Coach Luke Cutkomp is the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the University of Chicago football team. As a former college football player himself, he graduated from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa in 2003, then became the graduate assistant at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin. After two years as a graduate student, Coach Cutkomp was given his first full time job as the defensive line and special teams coach for Aurora University, a Division III football program. He was later promoted to defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2013. Through other coaching connections, He was offered a job as the defensive coordinator for the University of Chicago, beginning his career there in the fall of 2014 and has been there ever since.
“You really feed off one another,” he said when asked about his ability to maintain a top defense in Division III in his most recent seasons. “There is a lot to be said about complementary football. I think that's how you get some of you best football teams is playing off one another”
Related: Coach Hird on What Makes a Good Coach and Good Athletic Citizen
In terms of recruiting, many universities choose a few specific areas to recruit from. When I asked Coach Cutkomp where he typically likes to recruit from, he replied, “We are a national University. I enjoy seeing the kids from the different areas of the country interact because one place calls pepsi soda, one place calls it pop. Just fun interactions to see people, north, south, east, and west, coming together as a team.”
Planning for the future and setting goals and expectations can be very important for a college program. “I really like to talk to our guys about controlling the controllables, and committing to being better today than they were yesterday,” Coach Cutkomp said. “If we can focus on the process of getting better, the score takes care of itself.
To finish the interview, Coach gave a word of advice to anyone currently going through the recruiting process. “I think building relationships in the recruiting process is very important,” he said. “I would also say fit is very important. If you feel like you are a fit with our University, our team, our players, our coaches, our styles, that's important. I would also encourage kids to look at the outcomes. Where are our graduates going? What are they doing once they leave the walls of the University?”
Have a story idea or know an awesome athlete/coach we should interview? Email us at [email protected]
* Originally published on April 25, 2022, by Finn Rice
