Kevin Wolthausen, associate head football coach for the Eastern Michigan University Eagles, doesn't really know what free time would look like.

"People ask me sometimes what I do in the off-season," Wolthausen, a 1981 physical education graduate, says. "Well, in the off-season I'm preparing for the next season. I don't have a lot of hobbies. I don't go skydiving and fishing and surfing and stuff like that. So, it's demanding in some ways, but the good thing is that coaching is not a nine to five job where you sit at a desk all day. You're either traveling or on the practice field or in the weight room—it keeps you on your toes."

With a new coaching position at EMU, it's no wonder Wolthausen is busy. After spending the 2007 season as a defensive line coach with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League, he has returned to EMU where he assisted during the team's 2002 campaign.

Wolthausen's football career started right here at Humboldt State. As a senior he was named the team's top linebacker and received all-league honors. And, from 1980 to 1982, he served as an assistant defensive coach for the Jacks.

"To me, Humboldt was perfect. I didn't realize it at the time, but it ended up being the best decision I ever made. It got me going career wise and I met some people who got me started in the profession."

As his college playing days began winding down, Wolthausen noticed the rapport he had with coaches and his interest in the profession. After a short stint with California State University at Northridge and his time coaching defense with HSU, Wolthausen went on to coach with major college programs like the University of Arizona, the University of Southern California and the University of Oklahoma. His leap to the NFL ranks with the Falcons was an interesting change, but also reinforced the fact that coaching is the same at every level.

"The one thing I've found is that you might have more tools in the NFL and you are drafting the players you want, but when you get down to coaching it's not a whole lot different," he says. "It's all in how you teach and how you prepare those players to be successful on and off the field."