Chet Allen takes over as Liberty football coach

May 19, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

Veteran assistant was most recently

the defensive coordinator at Niles

The Liberty High football program in recent years hasn’t been short on success.

During the same time frame the Leopards also haven’t been short on coaches.

In the hopes of maintaining its winning ways while establishing some sort of stability on the sidelines, the school district has turned to one of its own to guide the program.

The Liberty board of education on Monday hired Chet Allen as the Leopards’ new football coach. A 1991 Liberty graduate, Allen replaces Kevin Cylar, whose contract was not renewed this spring, months after the 2014 season.

Allen becomes the Leopards’ fourth head coach in five years. After spending 17 years at the Liberty helm, Jeff Whittaker retired at the end of the 2011 season. He was replaced by Brian Jones, who led the Leopards to a 9-3 finish, including a playoff win. Jones resigned after just one year, and was replaced by Cylar, whose two-year stint included a 17-6 record with two Division V playoff appearances and an All-American Conference, National Division championship.

Cylar had expressed a deep desire to remain with the program, but Liberty school officials in March hinted that they would open the position.

“I don’t wish to get into all the specifics as to why we chose to move in a different direction,” said Liberty Schools Superintendent Stan Watson. “Right now, our focus is on the future, and the future includes Chet Allen. We’re thrilled to have Chet lead our program.”

Watson said that Allen’s extensive coaching history along with his deep roots to the community should make for a smooth transition.

“Chet knows the system, he knows the community, he knows the students as well as anyone out there,” Watson said. “We’re excited. We feel as though this is a perfect fit.”

Allen becomes a head coach for the first time after serving as an assistant for nearly two decades. He began his coaching career at his alma mater under current Liberty athletic director Greg Gulgas. He also coached at Warren G. Harding, Girard, Cuyahoga Falls and Newton Falls. For the past three years, he was the defensive coordinator at Niles.

Allen is special education teacher in the Liberty School System.

“I’ve always had the desire to be a head coach, but at the same time it wasn’t something that I actively pursued,” Allen said. “I’ve always been with good programs,so it wasn’t like I was anxious to move on. But having the opportunity to coach at Liberty is a dream come true. This is home.

“I’ve been around the program since I was running the practice field as a manager. This just feels right.”

Allen inherits a program which will return a solid core of its starters that last year went 10-2 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. But Allen knows he must also reunite a team which was divided in recent months.

In late March, more than 50 Liberty students staged a walkout in a show of support for Cylar.

“The kids have been through a lot, but the bottom line is that we’re here to do everything we can to make these young men better students and better athletes,” Allen said. “I’m committed to Liberty football. When the dust settles, we’ll take what we’re given and give those young men who are with us everything we’ve got.”

Allen said he hopes that his stay at Liberty is a long one.

“This isn’t a stepping stone — this is exactly where I want to be,” Allen said. “Stability is important for the long-term overall success of any program. Unless I’m not wanted here, or unless the Green Bay Packers call for my services, I’m right where I feel like is a perfect fit.”

Cylar, who attended Monday’s board meeting, said he was in attendance “only to provide closure” to his ties with Liberty.

“Look, I don’t have anything nice to say about the Liberty administration because I know I was railroaded,” Cylar said. “But I wish Chet well, I really do. I wanted him to know that I wish nothing but the best for him and for the Liberty football program. I wanted the players to know I still support Liberty football and that they need to stay focused.”

Liberty opens its 2015 season on Aug. 28 at home against Struthers.