Pride Head Coach Mike Barainyak Takes Part in Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Coaching Academy
Widener football Head Coach Mike Barainyak likes to lead by example, always looking for ways to inspire his team and represent Widener with pride.
Recently, Barainyak traveled to Florida to participate in the week-long 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Coaching Academy.
After an extensive application and interview process, Barainyak was selected to be part of the 25-coach cohort out of over 3,000 applicants from across the globe. The group represented a mix of professional, international and Divisions I, II and III coaches all there in the pursuit of learning from some of the biggest names in coaching and NFL leadership.
“At that level it’s big business, and this was really behind the scenes. We got to see the true inner workings,” said Barainyak. “We were part of minicamp so we were there for practices, installations, coaches’ meetings, watching film.”
Each coach also had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles and meet the team’s owners, the Glazer family.
“Everyone was incredibly welcoming. Top to bottom we got time with everybody in the organization, and that hasn’t stopped since I returned to Pennsylvania. I’ve been in contact multiple times with people from the organization who are just trying to make everybody who plays the game of football a little better.”
Enhancing the game is at the core of coaching, says Barainyak. What he saw in some of the Buccaneer’s players are the same qualities he sees in his own team here at Widener.
“Some of these guys are 20 years old – I have a ton of 20-year-old guys on my team. Aside from a couple pounds or some height, when their helmets come off they look just like the players here at Widener,” Barainyak said.
While Barainyak isn’t helping his players navigate multi-million-dollar contract negotiations or brand deals, he is helping them prepare to succeed both on and off the field in practical ways such as time management, mental and physical health and wellbeing, interview preparation and more.
“To see that work done at the highest level and then seeing what we’re doing here at our D3 level was validating. I know we are running a really good, strong program here that is taking care of the people inside of our building. We’re not just preparing them for Saturdays in the field, but for life in the classroom, in the community, and for life in the future when Coach B isn’t there.”
Aside from expanding his network, Baraniyak took away some lessons that he hopes to implement here at Widener in the coming seasons, including enhancing communications with players during practice and team meetings.
Overall, Barainyak still believes that winning isn’t everything and a successful team is made of players and staff who represent the team well and play for the love of the game.
“We’re D3, but this is big football to a lot of people out there. Wherever our feet are we just want to bloom and know that we’re making an impact not only on the students that come through our football program, but hopefully we’re making a great impact on our community and that our impact can stretch a lot further than Delco.”
Barainyak shares that while this was a great opportunity for him personally and professionally, the real achievement was being able to enhance Widener’s visibility and showcase the university’s excellence.
“It was really cool to represent our university. This is a brand that I take a lot of pride in, and it’s a brand that I want everybody in our university – our alumni, our community, our fans – to be proud of from a university standpoint, an athletic standpoint and a football standpoint. It was an honor for me to get to go out there and wear the label of Widener University and Widener football.”
