Mike Sherman last coached high school football 36 years ago.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
It's been almost 40 years since Mike Sherman coached a high school football game.
The drought will end this coming fall at
Nauset Regional (North Eastham, Mass.), where the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers and Texas A&M will be the head coach. Sherman was most recently the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins.
The
Cap Cod Times said Sherman, 60, would meet with the team this week. He replaces Athletic Director Keith Kenyon, who was the head coach the last five years but has accepted the school's assistant principal position.
Kenyon and Sherman have been acquainted since coaching college football in the early 1980s. Sherman, a Massachusetts native, was let go by the Dolphins two seasons ago and grew restless without the game.
Most didn't anticipate he'd return to the high school ranks. After all, he's coached some of the greatest, including Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Johnny Manziel.
"I've been fortunate financially over the years, which is allowing me to do this," he told the Times. "Back in January I was looking for a place to have a football camp this summer and Nauset High School came up. Then I heard they were looking for a head football coach."
He didn't go for it right away. He wanted to make sure he could commit fully.
"The kids deserve that from their coach," he said. "I've loved coaching in the NFL and college for the last 33 years, but I am definitely looking forward to working with the kids at Nauset."
Under Kenyon, the Warriors had four straight winning seasons (28-16) before going 3-8 last year. From 2005-09, Nauset was 4-46.
Between Sherman's expertise and enthusiasm, the Warriors should be in great shape. They already have 32 players on their roster.
"I'm excited to be their coach," he said. "When I came to the Cape a year ago I felt I was done in coaching. I explored other outside opportunities, but I kept coming back to the fact I missed coaching. I missed the players and the preparation that goes into a season. I missed the ebb and flow, handling the highs and the lows."
The last time he coached high school football, Jimmy Carter was President, the price of gasoline was 86 cents a gallon and the Steelers beat the Cowboys 35-31 in one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played.
Sherman was coaching Samford (Conn.) at the time. He can't wait to rub shoulders with high school coaches again.
"I have always admired high school coaches who give their time to their players," he said. "They have a chance to impact young lives. That is exciting and I'm looking forward to having an effect on these kids' lives."
Nauset Regional players will get to play football under former Packers and Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman.
File photo by Mike Braca
