Get to Know Coach Lindeman
Hobbies: Fly-fishing, and playing golf, but I’m not very good at either of them!
Favorite Pastime: I sometimes claim coaching is my vocation, my avocation and my pastime. However, what I enjoy most is family time ... particularly family dinners, and especially Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners. Of course, I have loved watching our grandkids play sports as well. I’m an inveterate reader of books, newspapers, and magazines, from which I’m constantly clipping articles to reread and save. My wife, Cindy, and I also love to travel domestically – whether it be to the many small Colorado towns all summer long, or cities around the USA. Recent trips have included Chicago, Boston, and New York ... we always enjoy San Diego, where we have family, but it seems those trips are usually in conjunction with some track or cross country meet.
Last Book Read: “The Garden”, by Jon Gordon. I’ve read every book Jon Gordon has written and I also subscribe to his newsletters. I love his thoughts on character, faith and leadership.
Book on His Nightstand Now: Besides my Bible, which is always on my nightstand, I’m reading Mike Huckabee’s “The Three C’s that made America Great: Christianity, Capitalism and the Constitution.”
Favorite Vacation Spot: Grand Lake, Colo., and any Colorado town with “Springs” in the name – Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Springs, Pagosa Springs, and yes, even our own Colorado Springs for a “stay-cation”!
What Music is Currently on Your iPhone: My most listened-to playlist is my “Current CCM Faves”, which includes music from Jeremy Camp, Lauren Daigle, Danny Gokey, Mercy Me, Sidewalk Prophets, Micah Tyler, Tauren Wells and Matthew West. I also like the “Colorado” playlist I created this summer, which includes any and every song that’s ever mentioned Colorado, Denver, Boulder, Telluride, the Rocky Mountains, etc. Oh, and I REALLY like listening to the classic country rock of the Eagles!
Favorite Movie: My wife, Cindy and I really like faith- and character-based movies ... recent ones we’ve enjoyed include “I Can Only Imagine”, “I Still Believe”, “Overcomer”, and “Unplanned.” My favorite movie of all-time is “Unbroken” and its sequel, “Unbroken: the Path to Redemption.” I had the opportunity to meet Louis Zamperini in the late 80’s when I coached at Long Beach State, but at that time I was only aware of a very small part of his amazing life story, and regret I didn’t make the effort to get to know him better.
Favorite TV Shows: ESPN’s “Gameday” – I record it every Saturday morning in the fall on the DVR and watch it later in the weekend, working it in around Falcon cross country meets or football games. I love the segments that feature coaches (too bad the show is just seasonal!). My wife and I used to watch every episode of “Friday Night Lights”, and I miss that show for the coaching scenes. During COVID, we’ve been watching a lot of church services and faith-related programming on YouTube.
Favorite Foods: I love any food with Hatch Green Chile, and any authentic beef brisket from the legendary one-off BBQ’ers in Central Texas – Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, as well as Black’s, Franklins’, Stiles Switch and Salt Lick in and around Austin, among others!
Favorite Restaurant: That would be Arlene’s Beans in Monument. Cindy and I eat out most often at Colorado Mountain Brewery or Ted’s Montana Grill. Our coaching staff enjoys Arlene’s as well as Dog Haus, and if there was a Shake Shack closer by, I’d get even fatter eating their green chile cheeseburgers at every chance ... good thing it’s an hour drive away in Centennial!
Person You’d Most Like to Meet: That would have been Ravi Zacharias, whom I heard speak in the Springs a few years ago, but since he passed away earlier this year, I’d now say Tony Dungy or Dabo Swinney. There’s a number of Christian preachers and writers I’d love to meet in person, instead of just reading them or watching them on YouTube – Jimmy Evans, Franklin Graham, Jack Hibbs, David Limbaugh, Lee Strobel and Amir Tsarfati, among others.
How Did You Get Interested in Track and Field: My seventh grade P.E. teacher and coach at Phoenix Christian Elementary School took a group of us boys to a college track dual meet between Arizona State and New Mexico, and I got to see stars like Henry Carr and Ulis Williams from ASU and Adolph Plummer from New Mexico. The next week was my birthday, and my parents asked me what special thing I wanted to do ... I told them I wanted to go back to an ASU track meet. That time, I got to see BYU and USC, and I was hooked on the sport. I had some moderate success as a junior high and high school athlete, and the influence that my junior high and high school coaches had on me, led me to decide I wanted to coach as a career.
If You Weren’t Coaching, You’d Be: When I was pre-teen and junior higher, I wanted to be a Pastor, but I got enamored with coaching during high school. My dream retirement job would laughingly be to serve as a fly-fishing guide or a professional golf instructor – that would never happen because my skillset isn’t good enough in either, so maybe I’ll pick up my old fascination with serving as a pastor.
Coaching Hero: Without question, it would be the venerable Fisher DeBerry, long-time Falcon football coach – I loved his Southern accent and his sense of humor, but I admired him most for his character and values as a coach, husband and parent. For Track coaches, it would have to be the late Payton Jordan, long-time coach at Stanford. I was also a big fan of Colorado’s Bill McCartney, Baylor’s Grant Teaff, and Nebraska’s Tom Osborne ... I’ve read everything either they wrote, or was written about them. I now like following Clemson football coach, Dabo Swinney, and Texas A&M basketball coach, Buzz Williams. And this one’s not a hero, because he’s a contemporary colleague, but Vin Lananna, now coaching at Virginia after stints at Stanford and Oregon ... he has positively impacted our sport more than any single individual I know, and I hold him in the highest esteem for that, as well as calling him a friend.
Who have your coaching mentors been: The head coaches at Arizona State (Len Miller) and Arizona (Dave Murray), were definitely mentors in grooming me to be a head coach at the collegiate level. Other legendary American coaches like Brooks Johnson, George Williams, Tom Tellez, Stan Huntsman and Steve Miller, as well as the late Sam Bell and Jimmy Carnes, were always willing to share tips and give advice to me personally. Those aside, however, I’d have to identify some of my closest coaching friends as my most reliable mentors. Individuals like Ron Mann, long-time coach at Northern Arizona and later at Louisville, the late John McNichols of Indiana State, and Greg Hull, master pole vault coach, have always been individuals I could pick up the phone and call to discuss anything, from technical coaching to coaching methods to the state of our sport. I’d also absolutely add longtime coaching peers Mark Stanforth and Scott Irving from our own Air Force Academy staffs to that group for the same reasons. These colleagues were my most influential mentors. I only half-kiddingly still claim that my wife, Cindy, has been my long-time mentor as well – she can always pick me up emotionally, give input on ethical dilemmas, and give meaningful counsel about how to deal with certain individuals or issues. She continues to be my sounding board and confidante at this stage of my career.
Favorite Track Meet: It would be a close tie between the Drake Relays and the Mt SAC Relays. With both of these meets, it’s about the wonderful people associated with the huge spectacles for our sport in Iowa and California - the meet directors, administrators, officials, fans and coaches who frequent those respective meets.
Favorite Track Stadium: It has always been Historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, and I’ll miss its old look and features. I’m looking forward to experiencing both the new Hayward Field, as well as the new Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, in 2021. On a different scale, I really enjoy the collegiate facilities indoors at Texas Tech’s Sports Performance Center and outdoors at Baylor’s Clyde Hart Stadium.
What is Your Coaching Philosophy: I believe inspiring our team – particularly the team captains and leaders – to develop their team culture is tantamount to teaching them techniques or training them. A team’s culture is its inner core, and ultimately determines that team’s success. I trust that our team’s culture will always be based on the USAF Core Values – “Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence in All We Do.” Our job as coaches is to provide a framework in which our cadet-athletes can achieve that excellence, not only athletically, but also academically and militarily. We place a strong emphasis on a program of individual goal-setting, and encourage our team members to not limit their goals to their athletic performance, but also academic and military goals as well. We make a point of talking with our cadet-athletes about being “Champions at Everything.” As a coaching staff, our ultimate objective is to “develop leaders of character through a transformational experience in athletics,” so we’re always trying to weave character and leadership lessons into our teaching and training.
Describe Your Coaching Style: I consider myself a teacher, first-and-foremost ... maybe because I served as a high school teacher and coach for my first seven years in the profession. If you were to watch me coach, you’d see me constantly teaching, using all the methodology I learned as a young teacher. Even though I’m coaching future engineers and scientists, I’ve prided myself on keeping my coaching cues and instructions simple. As part of my teaching, I’m always trying to be a good listener, and then adapting, supporting, mentoring and inspiring.
Best Part of Being at the Academy: Being able to teach leadership and character to the amazing young men and women on our track teams, and then, when they return to the Academy years later to visit, hear their life stories about their families, friends and careers in the “big Air Force” and beyond in civilian life.
Most Memorable Coaching Experience: Many might guess I would say serving on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team coaching staff, or serving as the Head Coach of Team USA at the 2018 World Indoor Championships, or maybe being named recipient of some coach-of-the-year award, but in fact, it seems that I have a number of “most memorable coaching experiences” with every team I’ve ever had at the Air Force Academy over the past 32 years. That’s not limited to the teams that were conference champions or high NCAA finishers, or individuals that were conference champions, NCAA scorers or school record-holders. I have scores, if not hundreds, of stories of the really special young men and young women I’ve had the privilege to coach. I refer to so many of them as “success stories,” as they all gave me memories I’ll treasure long after my coaching career is complete.
Favorite Pastime: I sometimes claim coaching is my vocation, my avocation and my pastime. However, what I enjoy most is family time ... particularly family dinners, and especially Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners. Of course, I have loved watching our grandkids play sports as well. I’m an inveterate reader of books, newspapers, and magazines, from which I’m constantly clipping articles to reread and save. My wife, Cindy, and I also love to travel domestically – whether it be to the many small Colorado towns all summer long, or cities around the USA. Recent trips have included Chicago, Boston, and New York ... we always enjoy San Diego, where we have family, but it seems those trips are usually in conjunction with some track or cross country meet.
Last Book Read: “The Garden”, by Jon Gordon. I’ve read every book Jon Gordon has written and I also subscribe to his newsletters. I love his thoughts on character, faith and leadership.
Book on His Nightstand Now: Besides my Bible, which is always on my nightstand, I’m reading Mike Huckabee’s “The Three C’s that made America Great: Christianity, Capitalism and the Constitution.”
Favorite Vacation Spot: Grand Lake, Colo., and any Colorado town with “Springs” in the name – Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Springs, Pagosa Springs, and yes, even our own Colorado Springs for a “stay-cation”!
What Music is Currently on Your iPhone: My most listened-to playlist is my “Current CCM Faves”, which includes music from Jeremy Camp, Lauren Daigle, Danny Gokey, Mercy Me, Sidewalk Prophets, Micah Tyler, Tauren Wells and Matthew West. I also like the “Colorado” playlist I created this summer, which includes any and every song that’s ever mentioned Colorado, Denver, Boulder, Telluride, the Rocky Mountains, etc. Oh, and I REALLY like listening to the classic country rock of the Eagles!
Favorite Movie: My wife, Cindy and I really like faith- and character-based movies ... recent ones we’ve enjoyed include “I Can Only Imagine”, “I Still Believe”, “Overcomer”, and “Unplanned.” My favorite movie of all-time is “Unbroken” and its sequel, “Unbroken: the Path to Redemption.” I had the opportunity to meet Louis Zamperini in the late 80’s when I coached at Long Beach State, but at that time I was only aware of a very small part of his amazing life story, and regret I didn’t make the effort to get to know him better.
Favorite TV Shows: ESPN’s “Gameday” – I record it every Saturday morning in the fall on the DVR and watch it later in the weekend, working it in around Falcon cross country meets or football games. I love the segments that feature coaches (too bad the show is just seasonal!). My wife and I used to watch every episode of “Friday Night Lights”, and I miss that show for the coaching scenes. During COVID, we’ve been watching a lot of church services and faith-related programming on YouTube.
Favorite Foods: I love any food with Hatch Green Chile, and any authentic beef brisket from the legendary one-off BBQ’ers in Central Texas – Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, as well as Black’s, Franklins’, Stiles Switch and Salt Lick in and around Austin, among others!
Favorite Restaurant: That would be Arlene’s Beans in Monument. Cindy and I eat out most often at Colorado Mountain Brewery or Ted’s Montana Grill. Our coaching staff enjoys Arlene’s as well as Dog Haus, and if there was a Shake Shack closer by, I’d get even fatter eating their green chile cheeseburgers at every chance ... good thing it’s an hour drive away in Centennial!
Person You’d Most Like to Meet: That would have been Ravi Zacharias, whom I heard speak in the Springs a few years ago, but since he passed away earlier this year, I’d now say Tony Dungy or Dabo Swinney. There’s a number of Christian preachers and writers I’d love to meet in person, instead of just reading them or watching them on YouTube – Jimmy Evans, Franklin Graham, Jack Hibbs, David Limbaugh, Lee Strobel and Amir Tsarfati, among others.
How Did You Get Interested in Track and Field: My seventh grade P.E. teacher and coach at Phoenix Christian Elementary School took a group of us boys to a college track dual meet between Arizona State and New Mexico, and I got to see stars like Henry Carr and Ulis Williams from ASU and Adolph Plummer from New Mexico. The next week was my birthday, and my parents asked me what special thing I wanted to do ... I told them I wanted to go back to an ASU track meet. That time, I got to see BYU and USC, and I was hooked on the sport. I had some moderate success as a junior high and high school athlete, and the influence that my junior high and high school coaches had on me, led me to decide I wanted to coach as a career.
If You Weren’t Coaching, You’d Be: When I was pre-teen and junior higher, I wanted to be a Pastor, but I got enamored with coaching during high school. My dream retirement job would laughingly be to serve as a fly-fishing guide or a professional golf instructor – that would never happen because my skillset isn’t good enough in either, so maybe I’ll pick up my old fascination with serving as a pastor.
Coaching Hero: Without question, it would be the venerable Fisher DeBerry, long-time Falcon football coach – I loved his Southern accent and his sense of humor, but I admired him most for his character and values as a coach, husband and parent. For Track coaches, it would have to be the late Payton Jordan, long-time coach at Stanford. I was also a big fan of Colorado’s Bill McCartney, Baylor’s Grant Teaff, and Nebraska’s Tom Osborne ... I’ve read everything either they wrote, or was written about them. I now like following Clemson football coach, Dabo Swinney, and Texas A&M basketball coach, Buzz Williams. And this one’s not a hero, because he’s a contemporary colleague, but Vin Lananna, now coaching at Virginia after stints at Stanford and Oregon ... he has positively impacted our sport more than any single individual I know, and I hold him in the highest esteem for that, as well as calling him a friend.
Who have your coaching mentors been: The head coaches at Arizona State (Len Miller) and Arizona (Dave Murray), were definitely mentors in grooming me to be a head coach at the collegiate level. Other legendary American coaches like Brooks Johnson, George Williams, Tom Tellez, Stan Huntsman and Steve Miller, as well as the late Sam Bell and Jimmy Carnes, were always willing to share tips and give advice to me personally. Those aside, however, I’d have to identify some of my closest coaching friends as my most reliable mentors. Individuals like Ron Mann, long-time coach at Northern Arizona and later at Louisville, the late John McNichols of Indiana State, and Greg Hull, master pole vault coach, have always been individuals I could pick up the phone and call to discuss anything, from technical coaching to coaching methods to the state of our sport. I’d also absolutely add longtime coaching peers Mark Stanforth and Scott Irving from our own Air Force Academy staffs to that group for the same reasons. These colleagues were my most influential mentors. I only half-kiddingly still claim that my wife, Cindy, has been my long-time mentor as well – she can always pick me up emotionally, give input on ethical dilemmas, and give meaningful counsel about how to deal with certain individuals or issues. She continues to be my sounding board and confidante at this stage of my career.
Favorite Track Meet: It would be a close tie between the Drake Relays and the Mt SAC Relays. With both of these meets, it’s about the wonderful people associated with the huge spectacles for our sport in Iowa and California - the meet directors, administrators, officials, fans and coaches who frequent those respective meets.
Favorite Track Stadium: It has always been Historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, and I’ll miss its old look and features. I’m looking forward to experiencing both the new Hayward Field, as well as the new Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, in 2021. On a different scale, I really enjoy the collegiate facilities indoors at Texas Tech’s Sports Performance Center and outdoors at Baylor’s Clyde Hart Stadium.
What is Your Coaching Philosophy: I believe inspiring our team – particularly the team captains and leaders – to develop their team culture is tantamount to teaching them techniques or training them. A team’s culture is its inner core, and ultimately determines that team’s success. I trust that our team’s culture will always be based on the USAF Core Values – “Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence in All We Do.” Our job as coaches is to provide a framework in which our cadet-athletes can achieve that excellence, not only athletically, but also academically and militarily. We place a strong emphasis on a program of individual goal-setting, and encourage our team members to not limit their goals to their athletic performance, but also academic and military goals as well. We make a point of talking with our cadet-athletes about being “Champions at Everything.” As a coaching staff, our ultimate objective is to “develop leaders of character through a transformational experience in athletics,” so we’re always trying to weave character and leadership lessons into our teaching and training.
Describe Your Coaching Style: I consider myself a teacher, first-and-foremost ... maybe because I served as a high school teacher and coach for my first seven years in the profession. If you were to watch me coach, you’d see me constantly teaching, using all the methodology I learned as a young teacher. Even though I’m coaching future engineers and scientists, I’ve prided myself on keeping my coaching cues and instructions simple. As part of my teaching, I’m always trying to be a good listener, and then adapting, supporting, mentoring and inspiring.
Best Part of Being at the Academy: Being able to teach leadership and character to the amazing young men and women on our track teams, and then, when they return to the Academy years later to visit, hear their life stories about their families, friends and careers in the “big Air Force” and beyond in civilian life.
Most Memorable Coaching Experience: Many might guess I would say serving on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team coaching staff, or serving as the Head Coach of Team USA at the 2018 World Indoor Championships, or maybe being named recipient of some coach-of-the-year award, but in fact, it seems that I have a number of “most memorable coaching experiences” with every team I’ve ever had at the Air Force Academy over the past 32 years. That’s not limited to the teams that were conference champions or high NCAA finishers, or individuals that were conference champions, NCAA scorers or school record-holders. I have scores, if not hundreds, of stories of the really special young men and young women I’ve had the privilege to coach. I refer to so many of them as “success stories,” as they all gave me memories I’ll treasure long after my coaching career is complete.
