Ferris Sports Update 4.16.25

In this week’s episode of Ferris Sports Update our host, Rob Bentley, welcomes his first guest, Owen Schuessler, who is a student assistant for the football team. He then interviews Head Hockey Coach, Bob Daniels and

Written by Scott and Rockford | Produced by Andrew tingley

Football

Rob begins by asking Owen to talk about how the team is doing this spring with practice. Owen shared that they’re practicing hard as can be, and they’re letting the younger guys learn from the older players on the team. Rob then asked how it felt to be a part of the team winning the National Championship last fall, which the team has won three times in the past four years.

Owen spoke about how surreal it felt because football has been a huge part of his life for years, and he praised the team saying he is honored to work with such a talented group with such great coaches, saying it has overall been a great experience. He then talked about the towns parade they put on to celebrate the team’s win, saying it was heartwarming to see how much people care by showing up and supporting in their Ferris gear. He said it really fueled the team too, because seeing all those people in support makes them want to play better. Former alumni of the team even showed up to the parade to support the team and Owen shared that it means a lot to the team for the overwhelming support.

The team will be honored in the State capitol this week, and Owen said that he got to go last time they held the title and he’s excited for the guys to be honored in that way. The team will also have a game on Aprill 25^th, to close out this season and shift the focus to the 2025 season. He shared it’s a good chance for the players to suit up and get out on the field and play the game they love. He thinks it’s also good practice for the younger players to get used to playing in a real game.

Owen also shared that he has learned a lot about football since joining the team and looks up to the coaches for teaching him so much. He also commended the players for putting in the work through regular practices and lifting. He’s hopeful that the April 25^th game will be successful, and good weather would make it even better.

Hockey

After Owen, we catch back up with Head Hockey Coach, Bob Daniels, who is close to retirement after 33 years of being Head Coach. We then see a heartfelt compilation of messages to Coach Daniels, from former players who congratulated him on a long and successful career. They highlighted how, at his core, he cares about his players and that’s why the hockey team has performed so well. Bob was very appreciative of the tribute and thanked everyone for the amount of work they put into it. He shared his memory of first coming to Ferris when he had an interview and remembered that he and his wife traveled up here from Chicago and stayed in a tent in a state park.

He said he went in for the interview and got the job and immediately fell in love with the university and the community. He believes that the university and the community are intertwined because of how much support the town has given the hockey program. He feels he has benefited greatly from working here and is grateful for what it has done for him and his family. He is proud of each player he has coached through the years and shared that he is as proud of the ones who have been successful in the NHL, just as much as the ones who pursued jobs in other fields. He believes that all his players have contributed back to the community and are all stand up guys.

Bob also shared how fortunate he has been to work with such a supportive administration, stating that all the presidents of the university have showed him overwhelming support. He also commended the athletic staff for all of their hard work and dedication. He also made sure to recognize all the coaches he’d had under him over the years, stating how outstanding they were. He shared that one of his favorite memories was when they beat Michigan State the first year of his coaching, and it was a big moment for him since Michigan State was his alma mater. But he assured that each season was successful in its own way. He is looking forward to retirement but will miss all the memories he’s made at Ferris.