When a defense posts a shutout in November, most see it as the result of Saturday execution. For Tim Kologrivov, Defensive Coordinator at Susquehanna University, it’s proof of something deeper—a standard that never sleeps.
“It’s easy to think it happens on a Saturday afternoon,” Kologrivov said. “But most of the time, it’s built through countless hours before that moment.”
At small schools, coaches balance recruiting, development, and culture. Because of that, Kologrivov and his staff created a Susquehanna football culture rooted in accountability and daily ownership.
Ownership Beyond the Whistle
With players managing academics and careers, accountability must reach beyond the fieldhouse. The Riverhawks football standard relies on players taking charge of their own development.
“We hold those kids to a pretty high standard,” Kologrivov said. “They have to do the work when we’re not watching.”
And they do. The Riverhawks’ August preparation grows from what they build in February. Players run hills behind the lacrosse field, jump rope, and juggle to improve coordination. They also organize one-on-one sessions long before spring ball begins.
From the outside, it may look voluntary. On the inside, though, it’s expected.
“Some of the changes we’ve seen in recent years are players getting themselves together to do more of that extra work,” Kologrivov explained. “You see those guys jumping rope in the racquetball courts when there’s snow on the ground and running the hill as soon as it dries up.”
The message stays consistent: accountability doesn’t need a whistle.
Continuity That Compounds
Sustaining a standard requires more than discipline—it demands people who know the DNA of the program. Kologrivov’s defensive staff includes several former players who once sat across from him during recruiting visits and now sit beside him in staff meetings.
“Coach Dixon sat in front of the desk with me when we recruited him and his mother to come here,” Kologrivov said. “Now he’s on staff setting that same standard.”
That kind of continuity keeps expectations steady year after year. Each generation of Susquehanna defense players learns directly from those who lived it before them. Moreover, strength coach Matt Heintzelman’s detailed program and a staff full of former Riverhawks reinforce the same habits.
Because of this consistency, the team continues to play “disciplined, aggressive, and in control” football every season.
The 12-Month Season
Susquehanna football culture thrives on a 12-month mindset, not just one good camp or stretch.
“They’ll feel great about their physical health on Christmas and the Fourth of July if we’re playing the way we want to be playing,” Kologrivov said. “To maintain that physicality through the end of the year, it takes the work done at the start of the calendar.”
That mindset creates long-term discipline. While most teams fight fatigue late in the season, the Riverhawks continue to climb. Players clearly understand the connection between February hill sprints and November shutouts.
As a result, Susquehanna finishes stronger because their foundation never weakens.
Building It from Within
Kologrivov credits Head Coach Tom Perkovich for building a foundation where the standard is lived daily—not just preached. The staff’s alignment, player leadership, and shared investment have turned Susquehanna football into a model of small-college consistency.
“Coach Perkovich’s done a great job building this program,” Kologrivov said. “To look back at what this building looked like when I got here and see the talent and culture now—it’s not even close.”
The formula remains simple yet powerful: recruit players who embrace the standard, develop year-round, and empower leadership from within.
For Susquehanna football, the unwavering commitment to accountability, ownership, and continuity defines success. This Susquehanna football culture—lived every day by coaches and players alike—drives every rep, every class, and every hill run. Ultimately, it ensures that excellence happens year-round, not just on Saturdays.
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More on Coach Tim Kologrivov
Podcast transcript
Tim Kologrivov (00:00)
the expectation is high for them on a daily basis that the snap to snap basis and how capable they are of treating each snap as its own individual play and ultimately understanding that it takes more than being the best athlete and being the most physical unit. We’ve got to think sometimes out there and
put ourselves in good positions
John Snell (00:21)
Next up, we had the Susquehanna or defensive coordinator, Tim Kolagreevov and his unit turned in a great performance this past weekend with a 34 to zero shutout over Western Connecticut. It was a complete defensive effort, disciplined, aggressive and in control from the opening snap. Coach, congratulations on the shutout and being named our defensive coordinator of the week. Before we get into specifics, tell us about your prep and
and ⁓ share any of your coaches that you want to give some props to.
Tim Kologrivov (00:57)
Yeah, thanks for having me on John. I’m proud to represent the staff here and you know it’s a group effort anytime you get a shutout like that it takes you know more than just the play caller to make it happen. I think it’s ⁓ it’s easy to think it happens on a Saturday afternoon but most of the time it’s a lot more hours than that built in.
John Snell (01:14)
Well, we appreciate you being on, Tim. And we’d mentioned to you and you know that we ask that you share an idea with our listeners. And you’d mentioned something about what you ask your players to do. ⁓ And obviously a lot of people are always looking at what do we want to ask our players to do? So we’re interested in hearing some of the things that you guys do are maybe different than what other people are doing when it comes to your players.
Tim Kologrivov (01:43)
Yeah, I think one of the one of the unique responsibilities of coaching small school college football is we wear all the hats around here so we we get to recruit the players that we eventually get to coach. ⁓ You know we get to recruit their families, their families get to see you know what we’re like inside the building. You know and from the very moment we walk into their high schools to recruit those kids. You know they should know and start to learn and understand the standard that has to be upheld.
when you’re in this building, but the kids at this level spend so much time outside of the building that, you know, what they do in the strength department when the coaches can’t be there in the, you know, in the winter months, our kids have the longest summer possible this past summer with, you know, just the way the semester calendar broke, you know, what we asked those kids to do over the course of the summertime while they’re also pursuing academic interests and career interests.
And to have faith in those guys that they’ll do the work when they’re not being watched by us is something that we hold those kids to a pretty high standard about. And as a result, when we get them in the building in August and through the months of September, October, and here we are into November competing for championship football, we’re capable of holding those guys to a high standard. know.
the expectation for what it is a good practice looks like and what it is a sloppy practice looks like and even further than that because the expectation is high for them on a daily basis that the snap to snap basis and how capable they are of treating each snap as its own individual play and ultimately understanding that it takes more than being the best athlete and being the most physical unit. We’ve got to think sometimes out there and
put ourselves in good positions and you know, fortunately for me, we’ve got a great staff here that helps us put those kids in those positions. You know, it’s a it’s a group that that knows also what the standard is in the building. You know my full time assistant here coach Dixon is a guy that sat in front of the desk with me when we recruited him and his mother to come here. You know in 2015 or whatever year it was and then you know coach Robinson is doing a good job with our inside linebackers was a two time team captain for us here and you know if.
We went outside the building and we made a hire from a guy who graduated at the University of Rochester and who’s done a great job in the back of the house assisting with our defensive line. So, to put the right guys around the players and to make sure that the coaches know the standard of the building, it kind of trickles down and ripples out and we’re able to play finally the brand of football that we knew we were capable of playing.
John Snell (04:26)
Anything, Tim, that again, that you’re asking your guys to do that maybe other programs aren’t necessarily asking their players to do, whether it’s in season, out of season, in the weight room, ⁓ over the summer, anything specific that ⁓ you could share that you’re doing?
Tim Kologrivov (04:48)
Yeah, we do a lot of that around here because a lot of the hours are voluntary. Like I already said, ⁓ we’ve got this enormous hill behind our our lacrosse facility or field hockey facility up behind Sassafras Street where our tailgate happens and those kids in the winter time, you know, last February and March after the exit we have in late December, we’re up there running the hill. You know the expectation for the for the players around here is that they know how to jump rope and juggle.
And if they can do those things, they’ll have good eye and an eye foot coordination and helps them become better athletes. What we asked those guys to do in the weight room with coach Matt is entirely his building and he does a great job. We get bigger, faster and stronger each semester that they’re working here. But I think really understanding that there are only so many hours that the football coaches can get with our players. But
still here at a small private liberal arts institution between the hours of 4 and 7 p.m. you know there’s no class here so usually when we’re in season we’re practicing during those hours but you know in February and March and you know even up until before spring ball those aren’t hours that our students are are busy during and some of the changes we’ve seen in recent years as we’ve taken these next steps are
players getting themselves together to do more of that extra work. And that’s separate from what they’re doing in the strength department and the running that they’re doing on their own. That’s under the leadership of Erlich and JT, Josh Erlich and Brian and Jesse and the rest of those senior leadership to see those guys go up there doing one on ones in March and jumping rope in the racquetball courts when there’s snow on the ground and running the hill as soon as the snow dries up. It’s been
John Snell (06:23)
Thank you.
Tim Kologrivov (06:36)
It’s been pretty impressive the dedication they’ve had to the year long program. They also understand now that over the course of the 12 months that they’ll feel great about their physical health on Christmas and the 4th of July if we’re playing the way we want to be playing. In order to maintain that type of physicality we need through the end of the calendar year, it takes the work done in the beginning of the calendar.
John Snell (07:01)
Well, Tim, we appreciate ⁓ very much your willingness to share. You guys obviously have done a fantastic job there as a program, and Tom has done quite a bit with building that program. We wish you the best ⁓ as you progress. I think if I’m not mistaken, based on my looking at the conference standings, you guys are leading the conference right now. ⁓ So.
two more games and you can have an automatic bid locked up.
Tim Kologrivov (07:34)
Yeah, you said it. ⁓ You you nailed it. Coach Parks done a great job building this program and you know, I’ve been fortunate to be along with him now for quite a number of those years and you know, it’s pretty impressive to watch that man work and having been here in 2015 and to know what this building looked like and know the talent we have around the program now compared to back then is is not even close. And you know, in regard to locking up the AQ, I believe if you know my math is right, we can get it done this weekend here at home.
in sealings grove and that’s something that means a lot on senior day you know this senior class has a chance i think on saturday to win four consecutive conference titles you know to win a third one here in the landmark you know to go you know third third year in a row here in the landmark and the centennial in 22 is is pretty remarkable stuff this is a roster in a senior class that will likely end up in the hall of fame here
Which as we continue to get better and better in the football program, continues to achieve new heights. To look back on those Hall of Fame teams is gonna be pretty impressive. So we’ve got a big task ahead of us. Wilkes is a good football program, they’re five and three. They’re gonna come in here and they’re gonna give us a good game. And we’re kinda hoping that the trophies are in the building though, to be honest with you. We wanna kinda take the pictures here at home and show the rest of the country that you don’t wanna see the Riverhawks in the bracket.
John Snell (08:57)
Again, congrats, good luck this week, and we look forward to seeing how the rest of the season pans out for you.
Tim Kologrivov (09:05)
Thank you. Like I said to you in the warm up, I appreciate all the work you guys do to grow the sport here at the small school level and ⁓ yeah, thanks for having me on.
John Snell (09:15)
Got it.