‘Q and A’ with Vinnie Kishbaugh on Coaching at CM, Resignation

Editor’s Note: Central Mountain football coach Vinnie Kishbaugh resigned from that post shortly after completion of the 2013 season, one which saw the Wildcats go 2-8, making for a 10-21 log for Central Mountain in Kishbaugh’s three years as head coach. He recently agreed to respond to a series of questions about his decision and the status of Central Mountain football.




Q. What prompted your decision and how difficult was it?

A. This was a very hard decision. I have a true passion for the sport and truly love watching young people develop their passion for the sport. However, there was a difference in opinion in the philosophy of how the program should run and I felt that any more compromise and I would not be remaining true to my philosophy.

Q. Your thoughts on the won-loss record over the three years… had you expected more? Is it fair to make a judgment on your coaching based on wins and losses?

A. I think that our win and loss record is comparable to the athletes we worked with, some years the athlete played above their ability and some years they didn’t.  There is an old saying, “Show me a coach with and great running back and I will show you a great coach.”  Obviously we would have liked to win more games, that is why we compete and keep score, but I do think that the players all took something positive away from their experience with the Central Mountain Football program.  In the three year tenure we were able to get five kids the opportunity to play football at the collegiate level, and I am proud of that fact.

Q. How badly was your program hurt by the decision of so many kids to specialize in baseball or wrestling and forego football? How does the next Central Mountain football coach overcome this era of specialization?

A. All sports are hurt by specialization! I don’t know where kids get the notion that focusing on only one sport will make you a better athlete.  I think kids need to be able to play all sports and their parents need to support them in doing that, however kids also need to be focused on preparing to be better athletes in the weight room as well.  That is where programs like Tyrone, Clearfield, Mifflin County and State College have an upper hand on the kids at Central Mountain.  They weight train year round throughout their seasons and it shows year in and year out.

Q. Best memories?  Disappointments (if any)? Anything you would change in your approach if you go a “do-over?”

A. My best memory would be the State College game last year.  I thought that, that game even though it was a loss could have been a turning point for the program.  The kids fought hard through the entire game and played a physical game.

Any thoughts as to why Central Mountain has not done better in football over a decade and a half? Many believed combining Bald Eagle-Nittany and Lock Haven High would make for a solid program but won-loss success over 16 years or so has been limited. I believe that there are many issues that have contributed to the lack of success of the program.  One is the geography of the district, when you have to ask parents to drive 30 minutes one way to bring a kid to a work out or a practice you are going to have some families that are unwilling or unable to do that.  Another thing that I think has hurt Central Mountain is there is no tradition.  You had two strong athletic programs in BEN and Lock Haven, both of whom had a tradition of having good football teams, but people decided that those ties should be discontinued when the conception of Central Mountain took place. So you have alumni of both those schools who contributed to their athletic success that are not recognized, so why should they support a program that doesn’t support them and their hard work?

Q. Any advice for your successor and as someone obviously passionate about football, do you hope to get back into coaching at some point?

A. Stay true to your philosophy.  Yes, I hope to continue coaching at some point; I have been contacted by some other programs and have been asked to coach, but I am not making any decisions on my future coaching endeavors at this point.  I am going to enjoy my time with my wife and daughter for now.

It is expected the Keystone Central School Board will act on the Kishbaugh resignation at its December reorganizational meeting and begin the process of hiring a new coach.