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Biggest Coaching What ifs..

mc140

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How much different would your program look if circumstances were different at the time and your coach ended up somewhere else? Or maybe your school passed on someone who ended up being very successful.

I'll start.

What if Frank got the job at Thornridge in the early 80s and never leaves district 205? What does MC look like today?
 
Now, this is a cool idea! Some more recent ones:

1. What if Buzea took the Sandburg job 20 years ago? How different would the programs at Sandburg and H-F be right now?

2. What if Troy McAllister took the Evergreen Park job in 2014? Does Phillips still go on to be the first CPS school to win state?
 
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Now, this is a cool idea! Some more recent ones:

1. What if Buzea took the Sandburg job 20 years ago? How different would the programs at Sandburg and H-F be right now?

2. What if Troy McAllister took the Evergreen Park job in 2014? Does Phillips still go on to be the first CPS school to win state?
McAllister was another one. He accpeted the EP job but coudn't take it when they realized he was only K-9 Certified at the time.
 
Here is another one:

TW never leaves Rita for HF. Do they still win a title? Would Kuska currently be a HC at some unnamed Suburban Public school right now?
 
McAllister was another one. He accpeted the EP job but coudn't take it when they realized he was only K-9 Certified at the time.

I never understood that. EP clearly had to know his certifications before they offered him the position, the info is public knowledge. Also, he was certified to teach PE to 9th grade only in 2010. I always wondered if AUSL, the organization that manages Phillips for CPS, gave him an offer he could refuse.
 
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EP clearly had to know his certifications before they offered him the position, the info is public knowledge.
Possible that he said he would get the certification by time of employment but it fell through. Happens with admin spots from time to time
 
I never understood that. EP clearly had to know his certifications before they offered him the position, the info is public knowledge. Also, he was certified to teach PE to 9th grade only in 2010. I always wondered if AUSL, the organization that manages Phillips for CPS, gave him an offer he could refuse.

They do not always check certification before they make the offer. CPS is a whole different ball game same with private schools when it comes to certification.
 
What if Jim Bodouris never stopped coaching The Ville?
If Joe Bunge stays at Tilden, do they become first CPS team to win a title? What if New Trier doesn't Rif him after year one there?


'The team kept getting better and better. We lost in the 1983 state semifinals to the state champ, Glenbard West. My record at Tilden was 63 wins and 14 losses.''

Naperville`s athletic director, Doug Duval, plucked Bunge out of a large list of candidates when Colby quit earlier this year. Bunge had lost his teaching job at New Trier when he was laid off after a year because of budgetary pressures.

New Trier`s loss was Naperville Central`s gain, Duval feels.

 
How much different would your program look if circumstances were different at the time and your coach ended up somewhere else? Or maybe your school passed on someone who ended up being very successful.

I'll start.

What if Frank got the job at Thornridge in the early 80s and never leaves district 205? What does MC look like today?
Just guessing:

Frank may not have won as many titles at Thornridge, but he does win several. With the right coach MC still is winning program with their alumni support. That offense was hard to prepare for even if you had the talent to compete against it. Holecek and Kuska could defend it when they had the talent. Frank for all kidding he took for Lenti-isms was always a hall of famer for the school as a coach and as a alumni.
 
Just guessing:

Frank may not have won as many titles at Thornridge, but he does win several. With the right coach MC still is winning program with their alumni support. That offense was hard to prepare for even if you had the talent to compete against it. Holecek and Kuska could defend it when they had the talent. Frank for all kidding he took for Lenti-isms was always a hall of famer for the school as a coach and as a alumni.

Several? That's quite the assumption considering he would have coached in a tough SICA East with Thornton and H-F. Even Bloom and Thornwood were formidable back then. Bill Mosel and John Wrenn were great coaches and they only won one each in that same conference.
 
Several? That's quite the assumption considering he would have coached in a tough SICA East with Thornton and H-F. Even Bloom and Thornwood were formidable back then. Bill Mosel and John Wrenn were great coaches and they only won one each in that same conference.
Mosel and Wrenn. I wish some of those old SICA game films could find their way to youtube. Glielmi was another.
 
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Several? That's quite the assumption considering he would have coached in a tough SICA East with Thornton and H-F. Even Bloom and Thornwood were formidable back then. Bill Mosel and John Wrenn were great coaches and they only won one each in that same conference.
(Just guessing)

MC's offense was hard to defend unless you had quality players at three points of attack on the running game. And that's on both side of center (left and right). If he played a standard drop back passing/running game out of the I formation or the pistol than they would be an average team. IMHO
 
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How much different would your program look if circumstances were different at the time and your coach ended up somewhere else? Or maybe your school passed on someone who ended up being very successful.

I'll start.

What if Frank got the job at Thornridge in the early 80s and never leaves district 205? What does MC look like today?
I think it would look a lot like Leo right now or possibly closed....I’m glad it’s something we don’t have to think about. I would love to think we would have still had continued success after the 80 state championship but who knows.
 
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I think it would look a lot like Leo right now or possibly closed....I’m glad it’s something we don’t have to think about. I would love to think we would have still had continued success after the 80 state championship but who knows.
I think it would have been a Rita like existence. Sometimes, really good, almost always competitive. If Frank is at TRidge do the kids MC got from Dolton still end up at MC during the 80s and 90s or do they go to another private school? Maybe stay at Thornridge?
 
Lenti made the talent fit into his offense. Every team has an identity. How many coaches change the offense to fit the talent and not just the play calling?
 
What if LW North had not closed and George Czart had remained there the last 5 years? If I am not mistaken, AJ Henning actually resided in the LWN attendance area, too. They "coulda been a contender" to borrow a line from a vintage movie?
 
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What if District 210 could legally manage their finances and George Czart was still head coach at Lincoln Way North??
 
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What if Coach Hopkins didn't retire from MS after winning state in 2000?
 
If CG never had Bruce Kay or his successor Brad Seaburg, football would have continued to be just another sport you played in high school with no taste of success. They transformed Cary and Fox River Grove into football communities.
 
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If Holy Cross' enrollment doesn't sharply decline, does Joe DiCanio and company stay? Do they continue to build off the success of the early 2000s?
 
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What if Dan Sharp never leaves Minooka to take over at JCA. Is Minooka a perennial power and not the Sleeping giant they have been for some time? Does JCA go wandering in the wilderness unable to find a long term coach?

On a related note, what if Briscoe stays for longer terms at either Minooka or Plainfield South?
 
What if Bishop McNamara had chosen a different alum to coach in the mid 70's? What if they picked Lewis U HoF baseball coach Irish O'Reilly instead of Zinanni?

If Streator had been successful the last few years, is Hassett Mac's next head coach?

What happens to Wilmington if Reents had chosen to jump to Morris at some point?

What if Reed Custer had chosen to stick with Rob Zimbelman instead of bringing in Cappel in 1998 from Clifton Central...What happens then to Clifton Central's HOF Brian Spooner? Does he perhaps bounce to Iroquois West when Boma retires and win the state title instead of RJ Haines? Who then becomes Manteno's coach in 2006?
 
Here is another one:

TW never leaves Rita for HF. Do they still win a title? Would Kuska currently be a HC at some unnamed Suburban Public school right now?
Well if Kuska is not at St. Rita, he had a choice either go suburban and make more money or coach college. Todd coached the linebackers and defensive line at St. Xavier from 1993 to 1996. If he stayed there do his kids go to college there for free?

If TW stays at SR does he win that state title? The defense had two NFL'ers on the d-line and a bunch of kids who played college ball so that would be hard to mess with. The question how does the other Todd handle the offense? Kuska platoon’d the half backs Moore and Hood very effectively. I think it’s the only time he did that so evenly. Jerome Ward was the blocking back and was a tough kid - two time state wrestling champ. At QB Balsam had TE size with a good OL. Special teams that year were excellent. So it comes down to play calling. I would hope that Todd Wernet wins it too. But one call either way could be the difference. I wouldn't bet the farm one way or another.
 
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No doubt MC has benefited from its football success. Donors have been generous, and success builds on success. But let's not forget that Frank Lenti was a great recruiter. He knew what he was looking for and went out and got it.
 
What if Coach Hopkins didn't retire from MS after winning state in 2000?
Coach Hopkins rocking an Evanston HS t-shirt all week yelling that none of you boys are fast enough to catch a Wildkit...Damnit son, if I was a better coach I’d put you at cornerback instead of receiver because you couldn’t catch a cold if you were naked in winter.
 
Hawks would have continued to be a power and Dave Inserra would have been chosen head coach when he did retire. David would not have left South to go anywhere else to be head coach.
 
If CG never had Bruce Kay or his predecessor Brad Seaburg, football would have continued to be just another sport you played in high school with no taste of success. They transformed Cary and Fox River Grove into football communities.
What if D155 never added PR as a HS in 1997? How many titles would CG have ? what happens if D155 goes back to 3 schools? With 3, they still would only be 7A.
 
Actually if Lincoln-Way District 210 was prudent with their finances they would have only built LW West. The handwriting was on the wall, super Larry ignored it, and to this day only three schools are required into the next decade. I would guess George Czart would never have been a head coach in 210.AJ Henning would have been overused in the LWN scheme of running back utilization and who knows under the actual evolution if George could have inherited the Lockport HC job years ago. I maintain Czart could have been the bandaid to hold the Porters together and they would have avoided the drought years of recent time. Time marches on and changes can be measured after history is written. Enjoy today friends.
 
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Actually if Lincoln-Way District 210 was prudent with their finances they would have only built LW West. The handwriting was on the wall, super Larry ignored it, and to this day only three schools are required into the next decade. I would guess George Czart would never have been a head coach in 210.AJ Henning would have been overused in the LWN scheme of running back utilization and who knows under the actual evolution if George could have inherited the Lockport HC job years ago. I maintain Czart could have been the bandaid to hold the Porters together and they would have avoided the drought years of recent time. Time marches on and changes can be measured after history is written. Enjoy today friends.
God, bla, bla bla.
you are the only person I have ever blocked on any of these boards through many years yet somehow here you are again.
Yep, 210 probably should have just built one more big school at the West side of the district, but they didn’t. So what they were left with was a high performing school at the east side of the district or a school that was 60% that size scoring worse academically in the middle of a bunch of cornfields at the west side of the district and they chose to keep the cornfield school open.
Perhaps it was because the school board president at the time had a business in the cornfield section of the district before he resigned when the decision was made who knows…
All I know is that since LWN closed about 2/3 of the football players at LWE are kids who would have gone to LWN if they didn’t close that building.
Pretty sure that A J would have done fine at LWN, playing with his other FSW teammates although you seem to think he would have been overused
Darn, maybe he would have had to go to a top academic B1G school had he been forced to play at LWN what a shame.
 
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My Kids went to LWE before LWN was built. The kids from Frankfort Square and Mokena all attended LWE. It was a mistake to build LWN. They should of done exactly what they did when they closed LWN. Rearrange the district. I believe they got it right now. IMO
 
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