Photo by Jesse Hayes

Coach Chris Brann is shown above with wife Maegan and their twin sons.

Q. What enticed you to leave Carleton to come to Beloit?

A. It's a quality of life issue. I wanted the opportunity to do what I love: coach football and recruit. At Carleton, I was the head football coach and an assistant track and field coach for both indoor and outdoor seasons, and that took me away from my family almost every weekend from August to May. We needed to find better balance in our lives, and Beloit gave us that opportunity. Beloit College is an elite institution similar to Carleton. I can advise recruits that if they attend Beloit College it will pay outstanding dividends for the rest of their lives. I also know we have the opportunity to win conference championships here, and hopefully a championship is in our near future.

Q. How would you describe your coaching style or philosophy?

A. I look at myself as a leader with vision and someone who empowers his assistant coaches and players. I coach with a great deal of passion and intensity, with the goal that everyone associated with the football program is having a positive experience.

Q. What will be the keys to your success here?

A. Without a doubt it's recruiting. I think we need to cultivate the local area and get more involved with high school coaches from the Madison and Milwaukee areas to Chicago. There are only two ways to upgrade a football program—develop the players you have during the off-season programs and recruit the young men who have the academic criteria and athletic ability to play football here.

Q. What has been your focus during your first few weeks?

A. The coaches and I have been on the phone constantly with recruits, and we've had many visits on campus. Hopefully we can field a team within the next three years consisting of 85 to 90 players. We also have been trying to solidify our coaching staff. Adding a new full-time coach who will be our offensive coordinator is a huge plus. I'm thrilled that the coaches who worked with the program in the past will be staying on for next season.

Q. What will it take for the Bucs to contend for a Midwest Conference championship every season?

A. It will take continuity with the coaching staff and players. And, again, it will come down to recruiting as it does with every collegiate football program. We'll also need to be a disciplined team, stay healthy, and make the right decisions in all critical situations and on game day.

Q. What are the Buccaneers' most pressing needs on the football field?

A. As far as talent on the field, we need a quarterback, and we need to establish more depth. We most likely will start a first-year at quarterback this fall, so we need to find a high quality athlete for that position. We need to bring in as many athletes as we can to develop that 85- to 90-man roster. I hope we can have at least 55 or 60 players this fall.

Q. What kinds of things do you like to do outside the football arena?

A. My family and my faith are the most important pieces of my life. Football can be so time-consuming, so any time I get to spend with my wife, who is expecting, and our twin boys is extremely important. I am a big NASCAR and Mark Martin fan, and I have been watching races like the Daytona 500 since my youth. My father and brother raced, so it's been an interest of mine for a long time.

Q. Anything else you would like to tell us?

A. I am very grateful for this opportunity, and I feel very blessed to be here. It's also an honor to follow in Ed DeGeorge's footsteps. He is a highly respected man, and hopefully we can continue to keep the program at the level where he left it and move it forward. I hope I can continue to make Beloit College football an important and pleasant experience for everyone involved.