Interview with coach David Likins

What is it like to live in Wrocław?

It is wonderful to live in Wroclaw! My flat is lovely, but technologically very modern. The city is beautiful and the people are very friendly. I have only been here a week but I love it.  

Have you already visited the city? Do you remember something?

I visited the city only when I came in for my interview. I was surprised at the size of Wroclaw and really liked the mix of modern and old architecture and the green spaces (parks) I could see while being driven through the city. I walked from my hotel to the fantastic Old Town. 

How will you spend your free time here? Do you have any hobbies?

So far, I have spent my free evenings around the flat or doing a little shopping. As for hobbies, I plan to spend time getting myself fit again. I love movies and do a bit of computer gaming, Netflix and Red Dead Online got me through the worst of Covid 19.

How did it happen that you found your way to the Panthers and what made you an offer? Did you want to change the environment? For the last nine years you have worked at Braunschweig New Yorker Lions …

Things were not as good as they once were with the Lions; we had won at least one championship every year there but Covid had a bad effect on the 2021 season. I talked some with Darius Robinson during the season. After the season he put Coach Samel and I in touch and we did a Zoom meeting while I was on a train coming back from another interview. I came to Wroclaw for a visit and liked everything I saw. Coach Samel and I watched football videos together and talked for a few hours the second day I was here and I knew he was someone who I wanted to work for and that pretty much sealed the deal for me.

Has the popularity of the GFL dropped after the creation of the ELF?

I think GFL teams fans are mostly loyal. Berlin will be an interesting case to watch with an ELF team and 3 GFL teams in the area.

Do you know a more successful coach in Europe? 

That's a funny question and I try not to be too self-serving. I have been lucky to coach some great teams with some great coaches. Working with head coaches like Troy Tomlin, Geoff Buffum and Kent Anderson has given me the chance to hand a few medals on the wall. (Figuratively - all those medals and rings are in a box someplace.)

The organization – Panthers – looks like you've imagined it?

The organization has far exceeded my expectations. Everything was in place when I arrived and I felt like they cared about me as a person.  

Have you met Poles on your coaching path?

I have met a few Poles and Polish Americans along the way  My first year as a coach, former University of Kentucky player and Dallas Cowboy Scout, Walt Yaworsky (he is the scout who talked the Cowboys into drafting Emmitt Smith) visited the small college where I was coaching and invited me to lunch. He gave me some great career advice and we would have conversations it seemed like every year for the next decade or so. Among the Poles I have coached in Europe were Christoff Malewski, a CB in Hamburg. His daughter is on the German Olympic team as a gymnast.  In Braunschweig, we had some good Polish defensive linemen, Jakub Malecki,  Adrian Brudny, Adam Roszkowski, and Eryk Paszkiewicz. All of these guys were very strong and explosive. Malecki was very important to our early success and I thought he developed himself to where for a couple of years he was the best noseman in Europe.

What do you attach importance to as a coach?

It is important to me to be loyal to the team that I coach and to do the things that help the players to become better teammates and better players. I want to give the players and the organization the best chances to win. 

What do you think of the defensive Panthers players? The team includes Karlis Brauns and Darius Robinson.

I am very impressed with our defensive personnel. We have a combination of size, speed and experience that should help us be a top tier defensive unit. 

Is the defensive line complete or are new players needed?

The defensive line looks really good and really fast. I would like to get Adrian (Brudny) to play this year. He has developed into a really good interior lineman.  

You have been working in Europe for many years, you have won many trophies. Have you ever thought about returning to work in the USA?

Usually, I go home to Kentucky for about a month for the Christmas Holidays. After about 3 weeks, I am ready to come back to Europe. I enjoy life here and coaching here. It is the most fun I have ever had coaching.  

How do you view the new chapter in your career?

This is a new adventure for me. A new team, new country, new language. I want our team to have great success, as this looks like a place where I would like to stay.