you a tech savvy person?
A: NO!

Q: What is your biggest fear?
A: LOSING GAMES!

Q: Who is your hero? 
A: My father.

Q: Can you sing?
A: Yes, very well!

Q: What is/would be your go-to karaoke song?
A: Country Roads by John Denver.

Q: Describe your perfect day off.
A: Hanging by the pool just relaxing, or a day golfing with our coaching staff.

Q: What was your favorite or most memorable vacation?
A: Going to Bonita Springs, Florida with coach Buck and coach Neugebauer! 

Q: You can only eat one thing the rest of your life, what is it?
A: Tacos.

Q: Fly or drive for a long trip?
A: Fly.

Q: How many and what kind of pets do you have? How long have you had them?
A: We don’t have any pets. 

Q: Is a hot dog a sandwich?
A: NO!

Q: Does pineapple belong on pizza?
A: NO!

Q: Sheetz or WaWa? Why?
A: WaWa because it is healthier and more fresh.

Q: What’s the last TV show you binged watched?
A: Ozark and now Kingdom.

Q: Is there a professor you had a class with in college that you still remember? Who and why?=
A: Yes, I had Nick Neupauer, who is the President of Butler Community College now. I loved his passion towards being GREAT in life.

Q: How long can you go without looking at your phone?
A: About zero seconds.

Q: What was the last app you downloaded on your phone? What is your most-used app?
A: Venmo is most recent. Most used is definitely TWITTER!

Q: What’s one game show or reality show you could go on that you think you could win?
A: Survivor, because I won’t quit and will bring that RELENTLESS attitude.

Q: Retirement destination? 
A: North Carolina living in a small house on the beach and relaxing in the Outer Banks. I will go out walking every morning!   

To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on Twitter (@Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).