1-Can you briefly tell our readers where you got your start in coaching along with a little about that first job?ย My first coaching job was as an assistant baseball coach at my alma mater South Side High School.I worked primarily with the pitchers and catchers. I did this during my junior and senior year of college. I
attended Slippery Rock University and would make the 55-minute drive every day in the spring.
2- What from that first job do you carry with you as far as coaching goes?
I took two things from that first job that it requires a lot of time and effort to be successful. It is a message I talk about with my teams until this day what are you willing to put in (Football or Softball) thatโs what you will get out of it. The other thing is you have to care about your players as people and not just for what they do for you on the field. If
your players know you have their best interest at heart and want to see them succeed they will do almost anything for you on the field.
3-Which do you enjoying coaching the most. Football or softball? I enjoy coaching both equally. when I’mย in a season that sport takes my most attention. As a head coach, your season never ends you are always doing something to prepare for the next season.
4- What is the hardest part about coaching both of those sports? The hardest thing about coaching the two is the time commitment for each. Both sports require a lot of time and effort if you want to be good. But why I have been able to do both for so long is because I have great assistants in both Football and Softball. I was told this when I first started was get yourself great assistants and this will allow you to do it.
5- Moon has had two straight winning seasons. What will the 2021 team have to do most to keep the streak going?
The 2021 team will have to continue working with the same want and desires they have had the last two years to change the culture of our program. Our current seniors have been a huge part of our
success and I expect them to continue to lead us in the direction of having another winning season.
6- Is there a coach that you love going up against? If yes can you tell us that coach and why you love going up against him?
The coach I enjoyed coaching against is Coach Bob Palko, I coached under Bob for two years and had a great time coaching under him and learned a tremendous amount from him. I enjoyed coaching against him, because I used the program at West A as a measuring stick of where you
want to be as a program and the ability to coach against him gave me a chance to see where we are at
as a program.
7- Who is the best player you have ever coached as well as the best player you have coached against?
The best player I coached was a kid named Kahlil Caracter at Freedom. Kahlil had a different skill set for aRB.The best player I have ever coached against was Rushell Shell from Hopewell High School. Most dominant RB I have ever seen at the high school level
8- As a fan of the game as well as a person who covers high school football, it seems that most fans believe a coach won’t play a freshman over a senior at the QB slot even if the freshman is better. How hard is it to set a starter at any position for a younger player?
Starting younger players is always tough
for coaches, but in our defense we see these kids every day and we know their skill set and what they can and can’t handle.
9- Every team seems to have that one fan in the stands that knows more than the coaches and that fan is always very loud. As a coach how hard or easy to block that person out? Being on the sidelines I am often able to hear them, so I am guessing you guys can too. Honestly, I donโt hear much once the game starts. I always take a look at the crowd right at the beginning of the game see the support we are getting and then I look for my family and then I put my headset on and donโt look back up.
10- What are your thoughts on playing out-of-state opponents? Iโm always open to playing anyone if I feel it is beneficial for our kids. It doesnโt matter if they are in-state or out of state.
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