Year 17 on the Sidelines for Mt. Pleasant Head Football Coach Jason McIntyre will bring with it, the same things we can expect in a fresh fall season but for Coach Mac, 2022 brings with it a new title; Athletic Director. McIntyre is an Oiler through an through, having grown up in Mt. Pleasant and around the Athletic Program as a kid, with his dad Ted (44 Years Coaching), who’s in the Softball Coaches’ Hall of Fame and held the Football spot before Jason took over 17 seasons ago.
The 2021 Season brought with it, the 7th SVL Football Title for Coach McIntyre, his 15th Winning Season (they’ve had ONE losing season!, since he started his tenure), a 13th Playoff Appearance and a season that added an extra dash of sentimental flavor, with his son and Senior Starting QB Ryan McIntyre leading the charge on the field. After so many accomplishments, the graduation of his son and the new responsibilities ahead, I asked Coach what’s left? What will this new year entail and what keeps him going and the fire lit.
You start the 2022-23 school year in a new school/district role. What will be some of the difficulties and benefits of the Coach/AD Combo vs. the Coach/Teacher Combo?
The time commitments of both football and athletic director are intense, especially in the fall. I understood this when I took on the role. It takes having a lot of good people around you and support from the coaching staff. I am fortunate to have both here in Mt. Pleasant. I certainly think dealing with the same struggle as other coaches with player management, transportation, communication, etc. will help me understand how best to serve each coach and their goals. Furthermore, staying connected to the student body in a direct role as a coach I think helps maintain relationships through the year.
2021 was supposed to be a rebuilding year but then you go undefeated in the regular season and are all of a sudden replacing 7 All-Conference players from the Championship team last year. What will be missed with those guys and how and who do you have that are stepping up this year to keep the momentum alive for the title defense?
WE certainly have a number of shoes to fill on both sides of the ball. When you need to replace a two-year starter at quarterback and two first team all conference linebackers as well as your entire defensive line, you have lots of work to do. However, players in our program have done a good job throughout the years of maintaining the standards that have made us successful. We have some playmakers back offensively and a strong junior class eager to take on those needed roles. We know we will have a target on our back and its going to take a lot of growing up fast for some of our underclassmen in order to see success on the field like last season.
How was the experience of coaching your son at QB and being able to share a championship with him?
I am very fortunate to have had the experiences I have had with my son in our program. When you spend more than half of your life working year round coaching a sport, the opportunity to share that passion with your son is very rewarding. Add the fact that we were able to have the success we had made it even more special. It will certainly be different without Ryan around this season. I am very thankful to him and all our players for the memories they left us with last year.
I know coaches will stress that there are no gimmies, not easy outs on the schedule but looking a the slate for 2022, there really is NO letup on the schedule. Is that something you guys’ stress in training and in practice to motivate the kids or is it just another season, another game at a time?
The last time I remember our schedule being this difficult is in 2014 when Lapeer and Davison joined. However, the one thing experience has taught me over the years of coaching is the only thing that will help us be successful is focusing our complete attention on the team next on our schedule. That is all we can do. Having the two Traverse City schools join our league will certainly add an even greater tradition of strong football to our league. All we can do is embrace this as an opportunity to raise our expectations.
Finally, this begins year 17 in an era where we are seeing not only shorter coaching careers but teaching careers as well. What keep the fire going, what inspires you to keep the dual grind going year after year, especially when you can look back and see all the accomplishments?
I don’t think I could have lasted as long without a role model like my father to ground me through the struggles of teaching and coaching. He has been and still is a key contributor to our program and its ability to function. Moreover, I know I could not manage the program without him and our other long time assistants Bill Dennis and Jerome VanOrman. However, the two biggest things that keep me going are the relationships with the players and the sense of ownership I feel for the program. Parents and athletes continue to change and that makes it more difficult each year. Without the tradition and standards we have to lean on I’m not sure I or anyone would be able to last as long. In the end it’s the relationships with the players that keeps me going. Every year they humble and inspire me to keep going.
Just one more thing thing to add on a personal note. I started personally covering High School Football online when paper was still ‘King’. I didn’t know very many people yet, I’m not even sure if I had a clear strategy, I just had a passion for local high school sports and missed the game of Football. Coach McIntyre was one of the first coaches to come to me, 18 years ago, when he was an assistant under his Dad and asked me what he could do to help support the website. In the years that followed, many coaches reached out and offered the same and I will always be grateful for that!