New coaches attempt to revive Trinity, Canon-Mac programs
Mike Evans, Canon-McMillan’s new football coach, instructs his players during practice. Evans takes over a program that has won only six games in the last six years.
New Trinity head coach, Jon Miller talks to the team during a break in practice. Miller is a former head coach at Moon.
Canon McMillan coach Mike Evans, gets ready to rotate players during practice. Evans previously was California University’s offensive line coach.
Jon Miller watches his team run an offensive play during practice. A three-game winning streak in the second half of last year has put some excitement into preseason camp.
Football is woven deep into the fabric of Western Pennsylvanians. Families flock to football fields across the area each fall, soaking in every snap and hoping to witness the next memorable comeback or spectacular individual performance.
It was not long ago that Trinity and Canon-McMillan played in some of the most memorable games in the county. The Hillers’ upset of second-seeded Penn Hills in the 2005 WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs was one, the Big Macs’ stunning victory against Upper St. Clair in 2008 another, and the performances of Andrew Sweat and Mike Hull were numerous.
Lately, the two programs have struggled and the communities have been waiting for a return to prominence.
The wait has been longer than expected. Since reaching the WPIAL playoffs in 2008, the Big Macs have a 6-40 record with five different head coaches. Meanwhile, the Hillers have not won a playoff game since 2007 and have not reached the WPIAL semifinals since 1986.
There are many challenges for Mike Evans at Canon-McMillan and Jon Miller at Trinity, both new head coaches, but the two believe a foundation has been laid for success.
These are two of seven area programs counting on new leaders in 2015. Darrin Dillow is at California, Mark Druga is in Season 1 at Burgettstown, Aaron Giorgi is the new guy at Jefferson-Morgan, Joe Salvino has added another job at Monesen, and Rodney Huffman returns to West Greene.
Evans and Miller might have the higher profile jobs but it comes with more scrutiny.
Miller looks the part of a football coach. The 38-year-old trots down the sideline at Hiller Field in a blue and white Trinity football T-shirt tucked into black athletic shorts. The 5-8 former safety at Gannon doesn’t look or sound far removed from his playing days
“Sprint, guys!,” Miller yells, throwing his broad arms in the air after an incomplete pass.
The no-nonsense approach is merited. Trinity allowed almost 30 points per game the past three seasons and the program hasn’t sustained success since Ed Dalton led the Hillers to seven consecutive playoff appearances.
Brash and confident, Miller prides himself on the work ethic he learned as an assistant under Jeff Metheny at Bethel Park and the football acumen he gained from Upper St. Clair coach Jim Render. The values learned from those two successful coaches are the foundation for Miller’s leadership style.
“I would like to say I’m enthusiastic,” Miller said. “I don’t tolerate too many mistakes. You get one or two chances and you need to start fixing it. Coach Render always said that if they don’t know it, you didn’t teach it. That’s my philosophy. I’m not going to blame them – it’s on me. There won’t be a lot of leeway.”
For the Hillers, transitioning to a new head coach and a new staff meant learning a new playbook. As players’ roles changed, so did expectations. Every drill is team-oriented, even the offseason weight training. It’s a plan Miller has crafted in his second opportunity as head coach.
Miller was hired in 2008 at Moon, which won only one game in the previous two seasons, but the reclamation project ended after two seasons and a 3-15 record.
“I learned I didn’t know everything,” Miller said. “I thought my (stuff) was pretty big, but Bob Palko, Joe Hamilton, Lou Serro and Mark Lyons can teach you lessons real fast. You have to be willing to listen and realize you don’t know everything. You learn humility and that will help me here.”
He’s putting those lessons into action at Trinity, which craves success in football. After taking over as head coach, Miller, a Peters Township graduate, hired an experienced coaching staff, restructured offseason training and began building excitement within the community.
Miller’s coaching style got the attention of his players. His intense nature demands constant improvement and effort – competition means everything. It’s a mentality he hopes translates to success.
“Coach Miller did a great job coming in early and meeting with some of the seniors,” senior quarterback Garrett Briant said. “He established what he wanted to get done and what he expected from us. It’s definitely a different experience, but we’re ecstatic.”
The Hillers are practicing and playing fast under Miller, and few spots were determined in the opening days of preseason camp. Every drill and every play matters as Trinity seeks to find its identity. It’s all according to plan.
“There was this idea here that you didn’t have to push yourself during every drill,” Miller said. “When you mess up, it’s not OK. We are going to run a tight ship. There won’t be room for guys who have their own ideas or want to do their own thing.”
Wearing a black vest over a gray T-shirt and athletic shorts, Mike Evans walks around Memorial Stadium with a purpose. His booming voice carries throughout the field, demanding unity with an emphasis on the future.
“That’s a sack!,” Evans yelled. “Next play, next play, next. We have to be better.”
His message for Canon-McMillian: look toward the future; ignore the past. As his first full practice as a high school coach comes to an end, the former offensive lineman puts his arm around a player and delivers words of encouragement from a hoarse voice. Like his wide-eyed players looking to impress new coaches, Evans is learning.
When he was hired as the Big Macs’ third head coach in 12 months after a 12-year stay as the offensive line coach at California University, Evans took over a program in need of an overhaul.
Ron Coder’s stay lasted only 13 games and ended after a meeting with athletic director Frank Vulcano last September. Terry George took over as interim coach, but the Big Macs struggled to an 0-9 finish and was not retained. Over the past 15 years, Canon-McMillan holds a .371 winning percentage and has not won a conference title since 2003.
Enter the former Peters Township lineman, who brings an intensity and enthusiasm the program has not seen in years. It’s a passion that began during his playing days and carried into coaching at Cal, where he helped develop three All-American linemen since 2006. But high school football presents a different challenge. Trust is everything with kids and Evans had been around long enough to know that talk is cheap.
“I got the feeling that they had heard a lot of rah-rah speeches from a lot of guys,” Evans said candidly. “I think I’m like the fourth or fifth head coach here in the last four or five years. I didn’t want to say, ‘Hey guys, believe in me.’
“You can’t just put head coach on your desk and expect kids to drop down on one knee to say, ‘Hey, I’ll do anything you want.’ That’s not the way it works. They have to understand you are concerned about them and you want to make them better.”
The first step was hiring a coaching staff with high school experience, particularly the WPIAL Class AAAA Southeastern Conference. Damian Patragas joined the staff as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator from Upper St. Clair. He also wanted a former head coach and found one in Tim Garry, who agreed to tutor the running backs. Garry followed his father Jim as head coach at Fort Cherry.
Evans is not shy about his lack of experience coaching high school football. He often catches himself referring to game days as Saturdays and is reminded by his coaching staff that most of the players are still learning how to lift weights and picking up the nuances of the game.
The responsibilities of a high school head coach are lengthy. As he sits at a table scattered with paperwork in a trailer near Canon-McMillan’s locker room, Evans slips off his glasses, wipes the sweat off his brow, takes a swig of water and clears his throat. The first day of practice came with a lot of questions. Are there enough jerseys for picture day? Are cameras set up to film practice? Is dinner going to be prepared on time? It can be overwhelming, but one quote gives Evans piece of mind.?Hanging in his office is a quote by legendary basketball John Wooden: “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything.”
As offseason conditioning began, his players quickly realized Evans, who has the bravado and eloquence of a college coach, was more than just talk. He wanted to instill work ethic and camaraderie, and his staff’s actions spoke loudly. When renovations to the field forced the team to stay on the campus at California University for heat acclimation week, Evans and his nine assistants lived in the dorms.
To Evans, creating a family atmosphere and an inseparable bond is as important as a playbook.
“He has a lot of enthusiasm,” senior tight end Jordan Smith said. “He expects a lot out of us and that’s what this team really needed. Everything about the program is fresh. He wants everything like that. He wants it to be a fresh start. We don’t have to worry about last year or the year before that at all.”
Canon-McMillan and Trinity have produced quality athletes, but the two programs have combined for just one WPIAL title in football. The new football coaches are done talking about the past. They care only about the future.
“All I saw were the positives when I took this job,” Evans said. “It’s a growing community, a chance to be a head coach and I live two miles down the road. I’ve always looked at Canon-Mac differently. I always thought it was a tough district and I can’t get caught up in the other stuff. We have a ton of kids in the school. There has to be talent here and there is.”
Though the challenges are different for Miller, the goal is the same.
“This is a great place to be,” Miller said. “Trinity gets a bad wrap because of all the stuff in the newspaper. People paint a bad picture of the district. It’s not fair to the kids. We’re really going to turn this thing around and we’re going to bring pride back to Trinity.”