Sometime this week, perhaps its already done, there will be interviews for the vacant Columbia High School football coaching position. Next week, Columbia High School is expected to have a new leader for its football program, which went 0-10 this year and 3-18 over the previous two seasons.
Perhaps as many as six people have been interviewed, unfortunately, I won’t be able to tell you before everyone else in the local media who the Tide’s next boss will be.
This is the last time, perhaps only for a while, or maybe forever, I will write a column for a newspaper. I’m trying to re-discover blog writing, which I did about a year ago (barry-ford.blogspot.com) to let the people know what is happening in our town.
This was one of the stories I was actually looking forward to writing. See by the time, Columbia had a new coach, there would only be the Tide boys in the district playoffs and the wrestlers would be getting ready for sectionals.
But, there won’t be that “home town” feeling in stories about our new coach.
I’ve asked and many of who that have attended basketball games or wrestling matches in recent weeks have probably seen me talking with CHS AD Jim Rhoads.
He did tell me he got 15 applicants for the position, which I found amazing and shared with me who some of the names were. I’m not going to share them, other than one, the person I think and some other I’ve talked with can do the job and that would be current Tide assistant Mike Burke III.
Outside of being away from the game for a couple of years and returning this year as defensive coordinator, Burke has given most of his post-high school life to the program, from junior high coach to coaching at the varsity level.
Of the names I’ve been told, there’s no one there that jumps out at me and says hire him.
I know MB3 had a meeting last month shortly after the rumors were confirmed of Jason Shoff’s departure with prospective players in grades 7-11 and close to 90 kids showed up. There have been a couple of Sunday workouts with around 40 kids showing up.
That’s a positive. I’ve talked with some of the prospective players and those I’ve talked with at basketball or wrestling, all favor MB3.
Since my days as a student at Columbia High School, then as a reporter, Columbia hasn‘t had much success with outsiders coming in and trying to coach our teams.
Basketball tried it three in the last 30 plus years. I remember when I was a student, George Hanna coached the Tide for one year and left and then there was Gary Sutton. He’s the only one who enjoyed success. Then there was John Larkin and many couldn’t wait for him to ride out of town.
There are a few in other sports, but two current ones that come to mind are Bob Pederson, who will be in his second year with the Tide in baseball and appears to have the Tide headed in the right direction and new softball coach Brad Brubaker, who many are looking for good things out of.
But Columbia has never enjoyed the success in those sports that they have in football and basketball.
And for that reason I was surprised there were 15 applicants for the position, knowing the school usually stays within the Columbia family.
Okay, sure, you can say bringing someone in from the outside might revive the program. They might, but it will take them a few months to learn the kids, set up the off-season and learn the L-L League. And there probably won’t be 90 kids at a meeting either. There’s also the need to get a staff in place along with the schemes the Tide will use. Right now, I here there’s a pretty good staff in place and the schemes are already there, they just need tweaking.
I hope the powers to be up on the hill realize this is one position to keep “in house” and keep it “within the family.”
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