Guest DT Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 · HHF Interview with New Franklin Central Head Coach Jayson West. Coach West has been a state champ at Lawrence Central and Warren Central, and now looking to rebuild the Flashes and take a run at an HCC title and make a solid post season showing Hello Coach West Thanks for joining us at Hoosier High School Football and The Gridiron Digest. Question 1 : Clearly, one of the most newsworthy events of the recent high school football offseason was your decision to leave Warren Central and take over the program at Franklin Central. It's been well documented that you are looking to spend more time with your family and that FC is much closer to your place of residence. Leaving a powerhouse program like Warren after 8 highly successful seasons must have been a very difficult decision. Now that the dust has settled, how are you and your family adjusting to the changes and what are your short term priorities as it relates to preparation for the upcoming season? Response Leaving WC was a very difficult decision for a multitude of reasons. Football wise it was highly difficult to leave such a young and talented group of kids that we have spent so much time with for the last 8 years, and leaving such a supportive football community and administration. The relationships with the kids and the parents are such a big deal to me and what I have great pride in as a coach, so leaving the WC football family was really devastating personally to be honest. With that being said, the last couple of years have been really tough to deal with at home! We have a child with a chronic illness, my mother and brother were battling illnesses and my wife's grandparents lived with us for 6 months or so. We had a lot going on family wise to say the least. Having three kids, running a huge program like WC and doing the assistant athletic director job pulled me in so many directions that I started to not be able to provide proper attention to all of the areas required of me. So we sold our house in Warren Township and built one behind my mothers house. This allowed us to be able to hold more people in our house if necessary and get closer to all of the family members we could, which makes it easier to handle any issues that may arise. Many people assume that when coaches move from a program that it has to do with just football and like in this situation it is not the case...life just happens sometimes and you do the best you can with the situation at hand for your family. Most football coaches I know are incredible men and yes we are competitive by trade, but we are all generally in the game for the right reasons, which is to help young men become the best they can be. Not having a father growing up, coaches were my mentors and I can honestly say I would never even have thought about going to college or things of that nature if it were not for my coaches pushing me past my natural limits and life situation. Moving to FC was a very difficult decision but it was best for our family at this time and hopefully one day be a great football decision as well:) Franklin Township is a rapidly growing district as well and there is a lot of excitement in the district to be competitive within a new conference and the State. FC is an "A" school in Marion County and has an outstanding performing arts program so we just want to do our part and represent the community in a positive fashion as it should be. Dr. Hibbard and the administration are working diligently to provide children of the district opportunities in whatever realm a child decides to go into and that was a big draw to me and my family. The new position I am in now does not require me to work all those nights and summers so it allows me to spend more time with my own kiddos and being a dad is the most important job that I have. I didn't have a dad growing up, so with all the factors involved FC seemed to be the right fit for me and my family. I will always love the Warrior experience as they taught me a lot and were great to me and my family. WC is in great shape and will be highly competitive as usual, as it is a staple in the community and they have 2-3 really loaded classes. I care greatly for so many people there and will always root for them and be here for them if they ever need anything at all. As a family, we are all adjusting just fine and meeting new people every day that have the best interests in mind for children, so we are excited to build something special in Franklin Township as a football family. Question 2 : Coach , you had great success at Lawrence Central before taking over at Warren. Those LC state title teams were absolutely loaded with high end talent. WC remains an Indiana big school elite football program, while LC has fallen on hard times. What is your assessment of the divergent paths the two schools have taken over the past 5 years? Response Coach Rob Robertson and myself were college roommates and started coaching together when he was the head coach at Triton Central and we took over a struggling program similar to LC, WC and now FC. We have coached together for over 20 years and still have a blast doing it. Moving to each school was really the best fit for both of us at each juncture. With that being said, we had a great run at TC and it really prepared us to take over a struggling LC program and get it to the highest level possible. There were many factors in us moving on from LC. For me, we had 3 children under the age of 3 and LC decided to do an hour or so late start which doesn't seem like a big deal but to coaches with families it is really difficult when you start practice at 4 and wrap up practice by 7, meet with coaches and wait for kids to get rides home etc I would get home around 7:30 or later every night and our children would be in bed by 8pm so it really started to get to me that I couldn't really see my kiddos until the weekends! Unfortunately, all the work fell on my amazing wife's shoulders to raise the children practically by herself. I actually was thinking about not coaching anymore after the 2012 State Championship Game and just going to be the best teacher and dad I could be. When WC called after the 2012 season I was torn! Should I just be done or leave a program we built up to be pretty competitive? I dont think we lost a jv game and maybe only 1 frosh game that year, so culture was established and leaving something like that was really sickening to be honest, We actually bought a house in the southern part of Warren Township a couple years before so after discussing it with my wife we thought it would be great to have the kids go to the school we lived in which is much easier when it comes to transportation etc and we got to take over a fantastic program like Warren Central. It also got Rob and myself into the weight room working together which could not be a better situation. So with school getting out earlier and a better situation during the day to be in our areas of passion we made the move. It was a tough year as we had to play LC twice in the 2013 season and we won State at WC that year so it was a bittersweet year to say the least. Other factors for LC such as moving to the MIC with only 2300 kids compared to half the conference having double the population was also a factor for LC not being able to sustain winning games during the season which contributes to the culture of the program. Many schools battle the culture issue and winning does matter, especially if you are winning at all levels like we were at LC. Conference Indiana was strong but it wasn't the MIC, it is a different animal and you have to play the MIC twice if you want to win a State Championship in 6A ball in Indiana, so it takes a toll on your record, your culture and public perception. LC can win and I think they have a good coach and good man in Coach Patterson, but with the current setup with MIC and the sectional being all MIC basically as well - it will be difficult for any team to have great records and get out of sectionals on a regular basis. Schools and communities have to realize that records are relative and to be patient and understanding with coaches that are now coaching year round and carry so many more responsibilities than we used to. Sadly, stipends and such do not really reflect the current model of coaching and schools realize this but they have a hard time making necessary changes due to how school structures are established. WC on the other hand will always field a highly competitive football team as the community and the administration make it a priority. The culture is established and I look forward to seeing what they do over the next few years. I also am excited to see what LC does as I think Coach Patterson is working diligently to build the program with realistic expectations and outcomes. We still have a huge place in our hearts for all the kids we have coached and relationships we have created as we really do love our job and the families that are in them. We hope to continue that model at FC and give the community an experience they all are happy with and proud of. Question 3 : Despite the proximity to home and the opportunity to spend more time with family, many still ask "Why Franklin Central?" The program was a state power in the late 70s to mid 80s, but has really struggled over the past two decades. You certainly knew them well from your days in Conference Indiana. With the Flashes now competing in the tough Hoosier Crossroads Conference, the hill just got much steeper. What do you see and what is your vision for the FC program, and what is your timeline to achieve your desired objectives? Response Question 4 : The HCC is generally regarded as the 2nd best conference in the state, behind only The MIC. Zionsville and Westfield were 2020 state finalists. Avon and Brownsburg are Top 10 teams annually. HSE and Fishers have both had great success and continue to grow enrollment faster than any district in the state. Noblesville under Dave Sharpe intends to make some noise in the conference . Top to bottom, very tough league. FC was winless in its first HCC season. How do you get this program on a level where it can compete against such a relentless schedule week after week? Response That is a very good assessment of the situation, but it is very similar to the MIC when it comes to competitiveness top to bottom. The HCC has yet to regularly break through with championships, but they all field highly competitive teams that each community should be very proud of. We just want to join those ranks on a regular basis and we really believe we can achieve that, and we hope to do so in the near future. I think we will be fine once we get established and our kids get used to playing not only the HCC but the MIC teams. Like jumping into a pool, it shocks you at first but you do get used to it and start having fun. Question 5 : You have had the opportunity to coach many tremendously talented student athletes at both LC and WC. Franklin Central has not had a D1 Power 5 level player in many years. You are used to having several every season. How do you assess the current talent level at FC, and how do your numbers look 9 thru 12 as you complete summer workouts? Response Talent is relative to the situation a team is in. We still believe football is a team sport and talent is only relative if it is team first in mentality, if not, it can become problematic as teams rely on and cater to talent rather than promote teamwork. We plan on being a team no matter how many talented players we have, win or lose. Talent can also be created by hard work which we pride ourselves on. Most of your best football players are not necessarily D1! D1 players are usually genetic lottery winners when it comes to speed or length. There are still players that work their tails off to maximize everything they have to create opportunities for themselves and their teammates as well and it is amazing to watch them shine when their time comes. Our workouts are going well and our numbers are pretty good. We are asking a lot more of the kids than they are used to so we will lose some kids due to commitment factors, but the kids that have not given up on themselves have improved immensely and we look forward to seeing what they can do on and off the field. We have changed the climate by turning the temperature up on them, but the culture will take a few years to develop. Question 6: What has been your primary focus this summer in team workouts and inter squad competitions with other local schools? Response We are really trying to put the kids in as many situations as we can that push them so we can truly evaluate where we are as a team since many of our coaches are new to the program as well. Ben Davis, Pike and LC were all gracious enough to scrimmage us this summer and all have programs that will give our program a much clearer picture of what we are and what direction we need to travel. We also just want to get to know the kids, the parents and community members and have some fun along the way. Question 7 : Can you tell us a little about the staff you have put in place for the program? Response The staff that we have in place is simply outstanding in my opinion. We have a great mix of guys that love football, and have dedicated an entire offseason to building relationships with the players and community. We have a lot of experience on staff with 5 coaches that have been head coaches and they all just want to build something special together, so I am very excited to say the least. My goal is always to bring in good men that dont have egos and just want to work with kids and get better at the greatest game in the world:) Question 8 : You will certainly be looking to your senior class to set the tone and provide leadership this season. Who are some of the key seniors that you will be depending on to be key difference makers this fall ? Response We really do have a good combination of players in the seniors class. 6 returners on offense and 4 on defense. Mason Cook, Quinten Keesee, Ethan Hutt, Evan Adams, Aataeveon Jordan, Bryan Marshall, Dameon Miller, and Deonte Stephenson on Offense all look to be key players and Corey Norris, Gavin Brady, Logan Ball, Eli Morris, Rory Vaugh on defense and Juan Boyzo is very solid as a kicker. Peyton Minor, Kyan Sparks, Jaeden Harris, Christian Dunham, Paul McGinley and Justin Henson also will by pivotal in several areas. Question 9 : Building out program wide depth will be a key to your long term success at FC. What is the condition of your feeder program, and have you received the buy in you need throughout the system to support and develop what you are doing with the varsity? Response Yes, our entire youth league and middle school will be running versions of what we do in varsity football. We have around 500 registered players for the youth league which is double from last year and had 350 at our youth camp. We have had around 60 middle school players coming to the high school 2 times per week all summer as well to learn how to train properly, field work and scheme. So it has been going really great and we could not be more pleased overall with how things are progressing. Question 10: Big school football in Indianapolis is like an arms race. It takes significant resources to compete at the highest level. You have been there before, and have had those resources in abundance to support your programs. What is the FC administration's overall outlook for football, and are you confident you will have all the support you need to compete not only for an HCC championship, but also become a player in the 6A state tournament? Response That is the plan! Our superintendent, school board, administration and community are really working hard to provide the best opportunities and facilities for all the children in Franklin Township. We have a referendum coming up next May that if it passes will allow us to catch up to the schools that we are trying to compete with. Like I stated earliermFT is an "A" school in Marion County and is rapidly growing, so there is a lot of excitement from a multitude of entities that want to see FT be a leader in academics, performing arts, athletics and numerous clubs and activities that makes FT a special place for current families and those who are moving in as we speak. The support has been overwhelming to say the least and I am excited to see what direction we all travel together to provide the best of everything for our children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staxawax Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 Outstanding interview as usual DT. But it's troubling that you feel you have to link every word to redirect to your Facebook page. In my opinion the underlining makes it harder to read and reeks of self-promotion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DT Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 4 hours ago, Staxawax said: Outstanding interview as usual DT. But it's troubling that you feel you have to link every word to redirect to your Facebook page. In my opinion the underlining makes it harder to read and reeks of self-promotion. The underlining happened during the copy and paste process. The interview was so long that I decided not to try and figure it out. It was unintentional And why does it bother you that I redirect? Im trying to build something on facebook. I provide these interviews to The GID and get exactly nothing in return for my efforts. Enjoy them while they last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobref Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 11 hours ago, DT said: Im trying to build something on facebook. I provide these interviews to The GID and get exactly nothing in return for my efforts. Enjoy them while they last. IMO, @DT has done more to pump life into the GID than the next 3 posters anyone can name combined. The idea to obtain interviews from all these coaches was brilliant, worthy of TA. We all owe DT, whether you like the point of view he takes in other posts or not. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
temptation Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 29 minutes ago, Bobref said: IMO, @DT has done more to pump life into the GID than the next 3 posters anyone can name combined. The idea to obtain interviews from all these coaches was brilliant, worthy of TA. We all owe DT, whether you like the point of view he takes in other posts or not. But, but, but underlined words are hard on my eyes! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DT Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 21 minutes ago, temptation said: But, but, but underlined words are hard on my eyes! Hello Coach West.docx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWFan Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 9 hours ago, Bobref said: IMO, @DT has done more to pump life into the GID than the next 3 posters anyone can name combined. The idea to obtain interviews from all these coaches was brilliant, worthy of TA. We all owe DT, whether you like the point of view he takes in other posts or not. Agree 100%!!! These interviews are great offseason reads. Just gets me even more ready for the season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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