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BMHS football program doesn't need this now
By Jim Franz
Sports Editor
Just when you thought Beloit Memorial's floundering football program had finally latched onto a life preserver, it's starting to look like another cleverly disguised anchor.
The hiring of Joe Oberneder as head coach last January was a shrewd move by BMHS administrators. He's a sharp, knowledgeable, energetic and honorable coach not afraid to take on a colossal task in rebuilding the Purple Knights from Big Eight doormat back to respectability.
He grabbed on with gusto.
Oberneder had a vision for the team and already had BMHS players excited about playing football again. Growing numbers in the weight room before school reflected it. He also thought he had lined up a pretty fair coaching staff to get his message across.
Beloit Memorial Principal Carlton Jenkins wasn't quite so sure. He informed Oberneder that his defensive coordinator for the 2007 season would be... well, let's keep names out of this. That individual is not on staff. Suffice to say, he's not Tony Dungy. And he's somebody Oberneder doesn't really know from Adam.
Oberneder balked at the idea of letting others select key members of his staff. Principal Jenkins was adamant about it.
Now it looks like the school is looking for another new head coach.
The players, well, they're lost in that familiar shuffle again. Rumor has it a number of them plan on attending next Tuesday night's school board meeting to show their support to Oberneder.
Jenkins delivers high praise for Oberneder, but it doesn't seem like much of a vote of confidence when you don't trust him to pick his own people. Jenkins' explanation is that Oberneder isn't experienced enough as a head coach and that the administration is simply trying to help him by surrounding him with talented people.
There are a couple of problems with that.
No. 1, is Oberneder that inexperienced? True, this is his first varsity head coaching job. But he has 12 years of coaching experience at BMHS. He has been a head wrestling coach and a head sophomore football coach. He has been a varsity football coordinator. He knows the Beloit program inside and out. And he has a core of veteran coaches on his staff in Mark Anderson, Andy Trice and Buck Hessenberger. He is 36 years old and seems quite capable of having total control over a program.
No. 2, what's wrong with the guy Oberneder selected to be his defensive coordinator? Anderson has 32 years of experience, coaching every position except maybe kicker. He has an outstanding football mind and, when he was the head coach in the late 1990s, the last one to have any real success at BMHS.
No. 3, wouldn't it have been better to spell this all out when he was originally hired? Odds are, what has become an embarrassing footnote to recent BMHS football history wouldn't have ever happened.
The bottom line is this: Jenkins wants to put a successful football team on the field. Oberneder wants exactly the same thing. You shouldn't need Henry Kissinger to break this stalemate.
Jenkins said he thinks the world of Oberneder. That said, why not give him a chance to run his program the way he wants to run it? After all, it's the coach's neck on the line if the team doesn't improve. Shouldn't he be allowed to choose the assistant coaches and particularly the coordinators he believes will give him the best chance for success?
As far as Oberneder is concerned, he's a reasonable guy. If Jenkins has a talented young coach or two willing to help build the program, it's likely he wouldn't mind adding them to a staff that has a lot of veteran coaches close to retirement. The staff needs some new blood and some fresh ideas. But let these new guys earn their stripes before they're elevated to coordinator roles.
This whole ordeal could hurt a program that already has an identity crisis. The last thing you need to do is sour the students on football again. Many seem ready to fight for their coach. And he hasn't even led them in a game yet.
That says something right there about the man. Just re-instate him and get on with it.
The hiring of Joe Oberneder as head coach last January was a shrewd move by BMHS administrators. He's a sharp, knowledgeable, energetic and honorable coach not afraid to take on a colossal task in rebuilding the Purple Knights from Big Eight doormat back to respectability.
He grabbed on with gusto.
Oberneder had a vision for the team and already had BMHS players excited about playing football again. Growing numbers in the weight room before school reflected it. He also thought he had lined up a pretty fair coaching staff to get his message across.
Beloit Memorial Principal Carlton Jenkins wasn't quite so sure. He informed Oberneder that his defensive coordinator for the 2007 season would be... well, let's keep names out of this. That individual is not on staff. Suffice to say, he's not Tony Dungy. And he's somebody Oberneder doesn't really know from Adam.
Oberneder balked at the idea of letting others select key members of his staff. Principal Jenkins was adamant about it.
Now it looks like the school is looking for another new head coach.
The players, well, they're lost in that familiar shuffle again. Rumor has it a number of them plan on attending next Tuesday night's school board meeting to show their support to Oberneder.
Jenkins delivers high praise for Oberneder, but it doesn't seem like much of a vote of confidence when you don't trust him to pick his own people. Jenkins' explanation is that Oberneder isn't experienced enough as a head coach and that the administration is simply trying to help him by surrounding him with talented people.
There are a couple of problems with that.
No. 1, is Oberneder that inexperienced? True, this is his first varsity head coaching job. But he has 12 years of coaching experience at BMHS. He has been a head wrestling coach and a head sophomore football coach. He has been a varsity football coordinator. He knows the Beloit program inside and out. And he has a core of veteran coaches on his staff in Mark Anderson, Andy Trice and Buck Hessenberger. He is 36 years old and seems quite capable of having total control over a program.
No. 2, what's wrong with the guy Oberneder selected to be his defensive coordinator? Anderson has 32 years of experience, coaching every position except maybe kicker. He has an outstanding football mind and, when he was the head coach in the late 1990s, the last one to have any real success at BMHS.
No. 3, wouldn't it have been better to spell this all out when he was originally hired? Odds are, what has become an embarrassing footnote to recent BMHS football history wouldn't have ever happened.
The bottom line is this: Jenkins wants to put a successful football team on the field. Oberneder wants exactly the same thing. You shouldn't need Henry Kissinger to break this stalemate.
Jenkins said he thinks the world of Oberneder. That said, why not give him a chance to run his program the way he wants to run it? After all, it's the coach's neck on the line if the team doesn't improve. Shouldn't he be allowed to choose the assistant coaches and particularly the coordinators he believes will give him the best chance for success?
As far as Oberneder is concerned, he's a reasonable guy. If Jenkins has a talented young coach or two willing to help build the program, it's likely he wouldn't mind adding them to a staff that has a lot of veteran coaches close to retirement. The staff needs some new blood and some fresh ideas. But let these new guys earn their stripes before they're elevated to coordinator roles.
This whole ordeal could hurt a program that already has an identity crisis. The last thing you need to do is sour the students on football again. Many seem ready to fight for their coach. And he hasn't even led them in a game yet.
That says something right there about the man. Just re-instate him and get on with it.
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of beloitdailynews.com.
Zach Reed, Beloit wrote on Apr 18, 2007 9:22 PM:
" I am one of the players who will be attending the hearing on Tuesday and when Mr. franz says there are many players ready to fight for there coach he's not lying. Coach O is an amazing coach and person, when we as a team heard he was going to be head coach we were all ready to put on pads and head out right then. removing Coach Oberneder from BMHS would be one of the biggest mistakes in the teams history. "
Michael McNulty, Beloit wrote on Apr 19, 2007 8:42 AM:
"
I'm not sure which way to go: I feel sorry for the football players and the coach as I do for all other sports programs in the city of Beloit that has made our children the laughing stock of the conferences. Not enough funding and no importance placed on the sports programs which if handled properly could generate more income than they spend, eventually. Or do I simply not act surprised considering who has been hired in this school district lately? Does anyone look at that? "
Harriet Everette, Beloit wrote on Apr 19, 2007 12:59 PM:
" I have just one two questions: 1) if this coach is go experienced and has been with the team for 12 years...then why are they losing? 2) I would like clarification from Michael McNulty on his comment "...considering who has been hired in this school district lately? Does anyone look at that?" Please enlighten me on "Whose" been hired in this district lately.
"
Char Walters, Beloit wrote on Apr 19, 2007 1:05 PM:
" Principle Jenkins should stop trying to micro-manage the football coaching staff and start managing the academics at Beloit Memorial H.S. Beloit Memorial has many issues including academic standards that he should be concentrating on instead of trying to manage a football teams coaching staff. I've had 2 sons go through the disappointment of playing football with consecutive losing seasons at BMHS after Mr. Anderson left. Mr. Anderson was an incredible coach and Mr. Oberneter obviously feels the same. If Mr. O was chosen for the head coaching position he should be able to pick his staff. If he fails, then replace him. Re-instate Mr. O and Mr. Jenkins should start being a Principle and put the academics and keeping our children safe as his #1 priority!
"
Luke Knowles wrote on Apr 19, 2007 7:57 PM:
" When I initially read that Coach O was to become the next Purple Knight Head Football Coach I knew the program was in good hands and on their way up. He's going to bring a positive energetic attitude to what has been a very negative situation. I had the opportunity to play a season under Coach O when he was an assistant and even though we went 0-9 he would show up to practice and games every week with a positive attitude to fire us up and keep us excited about playing the game of football. Every kid in the program deserves the opportunity play for such a wonderful Coach and man. RE-Instate Coach O ASAP because "Every day is a great day to get better" "
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Mitch Rea, Milwaukee wrote on Apr 18, 2007 6:33 PM: