Coach Dow: 'Life is a lot like football'
Nicole Williams, '12 | Staff Reporter
Issue date: 10/16/09 Section: Sports
"Life is a lot like football. You're only going to be as good as the people around you, and make sure you're as good to them as they are to you," head coach Terry Dow says.
Dow is 41 years old and is going into his 13th year as the head coach for the football team. "Central New York is home to me; there is no place like home. It was as simple as I applied 13 years ago to work here, at Morrisville, and they hired me and here I am today," he says.
To many of his colleagues, Dow is a hard-working coach. "He's a straight shooter," Equipment Manager Tom Dickinson says. "He's just cool to work with. He's honest, direct and hard-working. He speaks his mind and expects things to be done in an orderly fashion."
"My stepfather was a farmer," Dow says. "I grew up on a farm. He was a guy who worked seven days a week from sun up to sun down. He taught me to have great work ethics. My mom, she worked hard to get us things. I wish I had a stronger relationship with my parents and siblings." Dow has two siblings who were 19 and 17 when he was born. He said he really didn't see them much.
Dow started playing football when he was 10. "I knew football was going to be a part of my life for a very long time. It's a passion," he says. He graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. He coached at Ithaca College alongside head coach Jim Butterfield, after receiving a career-ending injury. Dow has been coaching college football for 22 years.
"I love that football is the ultimate sport. No one person can play it; it's just a team sport. I love coaching boys and watching them grow into men. I love helping young men find themselves; that is the greatest accomplishment," Dow says.
Third-year starting running back Peter Enriquez says Dow taught him to be dedicated and to work hard. "That man is truly dedicated. He's not just a coach; he's a great person," he remarks.
"If you want to be a successful or a better coach, you have to have a wife that is strong. And mine, she is as strong as a rock," Dow says. He has been married for 15 years.
"My marriage has a strong foundation. We just have a good family. My wife was my date at my senior prom. I met her in the hallway, and I will never forget that first moment. We've been together from then," Dow said.
Dow has three children. The oldest, Zackary is 12 years old and was a month old when Dow took the head coaching job for Morrisville. His daughter, Olivia, is 10, and his youngest son Trevor is 9.
Dow's family takes a yearly trip to the Jersey shore. However, last year they went to DisneyWorld, "I didn't want to go. I was kind of grumpy, but a few days in the sun and it got to me, and I had fun," he says.
"I am a Cowboys fan, but I love the Giants' coach (Tom Coughlin), Dow admits. "They play the game the way it should be played, and he's one of my old school favorites. It hurts me to say that outloud because the Cowboys and Giants are rivals."
The MSC team has 10 away games this season due to the reconstruction of the college's football field. The team's three home games are being played at Colgate University.
"Seriously, it's the worst," Dow said. "The new field would help us, because it will increase the quality in practice and recruiting." Next year the Mustangs will have seven home games on the new field.
Dow says that if he were to give the MSC football team a grade, it would be a C. "The 1-and-5 record speaks for itself, but we play in a great program," he says. "We are a better team this year. We are healthier than before. Our future is good, we're getting better."
"Keep chopping" is one of the phrases Dow tells his team right before a game. "We look at our conference and we try to chop down the competition. We come to practice with axes and we sharpen them, and one of these days, we are going to chop the rest of the teams down," Dow says.
"Five years from now, I will have teenagers. Ten years from now they will be in college. I'm trying to prepare myself for that, but I don't think there is anything that can really prepare me for that," Dow jokes. He hopes to still be coaching at Morrisville, winning games and being able to look back at all the trials and tribulations the team had to go through before becoming a successful team.
"I hope football is a part of me until the end. It can be stressful, but this isn't work; it's too fun."
Dow is 41 years old and is going into his 13th year as the head coach for the football team. "Central New York is home to me; there is no place like home. It was as simple as I applied 13 years ago to work here, at Morrisville, and they hired me and here I am today," he says.
To many of his colleagues, Dow is a hard-working coach. "He's a straight shooter," Equipment Manager Tom Dickinson says. "He's just cool to work with. He's honest, direct and hard-working. He speaks his mind and expects things to be done in an orderly fashion."
"My stepfather was a farmer," Dow says. "I grew up on a farm. He was a guy who worked seven days a week from sun up to sun down. He taught me to have great work ethics. My mom, she worked hard to get us things. I wish I had a stronger relationship with my parents and siblings." Dow has two siblings who were 19 and 17 when he was born. He said he really didn't see them much.
Dow started playing football when he was 10. "I knew football was going to be a part of my life for a very long time. It's a passion," he says. He graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. He coached at Ithaca College alongside head coach Jim Butterfield, after receiving a career-ending injury. Dow has been coaching college football for 22 years.
 | Head Coach Terry Dow speaks to Justin Balducci (74) and Tim Hammond (71) during Saturday's game against William Paterson College. The Mustangs would lose that game by a score of 14-2. Their next home game will be Oct 17 at Andy Kerr Stadium on the Colgate University campus. Photo by Kristin Clark, '11 | Sports Co-Editor |
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"I love that football is the ultimate sport. No one person can play it; it's just a team sport. I love coaching boys and watching them grow into men. I love helping young men find themselves; that is the greatest accomplishment," Dow says.
Third-year starting running back Peter Enriquez says Dow taught him to be dedicated and to work hard. "That man is truly dedicated. He's not just a coach; he's a great person," he remarks.
"If you want to be a successful or a better coach, you have to have a wife that is strong. And mine, she is as strong as a rock," Dow says. He has been married for 15 years.
"My marriage has a strong foundation. We just have a good family. My wife was my date at my senior prom. I met her in the hallway, and I will never forget that first moment. We've been together from then," Dow said.
Dow has three children. The oldest, Zackary is 12 years old and was a month old when Dow took the head coaching job for Morrisville. His daughter, Olivia, is 10, and his youngest son Trevor is 9.
Dow's family takes a yearly trip to the Jersey shore. However, last year they went to DisneyWorld, "I didn't want to go. I was kind of grumpy, but a few days in the sun and it got to me, and I had fun," he says.
"I am a Cowboys fan, but I love the Giants' coach (Tom Coughlin), Dow admits. "They play the game the way it should be played, and he's one of my old school favorites. It hurts me to say that outloud because the Cowboys and Giants are rivals."
The MSC team has 10 away games this season due to the reconstruction of the college's football field. The team's three home games are being played at Colgate University.
"Seriously, it's the worst," Dow said. "The new field would help us, because it will increase the quality in practice and recruiting." Next year the Mustangs will have seven home games on the new field.
Dow says that if he were to give the MSC football team a grade, it would be a C. "The 1-and-5 record speaks for itself, but we play in a great program," he says. "We are a better team this year. We are healthier than before. Our future is good, we're getting better."
"Keep chopping" is one of the phrases Dow tells his team right before a game. "We look at our conference and we try to chop down the competition. We come to practice with axes and we sharpen them, and one of these days, we are going to chop the rest of the teams down," Dow says.
"Five years from now, I will have teenagers. Ten years from now they will be in college. I'm trying to prepare myself for that, but I don't think there is anything that can really prepare me for that," Dow jokes. He hopes to still be coaching at Morrisville, winning games and being able to look back at all the trials and tribulations the team had to go through before becoming a successful team.
"I hope football is a part of me until the end. It can be stressful, but this isn't work; it's too fun."