Rach has big shoes to fill | News, Sports, Jobs

GREENFORD — David Rach understands the comparisons will constantly exist.
After all, subsequent in the footsteps of a legend is hardly ever a straightforward job. That’s primarily genuine when you are asked to take about a significant university football plan which is coming off of a state championship, and which was guided by a hall of fame coach.
So, what does a rookie head coach do for an encore in 2023?
“Well, in my circumstance I come to feel like I could mentor for 50 a long time and get one particular-thousand games and I’ll never ever be equipped to fill the sneakers of my predecessor,” Rach reported. “In that regard, I really don’t truly feel a large amount of stress mainly because I know coming in that there’s only one king of South Selection soccer.”
Rach turned the new leader of the South Assortment Higher football software when the district’s board of training hired him Wednesday as the Raiders’ head coach.
He will take about for Dan Yeagley, who retired after guiding the Raiders for 28 many years.
Yeagley led South Vary to a 248-75 record, which integrated the 2022 Division V point out title, two other condition semifinal appearances, 13 league titles and 11 double-digit get seasons. Final slide, South Vary turned the third Ohio crew to go 16-.
“I’ve known Mentor Yeagley given that I was in the third grade,” Rach reported. “He’s always been a dwelling legend and a job model. It sounds nuts but I really do not really feel any strain in striving to fill his sneakers, since I know I can’t.”
“For me, it’s the aggressive challenge of sustaining the degree of excellence we’ve had listed here for so quite a few years. We have experienced a uncomplicated information of seeking to make ourselves and our program two {a0ae49ae04129c4068d784f4a35ae39a7b56de88307d03cceed9a41caec42547} far better than it was yesterday. That will keep on to be our purpose relocating into the upcoming.”
Rach moves into his new function with a powerful comprehending of the system. He is a 2007 graduate of South Array Superior College, wherever he was the the Ohio Division V Defensive Co-Player of the 12 months as a senior soon after creating a college-document 7 interceptions.
Rach then went to Youngstown Condition University in which he performed 24 video games in three seasons as a linebacker from 2008-2010. He began his coaching vocation in 2012 as a freshman coach at Canfield under Mike Pavlansky. He returned to South Range in 2013, signing up for the varsity personnel as a linebacker coach. He has served as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator considering the fact that 2014.
“I’ve been a football nerd due to the fact I was in kindergarten,” Rach claimed. “Seriously, as extensive as I can remember I constantly realized that I needed to be a coach. I was lucky in that my dad and uncles coached me early on, and I’ve been close to excellent coaches who were being also great males my total daily life.”
“It’s insane to say, but even when I was in school taking part in the video game I would have instead coached had I been provided the alternative.”
Rach inherits a application that has won 43 of its final 46 game titles, which has logged a 38-2 general history in excess of the earlier three seasons. South Assortment is using a 30-match regular period winning streak.
“We shed 20 seniors, 10,000 yards of offense and a hall of fame mentor,” Rach laughed. “Other than that, we’re Ok.”
“Seriously although, a person issue I realized in taking this career was that Coach Yeagley would never ever depart the cabinet bare when he remaining this plan. He remaining knowing that we have some good groups coming up as a result of the ranks.”
Rach reported South Range’s new playoff good results delivered gamers with 14 more weeks of exercise over the past 3 years. A amount of lopsided wins also supplied underclassmen with valuable varsity participating in time.
“Our seniors-to-be have performed a ton of soccer in major places, in that regard we’ll be in superior shape.” Rach reported. “I believe it is crucial for all of us gamers and coaches to acquire a action back again, look at what worked final calendar year and study from that knowledge.”
“We’ve appreciated achievement in the previous, but now we’re in uncharted territory. How do we take care of the problem of becoming a defending condition champ? It’s a significant obstacle for teenagers to face.”
Rach then mentioned that the most crucial lesson he realized from Yeagley is that coaching is “about much much more than wins and losses.”
“At the end of the day, our young children are our most treasured asset,” Rach said. “This is about constructing associations and constructing character outside of the soccer area. All the things we do is primarily based on what is greatest for our young ones.”
This will be Rach’s next attempt as a head mentor. He formerly was employed as Western Reserve’s head mentor on March 12, 2000, but resigned significantly less than 3 months later citing health and fitness concerns.
Rach will make his South Assortment head coaching debut Aug. 18 when the Raiders open up at Springfield.