One word to describe a Bulldog? Tenacious

The community rallied behind the coach after he had a rough season.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
POLAND -- One of the first things you need to know about Ken Grisdale is this: He likes stability.
He's taught social studies and economics at Poland High for the past 21 years. He's been the head basketball coach for the past 14.
"I don't want to be anywhere else," he said.
And, before last spring, he never thought he'd be anywhere else.
But before we talk about it, here's another thing you need to know about Grisdale: He doesn't like to talk about last spring.
"It was miserable," he said.
Last season was a trying time for Grisdale. After winning three district titles in four years, graduation took its toll. His young team went 9-13, a game against Mooney erupted in an ugly brawl, and Grisdale found himself dealing with a lot of off-court distractions.
Soon after the season ended, Grisdale started hearing rumors about getting fired. A few parents weren't happy with him, and a few board of education members were thinking about replacing him, and when it comes to high school sports, sometimes that's all it takes.
Overwhelming support
Then a funny thing happened. The press caught wind of it. And people in Poland's community heard about it. And parents and players and coaches and fans and reporters vowed to make a lot of noise if Grisdale's contract wasn't renewed.
"I wasn't worried about it," said Poland junior Anthony DeFelice.
"I knew what people were saying about him, and I knew he wasn't that kind of guy," added junior Ben Umbel. "I knew they wouldn't do anything."
And if they had, they would have needed to hire a few other coaches, too.
"If we didn't have Ken, we all would have been done," said Grisdale's top assistant, Tom Fender. "Every one of us would have resigned. They would have had to find a whole new staff.
"If they are going to do that to a guy who has been very good to me, I'm not going to stick around and help the next guy here. And we all talked about it, and I know they [the other coaches] wouldn't have either. It was unjustified."
Over the next few days, hundreds of people told Grisdale they'd be attending the next board of education meeting to voice their displeasure. Obviously, that's not the type of publicity the school district was looking for. A week after the story hit the newspapers, Poland Superintendent Robert L. Zorn issued a statement saying Grisdale's job wasn't in jeopardy.
"The community was very supportive," Grisdale said. "It was disheartening to go through that, especially when you work as hard as I believe I do. It was like a punch in the gut, and I'm glad it's over."
Back on track
Fast-forward one year. Grisdale, the school's all-time winningest coach, is preparing his team for its second trip to the state tournament in five years. He's got a terrific wife, Kim, who also happens to be a former basketball player, which is why she doesn't complain about being a widow five months a year. He's also got a 4-year-old daughter, who is ready for her second trip to watch her daddy in Columbus, although she doesn't remember the first.
"One was in her mommy's tummy, the other one's outside," Grisdale said with a laugh.
See, that's another thing you need to know about Grisdale: He's happy again. His job is secure. He's got a team he loves.
"They're not the most talented team in the world, but they're a joy to coach," he said.
He doesn't always like dealing with his job's outside distractions, but it comes with the territory. Fourteen years as a head coach has taught him that.
A teacher first and foremost
"The thing is, I think I've done a decent job as a coach, but I feel like I've done a great job in the classroom," said Grisdale, who has a 223-100 record with the Bulldogs. "I work harder in the classroom than I do here [in the gym].
"I'm getting paid to teach. That's my first priority."
And teaching and coaching are all he's ever wanted to do. After graduating from Canfield in 1981, he got a football scholarship to the University of Akron before injuries cut short his career. His senior year, he did his student teaching in Mogadore (an Akron suburb) and drove to Poland afterward to work as an assistant basketball coach.
The next year, a job at Poland opened up. He grabbed it.
He's been there ever since.
"A lot of coaches want to move on," Grisdale said. "I don't want to move on. I want to be here until I retire.
"It's a wonderful place to coach."
scalzo@vindy.com