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Kenston names new head football coach
(by Tony Lange - February 15, 2012)
Kenston names new head football coach
By TONY LANGE
Photo by Kristi Leffler
The last time Jeff Grubich stepped onto the Kenston Bombers' gridiron was Sept. 29, 1995. He was a senior at Chagrin Falls, playing for first-year head coach Mark Iammarino.
A memory Grubich likely wants to forget, Tyson Walter -- a 49-game starter for Ohio State University and a Dallas Cowboys draft pick -- and the rest of Bombers put a 49-7 hurting on the Tigers.
Grubich did, however, complete a halfback option pass to Phil Zucker that went for a 31-yard touchdown in that game, and the Tigers were able to score on Kenston's eventual state runner-up team.
This August, nearly 17 years later, Grubich will be stepping back onto the Bombers' gridiron. But this time it will be as Kenston's new head football coach, after the district's school board approved his one-year contract for $7,537 Monday.
Grubich comes to Kenston after 10 years as an assistant to Mentor High School head coach Steve Trivisonno, who led the Cardinals to a regional final this past season but lost, 23-17, to St. Ignatius, the eventual Division I state champion.
Grubich previously was the Cardinals' wide receiver coach but was promoted to assistant head and pass-game coordinator this past season when he worked with Mitch Trubisky, Mentor's junior quarterback who just got a scholarship offer this past Sunday from OSU.
Leaving Mentor after 10 seasons was a real tough decision, but, in order to give Kenston all he has to offer, Grubich already put his former players behind him last Friday, he said.
"I met with the entire team at Mentor, and it was a terrible day. It was like a funeral. I don't want to say that, but it felt that way. It felt like somebody had died and left," Grubich said. "There was tears, and they made me tear up, and I told them I hadn't cried since my grandpa passed away, so, in terms of putting that behind me, the biggest step was standing up in front of them like a man and telling them that this was a decision I made for myself and my family, and I expect you to respect it, and they did. It was real tough."
One thing Grubich wants to bring to Kenston is the fact that there's no secret to Mentor's success, and the bottom line is that hard work and commitment have enabled the Cardinals to build a premier program, he said.
"Football is a tough game, and you're not going to get out there and win games and get into the playoffs and compete for conference titles unless you are busting your butt and committed to outworking your opponent," Grubich said. "So the biggest thing I want to bring to Kenston is commitment to hard work. You have to put in more hard work than your competition."
While at Chagrin Falls, Grubich was a three-sport athlete, also competing in wrestling and baseball. His parents, Steve and Sandy Grubich, also attended Chagrin Falls and graduated in 1967. They still live in the community.
Steve Grubich is a member of the Chagrin Falls Schools Athletic Hall of Fame and is a diehard Tigers fan, his son said.
"My old man has told me that he'll be rooting on the Chagrin sidelines this next season. My entire family has graduated from Chagrin," Grubich said. "I know that Kenston's not that different' and that's where I live now with my wife and young daughter, and that's where she's going to attend school, and I just want to bring that rivalry back into my life and embrace it. I know what it's about. I've been on the other side. So I can't wait for that game. It'll be a big game, but every game on our schedule is going to be a big game."
Football is a beautiful sport that teaches life lessons to players and coaches alike, Grubich said, and the first thing he has to do is build a rapport with his coaches and players at Kenston in order to develop a common understanding.
"We're going to make sure that they're working hard in the off-season, not only in the weight room but in the gym getting faster, but also academically, we're going to demand a lot out of them to be leaders in the school," Grubich said. "I'm not one of those guys who thinks football players deserve special treatment or special privileges. I want them to work for everything that they earn. I want them to be the leaders of our school and our community, and my expectation is high for our players."
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