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The Ridley Coaching Rumor Thread

Joe_Kane

Joe_Kane

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2009
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So far I have heard the following things, each with differing levels of credibility, nothing that I would classify as anything other than a "rumor":

Waller comes back to guide the ship for a few years, then passes off to a younger coach to take over full time once the program is stable again.
I've heard this a couple times from a couple different people. Not sure if it has any legs or is just wishful thinking.

Waller is taking a coordinator/position job on the Springfield staff.
Supposedly this was before the turnover started at Ridley. Not sure if the recent changes affect his decision, or if he was even taking a job there in the first place.

Former Widener coach Dave Wood is the front runner.
This is the one I would give the most credence to. I've heard it from multiple places, and from the most credible source. I have zero knowledge about Wood as a coach; but if he coached on the collegiate level I'm sure he's more than qualified.

I'm assuming we won't hear anything concrete until the next school board meeting; but if there are whispers around The Mont or the Republican Club keep the baseless speculation coming.
 
JK

There is supposedly a long list of applicants so far from Pa, NJ and DE. Both high school and college . Wood seems to have friends in the building and is NOT looking for a teaching position - coach only - which is a huge benefit in hi favor. His coaching record at the college level was discussed in the prior post , so that can be spun any number of ways.

Another 'rumor' gathering steam is former Strath Haven and PSU star Dan Oconnor , who I believe is now at West Chester. He brings along his dad Jimbo and brother Mike who are currently on the Ohara staff. Jimbo was the architect of those great Haven defenses during their run to numerous state championship appearances.

As discussed previously,the next school board meeting is January 4. If a coach is named at that meeting , then it's likely they had a successor lined up months ago. More likely the interview process heats up in January and anew coach is named at the February board meeting.
 
SPEED&JUMP DR. said:
JK

There is supposedly a long list of applicants so far from Pa, NJ and DE. Both high school and college . Wood seems to have friends in the building and is NOT looking for a teaching position - coach only - which is a huge benefit in hi favor. His coaching record at the college level was discussed in the prior post , so that can be spun any number of ways.

Another 'rumor' gathering steam is former Strath Haven and PSU star Dan Oconnor , who I believe is now at West Chester. He brings along his dad Jimbo and brother Mike who are currently on the Ohara staff. Jimbo was the architect of those great Haven defenses during their run to numerous state championship appearances.

As discussed previously,the next school board meeting is January 4. If a coach is named at that meeting , then it's likely they had a successor lined up months ago. More likely the interview process heats up in January and anew coach is named at the February board meeting.
Click to expand...
Hey Speed:
I can see Jimbo and son Mike coaching together as they do now because they've wanted to do so for some time now. What I can't see is Dan joining the party. I would think Dan is looking towards greener pastures. He's getting his feet wet coaching and I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up at PSU or D1A level coaching and launching onto the pro level down the road.
 
Foot

I had to laugh at your line he is looking for ' greener pastures '. Not sure if you meant it it not.

And it's an intriguing combination if it ends up being true. Was also reported in yesterday's delco times. Maybe we out scooped them.
 
I was laughing when I wrote it. It would be a great triple threat for sure.
 
The daily times article obviously wasn't done with much research- Matt smith called the Ridley oline coach mark bonner instead of mick bonner. Smith took his top asst cosches in delco and assumed they would be interested in the "best job"-his words- in delco football. Let decker and the staff officially resign and I think we'll get a better idea as to who may be candidates. Was old man Connor given a job at Ohara in the school last year ? Because if he was the whole pension/retirement issue comes into question- assuming he would want a job in the district.
 
jimbo is still a sh teacher and will continue until he retires. He can coach anywhere.
 
delcofootball1 said:
The daily times article obviously wasn't done with much research- Matt smith called the Ridley oline coach mark bonner instead of mick bonner. Smith took his top asst cosches in delco and assumed they would be interested in the "best job"-his words- in delco football. Let decker and the staff officially resign and I think we'll get a better idea as to who may be candidates. Was old man Connor given a job at Ohara in the school last year ? Because if he was the whole pension/retirement issue comes into question- assuming he would want a job in the district.
Click to expand...
Where has it been reported that the staff has resigned? Delco slime reported Decker "resigned", have not seen any confirmation about the rest of the staff. Two are mentioned as possible candidates for replacing Decker, anyone know status/intentions of the others? Are they willing to stay on with program or are they looking elsewhere? Anyone of them possible HC for Other openings, i.e. Bonner, Carroll, etc? Just looking to keep discussion going.
 
Don't let the Daily Times report fool you. He did not resign, he was let go. So was the whole staff. Now that doesn't mean they can't or won't be rehired , they would have to apply for the position like any other candidate.

As far as I know , the job does not include any job in the building. Therefore , from an administration point of view , the best candidates would be either those who are not looking for a teaching job, i.e., they just want to coach , or those who already have teaching jobs in the school.
 
SPEED&JUMP DR. said:
Don't let the Daily Times report fool you. He did not resign, he was let go. So was the whole staff. Now that doesn't mean they can't or won't be rehired , they would have to apply for the position like any other candidate.

As far as I know , the job does not include any job in the building. Therefore , from an administration point of view , the best candidates would be either those who are not looking for a teaching job, i.e., they just want to coach , or those who already have teaching jobs in the school.
Click to expand...
Were any staff members teachers in the building? If not are any of them likely to stay on?
 
Another rumor, I'm hearing Steve Lennox is interested in the Ridley job- or is being courted by Ridley- depending upon who you talk to. Does this rumor hold any water?
 
......on a sidebar note......of the 4 or 5 Ridley Football threads thru out the season my quick math shows me over 12,000 views.....good to know there is still a caring public out and about.....Lets hope whoever they hire brings a "Citadel" type discipline along with a great X's and O's offensive mind !!
 
Lennox was supposedly a finalist for the job that ultimately went to Waller. So I'm not surprised if he is interested again. He was always infatuated with Ridley , and I'm guessing he still is. He is friendly with McNick, Waller and Batty. The rumor has him retiring from Interboro as both coach and teacher and then collecting his pension from Interboro and coming to Ridley as a coach only- no job in the building. Surprising part of this is that it's coming from Interboro people, not Ridley people
 
So the big three are Jason Vosheski, Dave Wood and Steve Lennox. If it were Vosheski I think the wheels would already be in motion and you would have heard more already. Lennox is an interesting name. Established track record. Could give at least 5 years to stabilize and right the ship. Wood has the "college coach" resume, and would be a splash. Any other names? Is this an "open" job and they will interview or is it they will pick their target and approach him?
 
Its not "open" in the sense that there is a job posting on the school website or anything. Its more of Ridley showing interest in you than you showing interst in Ridley. My guess from other job openings is that they reach out to 4-5 candidates, then start the interview process.

I can tell you that in speaking to certain people in the Ridley community that David Wood is not a "splash" name and most would be very disappointed with his hiring, but most would be OK with either Lennox or Voshseki among others.
 
Here's my info and it's from very tight ties with Ridley Football.

Wood was the HC at Widener when Ridley's AD was coaching there. They have a relationship and that's where most of this interest is coming from. Apparently I've heard from two different sources(Ridley grad, and current Delco coach) that Wood got the Bonner job.

Waller was spoken to. I am not sure as to what the conversation consisted of but that's all I know about that.

Batty stopped coaching because he was sick of the direction the program was going under Decker. Has had an itch to get back.

Matt Smith had mentioned a few things on his site that I will shed some light on:

Connor from West Chester did not "apply" although his name has been thrown around a bunch. I did hear he may have applied for a few local catholic schools.

Some of the current staff members and former members of the staff are interested. Some names that came up were Bell and Thompson. Other members would like to stay if possible. M. Bonner is the Oline coach and was mentioned by Matt Smith as someone who could be a possible candidate. That is not true. He will not be looked at by the school as a candidate for the HC job.

Young Vosheski- has limited coordinator experience and would not be a likely candidate however has been praised by many. I am not sure if Ridley has reached out. He would be a nice coach to look at being young and from the area.

Rufenach from Upper Darby- young offensive coordinator who has done very well since taking over at UD. Although it's not hard to follow Gentile's reign as an OC. Applied for O'Hara job and was a finalist before Hogan was given the position.

Lincoln from Penn Wood- This is without a doubt the funniest thing Smith has written about during his time with Delco Football. He will not be considered. Matt mentioned that his popularity would get him in consideration. I just don't see it.
 
Speed,

What's Ridley have up their sleeve to offer Vosheski to depart from his new non-teaching position at AP? Is he interested enough to return to the Green Raiders if he has to teach a full day of classes? He's got a good thing going for him down in Sharon Hill, any insight?

Interesting information regarding Lennox, not sure I see him leaving to enter retirement from teaching in order to coach at Ridley & I'd assume Ridley isn't entertaining bringing him over that high on the teacher salary schedule.

Also amused that the Ridley folk aren't taking to the Dave Wood idea. His demeanor seems like it would be on par for Morton Avenue.

Cheers,

Busch
 
Whiz, Busch, Delco : Wood has been offered the Bonner job , but he has not accepted. He was on the verge of accepting when the Ridley job became open. So I think he is waiting on Ridley first before accepting Bonner. But he better be careful because Bonner has now relisted their job and they may get tired of waiting for Wood to make up his mind.

Wood and the new AD did coach at Widener together. So that's a natural connection. However , this is a rookie AD and I'm not sure he wants the most important decision of his tenure to be seen as hiring an old buddy of his from 10 years ago. Also, the school board has always had a strong, and sometimes final say in the hiring process and I'm not sure he has any friends on the school board. Other than his college coaching experience , I understand he is not looking for a job in the school , so that's appealing to the school board for purely financial reasons. But, he is not a Ridley guy , did not have a sparkling coaching record at Widener , and has kind of bounced around from job to job since then.

As for Lennox , I'm obviously not privy to his pension and retirement benefits , but there are some teachers who can retire and make just as much retired as they did teaching depending on years of service , etc. So if the numbers are remotely close , and Ridley makes up the difference in coaching salary and does not have to worry about a job in the school and any benefits , that would be an attractive hire.

Vosheski is currently the AD at Academy Park along with football coach. No teaching responsibilities at all. For a relatively young guy, he could probably have both positions at AP for the next 20 years if he wants them. I'm not sure what Ridley could offer that could match that. As mentioned above, they just hired a new AD( and a new assistant AD), so that jobs not open right now. Ridley did put together in school packages for Waller and Decker Not sure they would do that for Vo. I think Ridleys best shot hers is the hope that the lure of coaching at his alma mater is greater than that of coaching at AP, and that he takes the Ridley job but keeps his AP AD job. Not sure how AP would feel about that.

I do not think Waller or Batty come back as head coaches. But if a Bell or Thompson are hired , I think they would both be on the staff. Bell does not work in the school, Thompson does. However , I think either of those two , while highly qualified , wlould be looking for Waller/decker like perks before they took on the job and I'm not sure the school is prepared to do so. Unfortunately, the school set a precedent in hiring packages for the last two coaches and anyone who served under either regime would have the expectation of similar packages.
 
Dave wood only coached at University of Penn after widener.. Before widener he was at Lehigh
 
I think he means that Dave Wood had applied for several high school jobs in the area both while at Penn and since leaving Penn.
 
Has he officially left Penn?

My point was that he has been coaching in the area since 1991 holding various position, coordinator and head coaching jobs, but never anything for more than a 5 or 6 year period, then he seems to move on. Some of that may be due to promotions, others not really sure. But his coaching history seems to suggest he looks to move on or always has his eye on other jobs. Couple that with the fact that nothing on his coaching resume screams "GREAT" to me. He is from all accounts a solid football guy, but his hire would be perceived by many in the Ridley community as a "vanilla" hire with absolutely no ties whatsoever to Ridley except he knows the AD. Who knows, maybe the program needs to break from tradition and go back to basics, in which case he may be a good hire. Its just that no one in Ridley is doing cartwheels that his name is in the mix.
 
I don't think it's so much a name that they would do cartwheels over but a full %150 commitment to making football king again is what the football community is looking for. The perception is the present administration//school board is looking to get the best coach out there for the least amount of financial responsibility possible. They'll take Vosheski if he keeps his AD job at Acedemy Park. They'll take Lenox only after he retires from Interboro . They'll consider Wood because he's not looking for a job in the school. All of these suggest trying to cut corners , and Ridley was never a school that cut corners when it came to football.

For example , Waller wanted a full time , non teaching job in the school. He wanted to keep Batty ( who was just fired) as D coordinator. He wanted Schnell to come back from Interboro. He wanted a separate locker room and weight room for football only, etc. and everything he asked for they gave him, no questions asked. In essence he was hired as a full time football coach. And I think you need that level of commitment to be a contender again for both league and district championships.
 
I don't see Vosheski leaving AP.. Other then that I think Wood is the man for the job! That is if Ridley goes outside the box. I think its time Ridley goes for someone that was not a former player alum. Wood knows football and will have a lot of connections I would think to put a good staff together. Plus like you said not looking for a job in the school.
 
Any chance that the AD takes the job himself? It seems to me the most logical solution. Already in the school, a respected administrator, would cost them nothing extra.
 
SPEED&JUMP DR. said:
I don't think it's so much a name that they would do cartwheels over but a full %150 commitment to making football king again is what the football community is looking for. The perception is the present administration//school board is looking to get the best coach out there for the least amount of financial responsibility possible. They'll take Vosheski if he keeps his AD job at Acedemy Park. They'll take Lenox only after he retires from Interboro . They'll consider Wood because he's not looking for a job in the school. All of these suggest trying to cut corners , and Ridley was never a school that cut corners when it came to football.

For example , Waller wanted a full time , non teaching job in the school. He wanted to keep Batty ( who was just fired) as D coordinator. He wanted Schnell to come back from Interboro. He wanted a separate locker room and weight room for football only, etc. and everything he asked for they gave him, no questions asked. In essence he was hired as a full time football coach. And I think you need that level of commitment to be a contender again for both league and district championships.
Click to expand...

SPEED..
Is Lennox's offensive philosophy a fit for Ridley in your view? Seems more pedestrian although he has opened things up on occasion.
 
Def: for a long time Ridley had a rule that the AD could not coach a sport. Not sure if that rule is still in play , but if it is that rules him out. Plus he has not coached in a few years Finally , he has on been an AD for 6 months-did you get a chance to check out the W/L records of all Ridley sports teams for the fall season ? I'm not sure how much respect he carries yet as a new administrator.

Stalk: yes and no. Yes- his teams generally play hard nosed physical aggressive football despite often being under size. No-his passing offense leaves a lot to be desired , typically a lot of conservative short play action stuff. But bottom line is he has won big with that style at two different schools over extended periods. I think if he ran the single wing and won with it Ridley would be OK with it.
 
I'm assuming with most high school teams starting their off season workout program that Ridley is feeling the pressure to hire someone or at least should want to get someone to begin their 2026 campaign. Any word/updates/ further rumors?
 
I don't see anything happening until the February school board meeting. When Waller retired , it took them about 4 months to name Decker. Could take that long as well , considering the school board has final say and they only meet the first Monday of each month. So they have already missed January. If they don't act quickly , they will miss February. And then no appointment until March.

So it's safe to assume there is no off season program taking place now. Anyone running the weight room and agility drills now would be simply volunteering his time for the benefit of the kids, with absolutely no guarantee of a paid position on the new staff. You have yo remember that not only was decker let go, so was his entire staff. So even someone who bleeds green like Bell, who does not work in the school , would have a tough time showing up as an ex employee to run the weight room 3 days a week. I have heard that some returning juniors and sophomores have asked some of the older coaches from past regimes to st least open up the weight room. For reasons above and also liability reasons , I don't know how far they got.
 
Speed, you have mentioned Bell a couple times. Can I ask a question? Why hasn't he applied? He meets the pre-supposed criteria of Ridley grad with head coaching experience? Is he not respected enough by the powers that be? Seems to me he would be an ideal candidate? He wasn't great at Springfield but it does say head coach on his resume.
 
Lets go back a few years and that will give you the answer for Bell. He was more qualified, had more experience, and would have been a way better option than the one they hired 7 years ago. He only received a token interview then. He would be the best guy for the job. Hes seen how good Waller ran the program, and hes seen how much Decker destroyed it. He knows what it takes to right this ship. Hes not a dumb guy, everyone sees how this interview process is going to go. Let the D
 
Unless something drastic happens, Vosheski is staying at AP. As of 2 weeks ago, Wood all but had the Bonner job wrapped up. All the sudden after January 4th (day of so called resignation of Decker) the Bonner job was again taking applications. Wood and Ridleys AD are old coaching buddies from Widener. If perception is reality, Wood will be the next HC at Ridley. The only thing that might change that process is the Ridley School Board. You would hope for a scenario of either Thompson, Waller, Batty, Bell, Bonner, etc... in some shape or form, but thats highly unlikely. Bell is a loyal soldier who stuck around from the Waller era, and by all accounts from people I talked to, he didnt even get the respect of a phone call when this new regime was let go. Dont really know whats going on behind the scenes with the AD, but he needs to get this right....
 
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