Shawnee football coach Rick Meeks is a finalist for the opening at Centerville, and he deserves to be. He has turned his alma mater into the best football program in Clark County.
If Meeks gets the job, good for him. But not good for Shawnee. That’s not to say a guy like defensive coordinator Devin Spitzer, a Southeastern grad, wouldn’t keep taking the Braves to the playoffs if he were to get the job. From the praise I have heard for Spitzer’s coaching abilities, he is ready to be a head coach if he wants to be. And whether it’s Spitzer or someone else the Braves would choose, the new coach would step into a good situation. The Braves have a lot of talent returning that led them to another playoff berth this past season. But nobody wants to lose a coach like Meeks.
I have covered a number of Shawnee games the past few years, and one thing is sure for Meeks. Whether he stays at Shawnee or goes to Centerville he will continue to win. He’s a good X and O coach, hires and keeps good assistants and knows how to set the right tone for a team to be successful. A proven coach has everything he can ask for at a place like Centerville.
The team he led to the state final in 2011 was impressive. But almost equally impressive was getting a team that was unfocused early in the 2012 season to come together, go to the playoffs and almost pull off an upset against Athens. This past year’s team was young and overachieved. But in Division III in this region, good luck getting past Trotwood anytime soon.
The list of six candidates for the Centerville job is impressive. The one I have seen in action is Covington’s Dave Miller. I covered Covington’s playoff loss to Marion Local. Miller had his team on the cusp of victory until Local drove for a touchdown in the final minutes. Miller’s team was well-prepared and played intelligently, hard and with discipline.
For Meeks, I’m sure this isn’t about trying to just get out of Shawnee. Centerville is one of the two or three best jobs in this part of the state. That’s why so many coaches with good jobs have applied.
Jeff Gilbert 