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Wyllie will coach Mineral Ridge football team
By Steve Ruman
Mineral Ridge didn’t have to look very far to find its new football coach.
The Weathersfield Board of Education on Wednesday approved the hiring of Steve Wyllie, who will fill the void left by the resignation of Jeff Whittaker.
Whittaker stepped down last month following a two-year stint. The Rams ended the 2016 campaign with a 2-8 record.
Wyllie is no stranger to the Mineral Ridge football program, the school or the community. He is a 1992 Mineral Ridge graduate. He serves the school district as an English teacher. His daughters attend Mineral Ridge schools.
Wyllie coached the Mineral Ridge junior high program this past fall.
“Having the opportunity to come back to my alma mater as a coach is an honor, and it’s a huge responsibility,” Wyllie said. “There will be a lot of pressure to succeed, but the bulk of that pressure will come from myself. I have high expectations. Very high expectations. I want and very much expect this program to flourish.”
Wyllie began his coaching career at Mineral Ridge, where he was a freshman and varsity assistant coach under Lew Lowery. He spent time at Ursuline and Jackson-Milton before becoming the head coach at Garrettsville Garfield in 2005.
Under Wyllie, the G-Men flourished. In eight years, he compiled a 54-29 record. He led the G-Men to a pair of state playoff appearances (2005, 2010) and Portage Trail Conference titles in 2005 and 2006.
Wyllie stepped down at the end of the 2012 season.
“Having that head coaching experience is a huge benefit,” Wyllie said. “In all those years when I was an assistant, I always believed I was ready to become a head coach. But until you are actually in the position, you can never appreciate and understand all of the responsibilities and duties.”
Wyllie believes he will also benefit from the fact he teaches at Mineral Ridge. He was also a teacher at Garrettsville Garfield during his tenure with the G-Men.
“I honestly don’t know how coaches who aren’t teachers in the school district where they coach do it,” Wyllie said. “To me, that’s one of the most important aspects of the coach-player relationship. Being around your players day in and day out, building up that bond, being able to look after them and make sure they are succeeding in the classroom, that is huge.”
Wyllie noted that he applied for the Mineral Ridge head coaching position in previous years, but then balked at possibly of accepting the position because at the time, he wasn’t employed by the school district.
“I really feel that strongly about the importance of teaching in the district where you coach,” Wyllie said.
Wyllie has already begun the process of compiling a group of assistant coaches, which will include at least three coaches who were on the Mineral Ridge staff this past fall. Among them will be former Newton Falls head coach Jon Culp, who will serve as the Rams’ defensive coordinator.
“Honestly, I don’t know if I want to take this job without Jon,” Wyllie said. “Again, these are Mineral Ridge guys who know the school and know the culture of this community. That is invaluable.”
Weathersfield superintendent Damon Dohar said that Wyllie’s track record as a head coach and his commitment to Mineral Ridge made for “a pretty easy decision” when it came to the selection process.
“Steve’s success speaks for itself, that part is a given,” Dohar said. “But beyond his record, he is extremely passionate about being a teacher and a coach, and he is extremely loyal to Mineral Ridge.
“He knows these players. He knows the traditions and the history of this program. He is committed to bringing a winning program to Mineral Ridge.”