[Diogenes]

Coaches DO make programs in HS. My personal suspicion is Mueller saw the writing on the wall after the Collins game, evaluated the pipeline, and decided maybe he'd done enough on the football field. (And God knows he has.)

Some programs will always be competitive. But a good coach motivates, organizes, understands. A good coach can be the difference between that kid in the hallway coming out for the team or staying home to play video games. A good coach can be the difference when that star 8th grader is deciding which HS to play for.

Remember Highlands with Duffy vs. Highlands with Muller? Or if you want a more drastic example, Johnson Central went 2-8, 2-8, 1-9 in 2001-3. Hired Jim Matney and he took the same kids and went 7-4 in 2004 and the beat has gone on ever since. They didn't suddenly find a bunch of star athletes in one off-season. The attitude change is everything. Culture is contagious. Winners rub off on kids and communities. Unfortunately...so does losing. Not sure the Highlands new coach has been given a fair chance yet, but two years at the helm should tell most of the story.