Greg Hipp, NIU cross Country coach, finished his first season with the Huskies this past year.

The Northern Star talked to Hipp about his hobbies, favorite music and his favorite places to get food.

Northern Star: Do you have any pre-game rituals to get your team pumped up for a big match?

Greg Hipp: I don’t have many superstitions. I do more scouting of the competition for the girls. I just try to calm the girls down, so it’s less stress as possible.

NS: What personal hobbies do you like to do in your free time during the off-season?

GH: Pretty much anything outdoors. I like kayaking in the summer. I’m also a bit of a restaurant fanatic. In my 1st 30 days in DeKalb, I went to about 30 restaurants.

NS: So what are your favorite restaurants in DeKalb?

GH: Taxco and The Huddle. The High Five burger at The Huddle is my favorite burger.

NS: What are your favorite music to listen to and movies to watch?

GH: My all-time favorite movies would have to be Back to the Future and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I love the classic, feel good movies of today like The Blindside. For music, my favorite artists are Dave Matthews, James Taylor and Third Eye Blind. Pretty much any indie and country music.

NS: What are your favorite sports to watch besides cross country? What teams do you root for?

GH: College basketball and football. Ever since the Charlotte Hornets left the NBA, I never really kept up with pro sports. My favorite teams are Appalachian State, where I graduated from, and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

NS: If you weren’t coaching, what would you be doing now?

GH: Honestly, I would be a Journalist. Journalism was my minor in college. I could see myself as a writer for a running magazine or a sports information person at a university. So I would probably be coming for your job at the Northern Star (laughs).