Coaching changes aren’t anything new, but Lorain County got its fair share of them in 2023.
Amherst, Elyria, Elyria Catholic, Midview and Oberlin all have first-year head coaches, and all five programs are in different spots right now. A few of the new coaches are veterans and some have never been a head coach.
Amherst and Oberlin are trying to find success this season after each finished 0-10, and Midview looks to find its footing again. Elyria and Elyria Catholic don’t play this year, but they are linked no matter what, with Brian Fox heading over to Elyria after five years with EC.
Elyria Catholic lost a strong senior class and Fox, so that leaves Chase Farris with some work to do. Not only is Farris the new coach, but the Panthers have become the Ohio State Buckeyes. Farris won a national title as a player at OSU, and he’s joined by former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith as his offensive coordinator and former Buckeye teammate Doran Grant as defensive coordinator.
With only five starters back, it will be a new-look Panthers squad. There’s been a lot of competition this offseason to fill the open spots.
“(The players) have been separating themselves (to become starters) since March 18. One thing for sure is that they want to work,” Farris said. “Think about it like this, competition breeds excellence. Each and every day, you have to have that competitive edge and spirit to come out here. They want to be a part of something that is greater than themselves.”
Farris graduated from Elyria and is now at Elyria Catholic, so him and Fox did a swap. Under Fox, EC had a lot of success, but he’s now with the Pioneers. There may be more growing pains for Elyria as Fox enters his first season there, but that means there is a lot of room to grow over the course of the season.
Both Elyria teams lost good senior classes and are in sort-of rebuilding phases. The Pioneers have to come together as a team over the course of the year to get to where they want to be. The culture change is underway.
“It’s about rolling all in the same direction,” Fox said. “We’ll get on the same page and get going in the right way. You definitely see a lot of great things, and it’s looked better every single day. It’s not perfect and I know that can frustrate the kids, but better is always the result you’re looking for.”
While there was a swap for Elyria and Elyria Catholic, Midview is getting an alum in Jack Armstrong to coach the program. The Middies have had their share of struggles, but the former assistant is motivated to bring the team back up.
Transition and trying to build a foundation are things that can make a coaching change difficult, and Armstrong is trying to see progress this year in setting the tone for years to come. Midview has had tough sledding facing the SWC gauntlet as of late, and there are goals in place to help revive the program.
“It’s going great. We have great kids, great parents, a great community,” Armstrong said. “I have a great coaching staff that’s very supportive, we’re all there for each other. I’m super excited and motivated to bring this program back and it’s all about the kids.”
Midview certainly has a challenge on its hands, but Amherst and Oberlin are both trying to back in the win column in 2023. Tom Thome and Mark Campo have been around football for a long time, and both will have their work cut out for them.
Thome already got Lakewood to the playoffs for the first time in 18 years, so he knows what it takes to turn things around. Amherst was consistently around .500 about five years ago, but the Comets haven’t won a game in the past two years.
After hiring Thome in January, Amherst has hit the ground running. The players aren’t feeling sorry for themselves, and they’ve been working to get the feeling of a victory.
“We could complain all we want about what has happened, or what people are going to say about us. At the end of the day, you just have to punch your clock in and go to work and worry about yourself and the guys that are going with you,” Thome said.
Oberlin is in a different situation now with its third coach in three years. Campo seems to be a different hire with the success that he’s had over the years. He was the head coach at both Admiral King and Westlake at different points.
The Phoenix have a young team, and Campo is focusing on getting his players to understand the fundamentals. He feels like leaders on this team have emerged and that they’ve bought in. Campo has had to turn around programs before, and he’s going to try again at Oberlin.
“I think it’s very similar to my other two stops, it’s a program that hadn’t won and we’re trying to change that,” Campo said. “I think it starts that we have a great AD, we have a great coaching staff. They’re good teachers of the game and the kids are starting to pick it up. As long as we get better every day, I’m encouraged.”
Every team is focused on getting better in the preseason, but there’s a difference with coaching changes. Foundations need to be set, and these five new coaches are going to be trying all season long to make that happen.
