Chuck Hawthorne is back as a head football coach, some 25 years after his last head coaching job.
Hawthorne was officially named Heritage’s head coach this summer after Jack Hathaway abruptly resigned in June.
Hawthorne was Mountain View’s first football coach, leading the Thunder from 1981 through the 1989 season. He then left the teaching and coaching professions until this past school year when he returned to the classroom last fall, teaching at Heritage. He also was an assistant coach under Hathaway.
He was hooked as soon as he returned to the sideline.
“Oh, here we go again,” he said to himself. “It’s back. The fire is burning.”
He never figured he would be the head coach, though.
Hathaway stunned the football community with his resignation after spring drills had started.
“It did cause about a week of turmoil,” Hawthorne acknowledged.
Cale Piland, athletic director for Evergreen Public Schools, said the district had to act fast.
“There wasn’t an opportunity to go through a normal (hiring) process,” Piland said. “We were fortunate we had someone with Chuck’s experience and expertise on staff.
“He’s excited. He’s going to get after it.”
Hawthorne said he already is getting after it, trying to make up for any lost time. He said he was “grateful” for the opportunity, and he and his staff have been rolling along ever since he was named the head coach.
A lot has changed since Hawthorne took his 23-year hiatus from coaching. Hawthorne went 46-37 in his nine years at Mountain View with five winning seasons that included a trip to the state quarterfinals in 1988.
He said he still has an old-school mentality regarding multi-sport athletes. He wants his football players to compete in other sports in the winter and/or spring.
“You can’t substitute anything for competition,” Hawthorne said.
Those who do not play other sports will be encouraged to participate in offseason conditioning.
It is all part of his bigger philosophy, to promote character and to change the mentality at Heritage.
The Timberwolves have had three winning regular seasons in 15 years of football.
Hawthorne said if he and his coaches build the character of the players, eventually things will turn around at Heritage.
“We gotta give them hope and faith to get there,” he said.
Hawthorne pursued business interests after he left teaching and coaching, but he said he always enjoyed mentoring students.
“They want someone to help them out and be successful,” Hawthorne said. “In the classroom as well as the athletic field.”
The first official day of football practice is Aug. 20. Heritage opens its season with a home game against Prairie on Sept. 5.
