Cardinals name
new skipper

By Joe Mason
For the Times

When Jim Grugan met with his new team for the first time, he was almost amazed.
Grugan, a former assistant coach with North Catholic and Conwell-Egan high schools, recently accepted the position of head football coach at Cardinal Dougherty. And when he arrived, he figured he’d have a few players, ready to lift, run and prepare for the fall.
He was wrong.
He had more than a few.
"I was pleasantly surprised . . . we had sixty-four kids sign up," said Grugan, a Mayfair resident. "Since we first had signups, there’s been a little drop-off, but that’s to be expected. I’d say we’ve had mid-thirties to forty every day.
"We’ve opened the weight room from 3:30 to 7 every afternoon, so if kids play baseball or run track, they have a chance," he continued. "We’re a small community, so if kids want to play more than one sport, that’s great."
Numbers have been a problem when it comes to players, but when it comes to coaches, Dougherty sure has depth.
When Grugan was hired, he became the fifth Dougherty coach since 2001, the year Jerry McConnell stepped down.
Since then, there have been a lot of coaches and not too many wins. The past three coaches have gone a combined 8-53, though things have been looking up recently.
Chris Riley, who guided the team for the past two seasons, led Dougherty to a 5-14 record.
That might not sound great, but compared to his predecessors, that’s Bill Belichick-type numbers. Riley returned to coach at his alma mater, Northeast High School, after the fall season.
Grugan inherits a young team, a team that has just a handful of seniors. With his experience, he should serve as a good teacher.
Grugan began his football career at Moss, then played for North Catholic before moving and finishing his high school career in Florida.
He went on to play football at Marshall University, helping the Thundering Herd advance to three Division 1-AA championship games, including a victory in the 1992 title game.
Grugan began cutting his teeth as an assistant coach at North from 1999 to 2001, before moving to Conwell-Egan. While he’s yet to win a championship as a coach, he has a history of helping undermanned teams make the playoffs.
Now that’s his goal at Dougherty.
"You want to make the playoffs, that’s ultimately the goal every year," Grugan said. "You start there and go from there. If you win a few games, you can make the playoffs, then you have new life and a chance at the second season.
"Honestly, I don’t think we’re that far away . . . I wouldn’t have taken the job if I did," he continued. "I don’t think we have to tear these kids down and build them back up. I think we just have to hold them accountable and teach them football.
"A lot of these kids learned football from playing ‘Madden’ and watching the NFL," he added. "We have to teach them the game and how to play.
"I really think we have a chance to do well right away," he said. "It’s going to be hard, but winning is hard. If you look at this team, I’ve been coaching against them for years and every loss comes down to a play here or a mental mistake. If you take that out, you can win games.
"I have good coaches, like Jim Whitehead, who has been with me since I was at North," Grugan added. "We have some hard-working coaches, we‘re bringing back a freshman team, and if we get the numbers, we’ll have a junior varsity team. I‘m really excited."
Grugan isn’t the only one excited about Dougherty’s chances this year.
"Coach Grugan brings with him over twelve years of Catholic League coaching experience," said Dougherty’s president, the Rev. Carl Janicki. "We are excited about the energy and experience he brings to our football program."
Grugan knows he can deliver on the excitement, and he will be energized, and he credits his No. 1 fan for the support.
After all, coaching and working a full-time job as a sales rep is time-consuming, so it helps to have an understanding better half.
"My fiancée (Christine Miller) is great," he said. "My family and her family are behind us. Coaching is tough, and without help from home, it’s impossible. I get a lot of help that way." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com