10 things you didn’t know about Tech assistant Mike Sewak
In his playing days, Georgia Tech offensive line coach Mike Sewak was a handful, occasionally given to using a tactic that he didn’t want in print for fear his own players would try it and blame their coach.
“I would have a hard time coaching me sometimes,” said Sewak, who played offensive line at Virginia.
Sewak, 53, is a man of faith, a father of three and a golfer who used to think nothing of playing 45 or 54 holes in a day. Prior to the start of the preseason, he volunteered that information and more, part of a series with Tech’s assistant coaches.
1. Sewak and his wife Robin have three children, Michael Robert, Olivia and Nick. Michael Robert is at Tech, Olivia is at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and Nick is at Lassiter. Nick is a long snapper for Lassiter hoping for a chance to play in college, possibly at a mid-major FBS school.
On a visit to see Olivia in New York, the two went to an exhibit of Alexander McQueen, the famed British fashion designer. Sewak figured it would be an act of paternal sacrifice in order to spend time with his daughter, but ended up enjoying it so much he encouraged his sons to go, too.
“I’d go four or five rooms ahead and run back and say, ‘You’ve got to check this out,’” Sewak said.
No word if Olivia has any interest in re-designing Tech’s uniforms.
2. When Sewak came to Tech with coach Paul Johnson in 2008, it was actually his second time on staff. He served as a graduate assistant to then-coach Bill Curry in 1984, his second coaching job after graduating from Virginia. A dining staple of his was Junior’s Grill, a campus landmark that at the time was located on North Avenue. It later moved on campus and closed down in April 2011. As a grad assistant having to stretch his money, Sewak dined often on the $2 vegetable plate.
“And it was a good vegetable plate,” he said.
3. Sewak got to know Johnson at Georgia Southern when both were assistants to Erk Russell in 1985-86. They both went to Hawaii in 1987 and coached together through 1994. Wide receivers coach Buzz Preston also came on staff at Hawaii in 1987, leaving after the 1993 season. All three have families with children in similar age groups.
“We’ve celebrated their birthdays and they’ve celebrated our birthdays,” he said. “Everybody babysat everybody.”
4. After he was fired as head coach at Georgia Southern following the 2005 season, Sewak and his family stayed in Statesboro. Sewak, in fact, used the time to earn his master’s in sport management at Georgia Southern, which required him a few times to guest lecture classes taken by his former players.
He also took his boys to see college games around the Southeast and visited assisted living homes with his daughter to help lead worship services. Olivia sang and her dad accompanied on piano. Sewak said he would have taken another coaching job during those two years, but relishes that time.
“I got to see my kids grow up,” he said. “I really got to be a part of their lives.”
5. Part of Sewak’s final assignment in his master’s program was to get a sports management internship. Sewak found a decent one – co-offensive line coach for Tech. For the sake of the degree, professors permitted him to count the position, which he was hired to in Dec .2007 shortly after Johnson’s hire, as an internship.
“The timing couldn’t have been any better,” he said.
Sewak’s final project, which included a detailed 12-month calendar for starting up a football program, with plans for academics, recruiting, purchasing, fund-raising, drug testing and more, is on a DVD in the Georgia Southern archives.
6. During his time in Statesboro, Sewak coached his son Nick’s youth baseball and basketball teams. Among Nick’s teammates was a youngster named Freddie Burden, who is a freshman offensive lineman for Sewak this season. Burden knows what he’s getting into. Sewak said that when Burden played for him, he got onto Burden for not running out pop flies.
Sewak’s ties to Burden don’t end there. When he was pursuing his master’s, one of his professors was Burden’s father Willie, an associate professor in the sport management department.
7. Georgia Southern’s 27-23 loss to New Hampshire in the first round of the 2004 Division I-AA playoffs eats at Sewak more than any other. A cold rain came through Statesboro just as the team took the field to stretch, which played a hand in the Eagles’ six fumbles, three of which were lost. The Eagles, who led 21-6 in the second quarter, had gone into the game averaging 49 points a game.
“That game hurts more than any other, because that was a good football team,” he said. “It was coached up well, the kids played and believed in one another. They deserved a chance to win it all.”
He still wonders what he could have done differently.
“I don’t know what I would have done, but I know what I did wasn’t very effective,” he said.
8. What inspires him?
“Guys that have done it the right way,” he said. “I get inspired by our players. To see somebody working hard to achieve something they’ve never achieved before and even though I know it’s difficult for them, and I see them do it for the first time (is inspiring).”
For Sewak that includes, among others, former center Sean Bedford, B-back Anthony Allen and wide receiver Stephen Hill. Sewak admired Hill’s performance under considerable pressure to replace Demaryius Thomas.
“Last season, he came along and he got better, really good,” he said.
9. In an ideal world, Sewak would rotate two lines. Tech is probably closest to being able to do that at guard, where Shaquille Mason and Trey Braun are pushing starters Omoregie Uzzi and Will Jackson. At tackle, Morgan Bailey is challenging starter Ray Beno and part-time starter Tyler Kidney, with Errin Joe and Bryan Chamberlain also making a bid. Center Nick McRae has proven a capable backup behind Jay Finch.
“You’d like to be in a position where you could play two lines and just go throw a fresh body at ’em every time and hit ’em the hardest you possibly could hit ’em every single time,” he said.
10. Sewak loves the depth the offensive line has built up, with four returning full-time starters, three more linemen who played considerably and a crew of promising freshmen. Sewak likes the group’s intelligence and unity and believes players know the scheme well enough. To him, the challenge will be in players’ mental toughness.
“You don’t have to double (team) everything all the time because you’re not going to (be able to),” he said. “I guess the thing I want to say for those kids is their self-reliance – know that they’re capable of doing it and doing it.”
Other “10 things”
Wide receivers coach Buzz Preston
Special-teams coordinator David Walkosky
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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178 comments Add your comment
Supersize that order, mutt
August 10th, 2012
11:07 pm
@ gt40pinhd…..sounds like you may have been at Tech back around the time I was there—-early 60s
1 4 GT
August 10th, 2012
11:15 pm
Yep. Bobby Dodd & Frank Howard were good friends. Clem&Sons needed the money, so Dodd scheduled them for homecoming game every year. If my memory serves. Pretty much assured of a homecoming win, too. Clempson seldom won more that 7 games a season, but he was much revered at Clemson.
1 4 GT
August 10th, 2012
11:21 pm
Ya’ll doing a little reminiscing. I seem to remember the Ga Tech bookstore catty corner from the Yellow Jacket Inn @ Northside Dr. & North Av. I am not sure about that. But, I liked their hotdogs better that the V. They were toasted without having to ask, and I thought the chili on them was better than Mr. Frank’s.
BLT
August 10th, 2012
11:34 pm
Straight Jacket, it begins 9/3. Let us all hope we be begin with a win. Go Jackets!
1 4 GT
August 10th, 2012
11:49 pm
I wonder if we have to use the correct names for the Georgie dwags now???
WnE
August 11th, 2012
8:18 am
What did I miss guys?
ROTFLMAO!…………
HighTech
August 11th, 2012
10:09 am
Things I look forward to seeing on 9/3:
1) An experienced O-line that will make few mental errors and will nail their assignments
2) An improved S&C program that will pay dividends, especially in the 4th qtr
3) Improved special teams, such that they will be an asset instead of a liability
4) An experienced backfield that will turn a football game into a track meet if given the opportunity
Concerns I have that I will be looking at on 9/3:
1) Inexperienced WR’s. While I hope to see an effective passing game open up the option, I will be looking at effort. Do these green WR’s fight for the ball? Do they nail their downfield blocks.
2) Defensive fundamentals. Do the players wrap up when they tackle? Do they team tackle or arm tackle as individuals?
3) What will we see at NT? I have confidence in TJ Barnes, but this may be the greatest test of the new S&C program in the trenches. Hopefully, the defense will not spend the majority of time on the field.
9/3!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 11th, 2012
10:28 am
Good analysis, HT
HighTech
August 11th, 2012
10:42 am
Thanks, Supersize. Wish you could be there to make up for the Lightning Bowl.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 11th, 2012
10:45 am
wish I could too, but thats just too far to go. Plus nobody from Augusta is going, so that would mean either flying or driving alone.
Ol'JacketFan
August 11th, 2012
11:09 am
@HT I agree with you analysis and I feel good about the WRs. They all have the measureables and I trust the coaches to be able to identify the 2 starters for the VT game. I would lie to see CPJ call their number early in the game and see if a rhythm can be established.
As to tackling it was sub par last year, lots of arm tackles and that just won’t get it against an opponent like VT. Hopefully coming into the season and knowing how bad the tackling was the players will make it a point to square up and wrap up rather than always trying to strip the ball.
Everything that’s come out on TJ indicates he is in shape and I expect good things out of him. If he can perform consistently in the manner of he Clemson game last year then we’ve got a horse in the middle.
I can’t wait till Toe Meets Leather!!!!!!!!! Go Jackets!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 11th, 2012
11:27 am
Boy, do I agree about the arm-tackling, although I don’t think there was as much of it last year as in 2010. They have GOT to get rid of that habit though.
1 4 GT
August 11th, 2012
12:24 pm
Well, I’ve/we’ve had approx.3/4 a of day to think about all that was said yesterday by Ken. I think I’ve mostly stayed out of the fray. And I guess he was mostly right in what he said. I’ll try not to step on toes. Some of “us” have, from time to time to be kind about it, stepped over the line and have even acted like 3 year old little kids arguing back & forth. “DID TOO–DID NOT” kinda thing. And one individual went way over the line yesterday & basically challenged Ken, and I have no problem with Ken’s reaction. I sorta think Ken hasn’t seen the really nasty comments that most of the “dwags” (maybe I won’t get in too much trouble) make on here. Two in particular come to mind. They open up from the get go with their totally uncalled for comments and have nothing good to say. And that’s being very kind to them. And then Ken calls everybody out on it. What is their response? I think ya’ll (and they) know who I’m talking about. They trot out their sanctimonious, holier than thou nothing personal junk. And the we’re just responding in kind bs. I’ve rarely even looked at the Georgie (maybe I won’t get in too much trouble) blogs, and never CT or BK. And I have only responded to the articles that intrigued me 4 times, to the best of my memory, and not in a derogatory manner. And when I scrolled thru the comments, I only recall 3 different GT blog handles. Two I recall real well. We see them all the time. If they get mad at me, I don’t care—-GT Bob & 5150. They were just as bad as the Georgie guys on here. And they WERE responding in kind to the GT guys on their blog. But, the sheer number of Georgie guys “trashing” GT was WAAAYYYYYY overwhelming. And even, for the most part, worse. I applaud Ken for trying to get a handle on things. Even if I do think he’s trying to wee wee into the wind, a gale force wind. Without “Clean Old Fashioned Hate”, and that has been around since the 1st game back in 1893, (the Georgie fans pulled a gun on a GT player and another player was taken out of the game because his head was split open by a rock), the rivalry might as well be called off & GT & Georgie never play each other again in any sport. Has the commentary gotten out of hand? YES!!! Even in a one on one talk between friends & family members. I have a brother that is a Georgie fan & another that is a GT fan. The Georgie brother’s 1st born son became a GT fan because of his 2 uncles. I don’t say too much to my Georgie brother so as not to cause hard feelings. Anyway, it’s gonna get kinda boring on this blog, & the number of hits will surely fall. I’m thru! Selah!!
1 4 GT
August 11th, 2012
12:25 pm
Dang, I didn’t intend to write a book.
Uh, 1 4 GT...
August 11th, 2012
12:36 pm
…say what?
Ol'JacketFan
August 11th, 2012
12:44 pm
@ 1 4 GT, nicely put. I get so aggravated when the discourse winds up being so juvenile. Havng said that there are some people that do need to be banned. When a person has nothing to offer other than insults and degrading comments why should they be allowed to continue to post. I have no issue with opposing view points or interacting with fans of other schools. But I do have issues with trolls who come on here for no other reason than to start an argument. In any event, I for one, am not about to be run off by any troll and will continue call them out
Go Jackets!
1 4 GT
August 11th, 2012
1:24 pm
OJF—-the folks you & I are talking about are on both sides. But. as U said the Georgie trolls far outnumber the GT trolls. And, make no mistake, we have a few. But, I don’t really think Ken’s edict is gonna make much difference in the long run.
BigTimeTECHFan
August 11th, 2012
1:29 pm
From scrimmage, sounds like Laskey had nice day.
T W found Greene and Waller on passes
Vad Lee to Summers will be nice future
Neally nice at lB
Had picture of Ken interviewing Will Jackson so expect some info from him soon
Ol'JacketFan
August 11th, 2012
2:06 pm
@BTTF passes to Greene/Waller for TDs? I think Laskey may well make a pretty decent B back but I’d love to see Perkins break through there.
Ol'JacketFan
August 11th, 2012
2:07 pm
@1 4 GT, I suspect you’re right trolls ae gonna be trolls
Supersize that order, mutt
August 11th, 2012
2:22 pm
Guys, I think the person last night who slammed Ken so hard (no names, please) has probably been banned. I talked to him on the phone last night and told him he owed Ken an apology. He was still really charged when we first started talking and not totally rational. By the time we hung up, he had calmed down a good bit and at least seemed more rational. He sent me a copy of an apology he emailed Ken this morning. It wasn’t the best, but hopefully it’s a start. I wouldn’t look for him on the blogs for a while though. I emailed Ken and explained the pressure he is currently under with the home situation he has, so maybe that will help in the long run, if not sooner.
Ol'JacketFan
August 11th, 2012
4:32 pm
@ SS, I understand what you’re saying. My comments weren’t directed at the un named person as much as it was to those I consider true trolls. The un named person, while he has been know to aggitate
is also a person who can and does discuss football with passion. I don’t care who you root for as long as you bring something to discuss other than insults or vitriol.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 11th, 2012
4:45 pm
@ OJF…..I agree completely. And just so you’ll know, he HAS been banned, but only until the VT game
1 4 GT
August 11th, 2012
4:54 pm
Super—even though I gave 2 names in my “book”, I was just saying they are as bad as any agitation we experience here. They likely don’t think so, but they are. Anyway, it’s good he apologized to Ken. The trolls can be highly irritating. I just wonder how long the peace will last???
Ol'JacketFan
August 11th, 2012
5:07 pm
@SS Knowing what’s going with the un named person outside of here I just hope that things work out for him and he gets back to enjoy the season with all of us.
1 4 GT
August 11th, 2012
5:11 pm
OJF—the unnamed person has a bad home situation is a big understatement. SS & others are on the new blog about today’s 1st scrimmage.
gt40pinhd
August 12th, 2012
12:43 am
supersize, just got back to the blog: yep, late 50’s, early 60’s. different era. cultural shock for me: coming from CA to GA.
looking forward to vad playing a lot. i think he can pass. a few passes and counters will make a huge difference. dodd used a “waggle”. just a misdirection play. got to keep the defense honest.
Jim McDonald
August 17th, 2012
1:49 pm
Thank you for the excellent posts