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Coach Q&A: Cardinal Mooney's P.J. Fecko
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When you’ve had the kind of coaching success that Mooney football coach P.J. Fecko has had, it doesn’t go unnoticed by other programs around the state.
Schools attempting to resurrect struggling football teams search for a coach that has a strong track record and one that can come in and turn things around.
Since taking over as the head coach with the Cardinals — and winning a couple state championships — Fecko has had opportunities to leave. But the opportunity to coach at his alma mater and be a part of the winning tradition has been enough to make him stay put.
“Obviously, Mooney is where I went to school and where my wife went to school and it is a special place for both of us,” said Fecko. “I have had other opportunities, but you have to be fair to yourself and everyone else. It is a great place to coach football and be around kids.
“You never know what the future holds, but you just deal with it when the time comes. But right now, I’m where I want to be and my goal is to prepare for Week 2 of the playoffs.”
Q. What are your thoughts on this week’s playoff game against a local team in Hubbard?
A. It definitely will create a great atmosphere for the media, the fans, the players and the communities. There is a local buzz about this game and I think the players on both sides are excited to play. Some of these players know each other and have competed against each other for years, whether it be in baseball or basketball and in football when they were younger. It really creates an exciting atmosphere.
Q. How does Mooney handle having the bulls-eye on its back every season?
A. I think the important thing is to worry about yourself and the things you can control. We want to be a better team every time we come off the field. If we can do that and get better each week, then we’re meeting our goals. With the schedule we play, we can’t afford to get too high or too low. We just have to get better and think about ourselves.
Q. Have things gone as you expected or hoped they would when you took over at Mooney?
A. When I took over, of course I understood the tradition and the expectations, and it was a daunting task. But I just tried to make my own identity and build my system and hope it was going to go where we wanted it to go. Fortunately, we have been able to uphold the Mooney tradition and continue the success.
Q. Being an independent, I’m sure scheduling is tough at times. This year, you played Boardman. Are there any other local matchups Mooney is looking to create?
A. We’re always willing to play local schools. We’re open to creating that local buzz, and I think it would be a great environment. Of course, we played Boardman this year and it was a great way to open the season. The atmosphere was incredible.
We’re constantly in correspondence with other teams, and I hope some jump on board. We had two open dates for next year and we filled one with a Cincinnati school.
Q. With the success of Mooney football and all the support the program has, has there been any talk of you having your own stadium in the near future, instead of sharing Stambaugh Stadium?
A. There have been ideas thrown around, but right now there are no plans and nothing in the works. I’m the kind of guy that deals with what we have now. With the schedule, there are conflicts when you don’t have your own place. But by the same token, we’ve played at YSU and we’re comfortable there and it’s a great facility.
Q. How has Mooney been able to produce so many Division I college football players — even more than some of the bigger schools in Ohio?
A. We’re fortunate that our tradition has been built and that we have a lot of great alumni. The administration has done a great job of building our program and we’ve had a lot of great families come through Mooney. I just think that the amount of work these kids have put in, as well as the talent, has led to their success in college. I really attribute it to the players who have worked their tails off and done the right things on and off the field to earn college scholarships.
—Interview by Eric Hamilton, Vindicator correspondent