Vandalia Looking For New Head Coach

T

TheBenchwarmer

Well-known member
Looks like John Puckett is out at Vandalia after only three seasons? Just seen on Twitter that they are looking for new coach and taking applications. Who are the likely candidates?
 
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OHSFCA@ohsfca
·3h
Vandalia-Butler HS is searching for a Varsity Head Football Coach. All interested candidates should send a Cover Letter, Resume and Professional References to Director of Athletics Jordan Shumaker at jordan.shumaker@vbcsd.com . Submission deadline is Friday February 12, 2021.
 
SpartanFan79 said:
Did it say if he was forced out or resigned?
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Just seen the posting above on Twitter so don’t have those details. Don’t think it was forced but honestly don’t know anything about it. Great facilities but talent pool just not there for whatever reason. I don’t expect to see any big names here. My guess is they go internal. Tyler Wright maybe?

Whoever takes over will need to crack the code on what is driving the lack of success. Vandalia and Tipp City are a very similar area and population but you’d think the enrollment edge Vandalia would have more talent to choose from. Why is Tipp City more dominating in football each year? Is it just coaching or is there more to it?
 
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TheBenchwarmer said:
Just seen the posting above on Twitter so don’t have those details. Don’t think it was forced but honestly don’t know anything about it. Great facilities but talent pool just not there for whatever reason. I don’t expect to see any big names here. My guess is they go internal. Tyler Wright maybe?

Whoever takes over will need to crack the code on what is driving the lack of success. Vandalia and Tipp City are a very similar area and population but you’d think the enrollment edge Vandalia would have more talent to choose from. Why is Tipp City more dominating in football each year? Is it just coaching or is there more to it?
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Have it from a good source that talked with him that he resigned & it was not a forced resignation. Believe he still lives in Centerville & his son will be a freshman, so that may have played into the decision. Speculating.
 
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Ballboy000 said:
Have it from a good source that talked with him that he resigned & it was not a forced resignation. Believe he still lives in Centerville & his son will be a freshman, so that may have played into the decision. Speculating.
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This sounds about right. I know he’s always been well respected and in good standing as a coach by the powers that be in Vandalia. Can’t fault him for that decision given those factors with his son and still being in Centerville. Hate to see him leave but wish him the best.
 
catscatscats said:
So what is the problem at Butler? This use to be one of the better jobs around
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Whoever can answer that question might have a shot at turning things around. I don’t know what it is. On paper Vandalia should be competitive at the very least every year in a league like the MVL. Numbers for football are down for a school the size of Vandalia. Why I don’t know.
 
TheBenchwarmer, how do you view Vandalia Butler in it's current standing? It seems like it wasn't that long ago that they were competing for state with Piqua. What's happened to their program?
 
ex_dc_atc said:
TheBenchwarmer, how do you view Vandalia Butler in it's current standing? It seems like it wasn't that long ago that they were competing for state with Piqua. What's happened to their program?
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I'm a realtor so the best analogy that I can think of is in housing market terms. The Vandalia job is a "fixer upper". Good solid house that really needs some structural work and TLC but sits right in the perfect location. Will take a lot of work but can be a million dollar house for a steal. What I mean is that Vandalia's facilities for football and training and conditioning is great. The support of the administration and AD is great.

The downside is the current talent pool. It's not great. There are some great athletes in the halls but the majority of them are not playing football. (There are some great athletes on the football team; Point is there are many great athletes NOT on the football team) That's a big difference from what is happening at Tipp, Troy, Piqua, Sidney, etc. That needs to change. This new coach can't magically bring a culture to fix everything. The kids in the halls, weight room, locker room have to decide what kind of culture they want. Cultivate, Protect and Pass It On. The new coach can bring enthusiasm and create an environment for that to blossom but it starts, lives and dies with the players.

When Vandalia was competing for state all those years ago the best athletes were playing football, basketball and baseball. The result? Vandalia was killing it in football, basketball and baseball. So the difference then was just darn good athletes in general that we probably lack today but also kids playing multiple sports. Vandalia has great wrestlers and basketball players but I can think of very few that play football. Maybe a few baseball kids playing football but again not many.

I'm under no illusion that Vandalia is going to rise to the level of those days when they were winning 2, 3, 4 playoff games a year but they should be competitive each season. No reason why they can't be a consistent 6-4/7-3 and looking for that 8 seed each year with a 8-2 year sprinkled in from time to time. It will take a coach that can get the kids excited again so charisma would really go along way with this hire. Would also like to see a coach get in here and stick with it. Consistency would really help the program. Bush was the last coach to last more than 3 years and in looking back was pretty consistent in that 6-4 area I mentioned earlier. Arguably against tougher competition than the MVL. (A solid point that ButlerParent has made in the past)
 
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TheBenchwarmer said:
I'm a realtor so the best analogy that I can think of is in housing market terms. The Vandalia job is a "fixer upper". Good solid house that really needs some structural work and TLC but sits right in the perfect location. Will take a lot of work but can be a million dollar house for a steal. What I mean is that Vandalia's facilities for football and training and conditioning is great. The support of the administration and AD is great.

The downside is the current talent pool. It's not great. There are some great athletes in the halls but the majority of them are not playing football. (There are some great athletes on the football team; Point is there are many great athletes NOT on the football team) That's a big difference from what is happening at Tipp, Troy, Piqua, Sidney, etc. That needs to change. This new coach can't magically bring a culture to fix everything. The kids in the halls, weight room, locker room have to decide what kind of culture they want. Cultivate, Protect and Pass It On. The new coach can bring enthusiasm and create an environment for that to blossom but it starts, lives and dies with the players.

When Vandalia was competing for state all those years ago the best athletes were playing football, basketball and baseball. The result? Vandalia was killing it in football, basketball and baseball. So the difference then was just darn good athletes in general that we probably lack today but also kids playing multiple sports. Vandalia has great wrestlers and basketball players but I can think of very few that play football. Maybe a few baseball kids playing football but again not many.

I'm under no illusion that Vandalia is going to rise to the level of those days when they were winning 2, 3, 4 playoff games a year but they should be competitive each season. No reason why they can't be a consistent 6-4/7-3 and looking for that 8 seed each year with a 8-2 year sprinkled in from time to time. It will take a coach that can get the kids excited again so charisma would really go along way with this hire. Would also like to see a coach get in here and stick with it. Consistency would really help the program. Bush was the last coach to last more than 3 years and in looking back was pretty consistent in that 6-4 area I mentioned earlier. Arguably against tougher competition than the MVL. (A solid point that ButlerParent has made in the past)
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I totally understand. I remember my dad and I going to many of those VB/Piqua games. Many schools seem to face similar battles today. I would agree that VB has a lot of potential. In my experience, it seems as though many sports start to become a year round focus at an early age for kids. I'm wondering how much of what we see where athletes only play a single sport or two sports is the issue. That, or as you said, it's a matter of drawing the interest back to football for those athletes.
 
ButlerParent said:
False.

Looks at the basketball team. Look at wrestling team. Look at baseball. The coach just drove them off. There wasnt talent on the team because the talent didnt play.
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ButlerParent, are you applying for the job? You have a great pulse on the issues. And you always know whats wrong and how to fix it. Do it, Vandalia needs you.
 
yakyak said:
ButlerParent, are you applying for the job? You have a great pulse on the issues. And you always know whats wrong and how to fix it. Do it, Vandalia needs you.
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Figure you would you know everything about everything. He really does. Just ask him.

Hey do you still think West Carrolton will go far in the playoffs? I havent seen you too much since you said that.
 
TheBenchwarmer said:
I'm a realtor so the best analogy that I can think of is in housing market terms. The Vandalia job is a "fixer upper". Good solid house that really needs some structural work and TLC but sits right in the perfect location. Will take a lot of work but can be a million dollar house for a steal. What I mean is that Vandalia's facilities for football and training and conditioning is great. The support of the administration and AD is great.

The downside is the current talent pool. It's not great. There are some great athletes in the halls but the majority of them are not playing football. (There are some great athletes on the football team; Point is there are many great athletes NOT on the football team) That's a big difference from what is happening at Tipp, Troy, Piqua, Sidney, etc. That needs to change. This new coach can't magically bring a culture to fix everything. The kids in the halls, weight room, locker room have to decide what kind of culture they want. Cultivate, Protect and Pass It On. The new coach can bring enthusiasm and create an environment for that to blossom but it starts, lives and dies with the players.

When Vandalia was competing for state all those years ago the best athletes were playing football, basketball and baseball. The result? Vandalia was killing it in football, basketball and baseball. So the difference then was just darn good athletes in general that we probably lack today but also kids playing multiple sports. Vandalia has great wrestlers and basketball players but I can think of very few that play football. Maybe a few baseball kids playing football but again not many.

I'm under no illusion that Vandalia is going to rise to the level of those days when they were winning 2, 3, 4 playoff games a year but they should be competitive each season. No reason why they can't be a consistent 6-4/7-3 and looking for that 8 seed each year with a 8-2 year sprinkled in from time to time. It will take a coach that can get the kids excited again so charisma would really go along way with this hire. Would also like to see a coach get in here and stick with it. Consistency would really help the program. Bush was the last coach to last more than 3 years and in looking back was pretty consistent in that 6-4 area I mentioned earlier. Arguably against tougher competition than the MVL. (A solid point that ButlerParent has made in the past)
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How can u say talent pool is not great? Look at 2020 freshman who won all but one game in both 7th and 8th grade. Blame lack of attention to incoming talent and philosophy of play on JV. Program has to be built across years. Hard sport to go without acknowledgement.
 
FbLineFan said:
How can u say talent pool is not great? Look at 2020 freshman who won all but one game in both 7th and 8th grade. Blame lack of attention to incoming talent and philosophy of play on JV. Program has to be built across years. Hard sport to go without acknowledgement.
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Same for juniors. Like I said look at basketball. None of those kids play football. Wrestling is great but they dont play football. Why? Why arent athletes playing football?
 
no one can say Butler doesn’t have the athletes in the district. Basketball has been very solid lately. Wrestling has been even better. Baseball has had some teams seeded high also.

what the Football program needs is a culture shift. they need something to get the students interested as well. the best way to do that is to let THEM enjoy the game.

you play to have fun, right? winning is very important but so is keeping players interested. the hard a** mentality that we grew up used to is going out of favor (for better or worse, depends who you ask). 6am practices may have seemed just fine to us but times are changing. when advertising the football program, your selling point should be “you have the opportunity to build a bond like never before with your teammates, while getting to go out on Friday nights with them and represent your school while playing the best sport in the world”

great coaches (in this order)
1. draw talent and keep that talent
2. develop that talent
3. use that talent in the best way possible
 
FbLineFan said:
How can u say talent pool is not great? Look at 2020 freshman who won all but one game in both 7th and 8th grade. Blame lack of attention to incoming talent and philosophy of play on JV. Program has to be built across years. Hard sport to go without acknowledgement.
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Maybe it is there I can't speak to what JV looked like. I caught a few varsity games on the livestream and it was hard to watch. I based my comment on the overall talent pool there at the varsity level. I hope that there is some light and hope with the incoming classes. There is a major disconnect somewhere because it sounds like the success is not translating from 7th and 8th to high school.
 
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