Coaching carousel spinning

The interview was conducted over the phone, but it was easy to sense the conflict in the answer.

Did you realize, Ken Grisdale, you’re now the dean of boys basketball coaches in Mahoning County?

“Really?” was the answer. “Oh, no.”

We shared a quick laugh, but the point of the call was to ask Grisdale, who’s been at Poland for 17 seasons, why he’s one of the few coaches in the Valley who’s been able to last for so long.

The numbers are astounding — of the 52 schools in the Vindicator’s circulation area, half will begin the 2010-11 boys season with a coach in his first or second season.

This past offseason saw 10 schools conduct a search for a new coach, including Canfield, which concluded the process by naming Todd Muckleroy of Streetsboro to replace long-time coach John Cullen.

The reasons for the changes are almost as long as the number of changes themselves.

Some, like Cullen, have moved on to a better gig. Cullen is now director of basketball operations for the Youngstown State women’s program.

Others want to spend more time with their family, as their children get to the age where they are participating in athletics.

Some get squeezed out in a power play with influential board members, parents or community members. (That’s a dirty little secret that a lot of people are reluctant to talk about, but it happens at virtually every school.)

“The expectations of some people are kind of out of whack at times,” says Grisdale.

And some just tire of the year-round grind and can make more money as an administrator.

“I think all of those reasons are valid,” says Grisdale, who played for Cullen at Canfield, but was also a football standout and ultimately earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Akron.

“It takes a lot of commitment. All coaching, not just basketball, is becoming a year-round job.”

Only five other coaches in the area have been at their current school for at least 10 years. Roy Sembach will enter his 23rd season at Newton Falls; Brian Danilov begins his 16th season at Campbell Memorial (his tenure has been split by a couple of seasons at Ursuline); Mark Cherol begins his 13th season in the Youngstown City Schools — he spent 10 years at Woodrow Wilson before taking over at the new East High; Tom Bingham has been at East Palestine for 12 seasons, and George Whittaker starts his 10th year at Southern Local.

Four of those coaches — all but Cherol and Whittaker — have won at least one district championship.

Grisdale admits there is pressure to win titles, but suggests it’s more difficult at some schools.

“I think, as a coach, you have to ultimately figure out your goals and see what’s realistic,” he says. “At some places, I think it’s better to focus on winning a league title [instead of a district crown].”

Grisdale credits his family, coaching staff and players for his longevity.

“If my wife wasn’t athletically-oriented — she coaches our seventh-grade team and was an outstanding athlete herself — there’s a good chance I wouldn’t still be doing it,” he says. “For us, it’s a family thing. I’ll bet our daughter has seen over 100 games the last two years, between our games and scouting trips.”

Not all families are that invested, of course, and some coaches are pressured to spend more time at home.

And, of course, it’s impossible to discuss any sport in the Mahoning Valley without bringing up football.

There’s not only the regular season and postseason, but coaches want their players in the weight room over the winter and spring, and at 7 on 7 camps in the summer.

Often, a young athlete is forced to choose one sport to concentrate on. In this area, football is going to be the choice.

“Football does impact it,” says Grisdale. “Fortunately, at Poland I’ve always worked well with [football coach] Mark [Brungard].

“We’ve usually always had enough kids who were primarily basketball players and we could fill in with the football kids when their season ended.

“That’s not going to be the case this season, though. The majority of our kids are playing football.”

That’s a symptom at many schools in the area. Even Boardman, one of three largest schools in the Valley, had three starters last season who were also football standouts.

“Students are getting pulled in all directions,” says Grisdale. “Parents are too.”

Unfortunately, it’s a trend that is likely to continue, as long as the pressure to win is the primary focus.

Rob Todor is sports editor of The Vindicator. E-mail him at todor@vindy.com.