217 Football

The News-Gazette has a great article about Hall of Famer Gerald Temples.  After I graduated from Du Quoin High School, another student and I went up to play for Millikin University.  We went 14-0 that senior year in high school and when I joined Millikin, I went from being in bigger fish in a smaller pond to a smaller fish in a medium sized pond.  This is when I first met Gerald Temples, a Millikin assistant coach.

I didn't know it at the time, but the place was a hot bed for high school football coaches.  Another Millikin assistant coach Tim Funk, is the head coach at Belleville East, while a teammate of mine Cameron Pettus, is an assistant at Belleville West.  Another recruit from Southern Illinois, Robbie Long from Mt Vernon, was a teammate at Millkin and is now an assistant at Herrin high school.  The head coach at Roxana, Pat Keith, again another teammate.

I am glad to see Coach Gerald Temples back in the game.  Check the article on News-Gazette.

http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/prep-sports/football/2010-08-10/return-coaching-excites-temples-purple-riders-too.html

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Return to coaching excites Temples; Purple Riders, too

ARCOLA – Three decades coaching football at the high school or collegiate levels couldn't prepare Gerald Temples for what he faced the past two seasons.

In his self-imposed retirement, he attended Friday night prep games as a spectator.

"It was brutal," Temples said. "It's harder to watch than to be involved coaching."

He had no shortage of choices. He could travel to Normal, where his son Wes is the head coach at Normal Community. Or, he could go to Lincoln-Way Central, where his son-in-law, Brett Hefner, is the head coach.

"I stood in the end zone," Gerald Temples said, "away from the people in the stands."

He was impressed with what he saw at both locations. Normal Community advanced to the state playoffs in 2009, as did Lincoln-Way Central. Hall of Fame coach Temples didn't offer much input.

"They have their own systems, and it's important that they leave their own footprint," he said. "We would discuss the flow of the game but never did I question anything. The fans who paid, they're the ones who do all the questioning."

Gerald Temples likely will not see any Normal Community or Lincoln-Way Central games this year, unless he looks at game tape. He officially returns to the sideline Wednesday as the Arcola High School head coach. Practice starts at 7 a.m. with about 46 prospects.

"My wife (Angie) said we'll have to increase our text (messaging) capabilities," Temples said. "Now we have three games to keep track of."

Different fields

His teams have compiled a 134-75 record in his 21 years as a head coach, but Temples' direction in life was less clear in his younger years.

"When I started in college, I started in business," he said.

During the two years he played football as a safety at North Central College, he realized a different career path would be preferable.

"I couldn't see myself sitting behind a desk," he said.

He transferred to Millikin University, where three men helped to influence his future. Skip Matheson was the head football coach, Carl Poelker was his defensive coordinator and Merle Chapman was the school's offensive line coach.

"I learned a lot from each one," Temples said. "They had a tremendous impact on how we do things now."

After two years as a football assistant at Macon, Temples was hired as the school's head coach. He was 24 years old.

He might have stayed longer, but he felt a pull to return to his native Oakland after his father, Glenn, suffered a heart attack.

"I went home and farmed," he said.

After three years away from high school football, and three years of operating the 1,800-acre farm, Temples returned to the game.

He accepted a position at his alma mater. The opportunity at Oakland afforded the 1969 graduate the chance to farm and coach football.

He eventually returned to the classroom as a full-time instructor and followed his three-year stint at Oakland with a four-year stopover at Shelbyville.

Master builder

At many of his stops, football has not been the marquee sport in town. Upon his arrival in Oakland, Temples took over a program that had barely won a fourth of its games the previous eight years, with one winning season in that span.

Temples' record at Oakland was 22-7.

At Shelbyville, the Rams won at least eight games in three of his four seasons. Since his departure in 1988, the school has won more than eight games once in 21 years.

At Mattoon, he inherited a program that had a 28-game losing streak. The skid reached 39 games before a breakthrough victory signaled a turnaround that resulted in playoff appearances in six of his final nine years at the Big 12 Conference school. He is the only coach to have a 10-win football season at Mattoon, and his teams accomplished that feat twice.

"You've got to have great administrators that allow you to set standards and do things the correct way," Temples said, "and I was fortunate to have had good assistants who were willing to put in the time.

"If you don't have good athletes, the rest of it doesn't mean anything."

Perhaps it was destiny that prompted his return to the sideline this year.

"My golf game," he said, "wasn't good enough to compete."

Surrounded by excellence

The trial-and-error portion of the coaching profession is part of Temples' past.

Each time he tackles a new challenge – as he did in December when he accepted the position at Arcola – he has a well-devised starting point.

"The first thing," he said, "is to get the weightroom going.

"The stronger you are, the quicker you'll be and the less chance for injury, and if you are injured, the quicker you'll recover."

The next step is putting together a quality staff. That's one part of the program over which prep coaches have control.

"You can't go recruiting (players). You've got what you've got," Temples said, "but you need awfully good assistants."

With the Purple Riders, he is working with two holdover coaches from last year's 1-8 team: Chad Eisenmenger and Luis Mendoza. Temples will serve as the defensive coordinator – as he did throughout his tenure at Mattoon – and he has a familiar offensive coordinator.

Tuscola native Jeff Hettinger served in a similar capacity during Temples' final years in Mattoon. The Arcola staff also includes two volunteers, Zach Davis and Jim Fishel.

Temples and Hettinger plan to have an offense that won't be predictable.

"We'll have multiple formations with two backs, one back, shotgun," he said.

Temples said it's important to have some stability within the staff and is pleased Eisenmenger and Mendoza remained.

"Chad and Luis are good young coaches who have a great relationship with the kids," he said. "If they desire, they will be good head coaches down the line."

The initial reception from the Arcola athletes has been positive.

In the weightroom, Temples said, "the kids did a tremendous job; as good as any place I've ever been."

A storied program

Few high schools in the state have a tradition to match Arcola's in football. Six times in a 19-year period, starting in 1977, the school concluded its season by playing for a state championship.

Arcola was 3-3 in those games. Based on information compiled by the Illinois High School Association, three schools in state history have won more football games than the Purple Riders.

It will be Temples' job to revive a program that has finished with sub-.500 records five of the past nine years but reached a historic milestone in 2009 when it played its 1,000th football game.

Arcola's all-time record in the sport is 649-312-40.

"There's pressure," Temples said, "but that's fine with me. Those are the situations you want to be in.

"The tradition is the thing that attracted me. The success they've had for years is what made it neat. I know the community is an athletic-oriented community."

Despite what his record reveals – 18 seasons with .500 or better records in 21 years – Temples won't set preseason goals that center around wins and losses.

"We talk about working hard, doing things right in practice and doing things right in the public, whether you're in school or in society," he said.

"I want our kids to be in position for a conference championship, and to attain that you have to be at practice and work hard every day."

Changing with the times

Temples acknowledges he's not the same coach now as a 58-year-old as he was fresh out of college.

"Everybody calls it mellowing," he said. "I call it getting smarter. You have to communicate differently with the kids."

He has learned that to be an example, you have to set an example.

"You have to be upfront and honest about your expectations and the way things will be done," he said. "You have to treat kids fair, treat them right. You have to respect them before they can give you the respect."

Behavior and attitude will be an integral part of Temples' expectations.

"I expect kids in school or in the public to be respectful," he said, "whether it's with their teachers, their boss or their parents.

"There are certain things we'll accept and certain things we won't accept. When those happen, there needs to be accountability."

He expects a committed effort at each practice.

"We'll practice at a pretty good tempo," Temples said. "There won't be much standing around."

Getting started, again

The Purple Riders – like all other state schools – will have a possible 14 days of practice before opening the season Aug. 27. Arcola gets its start at home against a Westville program that played in back-to-back state championship games in 2006 and 2007.

"Week 1 will be a good challenge, a good measuring stick," Temples said.

Prior to the first game, there will be plenty of other challenges. Those will be provided by the athletes who want to earn playing time for the upcoming season.

The school's first-year head coach has no preconceived notions.

"We will make sure every kid gets an opportunity in practice to show what he can do," Temples said. "We don't have anyone penciled in (to start) anywhere. We'll play as many kids as possible who can compete at the varsity level."

When he eventually reflects on his first year with the Purple Riders, Temples will have established criteria to determine if it was a success.

"If we can feel our kids competed at the highest level every game, if the practice effort was good and if the kids handled themselves with class, then we'll feel good about things," he said. "Whether in practice, the classroom or the games, we want them to compete. If those things happen, the wins and losses will take care of themselves."

Fred Kroner is The News-Gazette's prep sports coordinator. He writes a weekly high school-related column throughout the school year. He can be reached by phone at 217-351- 5232, by fax at 217-373-7401 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Area newcomers
Seven area football programs will be under the direction of new head coaches when the high school season starts Aug. 27. The group:
SCHOOL    COACH    COMMENT
Arcola    Gerald Temples    Will coach against his alma mater (Oakland/Tri-County) for the first time Sept. 24
Blue Ridge    Kent Miller    Knights seeking to snap 27-game losing streak in opener at Tri-Valley
Champaign Central    Ira Jefferson    Maroons haven’t won more than five games in any of the past seven seasons
Cerro Gordo    Andy Kerley    Broncos have been to the playoffs 17 of the past 22 years
Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Chrisman    Josh Cavanaugh    Second time in six years the Buffaloes hired their head coach the week practice begins
Hoopeston Area    Michl Kearney    Cornjerkers chasing first winning season in 17 years
Milford/Cissna Park    Clint Schwartz    Bearcats working with their fourth head coach in the past five year

State’s elite
The Illinois High School Association’s list of programs with the most
varsity victories in football, entering this season:
SCHOOL                   WINS
East St. Louis Sr.    750
Chicago Mount Carmel    660
Champaign Central    654
Arcola    649
Tuscola    636

Temples at a glance
A look at Gerald Temples’ football coaching career since graduating from Millikin University:
YEARS    SCHOOL    COMMENT
1974-75    Macon    Assistant coach
1976-78    Macon    Head coach, 20-9 record
1979-1981    None    Out of coaching to farm
1982-84    Oakland    Head coach, 22-7 record
1985-88    Shelbyville    Head coach, 30-11 record
1989-1995    Millikin    Assistant coach
1996    Central A&M    Assistant coach
1997-2007    Mattoon    Head coach, 62-48 record
2008-09    None    Retired
2010    Arcola    Hall of Famer brings career record of 134-75

Assistant football coach Jason Fox of Effingham was relieved of assistant coaching duties because of a career change to junior high principle.

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From the Effingham Daily News, Samantha Newburn

EFFINGHAM — Teary-eyed Effingham High School football players and parents pleaded with Effingham Unit 40 Board of Education Monday night to allow high school football coach and former high school Assistant Principal Jason Fox to continue his coaching duties even though he is now junior high principal, but their efforts fell short when the board decided to relieve Fox of his coaching status.

Former and current football players and parents packed the board of education office during the board’s executive session at the beginning of the meeting, waiting to hear the results of whether Fox would be allowed to continue coaching.

Board members unanimously voted to relieve Fox as coach, saying his new position as principal at the junior high school would hinder his ability to dedicate enough time to the football team and to his new position. Fox volunteered his time as coach after he was named assistant high school principal a few years ago, according to Superintendent Dan Clasby.

In March, Fox was named junior high principal for the upcoming school year, taking the place of Scott Holst. Cody Lewis, a science teacher at the high school, was then named high school assistant principal.