Coach Mike McDonald Talks About His Career at EHS

Coach Mike McDonald walks with his wife Gena and children, Nate, Jeni, Megan and Andy during festivities at the last final regular season EHS football game.

Before long, Mike McDonald will no longer be roaming the sidelines but sitting on the sidelines. The Effingham High School varsity football coach will see his last action as head of the program over the next several weeks.

When talking recently with Coach McDonald, he revealed what he’ll miss most about his retirement and what he won’t miss.

”I’m going to miss the camaraderie with the coaches. I’m going to miss the kids. When it comes to practice starting up next year I’ll know what they’re going through. The best part is getting out there and working with the kids. Through the years those guys keep you young. It’s always different, things you learn from the kids.

“I won’t miss the heat and when the IHSA tells us what we can do and when we can practice. I won’t miss the restrictions that have been put on coaches nowadays. The hardest part has always been preparing, the hours and hours of film work, planning practices and getting organized.”

Coach McDonald came to the Effingham area as a senior in high school. He had a little less than normal high school experience as he attended three different high schools and ended up graduating from Teutopolis High School.

“I attended Danville Schlarman for a year and a half then transferred to Sidell Jamaica until my senior year,” said McDonald. “My dad got the superintendent’s job in Teutopolis but I stayed at Jamaica through the football season my senior year then transferred to T-town.”

McDonald attended Eastern Illinois University where he met his wife, Gena.

“She was a friend of my sister who was going there,” said McDonald. “I wasn’t big enough to play football at that level. I went there for a teaching degree in physical education with a minor in health. I also am certified to teach math. Math is how I got the job at EHS after I student taught.”

McDonald came in right as Jack Klosterman had retired after coaching 25 years, just two years longer than McDonald would eventually coach.

“It was Drew Potthoff’s first year as head football coach,” said McDonald. “Jack was still around in the background helping out. I was a part-time student teacher with Jack and Drew. I got to know Jack a little bit. I student taught and actually was assistant coach with Dan Hine at the sophomore level. Then when I got hired on I became the assistant freshman coach with Monty Nohren.”

” He was a student teacher under Jack,” said Potthoff, who is now the athletic director at Marian Central Catholic High School. “He actually was assigned to me. He helped us coach that year. We hired him as a teacher and coach the next year.

“I remember Coach Klosterman and I had a conversation, we had to get this guy fulltime. He did a nice job on the football field and student teaching. Just a great guy. I’ve kept in touch with him throughout the years.

“He was always asking questions, why we did this. A real student of the game. Not only the game but motivating kids. Just a real go-getter. He was just starting his family and he brought his dad persona into coaching with him. He was always trying to do better. I never saw him get rattled. He doesn’t yell and scream, that’s not him.

“If he’s the same way now as then, that’s what kids need these days. Mike always had a handle on how to coach kids and talk to them. I think it’s wonderful that he’s having a great year his last season.”

McDonald paid his dues coming up through the ranks at EHS. He was a freshman assistant then head freshman coach before moving up to the sophomore level.

“At one point in time, Mike Oyler was on staff and he was the defensive coordinator and was also in the National Guard. One year we made the playoffs and after the first round of playoffs Mike had to go to serve in the National Guard and I came up and filled in as varsity defensive coordinator. We played Salem in the second round and won that. The third round we were at home and we played Rantoul. When we got into that playoff game we were getting beat and our head coach got kicked out of the game so I ended having to take over. It was weird, going from sophomore coach to having to coach the varsity in a playoff game.

“I was an assistant for 10 years altogether. I applied for the head job that Mike Hoskins got. He was there for two years and I was defensive coordinator for those years. He left abruptly and I was hired at the end of July. That was my first year which was 1992.

“We had a good group of kids that first year I was there. We played Mahomet the first game and they were ranked and we beat them. We went 8-1 and we played Mattoon in the first round and then got beat by Carbondale.

“That first year was special because I got the job late and I had to figure out who was going to be on staff. I got Tom Fish on staff and Oyler was back. Terry Ryker was an assistant. There are always a lot of things to remember. Jason Bridges was a senior captain. We had some pretty good kids including Jeff Waymoth. There was just a good bunch of kids and good underclassmen. Obviously you’re always going to remember the first year.”

The Hearts then started out McDonald’s second season 0-2 before winning seven straight games with players like Mike Bracey, Cory Sayne and Travis Franklin. Then there was a long dry spell.

“It was frustrating because we had some real good players,” said McDonald. “Like Toby Randolph. Those are some good years we didn’t make playoffs but really had good players. One year we actually shared the Apollo Conference championship but didn’t make the playoffs.

“It was a lot tougher getting in the playoffs back then. Later on I was able to coach my son Andy who played varsity a couple of years and then he was able to get on staff. Then I coached my son Nate when Andy was part of my staff. “

“Another memory is in 2007 when we went undefeated. Curran McNeely and Logan Ellington were record setters then. I also remember all my assistant coaches. Dan Koester was the longest tenured coach I had. And I have a lot of fond memories of Chris Hutts, the job he did and difficulties when he was ill and later died from cancer.”

“I think Mac is a very good man,” said longtime Effingham Daily News sports editor Sam Rickelman and the father of Chris Hutts. “He’s done a good job with the EHS football program. They went from some down years back to where they are now. His record speaks for itself with all those years they went to the playoffs. Chris enjoyed working with him and coaching for him.”

Coaching the game of football has changed during his 23-year tenure at EHS.

“When I started there was film but it was a projector with 8mm,” said McDonald. “That’s how we watched game film. If there were scouting reports you had to send guys. That’s what I did when I first started.

“Technology has changed the game quite a bit. Everybody in the state is on this huddle system. You can have game film over the internet in five minutes. All our kids can watch the film, you don’t have to make copies. Before you had to make copies for coaches and kids trying to see it.

“I do miss the part where I’d go to exchange film. You could meet the coaches face to face and talk about your lower level and now you don’t even talk to them. I miss that.”

Coach McDonald has taken the Hearts to the playoffs 13 times starting during his first year. The Hearts downed Mattoon 33-18 and then lost to Carbondale 47-14. In 1993-94 EHS lost in opening round play to Jerseyville Jersey 27-21. In 2001-02 the Hearts won an opener over Bethalto Civic Memorial 18-14 before losing to Troy Triad 34-14. In 2003-04, EHS fell to Highland in the opener 19-6. The Hearts went back in 2004-05 and lost to Belleville Althoff Catholic in the opener 48-13.

EHS returned in 2005-06 and lost to Newton 35-12. The Hearts won the opener in 2006-07 over Wood River-East Alton 21-20 before losing to Newton 41-21. EHS then lost to Charleston in 2007-08, 22-20 and Cahokia 40-8 in 2008-09. In 2009-10 EHS beat Belleville Althoff Catholic 10-7 and lost to Quincy Notre Dame 35-0. In 2010-11 EHS won over Herrin 27-0 and lost to Rochester 53-2. In 2011-12, EHS fell to Mount Zion 28-0.

Now this season the Hearts are headed back for Coach McDonald’s final year and will travel to Canton Saturday for a 2 p.m. playoff contest. McDonald has a coaching career record at the varsity level of 125 wins and 99 losses.

“I’ve been lucky really to have worked with Mac,” said EHS Athletic Director Dave Woltman. “He’s always been a good image for the school, especially in football and that’s not always the case. He works with the kids year round between weight training and keeping an eye on grades during the school year. He’s just a really good guy.”

“I want to thank all the people I’ve been involved with,” said McDonald. “It goes back to the Football Moms organizations and all the people in charge of those organizations. They have made my job easier. They have put tons of time in such as team meals, signs, fireworks. It’s for the kids but also a big favor to me.

The administrators who have allowed me to do what I think is best for the program. Finances haven’t been a problem. We have been able to get equipment and things without the hassle. I want to thank the administrators for sticking with me through the hard times. I have had 49 or 50 assistant coaches over 23 years. Some were just guys who student taught. Some were guys like Dan who was with us for 14 or 15 years.

“There are just a lot of people to thank in this community for being able to do this job. You don’t have a chance to thank everybody. I learned a lot from Drew and all my other coaches. Those guys kind of stick with me. Just thanks for everything through the years.”

Premier Broadcasting announcer Greg Sapp interviews McDonald after an EHS game as Wayne Moran films the interview for the radio station.