OPPONENT SPOTLIGHT: Restic ends 23 years at helm of Harvard

Football is just a game. This concept may seem perfectly acceptable and even self-evident coming from the average American. But to hear these words come out of the mouth of a man who has dedicated his life to the game is astonishing. It may be even more than astonishing. It's unbelievable. Yet, Harvard coach Joe Restic, who has spent the last 38 years teaching this game, uttered those very words. And as he leads the Crimson against Penn this Saturday, he will be at the helm for his final appearance at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge. "I'll leave with a clear conscience," Restic said. "I'll feel that I've served as well as I could have and that has nothing to do with wins and losses." Restic is able to say this because he cares. Of course he cares about winning, but more importantly, he cares about his players. Even entering his final few games as the coach of Harvard he has his priorities in the right order. Sure he has had success, compiling a 117-95-6 record during his 23-year reign over the Crimson. But that has never been his top priority. "Serve the people who enter the program," Restic said of his priorities in coaching. "Put them in the best position. Give them the best program you can. That doesn't mean you're going to win every year." This philosophy has continued to be a mainstay of Restic teams for his entire stint as Harvard's leader. Even in the recent lean years, he's always stayed loyal to his players. "He has an active concern for the players," Harvard senior quarterback Mike Giardi said of Restic. "With me especially, he has always been concerned with how things have gone on that particular day and how classes have gone. He has always been a friend." It is this level of dedication to his athletes that has consistently driven Restic-led squads to success. From his early days as Brown's offensive coordinator – where he helped lead the Bears to three-consecutive winning seasons – to his head coaching position of the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League, he has always managed to win. In his three-year stint as the Tiger Cats' head coach, he reached the Grey Cup once, Canada's equivalent of the Super Bowl. "Never lose sight of the winning part," Restic said. "You must play to win. The thing that's tougher than losing is not knowing how to win." Even though Restic obviously wants to win, as he has done throughout his entire career, he knows that there is an integrity to the game that should not be broken. He has been around long enough to see dozens of coaches lose their jobs because of recruiting violations and pay-offs. "I see things happening to this great game," Restic explained. "If we don't protect the integrity of this game, then it's all gone. If money and television become the controlling forces, then it will self-destruct. "You sell out to the world. There's all that money and exposure, and schools want to become part of that. It's like a treadmill – once you get on, it's tough to get off." This vision of the rest of the collegiate football community may explain why Restic coaches the way he does. He opens his offensive strategies up to interpretation from both his coaches and his players, because he does not want to get stuck on that treadmill. He always wants to be able to see the big picture, and never get forced into doing things just to make more money for Harvard. "He's very open to his players and to his coaches," Giardi said. "He presents his point of view and then he looks for feedback from his players and from his coaches. He really values the players' opinions a lot." Not only does he value his players' opinions, but Restic also values their friendship. He knows what it is like being a student-athlete with all of the pressures in the world on their shoulders. For this reason, Restic never lets his players forget that he's been there too. "He always tells us little stories about things that happened to him when he was playing," Giardi said. "In the Dartmouth game, I got knocked out of the game with a concussion. That following Monday, he told me about when he got knocked out playing against Army. He got up and sat down on the wrong bench. He never realized it until he looked around and saw the other players wearing different color jerseys. He always has a little story here and there to remind you that he was a player too. He's fun that way." That is exactly what Restic is all about – keeping the game fun while at the same time giving it his best effort, even if that means getting knocked unconscious in the process. This way might not be the best for every coach, but it sure seems to be working for Restic. And as he is about to hang up his coaching headset for good, that is enough for him. "The love of the game," Restic said. "If you're gonna do it, you have to love it."