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Apr 04, 2024

Northern Colorado football alumnus, director of operations earning doctorate

Eddie Gonzales III is more educated than the average bear — pun intended — but he never expected to be. Growing up, the University of Northern Colorado alumnus and director of football operations

Eddie Gonzales III is more educated than the average bear — pun intended — but he never expected to be.

Growing up, the University of Northern Colorado alumnus and director of football operations never considered going to college. No one else in his family had.

Today, he is a first-generation college graduate. Unlike many fellow athletes, though, he not only earned his undergraduate degree, but he earned a master’s and is participating in one of UNC’s doctorate programs. The longtime Bear is doing this while working full time in pursuit of a coaching career.

It’s impressive, and he’s breaking down the dumb jock stereotype. Gonzales said, however, he’s gotten a lot of help.

“I grew up right down the street, nothing special about me. I just work really hard,” Gonzales said. “It hasn’t been all perfect, but there’s people that believed in me. I think that was a driving factor.”

Gonzales joined the Bear family because of an answered phone call.

The UNC staffer got several offers in high school, including ones from Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho State and South Dakota.

He didn’t fully understand the recruiting process, verbal commitments or National Signing Day, though. Gonzales thought signing day was the time to make the big decision, not that those decisions often came beforehand and NSD just made things official.

“I kind of went down the list, and coach (Earnest) Collins was the first one to answer the phone and say, ‘Oh, we’ve got a spot for you. Come on out,’” Gonzales said. “God brought me here. It’s perfect. I’m an hour and some change from home. I’ve made this my home. I got out here in 2015 and never left. I’m thankful. I think I’m exactly what I’m supposed to be.”

Collins said he was drawn to Gonzales because of his work ethic and some of their shared experiences. They both went to the same elementary school and grew up in the same area, and their mothers were deeply involved. Collins said Gonzales’ mom, Cynthia Gallegos, deserves a lot of credit for the man everyone sees today.

His path to Northern Colorado, however, started long before colleges took notice.

Gonzales began playing football at age 5. Well, he actually quit that year — announcing his decision to the team before walking off the field — and returned at age 6.

He played in the Police Athletic League, which was designed to keep Denver kids off the streets. His parents put him in just about every sport, including football, in hopes that he would stay out of trouble. His father and uncle both coached him until about eighth grade.

Then, Gonzales attended Regis Jesuit High School. He originally played linebacker, but the position coach and former Denver Bronco Harald Hasselbach recommended the young athlete switch to the defensive line.

Gonzales used to take a bus and two light rail trains to and from school. It was often a three-hour trek. Gonzales made a deal with his mother that if he made straight As in his sophomore year, he could transfer to a school somewhere closer to home.

That’s when Hasselbach stepped in, presumably with the prodding of the elder Gonzales. The rising junior moved into the Hasselbach home in Parker for one year.

“His big thing was he didn’t want me to fall by the wayside. He wanted to keep me focused,” Gonzales said. “As far as developing me as a man, as a football player and as a student, I don’t think I would’ve made it, especially this far. I mean, shoot, I’m still in school.”

The now-doctoral student is not only grateful for Hasselbach, but he’s grateful to his parents. They allowed their child to move in with Hasselbach, relying on their faith and believing this would give Gonzales a chance at a promising future.

Gonzales believes his mother is thankful someone else saw something in him and thought highly enough to move him into their home, feed him and get him to school. Then, his father had to “swallow his pride.” Gonzales said his dad acknowledged Hasselbach’s influence and knowledge of the sport.

“My dad talks a lot about how he had a conversation with Harald and let him know, ‘Hey, this is your boy now. I’m gonna kind of take a step back,’” he said. “It was a pivotal time in my life.”

Gonzales would’ve finished high school had he transferred — his parents were pretty insistent on that — but that probably would’ve been it.

Living with Hasselbach, however, and focusing his whole life on school and football, opened Gonzales’ eyes to all the possibilities.

College, and even having a pool in his own backyard one day, became very real dreams.

“I’m from a lower socioeconomic status, an inner-city kid,” he said. “It made me expect a lot more for myself and showed me how much more there was in the world than this little neighborhood that I was in.”

Everyone in the Monfort College of Business might be sick of seeing Gonzales and his signature curly hair. In fact, he expects everyone to bid him an enthusiastic goodbye when he finally defends his dissertation next year.

Since Gonzales never thought about attending college during his childhood, he didn’t have any ideas about what major to select upon his arrival in 2015.

The NCAA requires student-athletes to declare a field of study by their fifth semester. Up to that point, Gonzales was taking just about everything — including astronomy and meteorology — just to figure out what he liked. He was told as a freshman that business might not be the right major since he’s not particularly good at math.

When he reached the deadline to declare a major, Gonzales ultimately decided to go the business route. It’s a field he’s long been interested in, and he thought he might open a shoe store. He’s, unsurprisingly, a sneaker guy.

Gonzales earned his undergraduate degree in business administration, with an emphasis on management and a minor in finance. He finished in 2019.

Due to a season-ending injury in 2018, the NCAA allowed Gonzales to return in 2020. That was supposed to be his last year, but COVID hit and paused things again. He decided to pursue a Master of Business Administration, completing it in the 2020 calendar year.

“If I was going to be a first-generation college grad, let’s set the bar high,” Gonzales said. “Let’s not just get a four-year degree, let’s work for a master’s.”

He returned for one final season in 2021. His sixth season.

The Denver local still had to take classes, though, per NCAA regulations. Some athletes may have opted to enroll in other undergraduate classes or sought a second master’s degree. Gonzales decided to apply for UNC’s technology, innovation and pedagogy doctoral program. He finished his playing career with 93 tackles and three sacks while earning Academic All-Big Sky honors four times. One of those awards came in 2021.

As the name implies, the field focuses on technology innovation and integration in spheres of education. Students are not limited to schools, UNC’s website states, but can implement their work in any area where learning takes place. This could be in the business sector, the military, the classroom or, in Gonzales’ case, the football field.

His dissertation focuses on the use of educational technology in the Division I coaching process. Arizona State University’s virtual reality lab, for example, allows biology students and guests to learn in an immersive environment, Gonzales noted.

The idea is that technology can provide football programs with the same athletic outputs and training as full-pads workouts. This way, however, would reduce the risk of injuries. He plans to defend his dissertation in 2024.

“That’s the direction I’m working. I like to bridge everything together. Whenever I’m doing a big project in class, I’m trying to do it on football,” Gonzales said. “I think that my Ph.D. has been more tied into my new role, but I think the managerial side of business can be tied into football coaching, as well.”

Seeing Gonzales today gives Collins a lot of validation. The wins weren’t always there, but it was always about more than the record. In fact, Gonzales might be the first player of his to pursue a doctorate.

Plus, he’s an observant leader. Collins said Gonzales can use his experience to help younger players on the field, in the classroom and in their personal lives.

“I’ve always said there’s no such thing as a dumb jock. Eddie is the epitome of that,” Collins said. “You can’t be dumb to play sports, because there’s too many things you have to know. Eddie can definitely attest to, ‘Hey man, you can do both. You can be a top-notch athlete, as well as being a top-notch student.’

“It just gives me the pleasure, the blessing of knowing that was working to instill the right things in these young men. We get our mind focused so much on the football part. In my model, something I learned a long time ago: Don’t let football use you. Use football. Eddie did that to the fullest.”

Living with Hasselbach showed Gonzales what his life could be like — with the house and the pool — but a recent opportunity showed him a new path for his career.

Gonzales participated in the 2022 Big Sky U class, the first time programming occurred in person. The program seeks to help student-athletes, assistant coaches and administrators move up the ranks in their preferred areas. It’s designed to mentor women and ethnic minorities who have historically been overlooked and underdeveloped for leadership positions.

UNC women’s basketball coach Kristen Mattio likes to hire women for assistant and staff positions, if possible. She saw disparities in the sport when she played, and still sees them, so she pushes for equity.

“Men got a lot of opportunities for a lot of years, so, of course, they’re — in some spots — more qualified, because they just were given those opportunities,” Mattio said about her then-all female staff in January. “A lot of people say, ‘Well just hire the best, most qualified person.’ That’s not always the case, because sometimes the most qualified person was given more opportunities.

“I get that side of it to hire quality people, but at the same time, you have to give opportunities.”

That’s what Big Sky U aims to do. Multiple Bears have participated in the virtual Big Sky U classes, including alumni Uryan Hudson (football) and Marisa Hisaki (women’s golf), and former volleyball assistant Jon Haruguchi. Haruguchi earned the Eastern Washington head coaching job last summer.

Like he didn’t think about going to college, Gonzales didn’t think he could be a head coach. At least he didn’t until Big Sky U.

The football cohort — which included people from various backgrounds — conducted mock interviews and held conversations about improving equity within the conference. That showed Gonzales he’s capable of more than he originally thought.

“They opened my eyes to, ‘Oh, I can be a head coach. I can work my way up this coaching ladder and eventually have my own team,’” he said. “Before that, I thought, ‘I’m gonna be a D-Line coach.’”

The director of operations is key to a program’s success, but it’s not necessarily a glamorous job. Gonzales will be the first to admit that booking flights and hotels aren’t exactly his favorite thing, not when he could be drawing up plays and hyping up players on the sideline. He started his post-playing career as a defensive assistant under Ed McCaffrey last season.

Gonzales still appreciates the new role he’s in, though, and is learning lessons that should help in his professional endeavors.

“I think that what I’m doing now with the backside of things — understanding how operations work and how to navigate the everyday processes of a staff — I’m understanding what the little nuances of (being a head coach) are,” Gonzales said.

First-year head coach Ed Lamb didn’t expect to have Gonzales on staff, either. Lamb had a list of former players and assistants he wanted to have on staff, and because the two didn’t have a relationship when Lamb was first hired, Gonzales wasn’t “penciled in” anywhere.

Linebackers coach James Pazak was originally selected for the position, but Lamb promoted him after Zach Cable left for a job with the Chicago Bears. That left a spot open. Gonzales was a natural fit.

Lamb said it only took five or 10 minutes to see Gonzales’ love for UNC, his desire to provide a positive student-athlete experience and the institutional knowledge. Playing and working under two head coaches allowed Gonzales to see how things were done and how they should be done.

“It just became a matter of finding the right role for him, and that quickly became available,” Lamb said. “Eddie had been around and doing some volunteer-type work, and I thought he was the perfect candidate to slide into the director of football operations at that point.

“He understands the people. He understands the culture of the campus, the area and the region. Much like the other guys on the staff, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to retain him.”

Gonzales’ favorite place might be on the field, but he thinks this opportunity will prepare him for a head job in the future. He said it’s fast-tracking him back to a coaching role.

Beyond learning the logistical side of running a Division I football program, he sees the way Lamb operates every day. Gonzales watches the way his new boss interacts with players, assistants, community members and his own family.

“Coach Lamb is an amazing person. He’s teaching me every day,” Gonzales said. “He’s understanding. He’s a family-first guy. He’s patient. Dude is my idol. I’m taking notes from him every day, and I’m staying in his hip pocket as much as I can.”

Lamb, however, doesn’t view it that way. Everything he does is rooted in a desire to enhance the student-athlete experience, and he tries to model that for those around him. Lamb also views Gonzales like his other employees: someone who makes him look good and helps make the program prosperous.

“That’s a tremendous advantage for me as a head coach: to be able to take a lot of the business side of this whole organization and have somebody that’s competent and passionate like Eddie that I know will follow through and complete the task,” Lamb said. “I know that it will be done correctly. I know that if he has any issues that he’ll come to me or find a better resource somewhere to help him out.”

Gonzales looks back on his younger self with kind eyes, proud of where little Eddie ended up.

Obviously, it’s not possible to speak to his younger self. For the kids who are watching Gonzales now, the message is clear:

“There’s gonna be stuff that’s gonna want to knock you off your pedestal, and get you tired of it and ready to go,” he said. “But if you can still keep your feet right under you and just keep moving forward, I think you’ll be able to achieve anything.”

He did that. He kept his feet planted in Greeley, because he wanted to finish what he started — winning a Big Sky title.

Gonzales could’ve given up on his football career and education. He could’ve left UNC. In 2019, Gonzales was the last player from his class remaining. In 2020, COVID impacted the Big Sky, and coaches were active in the transfer portal. Even in his freshman year, he faced issues with his back.

Collins said if people want to see what it means to be loyal to a program, not just the coaches — especially in the age of the transfer portal — they need to look at Gonzales.

“The impact that he’s had on that program is: he is a die-hard UNC bear,” Collins said. “He just showed a tremendous amount of resiliency. … He’s a true bear.”

Northern Colorado hasn’t gotten to a conference title or FCS Playoff berth yet. They’ve only had two winning seasons on the Division I level, but Gonzales has remained committed to Northern Colorado football. He’s stayed positive through the hard years and through his four different surgeries.

“I am the worst person every year to ask how the Bears are gonna do, because since 2015, I’ve told you that we’re gonna win the Big Sky championship,” Gonzales said.

He thinks UNC is in the best position it’s ever been, between the coaches’ character and the winning pedigree.

Gonzales can’t say anything bad about Lamb or his coworkers, and none of his statements are empty sports-speak platitudes. They feel genuine and true.

“This staff that’s here now has their wits about them. They care about this community and UNC and the team. The roster that they have put together and that they inherited, they actually love and they’re dedicated to them every day,” Gonzales said. “Coach Lamb is a servant leader, working out with the players every day and earning their respect. That’s irreplaceable. That’s immeasurable. If I could see my head coach working with me every day, I promise you, I’ll run through a brick wall for him.

“He’s doing so many things that are helping these student-athletes every single day. He cares about them individually. He takes into consideration their outside lives. He understands how to get the best out of them.”

With him in this new role, his area of study and the current staff, maybe he will finally finish what he started eight years ago. It seems like a perfect match (even if he’s busy ordering protein powder for the time being).

“I’ve always believed so much in UNC because they’ve always believed in me,” Gonzales said. “I always say I love football and I love our team, but I love the Bear.”

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