Penguins will miss Coach C

When Kenny Conatser decided to step down as an assistant football coach at Youngstown State recently the Penguins lost much more than just an assistant coach.
Conatser, or Coach C as he was known to his fellow coaches and players, was really what Youngstown State football is all about, or at least was all about during their great run in the 1990s.
Conatser came to YSU when Jim Tressel was hired in 1986 and remained here with Tressel for 15 years. He left for Ohio State when Tressel left, but stayed there just one season before moving out to Kansas where he joined another former YSU coach, Mark Mangino, for a brief stay before coming back to YSU.
Conatser rejoined the Penguins last season as special teams coordinator and also helped out with the defensive line.
Coached with passion
The University of Cincinnati graduate coached the game with a passion. It was a passion that he tried to instill to his players and those that he did went on to great seasons with the Penguins.
It never mattered to Conatser whether it was a jersey scrimmage or the I-AA national championship. He coached the same way all the time and that was with his great desire to win.
Nobody hated to lose more than he did.
I remember him telling me just how he judged the ability of the players he was coaching.
"You look into their eyes and their eyes will tell you what's in their heart," Conatser said.
From 1992 through the 2000 season Conatser served as assistant head coach to Tressel with the Penguins. During that stint the Penguins were in the NCAA I-AA national championship game five times, winning three titles.
Nobody was more excited about a player than Conatser when the Penguins signed Tim Johnson out of junior college.
"You just can't believe the talent this kid has," Conatser said.
And he was right as Johnson is now in the NFL where his future appears bright with the Oakland Raiders.
Hated officials
About the only people Conatser never really got along well with were the football officials, at least on the field. He got along well with local officials such as Larry Glass, Brian Meenachan and John Vicarel off the field.
"I've never really met a good one," he said of the officials and while he was on the sidelines he would usually give them an earful during the game.
For a while Tressel even moved Conatser up to the coaches booth, but he was screaming so loud up there that he soon returned to the field.
One time Tressel was telling me about an incident where Conatser was in a meeting with his players and showing slides to the team and became so enraged that he picked up the viewer and threw it off the table.
I printed that in a column and a couple of days later ran into Conatser.
"Thanks for that great publicity," he said. "Now when I walk in my neighborhood the mothers pull their kids in off the street when I come by."
Last season with the Penguins Conatser developed a close relationship with junior placekicker Nick Terracina, whom he considers another great athlete.
"You can always tell the great ones by their work ethics," Conatser said. "Nick probably works too hard at his kicking, but again when he goes out there all you have to do is look into his eyes and you know he's in total control."
Open drills Friday
Friday afternoon the Penguins will begin spring practice at Stambaugh Stadium and Conatser will not be out there. The Penguins have lost more than just a coach and a leader, they've lost a part of the tradition that has made YSU football a name throughout the country in Division I-AA football.
He will be missed by more than just the coaches and players, he'll be missed by the entire community.
XPete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.