BURG Sports Network

1. Growing up who was the biggest role model?
 

I would say my parents, especially my Dad. He was a Football Coach/AthleticDirector/Principal/Superintendent.

He was a tough disciplinarian who taught me the importance of hard work and treating people fair.

Also, my college coach Walter Barr. He was an extension of my father’s belief system.
 

2. What was it like to play College Football at Shepherd University?
It was a great experience. It was a big-time life lesson experience. It was old school football.

The strong/tough will survive. To this day, I owe how I go through my life from my college football experience.

The comradery I developed with my teammates was one that I will cherish forever.
 

 

3. After playing at Shepherd you went on to become a graduate assistant football coach at Illinois
State University...what was some of the biggest lessons you learned from

The Illinois State University coaching staff that helped you later on in your coaching career?
 

Well I was a varsity assistant coach (OL/LBers) at Fauquier High School for 7 years after
Shepherd. At Illinois State…it was a great experience for me. Some of my practice framework was
developed from Illinois State. Also, film breakdown, analyzing tendencies, practice preparation,
scout team importance, the reason I was able to get to be a coach there is because of a really
good coach and a great friend in John Bowers. He was the DC then. He has seen it all in college coaching.

Including winning a national championship at JMU. I owe him a lot. I also shared an office with young Urban Meyer.

We developed a good friendship that carried over for the next 20 years or so.

He taught me some ins and outs of college football.
 

4. What was it like to be inducted into The Shepherd University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995?
 

It was a surreal experience. I felt like I might have a chance since I was a first team all-
conference center for three straight years and 1 st team All American after my senior year. I
was very humbled to be nominated and then selected was something that I will forever feel
honored. To selected as the first offensive lineman in history to be inducted I will cherish
as well. I was the 48th athlete to get inducted.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. During your time as the head coach of Park View High School from 2000 to 2005 they earned 3
time district title, Regional title, Regional Runner-up and State Runner up, that is quite
impressive, what are some of your favorite moments during your time at Park View?
This was my first head coaching job. So that means a lot that the PV administration gave
me that opportunity. Some of my favorite memories was taking PV to the state
championship my first year. The rivalry we had with Stone Bridge especially beating them
the first two times we played. Defeating Urbana (MD) at home after they had won 4 state
championships in a row. Winning my last game against Potomac Falls before leaving to go
to Briar Woods. Some of players eventually became coaches with me at Briar Woods.

They help bring a work ethic and winning attitude to our program.

Those relationships along with other players are still in my life today.

 

 

6.When you were hired in 2005 as Briar Woods first ever head coach what was it like to start a new football program?
 

Loudoun County is one of those few counties that are growing which means new schools.

This gives opportunities to start a new program and put your own stamp on the program.

There were two schools opening at the same time. This was a unique situation for me because I was offered
the HC job at Briar Woods and Freedom at the same time. I chose Briar Woods because I knew the
principal (Ed Starzenski) and athletic director (Joe Breing,Sr) who came from Loudoun County High School.

They knew about my coaching and teaching as well since I started out there in the
late 90’s. What made it special as well was we got to start out with JV and Freshmen teams only.
This allowed me to put my philosophy and program in place. To lay the foundation in place for the
future. After our initial JV season, we went 6-4 in our first varsity season and eventually in the playoffs

in our 2nd and 3rd varsity season. This was a great start for our program.

I can’t thank those initial players at BW for helping set the foundation for our winning program.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. In 2010, 2011, and 2012 you lead Briar Woods to win three football 4A State Championships

how did you prepare for them? And what made each team so special? 
 

That first state run was very special because my son, Zach, was a 2-way starter on that team.

My daughter Paige was a manager too. Regarding the team, in preparation, I told them to not take this for granted. I told them that after my first state championship run at PV that I thought I would be back after my first year. That didn’t happen. I took it for granted. I expressed to them not to take this time for granted. They didn’t and we got there and won it. This team had to overcome at various times throughout the year. Even in the state championship game vs Harrisonburg we were
down 14-0 right after 3 and half minutes. The mentality of not quitting and keep chopping away came through. We were down by 1 point headed into 4 th quarter and we scored 21 points to pull away. Nobody expected that excepted us. Nobody expected that with a freshman QB(Trace) and after losing our starting rb, Michael Brownlee, to a broken leg in the first game of the year. We had a bunch of guys who believed in each other and the coaches to get their jobs done. Everyone held each other
accountable. This set the standard for the teams to come because of the accountability of everyone to be prepared and do their job. The team became more important then the individual. The name on the front of the jersey was more important then the name on the back of the jersey. Each team was unique, and I had to guide them to get their own identity. That was tough in
the beginning. This did allow the leaders of each team to come forth. This allowed each team to get to have their own identity.
The 2011 team had to fight back after losing our first game vs Broad Run. We (coaches and players) had to find ourselves moving forward. One of the things that came from this was Friday Senior/Captain run pregame meetings. This came from the 2011 team and was instilled in every year moving forward. The players had ownership. This helped them to move forward away from being compared to the 2010 team. They plowed through the schedule and capped it off by beating Christiansburg for our 2 nd straight championship. The 2012 team was loaded and powerful. After our yearly battle with Broad Run in which
we pulled it out late in the game. There wasn’t much to hold us back from dominating and winning our third championship. This team put up numbers (individual and team) that will stay in the record book for a long time. We were balanced on both sides and special teams that will never get repeated in BW history again. The end result was a State championship 52-0 shutout of Heritage (Lynchburg). I felt that team could compete with any team in the state at any level.

 
8.Sadly in 2013 Briar Woods fell short to L.C. Bird in the state championship game...since they won in
2010 as freshman how much of an impact did that loss as seniors have for them if any do you think?
 

I think there was a sense of not completing the 4 peat for some of those seniors who had been part of the previous state championships. There were only a few of those. Other than that, they were proud of what they had accomplished.
 

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9. From 2014 to 2016 you lead Briar Woods back to the playoffs, retiring later on what were some of your
favorite moments as Briar Woods head coach beside winning the state champions?
There are so many memories that it is hard to list them. Our first varsity Dulles District win versus
Loudoun County in 2006. Getting in the playoffs in 2007/2008 in our 2 nd and 3 rd year of your
program. Winning three in a row at the end of 2009 season to set the stage for 2010. Beating
Broad Run in 2010 after they had won 30+ games in a row. This validated us as a team to be reckoned with. Winning 33

games in a row is special as well. During that 4-year timespan, we were 55-5, that is special as well.
10.  Now a lot of your Alumni players like Alex Carter, Trace McSorley, Cam Serigne, Matt Rolin, Brandon
Polk, Melvin Holland Jr., Mark Birmingham, Ryan Rutkowski, Samari Springs, and Skyler Springs just to
name a few have went on to play in college and some have gone to play in the NFL... as a their former
high school coach what has it been like to see the success they have gone onto achieve and on or off the
field what are some of your favorite moments you would like to share about this young men?
It is really heart warming to me to see the success these and a lot of other young men have had. It
was a time in my life when I really felt blessed to be a part of their lives. What is really rewarding
to see their success of the field as well. Whether it is football related or life related it is exciting to see how they grow in their life.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. What was it like to be named Coach of the year so many times during your career?
 

It was very rewarding, but this was a product of having very good assistant coaches and talented
players who worked hard, were coachable and willing to put the team before themselves.
 

12. As a former head coach what advice would you give a young man who wants to go into coaching
football/sports and what advice would you give a young man 

who going to be a freshman player at Briar Woods and playing football for the Falcons? 
    
I would say that if you want to coach you have to be a student of the game for the entirety of your
career as a coach. You must understand that you must be prepared to prepare your players and/or
team. There is time that is involved. Also, you must be a proper leader of young men. You can’t be their buddy.
As far as talking to a freshman player, don’t get frustrated with the work. If you want to be good
football player then there will be a lot of work on and off the field to contribute to their success.
This is part of the process that will help build foundation work as they move to JV and Varsity.