Coaches Corner
Phil Mauro, head coach Canal Winchester High School
Tuesday,  September 16, 2008 7:08 AM

Canal Winchester head coach, Phil Mauro.
Canal Winchester head coach, Phil Mauro.

Before going to Canal Winchester, Phil Mauro had compiled a coaching record of 111-56 with stops at Massillon Jackson (76-49), Lancaster (16-6) and DeSales (19-2). In 12 years at Jackson, Mauro led the Polar Bears to four playoff appearances.

Canal Winchester hadn't been to the playoffs since 1988 and had not won a postseason game. That changed last season when Mauro was hired. He took over a team that finished 2-8 the previous season and led it to a 10-2 record, the MSL-Buckeye Division title and the programs first playoff win (17-16 over Germantown Valley View). Including last Fridays 20-16 over Fairfield Union, Canal Winchester is 16-2 under Mauro.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: My wife is Mary, and we've been married for 27 years. She's a school nurse in the Groveport school district. We've got three boys. The oldest is Kyle, and he's a senior at Toledo majoring in special education. Colin is a sophomore at Cincinnati and our youngest is Corey, who played here as a senior last year and is now a freshman at Ohio University.

Q: Tell us where you're from and your education.

A: I went to Harrison High School on the fringe of New York City and graduated in 1972. For college, I finished at Denison and graduated in 1977.

Q: You say you finished at Denison, so where did you start?

A: I started at Rhode Island and transferred from there to Denison. That was my first time ever being in Ohio and it also the first time I saw cows. But I thought it was neat and I've come to enjoy Ohio a lot more than New York.

Q: How did you decide to get into coaching?

A: At Denison, due to a transfer snafu, I lost my last year of eligibility and so I became a student-coach. I always thought I wanted to get into teaching and that's what I've been doing since. I teach physical education, health and I also teach a fitness and nutrition class.

Q: You've coached at some big schools and some small ones, so where all have you been?

A: My first job was as a ninth-grade coach at Newark. My first head coaching job came in Austin, Texas, at the Austin School for the Deaf and that was a lot of fun. Austin's a lot like Columbus. It's a real beautiful city, and it was a great experience. For my next job, I came back to Ohio and coached at DeSales. From DeSales I went to Lancaster and then from Lancaster I worked in New Philadelphia before I went to (Massillon) Jackson. I've been fortunate to be in a lot of good places.

Q: You had a lot of success at Jackson in a community that loves its football. You were hired at Canal Winchester, where football had become an afterthought, so how did you arrive at the decision to become the coach of the Indians?

A: I was looking for a smaller community. Jackson was great, but it was getting so big and it was more than I was wanting to do. I was looking for a smaller venue, one with some identity, and it's been great here so far. It just felt like a good fit and I felt comfortable here.

Q: Who's been your biggest coaching influence?

A: It would probably be Keith Piper, who's deceased now. He gave me the opportunity to become a student-coach at Denison and had a huge influence on me. That's when I really started to develop a passion for coaching. The next would be my high school coach, Ted Coppollo. He had a huge influence on me as well and got me squared around a bit. He got me involved in athletics and football, which I desperately needed at the time. I grew up and maybe I wasn't making the greatest decisions at the time but that's why I'm glad I got involved with athletics and that's why I have such a passion for teaching. I know how much of a salvation it can be. My venue is football but I'm always encouraging the students to get involved in some kind of activity or be a part of something.

Q: How would you describe your coaching style?

A: My coaching style is passion. I have passion for the sport and for the young people involved. They're our greatest commodity and I love to see them succeed. It's just that passion and I hope that rubs off on them. I hope they find our what their passion is and what they want to do. That's the biggest thing I want to instill in them, just to do their best in whatever it is they do.

Q: In addition to coaching the football team, you're very involved with the other teams around the school. You help with the track teams and you were following the basketball, baseball and softball teams as they made their way through the playoffs. Why is it so important to you to be so involved?

A: I think our philosophy is for our kids to be involved in more than one activity, especially in a school the size of ours. Some coaches have gotten greedy and try to horde the athletes and get them to play just one sport during the year. And I don't think that's healthy. We want our guys involved in a lot of activities. You look at the pressure situations that the Romanowski twins (Matt and Mike) were in during the baseball season and now they know what it feels like and can handle it better. I think they all lend to each other. I like going out and watching the other teams play. I think all the sports are important and great and that's something we'll continue to promote.

Q: When you're not coaching the team or watching one of the others, what do you like to do in your free time?

A: Well, I'm a workaholic. Without football, I live in the weight room and that gives me an opportunity to interact with the athletes. If I'm not there, I'm just kicking back at home and relaxing. That's why I don't have a cell phone because I'm either at home or at the school. I'm not really into hobbies. My passion is working with kids whether it's on the field or in the classroom.

Q: You've already accomplished a lot in you career as a coach. What else would you like to accomplish before you stop coaching?

A: Well I'd definitely love to win a state title. When I was an assistant at Massillon Washington, we lost by one point to (Cleveland St. Ignatius) in the state title game. I know how difficult it is to get there. That's always going to be one of my goals that I'll have. I guess the thing I love about coaching the most is that every year is unique. I love trying to find the strengths and the hot buttons of each of the players.

Q: You've been in coaching for a while. Now that your kids are all off to college, how much longer do you plan on coaching?

A: I don't have any plans to stop. I just really enjoy it. The kids haven't changed much since 1977. Now they're exposed to the Internet and some more technology but they really haven't changed much. There's never been a day when I've dreaded going to work. I always tease people that my retirement and my funeral are going to be one in the same. Hopefully I can go as long as Joe Paterno.



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