Hard to believe folks would be tired of talking Morris football
As you might imagine, this past week was pretty busy. All was right with the world until about 7 p.m. on Monday night when Adam Nekola's cell phone rang.
"Ah, huh? ... He what? ... effective when?" he asked in rapid-fire fashion.
Since our desks are so close together, he simply turned to me, tilted the cell phone from his ear and said, "It's Christina, Dergo just retired as football coach."
All at once, my world was tilted upside down.
The last time I remember something being so earth shattering was when it was revealed that it was found out that Dan Darlington was suing the Plainfield School District for $1 million. Before that it was when Darlington was offered the football coaching job at MCHS but not the athletic director's position, and so he rejected the offer to return.
I'm not trying to dredge up the past, but just trying to give perspective on those jaw-dropping moments. Have you figured out the commonality of the stories?
There is hardly anything more in the world of sports around these parts that is considered more important than Morris football. Notice I said in the world of sports, which is why you are reading this piece on the sports section and not in the news section. If you talk to the administrators at MCHS, they are always preaching academics and the importance thereof.
To me, that's what makes this story so intriguing at this time. With two physical education, two math and an English position open for next year, the administration has the opportunity to bring in a good football coach who is also a good educator. That's not saying anything about the prospects of hiring within at all. It's just an observation that it is the perfect time to find someone who can fit the bill perfectly.
Last week I took a stab at putting some names together of people who would be a good fit for the job at MCHS. With a ton of thanks to Wilmington Assistant Principal Jeff Reents and Coal City Principal Ken Miller for being good sports, I was able to get two profiles of people outside the building while adding in Dave Auwerda and Alan Thorson as in-house candidates.
Reents and Miller both basically said the timing was not right for them, amongst other considerations while Auwerda and Thorson at the very least are interested in the way the job search goes.
Since we've already mentioned those four, let me give you a few examples of the kind of candidates that the MCHS administration should be hoping for in regards to outside candidates.
Two established coaches who come to mind are Mike Castleman down at Class 1A Lexington and Cory Bielema up north in Morrison. Both had their respective teams in the state title contest this year and seem to have the programs on the rise. In three years at Lexington, Castleman has compiled a 23-10 record and in two years at Morrison, Bielema has a 22-3 record, including a title last year.
A couple of other intriguing names out there are Josh Jostes at Class 2A Maroa Forsyth and Mike Lalor at Class 3A Stillman Valley, but they are experienced veterans and may not be wanting to move. Lalor has been coaching for 12 years at Stillman Valley and he's compiled a 117-27 record, which includes four state titles. Jostes is a 10-year veteran who has built up a 76-36 record, which includes a title and a runner-up team. His records in the last five years are: 10-1, 14-0, 11-1, 10-2 and 11-3.
Now, I am not speaking with any inside knowledge here, nor do I know what positions these coaches hold at their respective schools. All I know is what their records show and that is important for any incoming coach to the people in town. It's also important for anyone who wants to come to town and keep the program going as one of the elite public schools in the state, too.
Time will tell. With the timeline MCHS admistration and the District 101 Board has in place, that should be sometime in March or early April at the latest.
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