Boardman grad helps Toledo CC football staff

He'll be on the sidelines tonight when the Irish meet Canfield for the state title.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
TOLEDO -- A Boardman High graduate who eventually would like to coach his alma mater's football team first wants to help Toledo Central Catholic beat Canfield tonight in a Division II state championship game.
Brian Fee, a senior at the University of Toledo who serves as an assistant coach for Toledo Central Catholic, will be on the sidelines tonight coaching the linebackers and running backs at Massillon's Paul Brown Tiger Stadium for the showdown that starts at 7.
"I am planning to do my student teaching next year at Toledo Central Catholic, and after that I'd like to teach and coach there," said Fee, who is majoring in education and mathematics but doesn't play football for Toledo.
"I'd like to come back and coach at Boardman and be the head coach of the Boardman High team some time in the future."
Third year at Toledo CC
Fee, who played four years of football at Boardman, three of them as a linebacker on the varsity under coach Garry Smith, is in his third season at Toledo CC. He also serves as the freshman coach.
Fee started coaching at Toledo CC in his sophomore year in college, and coached the tight ends and linebackers his first two years.
He said he always was interested in coaching, and that his mother, Irene, encouraged him to pursue what he really liked as a career.
"My mother recommended to me that I do something about it. I always wanted to coach. I started applying and sent out some applications, including to Toledo CC," said Fee, noting that coach Greg Dempsey liked his application and hired him.
Wants to teach, coach
Fee expects to do his student teaching next year, graduate in 2007 and then get a full-time high school job teaching mathematics and coaching football.
He said he returns to Boardman High every so often to look for new ideas.
"I try to do my best to get back during the off-season to study Boardman's weightlifting program. We had a great weightlifting program at Boardman," said Fee, the son of Gary Fee.
Regarding tonight's game, Fee sees a defensive battle brewing.
"This will be quite a defensive battle. We are talking about two awesome defenses," said Fee, who believes that Toledo CC will "have to find something that works. We have to stick to our strengths."
kovach@vindy.com