Manchester welcomes new football coach for fall season
Ben Pack, new Manchester High School football head coach.
With no spring sports to watch this year, what is a sports-minded family to do?
Well, you could watch a simulated Kentucky Derby on television, or relive the glory days of the Detroit Tigers or the Red Wings through the magic of re-runs.
But, there’s something to look forward to on the horizon–and it’s high school football season, with a brand-new coach for Manchester High School.
Ben Pack was offered the position of head coach of the Flying Dutchmen on a very snowy late-February afternoon, and approved at the March Board of Education meeting. And every day since then, he says, he has been focused on one thing: Manchester’s fall football season.
“I’ve been in education since 1980,” Pack says, “and even before that I coached high school football in Jackson and Mt. Pleasant. I knew all along I wanted to be a teacher, and a coach. Instead of playing sports, I wanted to be teaching sports.”
Over the past 40 years, he spent 20 years as a teacher and head coach, before being offered the position of Special Ed Director at Jackson Public Schools. He got out of coaching at that time, but a year later, as his after-school schedule opened up, a friend at Albion College asked if he would help with coaching running backs.
“I did that for four years, and I had a great time,” he says. “Then, in 2007, the superintendent asked me to become his assistant; it was another step up for me, and again I could no longer coach.
“But I knew when I retired I’d go back. That was the reason I got into education in the first place–I love teaching football. And so when I did retire I started volunteering at Western High School. After two years, it affirmed my decision; it made the feelings deeper. I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
He looks forward to volunteering and coaching in Manchester and says he plans to be in the building on a daily basis. “I love being around the kids.”
With every personnel change, there is a change in coaching philosophy. Pack believes that “every student who goes out for football can play a role on the team.” He says that as the coach it will be his responsibility to understand all the positions and techniques, help his fellow coaches grow, and teach them to understand the system. In turn, they’ll help the kids grow, and increase each player’s opportunity to be on the field.
“Kids go out to be able to play, not to sit on a bench all season,” he says. “Winning is important; that’s why they have a scoreboard. But each kid deserves to play, and if they make an honest effort to us, then hopefully we can be good enough coaches to train them so they can get on the field and compete.”
One of the things he is looking forward to is being part of the Manchester community. “This is what I’ve been looking for,” he says. “There is such an obvious closeness, a bond, and so much pride in the community. There have been great successes in this program in the past. The facilities are second to none for the size of the district. The infrastructure is here. It’s just a dream to be hired at a school where I don’t have to build the program–I just have to coach coaches and coach the kids.”
He acknowledges the great job done by past coaches and notes the many Conference championships, postseason games, and other successes. “We have to add to that and become part of that tradition. We have some work to do, but having that success in your back pocket, and knowing that people take pride in the program, we’ll work hard to live up to that.”
Asked how many kids he anticipates going out for the team this year, he chucked. “I was told, we have 60 helmets,” he says. “At first, I said that’s not enough … so, you see, my expectations are high. I believe football is great training for their future. The things these kids do working as a team, will carry into their life. It teaches them valuable lessons regardless of what their career choice may be. So … we will never stop recruiting.”
Pack encourages any parent or player to sign up on the team’s Twitter page, @godutchfootball. Sign ups for all high school teams are already online and middle school signups will come soon.
“I am looking forward to a great year,” he concludes. “With any transition, of course, there is a chance for slippage. But we are working Every. Single. Day. on Manchester football … we want to get the work done ahead of time, so we don’t have to do it during the season.”
“I want our Dutchmen to come out of the gate as strong as we can be. The rivalry with Clinton is a big one and it’s an important one. We want to be the best we can be in that first game.”
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