Staff
Hunting season is in full force in Rainy River District, but deer and moose are not Shane Bliss’ target—it’s a head football coach.
The Fort High athletic director is putting out a public appeal in hopes of snaring a viable candidate to become the new man in charge along the sidelines for the Muskie pigskin brigade next season.
Those interested in the position will have the opportunity to take the reins of a program boasting more than 50 years of history. But they also will have to be ready to put in some extended hours.
“It’s a pretty big task,” Bliss admitted of the head coaching job. “It’s not just showing up for three hours on game day.
“I don’t want to scare anyone off, but you’re talking about three hours of practice each night during the week leading up to the game, plus doing things like reviewing game film,” he noted.
“You’re probably looking at an estimated 24 hours of work per week you’ll have to put in to do it right.”
The Muskies had a difficult time both on and off the field this past season. Dean Bruyere resigned as head coach after two games due to health reasons and the squad forfeited their Week 3 game due to a lack of available players.
With the possibility of the team having to fold for the rest of the season, offensive co-ordinator and former Muskie quarterback Andrew George stepped up to take the head coaching job.
Meanwhile, the players themselves went on a desperate recruiting drive through the hallways of the school and eventually talked enough novices to come out to practice to fill out the roster for the remainder of what turned out to be an 0-7 season.
Bliss said George has designs on seeking employment outside of the area, necessitating the quest for a replacement—and that replacement need not be the second coming of Tom Landry, either.
“We’re open to any names submitted to us,” he stressed. “They don’t have to have had a lot of coaching experience or even football experience.
“We’ll look at anyone who wants to take the job.”
Bliss believes the job opening is a great chance for any former Muskies to make their mark on the program which they proudly suited up for in the past.
“It would be nice to see some of the alumni who maybe want to get back into the program and help out to step forward,” he remarked. “Our program, like any other, has had its highs and lows in recent years.
“It’s a roller-coaster ride, but we’ve got things going in the right direction,” Bliss noted. “We’ve got the [junior Muskie] program started up again and I talked to the coaches with that team [who] said they were getting really good support from the parents.
“I don’t think people will be scared to touch the job because the team has struggled recently,” he reasoned. “I think it will be more of a time issue.
“I think the way it was this year is what it will be for the next couple of years,” Bliss continued. “We need players and coaches.
“It’s tough for the players when you have a short bench because so many of them have to play both ways, and there’s so much to learn.
“And it’s tough when you don’t have enough coaches for every position and they have to be watching both the offence and the defence.”
Anyone interested in the head coaching job, or any of the assistant coaching positions, should submit their expression of interest, coaching background, and philosophies in person to Bliss or via the mail at 440 McIrvine Road, Fort Frances, Ont., P9A 3T8.
Bliss also can be reached by calling at 274-7747 ext. 251.
