With the recent announcement of Glenn O’Neil, former football and boys basketball coach of Scott City High School, taking over the head football coach position at Seaman High School, Seaman hopes to turn their football team around and place them on a winning track.
O’Neil has a terrific track record, leading his football team to a state championship in 2012 and winning 97 of his 111 games (.874) as head coach at Scott City High School. As well as leading a dominant football team, his basketball career is similarly commanding, winning 356 of his 464 games (.767) and taking five state championships in 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.
O’Neil is not the only former Scott City head football coach in Topeka. Bill Arnold, Hayden’s head football coach, was the head coach of Scott City before he moved to Hayden. O’Neil served as defensive coordinator under Arnold before Arnold moved.
One of the most important goals for O’Neil will be to have the football players serve as role models in the community. He thinks that the players will become role models for the Seaman community through hard work, sacrifice, sportsmanship and team play.
Another one of his goals is to create an attitude where the players think of the team before themselves. O’Neil believes that these both need to be done before the team can progress. “When (these) goals are met, progress will take place and become visible, says O’Neil.
O’Neil values goals as a method to improve.
“I hold the belief that if players and coaches can share common goals that can be achieved, success will happen. When players trust coaches and coaches care about players, bonds are made that cannot be broken,” says O’Neil.
Although Scott City is a smaller school, O’Neil does not believe that coaching at Seaman will be different.
“My methods will not change; getting to know the players and working with them as individuals and small groups will be the start,” says O’Neil. “Add these small groups together into a large group, and we will build a team, and a team that believes will foster opportunity. A favorite quote of mine is ‘All anyone deserves is a chance. What you do with it is up to you.’”
Former head coach Blake Pierce has stepped down from his position of head coach. Pierce has been head coach for 12 years.