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Todd Muckleroy is new Canfield coach
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Todd Muckleroy
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Todd Muckleroy, right, the new Canfield boys basketball coach, is welcomed by superintendent Dante Zambrini following a Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.
By TOM WILLIAMS
CANFIELD
Todd Muckleroy’s four straight winning seasons, two league titles, a big win over Poland in a district title contest and a regional appearance for the Streetsboro High boys basketball team were factors in Canfield’s decision to hire him to follow a longtime mentor.
But the quality that impressed Canfield Superintendent Dante Zambrini the most was Muckleroy’s approach to the classroom.
“The Board of Education and administrators in Canfield always ... hire teacher first and a coach second,” said Zambrini on Wednesday after the Canfield board hired Muckleroy as a high school social studies teacher and boys varsity basketball coach. “We had outstanding candidates.”
Muckleroy takes over for John Cullen, who resigned in early June as Canfield’s basketball coach after 28 seasons.
Zambrini said the two portfolios Muckleroy presented — one on teaching, the other on coaching — “showed to us that he understands teaching occurs on the court and coaching occurs in the classroom.
“We are very confident that he will represent us in the academic world and the athletic world with the same passion and the same success.”
Cullen is now director of basketball operations for the Youngstown State University women’s basketball program.
“There is no doubt about it, he has run a class program here,” Muckleroy said of Cullen, “I’m honored to be selected and to have this program after a legendary coach like Coach Cullen. I’m here to maintain the success Canfield has had in the past .. and maybe enhance that tradition a little bit.”
Greg Cooper, Canfield athletic director, said 30 applied for the position.
“We are very pleased with the number of applicants and the quality of the applicants,” said Cooper who called the coaching search a grueling process.
A 1992 graduate of West Branch High where he played three sports, Muckleroy played football at Mount Union College then received his teaching degree from the University of Akron.
Muckleroy has 10 years coaching experience at the high school level, including the past five as Streetsboro’s head coach.
His record with the Rockets is 68-42 and his teams twice won the Portage Trail Conference.
Perhaps his biggest victory came in March 2009 with a 77-75 win over All-American Conference Red Tier champion Poland in the Division II district final.
“For me, Canfield was a pinnacle job.” Muckleroy said.
“It was a no-brainer as to whether I was going to apply.”
He’s aware that he will be in the spotlight that the AAC’s top level generates.
“It’s a high-profile position, there is going to be that pressure that comes from the outside,” Muckleroy said.
“There will be people questioning my decisions ... but I think that my experience has prepared me for those challenges.”