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St. Mary's Memorial High School made Genoa football coach Mike Vicars an offer he could refuse - and did.
Vicars, who led the Comets to within two victories of a Division IV state championship last season, said he was contacted by St. Mary's Memorial officials about taking over as the Roughriders' head football coach. The 20-year veteran head coach said thanks, but no thanks.
Genoa athletic director Rick Briggle, who will be leaving his position as vice principal after this school year, said he’s not surprised Vicars is in demand. The assistant principal position was eliminated by the school board to save costs.
"Given the successes of Coach Vicars, it is not at all surprising that he is often courted when football vacancies occur,” Briggle said. “Though he did interview for the tradition rich St. Mary’s Memorial post, Coach Vicars will remain here at Genoa. We are very flattered and humbled by his decision and we must never take for granted his commitment to our Comets."
“He was courted very intensely and was offered the position. Mike has had a ‘history’ with St. Mary’s, too, going back to the storied Skip Baughman (deceased), longtime coach of the Roughriders,” Briggle continued. “That added to the lure of their efforts and the post.”
"They were looking for a wing-T coach," Vicars said. "I interviewed last Thursday and it went fine. They are really good people. You can tell why they're successful."
After his interview at the Auglaize County school, Vicars said he told St. Mary's Memorial school board members he was staying at Genoa.
"I heard from them that night and they offered me (the position)," Vicars said. "I'm really happy in the place I'm at. St. Mary's is a great job. If you look at their tradition, it's phenomenal. They were state runners-up in 2004. But, I like the people I work with, I like the community and I love the kids.
"I could have taken the job at a bigger school, but to me, I couldn't see where I was going to gain anything by going there. I already have everything I personally have wanted. Other than being at a bigger school, I wasn't going to gain anything else. I already have community support and I like the people I work for. It just didn't make any sense (to move)."
Vicars has been a head football coach at Ada, Hilltop, Delta, and Genoa high schools. He is 23-3 in two years at Genoa, with two Suburban Lakes League titles and two playoff appearances. The 2008 squad lost to eventual state champion Kettering Alter in the Division IV state semifinals.
St. Mary's Memorial is a member of the 10-team Western Buckeye League. The Roughriders' football team finished in a four-way tie for the WBL title last season and qualified for the Division III state playoffs, finishing 9-3.
Vicars said one reason St. Mary's Memorial contacted him was his association with former coach Skip Baughman, who guided the Roughriders for 36 years. Baughman showed Vicars how he ran his wing-T offense.
"When I first started out as coach back in the late '80s, I was struggling and I was looking for help," Vicars said. "I liked the offense they had and I went down there and talked to him. That's one of the reasons they called me. The coach they've had for the last 11 years (Doug Frye) resigned and they wanted to keep the wing-T tradition going that they've had for 50 years."
Vicars called the St. Mary's Memorial football coaching position one of the best jobs in Ohio, and added he was "flattered" that the school offered him the job.
"Maybe I would have taken it 10-15 years ago," Vicars said. "I'm just really happy in the situation I'm in. How do you duplicate that? Money's not going to solve that. Sometimes we can get caught up in that type of stuff - bigger and better. Me, I just really enjoy where I'm at."
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