North Carolina State University Athletics
Family Matters
10/5/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 5, 2004
By Pat Norris - A three-year starter at nose guard for position coach Chuck Amato at Florida State from 1983-85, Todd Stroud knows how to survive in the trenches. He developed a strong interest in fitness, strength and cardiovascular well-being during his junior high and high school years, and runs and works out five to seven times a week.
Stroud has spent 19 years in the collegiate ranks as a head coach, assistant coach and award-winning strength coach, and is now in his first season as defensive line coach after three years as the head strength coach for the Wolfpack. Stroud's work with the defensive line has helped NC State's defense dominate its first three games, and it currently leads the NCAA in total defense.
While coaching is in his blood, Stroud's family is what keeps his heart pumping.
"My family is the most important part of my life, and is something I take a ton of pride in," Stroud said. "My daughters mean everything to me, and my wife Marianne and I work on our parenting. As a coach, you have to manage your time. I manage mine to allow for the most possible time with my daughters that I can."
His parents and upbringing fostered his belief in family, while also emphasizing a well-rounded life, mentally and physically. Stroud estimates that he lettered in multiple sports 18 times, including football, baseball, track and field, basketball, wrestling, tennis, golf and cross country.
"I wanted to be a baseball player over anything else, but I was a horrible player," Stroud recalled. "I could hit but I had no arm. In the best interest of the game of baseball, I gave it up.
"I had a brother and two sisters, and we were active in sports our whole life. Our dad was a big baseball fan and we started off playing baseball. When I was seven I got involved in little league football and never stopped."
While coaching has increased the distance away from his parents, the bond has only grown stronger. Though Stroud doesn't get to visit his family in St. Petersburg, Fla., where Stroud grew up, as often as he would like, he makes sure to talk to them each week.
"It's tough not being able to see them as much as I would like, but they still have their health," Stroud said. "Dad's in his 80s while Mom is fast approaching 80. They are a wonderful support group and still have their health. Luckily we've played some bowl games down in Florida since I've been at NC State, so we've had them over for those games. My brother tries to come up to our games every so often with his son as well."
With his family in the state of Florida, Stroud faced perhaps his toughest decision in 2000, the year Amato was hired as NC State's head football coach. Stroud had two options in front of him: return to his alma mater and be near his family at the school that launched his career, or head north with Amato to Raleigh, to coach for the man he calls the biggest coaching influence in his life.
"When the choice came, I reflected back to what was important to me when I was playing for Florida State," Stroud said. "Chuck was the guy that made Florida State special to me, maybe moreso than anyone or anything else. The decision to move or not move, when I talked it over with my family, became an issue of pride and loyalty to Chuck more than anything else. He shaped my coaching and playing career and made Florida State a special place for me, just like NC State is a special place to me now.
"Chuck has been great to play and coach for; he yells at me both ways so it doesn't matter. I've enjoyed both with him. Being at NC State has been my best stop in my coaching career, and I've had many stops along the way."
For the last 16 years he has made those stops with Marianne, and is the father of three daughters, Jessica (14), Alexandra (13) and Chelsea (12). Upon walking into Stroud's office, it doesn't take long to get a feel for his love for his wife and kids. In every corner he has pictures of his wife and daughters, and when asked about his family, it doesn't take long for a broad grin to surface when talking about his daughters.
"My daughters and wife are definitely my core and they mean the world to me," Stroud said. "We are an active house, and Marianne and I probably have a little too much fun with them at times. I'm not a real strict disciplinarian, but we certainly discipline and correct them when we need to. I just like to be there for them and encourage them, while nudging them in the right direction.
"They are supportive of what I do and we have a lot of fun as a family. It's the Osbourne house without drugs and profanity.
"I take my kids to school every morning. I think that's important and is something I'll never give up," Stroud continued. "It gives me a good hour and a half to spend time with them from the time we wake up until I get them to school. It's a way for me to talk to my kids, spend time with them and really sit down to see what's going on in their lives."
While perhaps a cliché in sports, Stroud's belief in family values is carried into his coaching style as well, but only to an extent. He believes that coaching comes down to your ability to teach and connect with your players, something that is a part of parenting as well.
"I think the players understand that your role as a coach is different than your role off the field," Stroud said. "Certainly the role off the field with your players can be a different type of relationship, where you can get close to your players. Since I've been coaching, kids have certainly changed. Your hands-on, off-the-field stuff is probably more important than the on-the-field stuff, as far as spending time and getting to talk to them to see what they are thinking.
"On the field it's business, and off the field it's family."
