In The Begining: Three First-Year Coaches Made Their ITCL Debut in 2008

The ITCL saw three coaches make their debut in the 2008 season with Jackson-Milton’s Tim McGlynn, Lisbon’s Jeremy McElroy, and Southern’s Dan Saling.  Saling would prove to have the most successful year in terms of wins and losses, but McGlynn and McElroy may have laid down a foundation to improve the fortunes of their respective programs.  The Indians also had the benefit of an experienced team returning in 2008, and a coach that was familiar with that talent and system.  So a comparison of Saling to the other two coaches would not be fair.  But how did each coach feel about their first year in the ITCL?

“I’m proud of the job I’ve done this year, and the way the team has pulled together for me,” Saling would remark at the end of the Indians very successful 7-3 season.  “I really didn’t want to be a head coach, I didn’t get into this to be a head coach, I got into it to help the kids.  When Albert (former Southern head coach Alex Albert) left, it kind of fell on my shoulders, I didn’t want to see things change,” He would comment on why he took the job.  “I felt the team was good, and felt that they deserved the chance.  I was afraid that if a new guy came in, he might lose three games before he figured out what he had.”      Along the way, Saling found that he enjoyed his first season at the helm of the Indians football program.  “I really enjoy the kids, and I feel like we can build something here.  It doesn’t have to end here.  Were losing a lot of kids, I know that, but I think a strong effort in the winter, in the weight room, and we can replenish our line, and I think we have some decent backs coming back,” As he described how he wants to continue the Indians winning ways.      Coach Tim McGlynn didn't enjoy quite the same success in his first year, but the Blue Jays program got off to a great start by winning it's first three games in 2008.  "We started really well, then we ran into a real buzz-saw with McDonald and Western Reserve," McGlynn would remark about the fast start.  "We were stressing to our kids going into the 2008 season that it has been over twenty-seven years since we have won a conference title.  That's a long time," he admitted.      The Blue Jays were coming off a 1-9 season in 2007, and McGlynn knew he was facing many obstacles.  "The biggest obstacle was just getting the kids to come out.  If you're not winning, it's not a lot of fun," he would comment.  With 38 players on the roster to begin the 2008 season, he has already started to change some things at J-M.  "It's so nice to have our freshmen playing special teams instead of being starters," said McGlynn.      McGlynn, who has been an assistant wrestling coach with the Jays for three years, felt the players at Milton had the character to be successful.  "I knew the tough kids we have here.  I knew the potential.  I want to bring back the pride that used to be here," McGlynn would conclude.

Head coach Jeremy McElroy of Lisbon had the dubious honor of taking over the Blue Devil program following the departure of lengandary coach Jim Tsilimos.  But coach McElroy is trying to carve out a new era in Lisbon football.  "Coach Tsilimos did a lot of really great things here, but I don't know that I tried to do the same things he did.  But I just tried to do what I thought was best, and what needed to be done.  You always try to use tradition, and there is a lot of tradition at Lisbon.  So you try to connect with that tradition, and hopefully we will do more of that in the future," he would explain.      Despite the tradition of the Blue Devil program, the 2008 season was not characteristic of their program.  "The first year wasn't what we would have liked it to have been, but now, in the off season we are laying down the foundation for the future.  We're trying to build that foundation, we're working hard," McElroy would comment.

So now with the first year under his belt, coach McElroy is looking forward to the 2009 campaign, and what his Blue Devil team can accomplish.  "Yeah I'm looking forward to this year.  You know it (2008 season) was a good learning experience, it was a process that I learned a lot from from," McElroy would conclude.      All three of the "new" coaches in 2008 should once again prove to be outstanding mentors for they're respective programs in the upcoming year.  How much the Jays, Indians and Devils improve under they're direction will remain to be seen, but with the help of these bright coaches, the ITCL will continue to be one of the best small school conferences in the state. -ITCLFootball.net Article