BRIDGES: Building a successful football program

•Living in the past. I often hear people refer to the glory days of the Phil Jones era. These people are confused as to why things cannot be that way now.

There are many factors. First, Barrow County had one high school then. The talent pool was not split between more than one program. It cannot be under-emphasized how much of a role this has played. Also, Phil Jones has not coached at WBHS since the 1996 season. That was 15 years ago. As much respect as I have for Jones as a person and a coach, for some to continue talking about those years in comparison with today need to bring themselves into current times.

I also would be willing to bet that Jones himself would not like the comparisons. Yesterday is yesterday. Today is today.

•Coaching turnover. After enjoying stability under Jones, the WBHS football program is now on its fifth head coach since he moved on. That’s a lot for a decade and a half.

There have been various reasons for the coaching changes. Some were run off after only a short amount of time. One decided to leave in order to return to the smaller school he came from. (That in itself is an indictment on the program.)

The needed patience has not been given to head football coaches at WBHS through the years. That has to change in order for success to happen.

I covered a program recently whose head coach won a state title at the highest level of play in the state. He told me a coach has to be given five years to build a program. I’ll take the word of a coach who has won a state title and been successful at all his coaching stints. Stability does equal success.

•Coaches in the stands. All schools have them.

Those who criticize the coaches, players and program in general. Buffoons who think since they played the sport decades ago or watch it on television, in turn have the false sense of thinking they know how to lead a high school program. Hogwash.

Last fall at the second game of the WBHS season, one moron went on a profanity- filled tirade that was an absolute embarrassment to anyone with a brain. To carry on in this fashion about a high school athletic program shows some people need additional education, regardless of how old they may be.

•Criticizing and not helping. A supportive fan/alumni base does make a difference in high school football. How do I know this? It’s simple. Just look at the programs who are successful and how much support they receive from the community. Playing in front of empty seats by the third home game of the season in no way motivates a team to do better. The opposite is true.

•Quality pay for the coaching staff. The head coach often gets most of the attention, but a solid group of assistants is also necessary to be successful. This means having competitive coaching supplements and not being way below area schools.

This can be difficult because you have an anti-athletic mentality in many places and a group who doesn’t care if there wasn’t a football program. When a program is not successful, this mentality can spread quickly.

•On a final note, current WBHS head coach David Wagner has the ability to make the Bulldoggs competitive and then a winner. However, he has to be given time to get it done. He has to have the necessary support from the school system and the community.

Without it, he’s fighting a losing battle. There were many improvements from the WBHS team in 2010. Those who are only capable of looking at wins and losses will never understand, however, progress was made in several areas.

Wagner, himself, has said he wants the progress to include victories on the field this fall. With support from the right people, it can happen.

One thing I do know: Wagner and his coaches and players are working long hours to make it happen. I choose to support them and encourage you to do the same this upcoming season.

A little support can certainly go a long way when it comes to high school football success.

Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.