With the JV and varsity football teams lining the pews in the chapel, former head coach Keith Rawlings’ eyes fill with tears as he recounts his emotional decision to leave the Patriots sideline and follow his children to St. Paul’s next season, handing the reigns of the team to offensive coordinator Rich Stichel.
“It was very hard to leave John Carroll because I love the kids and the coaches and the football program. It was one of hardest decisions I’ve ever made in my life,” said Rawlings.
After two years coaching the Patriots’ varsity football team, Rawlings will opt not to renew his contract, citing family commitments. In his place, Stichel will take over as head coach, as well as continuing his play calling duties.
About his decision, Rawlings said, “This was a decision around God, family, [and] football. We follow God in what we do and serve God all the time. Family was before football here and that’s the bottom line.”
This was made clear, according to Dukes, from the time of Rawlings’ hire. Dukes said, “His intentions were to coach his kids in high school or at least always be available to watch them play.”
Rawlings’ sons are attending St. Paul’s for high school, staying in the St. Paul’s system. “It was logistically not going to work for him to coach here and see all of his children’s sports,” said Dukes.
Added Rawlings, “At the end of the day, my family’s got to come before John Carroll football and if I was here doing football, I wouldn’t be able to see my kids with their football. It was really based upon my family.”
However, although the agreement was made apparent, Dukes “believed that [the hiring of Rawlings] could have been a very long relationship. It would have been a logical place for his sons to come to high school.”
Rawlings added, “I planned on staying here for twenty years, but unfortunately it wasn’t in the cards.”
Even with the risk, “I knew what he would bring to John Carroll and was willing to take it,” said Dukes.
Part of what Dukes saw in Rawlings was his “passion for his commitment to growing these boys into young men, his passion to development off the field, and his passion to build a winning football program. He accomplished all three.”
Rawlings has not officially taken a coaching position at St. Paul’s. “There will be coaching opportunities there. What they are is not defined yet,” he said.
“Some are disappointed,” Rawlings said about the reaction of the players to the change. “When you have a great relationship [between the] players [and] coach, it hurts. People don’t like change. It hurts me; my reaction was bawling my eyes out telling them I’m leaving.”
Junior Zack Frink said, “I’m really sad about it. I was looking forward to finishing out my high school career with him as head coach. He does all that he can for our team and then some. I respect how he puts God and family before football, [so] I guess at the end of the day, you have to do what you have to do.”
What the school loses from Rawlings is not just on the football field. Dukes said, “The biggest thing we lost is a genuine person of integrity whose priorities in life are what we try to teach all of our students. He walks the walk in everything he does. It’s hard to find people that bring those qualities, and when you do find someone like that, they will surely be missed.”
From the experience of coaching the Patriots, Rawlings will take with him “a lot of great memories.” He added, “I’ll treasure some of the experiences that we had together, [like the] times at Tall Timbers [football camp]. They are special memories that will never die.”
Rawlings also doesn’t expect to leave campus all together as a JV game between the Patriots and St. Paul’s is scheduled for September in which Rawlings’ oldest son will be playing.
“I’m five minutes down the road; I’m not going anywhere,” said Rawlings. “Once they play for you, they’re always your players. I’ll help my players in any way I can: jobs, college, whatever.”
As a result of the close relationships he developed with his players, Rawlings hopes to maintain contact. “I told them [the players] if it’s a true relationship, it’ll last forever,” he said. “I hope my relationships with the players meant something to be and I meant something to them will last forever. And I truly believe that. If you care about somebody, you always care about them.”
Rawlings knows that the football program will go through a transition period in 2010, but hopes that the fans stay behind the team. “We hope that the parents and alumni will continue their efforts to support John Carroll football and embrace this change in a positive matter and show up at all the games,” said Rawlings.
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Kate Froehlich can be reached for comment at [email protected]