Clayton Carlin
Episode 237
14 AUG 2023
He is the Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator for Sam Houston State University football. Prior to his current role he had spent four seasons at Coastal Carolina serving as defensive coordinator. Before that he spent two seasons at Bucknell as defensive coordinator after having spent the previous six years at Cornell where he served two stints at defensive coordinator, spanning four seasons. He got his start at the Division I level as a graduate assistant at Nebraska, which led to opportunities with New Mexico State, where he spent two stints, mixed in with one year at Villanova and two at Buffalo.
Notable guest quotes:
“I was… one of seven children, cradle Catholic, and raised by two awesome parents… I’m the third oldest. I have three sisters and three brothers.”
“I’ve been blessed with a great dad. My father worked for the Philadelphia Eagles for 55 years… And… about eight years ago was inducted into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame.”
“(I) Went to St. Matthias grammar school from first to eighth grade and we lived right across the street, literally, like five yards from door to door and then from there went to St. Joe’s Prep High School.”
(While playing football in high school and college) “I was active in my faith and again the reason for that… is my mom and dad just had such a huge impact on me, about attending Mass and the power of prayer and the sacraments and the Blessed Mother, so I’ve always stayed active in my faith.”
“As we all know God works in mysterious ways, but His plan is perfect. As I tell coaches around here and my kids and the young men I coach, God doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t go, ‘My bad’ or ‘Oops,’ He knows exactly what He’s doing.”
“We have a weekly Bible study here that I’m a big part of… on a weekly basis all year round that’s very well attended by our players. So, we have a very strong spiritual foundation here.”
“You’re not just coaching football. That’s actually the lesser part, in my mind. I always tell guys, ‘If the only thing we do around here is win football games and play great defense, then I will certainly have failed because it’s much, much, much bigger than that.”
“I’ve always felt a strong affinity to our Blessed Mother and so every morning for the past probably close to 15 years now, if not longer, during Lent I said I’m gonna make a commitment to say the rosary every morning… and I’ve never stopped.”
“One of the first things that I do whenever I’m on the road… is find a local parish and the Mass times. It’s a priority.”
“Over the past year or two I’ve just – always being a strong Catholic, a devout Catholic, a cradle Catholic – I have felt an even stronger calling to do more and get more involved and do things and more service.”
“I truly believe… the only life worth living is one led in service to others.”
“The coaching profession to me is a calling.”
Related link:
