"When I came in, I felt like we had a good squad," Rubel said. "But when I realized it was a reality, it was nice. We have some really good football players."

Arriving in Hillsboro from Abilene Christian University, where he served as an assistant coach, Rubel took over a Bluejay program that had achieved back-to-back conference titles and three consecutive national playoff appearances.

Rubel said he's excited to get his new team on the practice field for spring ball.

"Things are going really well," he said. "We've gotten a lot done and I'm getting to know the guys and they're getting to know me."

Thus far, Rubel said, he hasn't encountered any surprises.

"Things are really a lot like I thought they'd be," he said. "I knew we were going to be behind in recruiting in a couple of areas, and we're trying to catch up. But other than that, things are going really well."

As with any coaching change, retention of athletes is vital. Rubel said defections haven't been a problem.

"To the best of my knowledge, I've only had two players tell me they're not coming back-but our old saying is, 'You coach the guys who are here,'" he said. "I hope everyone returns because I feel there's a lot we can accomplish."

Rubel is projecting between 100 and 105 players this fall.

So far, Rubel said, the doors are open for Tabor recruiters, especially in Texas.

"We've had eight to 10 guys come up and visit from Texas, and I've got more on the way," Rubel said. "We're addressing specific needs."

Depth is one of those needs.

"At a private school, your depth can hurt you real fast," Rubel said. "The good thing about this situation is the entire conference is made up of private schools but, knock on wood, if we get back into the playoffs and we're not playing a private school, depth is going to be a key factor for us."

Ensuring that potential athletes will be a good match with Tabor College is also important, Rubel said.

"When we recruit, we recruit an overall package," he said. "Obviously, we want good football players. But at the same time we want good, strong student-athletes that are going to fit into the lifestyle here and are going to apply themselves in the classroom.

"We try to preach that to the kids every day-go to class, do your homework and football will come second."

Team unity is strong, according to Rubel.

"These guys have a strong belief in one another and I think that's a large part of the success over the past few years," he said. "These guys really believe in one another and work hard for one another.

"Their attitude is just tremendous. They're positive, they're hard workers and they care about one another."

Having said that, Rubel knows it's his job to earn his players' trust.

"I understand I'm the head coach and I just have to be genuine with the guys," he said. "I have to let them know how I feel and let them know I care about them. That's the main thing.

"I told them when I interviewed that I'm going to treat them the same way I treat my own son and sometimes I have to give him tough love," he added. "If I have to do that, I'm doing it because I feel like it's the best thing for each individual and to help prepare them for the rest of life. But this team helps keep each other in line, they really do."

When Rubel arrived in early March, one area of concern was his coaching staff. He thinks he's close to solving that problem.

"It looks like Coach (John) Kliewer will be the defensive coordinator and I'll be running the offense, but I've got a couple of coaches I'm hoping to get on staff by sometime in July," he said. "We also have former players helping us in spring ball. That's huge because we're a little short-handed right now.

"The thing about football is the more sets of eyes you have, the better."

Tabor has had one of the NAIA's most prolific offensive attacks the past two seasons, and Rubel said not a lot will change as far as schematics.

"I kind of compromised on the offensive side of the ball," he said. "We ran a similar offense (at ACU) to what Tabor did, so basically I've tried to keep as much of the lingo the same as possible to make it easier on the players.

"The guys have caught on quickly," he said. "All the quarterbacks, running backs and receivers are doing a great job, and we kept all the offensive line stuff the same so they're looking really good as well."

Although Rubel has been living in Hillsboro, his wife, Shelia, and children Ashley, 8, and Austin, 5, are still in Texas and will join him in late May.

Rubel said he's had no trouble adapting to central Kansas.

"It's beautiful here," he said. "The wind blows a lot, but it blows in west Texas, too, so I'm used to that. (Hillsboro) is a great town with great people."

Although the Bluejay's first game is still four months away, Rubel said he knows the challenge facing him and his squad.

"I feel very confident with the players we have here on campus that we can get the job done," Rubel said. "The guys have just been tremendous."