Nail on the proverbial head. Talent. Programs need talent to win. Even a GREAT head coach is going to struggle at Bella Vista until the talent shows up, whether it is on its own, by virtue of new housing, an influx of military, recruiting, camp coaches who steer players, you name it. Once the winning becomes consistent, the talent attraction train becomes a little bit longer.
Building a winning program
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I'd say specialization and football year around are also important. While there will undoubtedly be those that think a multi-sport athlete is all that, football is a team sport. If the kids are on the field together more with a football in their hands, they are going to execute better as a team.
Administration if you're talking about the principal who is the coach's boss will absolutely will stop a head coach from building a winning program. Mark Krail was at Pioneer High school for 22 years, and was varsity head coach for 12 of them. In 2008 and 2009 he took them to back-to-back 10 win seasons (which if you know anything about Pioneer, that's an amazing accomplishment). There was a lot of chatter at the time (I believe in the Mercury News online comments) about the conflict and how Krail was basically done -
https://webcache.googleusercontent....acher-complaints-2/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
The next year he was at Santa Clara High (and subsequently has taken over at Los Gatos when Butch Cattolico retired).
So what are your first steps when taking over a program? Irvington in Fremont. Or Dougherty Valley, not saying they are bad, just not top tier yet. How do you rebuild James Logan? How about Arroyo? And yes, I know, it's action-response, new action-new response, so nothing can really be planned out past the first few major decisions you make. But at least what are your 1st few steps?
Sad. Hey HB was Sue Walker there at the beginning of Coach Krail's tenure or did she come on after he took over the football program and AD?
I did a little digging and it looks like she only started there on July 7 of 2008, so right before Krail's first 10 win season. Not sure about the details about why they didn't get along, but he got out of there pretty fast
When building anything. a building a structure an sandcastle... what is most important piece? The base or foundation because without it, whatever goes on top will eventually crumble and fall.
With that the most important piece to a winning program is getting to our youth. Whether its pop warner, flag, clinics and campus.. whatever. Get these kids interested and understanding football at a young age. It doesnt have to be the same grind as AAU or travel baseball but be involved in youth programs. Talk to parents about concussions and the danger of football versus the positives of what kids get out of football. Once you have a program with 40-50 freshman coming out every year, you are on your way. Programs that are losing freshmen teams are on their well to not having football at all.
With that the most important piece to a winning program is getting to our youth. Whether its pop warner, flag, clinics and campus.. whatever. Get these kids interested and understanding football at a young age. It doesnt have to be the same grind as AAU or travel baseball but be involved in youth programs. Talk to parents about concussions and the danger of football versus the positives of what kids get out of football. Once you have a program with 40-50 freshman coming out every year, you are on your way. Programs that are losing freshmen teams are on their well to not having football at all.
I think you meant NCS. Logan from about 92 to 2012 was probably a top 5 program in the Bay Area. Coaching changes, and demographics have changed the area a lot. Just look at the Fremont Schools. Washington is a shell of itself, American, Irvington, are probably two of the worst programs in the NCS. Logan has all the materials in place to rebuild. I think football in the East Bay is better when Logan has a good program. Those battles with De La Salle, San Leandro, and Pitt in the late 90's and early 2000's were epic.
It's different everywhere (let's leave the parochials out of this for now that's a different set of circumstances and should be discussed in isolation.)
If you walk into a Los Gatos, Palo Alto, Wilcox, Aragon, etc. and know what you are doing, you will have success. There is a history there, and there are people in that community with a vested interest in the success of the football team. The athletes are there waiting to be coached and the infrastructure (money, admin, boosters) is in place with a keen understanding of what needs to happen. If an admin happens to make a bad coaching hire at a place like this, there is direct community pressure to fix it....quick.
If you walk into a place that has not had historical success, you are talking about a total overhaul. You are not just coaching the kids, you are coaching the community, which probably has no concept of what winning looks like and how to help. In these cases there are many variables, but it's not impossible. It takes an iron will and a lot of help. In these cases admin is extremely important because they have to support culture changes that many people resist.
If you walk into a Los Gatos, Palo Alto, Wilcox, Aragon, etc. and know what you are doing, you will have success. There is a history there, and there are people in that community with a vested interest in the success of the football team. The athletes are there waiting to be coached and the infrastructure (money, admin, boosters) is in place with a keen understanding of what needs to happen. If an admin happens to make a bad coaching hire at a place like this, there is direct community pressure to fix it....quick.
If you walk into a place that has not had historical success, you are talking about a total overhaul. You are not just coaching the kids, you are coaching the community, which probably has no concept of what winning looks like and how to help. In these cases there are many variables, but it's not impossible. It takes an iron will and a lot of help. In these cases admin is extremely important because they have to support culture changes that many people resist.
That's the thing though with BV. They have talent, it just leaves to other schools or they choose not to play because of the current state of the program with a coach that hasn't won a game in 3 years. The Junior program has been pretty competitive the last few years as well.
Tons of good insight on this topic. In addition to what most of you have identified id probably add in good communication, transparency, and accountabilty. A clear vision or direction with open communication and dialogue with everyone accountable to the same goals, top to bottom. Obviously this is easier said than done, but if done right it can translate into a successful program or business or relationship for that matter. I also believe a high priority on education is important. Parents understand if you are focused on supporting their kid in the long run with a good education or if you are more focused on friday night lights and winning. Plus more focus on education will translate into better film study, a deeper play book, and a better football iq. Id also add in having a set of core values that helps establish the tradition of your program. Lastly id say having patience to develop your program and the consistency to stick with it through the difficult or challenging times. This can bring the progam closer together instead of pointing fingers or always running to the "drawing board" to change thing up. Add these things in with what most have identified on here and i believe you can have a successful program.
Coach Polston had a few good years at BV with a 70% win percentage, then dropped to 30% for two season and was done. BV has just 7 winning records over the past 28 seasons. If what you say is true, talent has been absent on the BV rosters for some time.
Not a given. Both mine skill players. Total experience <HS was a single year for one in 8th....as a C! He ended up breaking/holds skill school records as a Sr. , while big bro went from 5th quarter player as frosh to starting both ways JV/soph. Both D1 college other sports. Funny thing was out statting two of three FBS Jr offer peers his one year starting. Guys with less (innate) talent tend to sport specialize early on, and benefit from year round training.
I remember the College recruiter saying, “Coach likes tough FB players...no pansies like some of my recruits.”
Funny. They don't sell the shoes at those events. They give them to the athletes. Why? Because the top athletes in the country attend those events, and they are $$ worthy. Why are the top athletes in the country going to those events? Because Rivals, 247 sports, and ESPN sports anaylysts are there evaluating and writing about players in national publications.
Dont believe me? Try going to a an Addidas national invitational. They give gear valued in the hundreds of dollars to over a hundred athletes, and the sidelines are populated by dudes with cameras and note pads. The tournament is paid for by Addidas who is actually sponsoring every team in attendance. You want to watch a spectacle of athletes go check it out. And btw, a good football coach, is adapting to the modern era and is supportive of his athletes participating in these club events and some (i.e. Coach Rollinson Mater Dei Football for one example) have created their own 7v7 clubs that participate in many of these events.
7v7 film doesn't get scholarships. But running fast, catching balls, showing athleticism in front of the analysts who have college football coaches on speed dial does. So does playing for coaches and club owners (often times non profits) who have personal relationships with college coaches and analysts.
Facts
Still shaking your head?
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Coaching, administrative support, community support, all very important. But unfortunately demographics puts a very hard ceiling on any program.
Also, if you want to build a winning program deep in tradition:
Recruit a Head Coach who is young, high energy, high character, charismatic, knowledgeable in leadership-management and football, who's dream is to coach HS football and is willing to get a teaching credential so that he can be a full time on campus dude. He is a sponge for information and travels the country to learn from veterans. He's willing to surround himself with dudes of similar qualities but with more experience and knowledge. He will build relationships with the community and every aspect of the student body especially those that will help support a big time FB program. He will understand that he will work more hours per week as a coach/teacher than most human beings but he will never be financially compensated for it.
Now give him players who can ball or give him years to build.
Piece of cake right?
Recruit a Head Coach who is young, high energy, high character, charismatic, knowledgeable in leadership-management and football, who's dream is to coach HS football and is willing to get a teaching credential so that he can be a full time on campus dude. He is a sponge for information and travels the country to learn from veterans. He's willing to surround himself with dudes of similar qualities but with more experience and knowledge. He will build relationships with the community and every aspect of the student body especially those that will help support a big time FB program. He will understand that he will work more hours per week as a coach/teacher than most human beings but he will never be financially compensated for it.
Now give him players who can ball or give him years to build.
Piece of cake right?
The number one reason high school programs have continued success. Even great athletes will overcome marginal coaches. The true test of a great coach is taking marginal athletes and making a great team.
Marketing is a high stakes game. What’s a 100 pairs of shoes made for $10 in a sweat shop and sold here for $100? UA. Adidas, Nike, et al. One of my college roommates, a first rounder, came back to the apt. one day, not in his jalopy Opel GT with the seat welded further back, but a new Carrera; BEFORE the draft. We asked, “Where the heck’d you get that?!!” Smile...pause. “Thank you, Reebok.”
This was 1982!
I guess this goes back to the original question of what it takes to build a winning program. If the school doesn't a winning history, no admin support and poor coaching, what is the first step to turning it around?
And when i say there is talent, I'm not inferring that they should be winning league titles, but they should be able to compete and win a couple of games a year. And that goes for all the San Juan Unified high schools. There are 9 high schools in the district and they are currently a combined 11-35 with 6 of those wins coming in inter district matchups. Outside of Del Campo (currently 0-6) and Casa Roble, none of these schools have had any success in the past 10-15 years.
Your missing your own point....You really think they are giving gear away bc they love football?? It's to promote the product...if it doesn't increase their margin, they wouldn't be there.....they could careless about running routes....
I don't dispute the obvious point that their objective is to make money. Hence "they are $$ worthy" comment. Smart marketing. Same reason Nike has "The Opening". But i suppose colleges don't recruit "The Opening" based on their results either. Because we all know jumping, running shuttles and 40's, executing 1v1's isn't real football.
The jumping, running, 40’s etc are just gauges of the individual’s athleticism. Doesn’t tell you if he is “football “ player or not ( loves the contact,the grind, fearless, heart etc)
At least when I was a kid, all the Catholic high schools had certain parochial 1-8 grade feeder schools.Meaning the vast majority, but not all, steered toward a certain high school. For example St John the Baptist Elementary in El Cerrito was such a parochial which was a feeder school for Salesian High in Richmond. Most all the boys went to Salesian, but a few went to El Cerritos High and St Marys Berkeley.
IIRC a lot of the Bellarmine players come up through St. Christopher, and with St. Christopher being right next to Presentation High School I'm guessing the females from St. Christopher are routed to Presentation.
Those are really interesting stats, sounds like some realignment is needed. Who knows, but that is not great parity and not a great HS experience for a lot of players.
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