By CHUCK GODBY
For The Reporter
Jake Chesney, the new Sheridan football head coach, knows the importance of assistant coaches and he is confident he has assembled a most impressive staff.
“I love the staff I’ve put together. I kept a handful of guys that were willing and able to come back from last year. I’d say it’s about 50-50 mix as far as coaches coming back with new faces on the sidelines. I brought in a couple of college teammates, one with coaching experience and another wanting to tap into the coaching field,” he noted. “I’ve brought some family in as well. My father (Don) has been a volunteer on staff here on and off for years so now he’s my defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.”
Don Chesney was a standout prep football player at Crown Point High School and played collegiately at Purdue University until a shoulder injury cut his career short. Purdue is where Don met his bride and Jake’s mother Violet (Wright), also an SHS graduate and former cheerleader.
Violet Chesney’s father, John Wright, was an All-Hamilton County quarterback for the unbeaten 1948 Blackhawks.
“Being able to hand the whole defense to him is amazing,” Jake smiled, speaking of his father. “I’m handling the defensive backs, but my dad is also coaching the linebackers and is going to have a lot more influence in my program.”
Jake’s older brother, Garrett, is also joining the coaching staff. He was a former quarterback for the Blackhawks and played college ball at Hanover where he was converted to a pass receiver.
“He’s an offensive-minded guy and he’s going to be the quarterbacks coach,” Jake pointed out. “He’ll also be my extra set of eyes on the defensive backs.
“Overall, the chemistry of the whole staff has been great,” he added. “We’re not afraid to bounce ideas off each other. And we will explore each idea as a staff. There are no egos in this coaching group, which is pretty awesome.”
Not to be left out, Jake’s younger brother, Luke, will assist with stats. He’s a recent Rose-Hulman grad.
Jake Chesney is not your traditional high school teacher-coach. He has a day job away from school, as do most of his assistants. Chesney is employed by Davis Homes as a construction manager. His boss is his dad.
“Probably the only drawback to that is putting a schedule together that works for all of us,” he pointed out about his coaching staff, most who are not employed in the education field. “We’ve got nine-to-five jobs, but we’ve all got flexibility. I do have a handful of guys that are involved in the school. That’s important as I do need some eyes and ears in the school.”
Jake knew success early in life, but admits he barely remembers it.
His claim to fame occurred in 2002 when he was the subject of a video that his grandmother, Sally York, submitted to America’s Funniest Home Videos. It went on to capture the season finale grand prize of $100,000.
It’s something I really don’t think about unless someone brings it up,” he confessed. “We were in Naples, Florida visiting my grandmother. I was three years old at the time and it was probably a long day of swimming. The day was coming to an end and Grandma got us some ice cream and as I was eating it, I was dozing off. They grabbed a camera, submitted it and the next thing you know we’re in California on the show. I hardly have any recollection of it.”
Look for “I Dream of Ice Cream” on You Tube.
And the money? Grandma York invested it in her grandchildren’s education.
So, what does Jake Chesney do when he’s not coaching football or building homes?
“I’m still trying to figure that out,” he smiled. “I’ve got my day job and when I’m not doing that I’m pretty much here. Any free time, which is usually about an hour, I’m making dinner. I’ve got roommates, guys I grew up with. If they’re watching something on television I might sit down with them. Then I’m catching up on my sleep.”
Chesney is also in the process of creating a Sheridan football alumni organization, but tops on his list is readying his charges for their Aug. 22 season opener on the road against first-time foe Greenwood Christian.