2024 Interview with Bethel-Tate Head Coach and Dallas Cowboy Fan Jeff Essig

 

Jeff Essig

Betherl-Tate

Head Coach

What will you miss the most from the 2024 class?

This was an extremely special class. First, it was my son's class. I had the pleasure of watching most of this group grow from the very beginning of their football careers as youth and middle school players. They leave here as league champions three out of the last four years. 
Next season will be the first season over the last 18 years that my son will not be at a practice. He has attended practices since his birth, whether in a baby bijorn, riding his bike around the track, or as a player. It will be weird not having him around in some capacity.

Looking back on the 2023 season, where you guys finished 7–5, What shocked you the most?

The most shocking moment of 2023 was our slow start. We really felt like we let some of our earlier games on our schedule get away from us, but in true Bethel-Tate fashion, our guys did not let that bring them down. We got better and better each week. Our team fought through the adversity and never gave up on each other. We finished the season with a feeling of success and gave our community something to be proud of.

What were the high and low points from the 2023 season?

There were many high points in our season. Winning a league championship and making the playoffs are always our preseason goals; we were able to check those boxes. Another high point had to be coming away with a victory against Williamsburg on week 9 for senior night. They were highly ranked and undefeated at the time, and everyone counted us out, but we were able to play well enough to give our seniors and our team the victory. The final high point of the season was beating Blanchester in the playoffs. They are a conference team, and they beat us in the regular season. We were able to play them again in the playoffs and win the shot to keep advancing.
We did not really have any major low points. Of course you want to win your last game, and with the way our program has been improving, that would mean you are a state champion, but we played an extremely talented and well-coached Valley View team to end our season in the playoffs. We are tremendously proud of our team and how they continued to help our program succeed.

Who was the best team you guys faced in 2023, along with the reason you felt they were the best?

The best team we faced was in the playoffs against Valley View. They are a perennial playoff team with a state championship pedigree. Valley View has a team and coaching staff that know what it takes to be a state champion. Their quarterback, Caden Henson, was the Division V state co-player of the year. Combine his play with five other All-Ohio players, and you have a team that is extremely difficult to beat. They create match-up difficulties on all three levels of the field.

How important is it for the younger teams in the program to run the same offense and defense as the varsity?

We like to let our coaches have freedom, but it can definitely help when the younger teams can use some of the same concepts and terminology as the varsity. It allows our players to come in already knowing some of our basic concepts and how we do things. Having that foundation is part of why we have had success.

Staying on the subject of the younger teams, how important is it for them to play the maximum number of games allowed by the OHSAA?

We really want our student-athletes to compete. Ohio does a good job of regulating the number of games at the middle school level. We would like to see more off-season opportunities for our student-athletes to compete in football-related activities, whether that means 7v7s or BIG Man competitions, especially for players who are not in a winter or spring sport. Ohio has been helping our student-athletes by making some changes and adjustments to the rules, but it still remains the most restricted sport among the Ohio high school sports.

How much experience do you have with the younger teams in the program?

I teach in our middle school, so I see our student-athletes starting out as 6th graders. This allows me to help promote our program in person for 3 years before they become freshmen. I also have a great relationship with our youth program and their board. We have many times during the year when our high school programs and our youth programs come together. We have youth camp opportunities where our youth can come and work with our players and staff. We also have youth practice days, where our youth players are invited to attend our summer practices and workouts. The youth program also invites us to their practices, and many of our past players are coaches of the various youth teams. We like to try to be a program of ONE with the thinking of ONE Community ONE Program. In the future, we would like to hold a coaching clinic where we can all learn from each other.

If you had a say in it, what change or changes would you make to the playoff system Ohio has?

I would not change a thing. Some coaches and programs think the expansion has been a bad thing. I completely disagree. Any time we can give our student-athletes another opportunity to compete in our great sport, I am all for it! This expansion has allowed more programs and student-athletes to extend their seasons. In our sport, you never know when your last game will be, and the expansion has given you more opportunities to compete. The playoff atmosphere is something special, and the expansion has only increased the ability for more student-athletes to have that experience.

In talking to a lot of fans across the state, a lot of fans believe that ticket prices are a big reason attendance is down. What are your thoughts on that subject?

I think that may be part of the reason, but COVID really opened up the way fans can watch our games or any high school sport, for that matter, with the ability to stream. I think streaming adds to the lower attendance numbers. Streaming games has many advantages, but the disadvantage is that fans are not going to the games and instead are watching from a device at home or somewhere other than the stadium. Streaming allows fans to avoid the weather and travel costs of in-person attendance at games.

Where do you believe the state finals will be?
should be held?

I love that the state championship games are played in Canton. It is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and I am also a little biased because that is where I grew up. Tom Benson Stadium is a great place to watch and play football. The stadium is a great size for the state championship game crowds and is not so big that it seems empty during the games. It also becomes a great experience for the teams, as they can also take a day to tour the hall. There is a lot of debate about travel time for our southwest, southeast, and even northwest teams, but if it were played in Columbus every year, then the same debate could be said about the central Ohio teams, who do not have to travel long distances. Yes, it would also be a great experience to play in the Shoe, but it can be very cavernous to play in when compared to Tom Benson Stadium in Canton. Either place has positives and negatives, but for the overall experience for the student-athletes, I have to go with Canton.

What do you look for when scheduling non-league games?

We look for a good matchup for our program and proximity to our school. We also look to see how a "win" can help our playoff points. We want to schedule teams with good competition, and if we can beat them, they can then go on and win games from their schedule to help give us second-level points. We try to avoid teams that have a lot of crossovers with teams on our schedule. If there are a lot of crossover games, then the second-level points are lower. Teams we beat go and beat teams we already beat, so they cancel out.

How long is a typical Bethel-Tate practice?

In season, we practice from 3-6:15 p.m., but that does not mean we are on the field for that amount of time. We have different components to our daily practices, like film sessions, weight lifting and training, and meetings. On some days, we only wear what we call "top shells" (helmets and shoulder pads), and on other days, we may only wear helmets with shorts and t-shirts. Being a small school, we have to manage our time well in order to prepare our team each week. Each year can be different as we find better ways of doing things or have the luxury of being two platoons for some years. 

How much time is spent on the kicking game?

We have at least one period each day devoted to special teams. We have a specific day devoted to each part of the special teams. Monday KO and KOR, Tuesday punt and punt return, Wednesday PAT and PAT defend, and Thursday we spend most of our practice on special teams. Thursday practice actually has a period called Kick the Field where we go over all situations of the game.

What do you think of the new UFL league?

I really like it. Any time you can promote our great sport, I am all for it! It gives more players the opportunity to play; it gives coaches more opportunities to coach; and it gives fans more opportunities to enjoy the best sport on earth. It gives high school coaches like me more opportunities to learn. I am all about the positive promotion of football!

If you could sit down and talk to any coach about football from the pro or college ranks, who would it be?

Mike Leach. He seemed like someone who really enjoyed life. Coach Leach was one of the fathers of the air raid, and I have studied his offense in great detail. I have so many questions that I would have loved to ask him. You can tell that his players really loved to play for him. I will forever miss his post-game interviews, or any interview with him, for that matter.

OK This is more of a question for fun, knowing what a big Dallas Cowboys fan you are. How jealous are you that I spent time in their press box last season and was on the field while I covered the Texas State Finals?

Extremely! I have not been to AT&T Stadium yet. It is on my bucket list, for sure. I have been to and been on the field at Texas Stadium when it was still around. My cousin has tickets to Cowboys games, and one day I will travel down for a game with him. One day, I will join your club. LoL!