« Thoughts on the Bowie coaching job | Main | Local smorgasbord of sports topics »
Why the WFHS job is a tough gig
February 20, 2009Travis Pride is leaving WFHS after three years to become the head coach at Mansfield Summitt.
I've only seen Pride's Coyotes play on occasion, because I'm usually out covering the area's football teams.
But he seems to get the most out of his players. And more importantly, he coaches kids the right way, holding them to high values off the field as well as on the field.
I'm sure the WFHS job will net lots of outstanding applicants. But there are a few reasons why it is not an easy job:
* The Choice Program. Unless you're getting most of the city's best players, you cannot be a fan of this. I don't know how many kids who are wearing black and gold live within the WFHS area, but I'm betting more than the other way around.
By the end of last season, the Coyotes' football numbers were about the size of a large 3A school. Injuries were part of the reason, but so are the amount of players. I believe Rider has two JV teams -- a luxury WFHS does not have.
* High expectations. Just a year or two ago, WFHS was named the best high school football program of all-time. But we live in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world. And the Coyotes, except for their deep 2000 run, have produced a lot of real good teams. Just no great ones.
There are still some people out there who expect WFHS to compete for state titles on a yearly basis. And I just don't think that is possible right now.
* Ponder. Scott Ponder has generated a quality program at Rider, and until he leaves, the Raiders will probably have the upper edge in this town. This is not my opinion (I'm not from here, so I have no affiliation with either school. My wife went to Rider, but the only reason why she went to football games was to be seen. Just wanted to give full disclousre) -- just the facts. Rider is 6-1 against WFHS in the past seven years. And what Ponder has built up is a big reason for that.
I think Pride is a great coach. I bet he does well at Summitt. But he had a 16-17 record in three years here, and that's plenty of proof how hard it is to win constantly at WFHS.
Posted by at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
