2024 Interview with Brian Pitzer head football coach from New Richmond High School

 

Brian Pitzer

New Richmond High School

Head Football Coach/Physical Education

Would you let the readers know about your coaching career? First job to current job?

I started my coaching career in 2013 at Anderson High School as a quarterbacks coach. I held that position until 2016, when I moved to WRs. From 2016 to 2018, I coached WRs and QBs and was the JV offensive coordinator. In 2019, I took the offensive coordinator/QQB job at Loveland High School. In December of 2019, I was hired as the head football coach at Norwood High School in Cincinnati. I was there for 2 seasons. I then took on the head football job here at New Richmond. I will be heading into my third year as their head coach!

What major changes did you make when you took over the team in 2022?

There were no major changes that had to be made. Pat Burke, the former head coach (and now head coach at Dixie High School in Kentucky), did a phenomenal job with discipline and structure. Not to mention, NR Football is traditionally a very solid football program. 

So the major changes we made were implementing a very uptempo brand of football in everything that we do. We preach efficiency and do not waste our players, staff, or family time. 

We implemented our Be Elite culture. Which heading into year 3 is showing promising returns?

Who are some of the coaches that you learned from, and what was the biggest thing you learned from them?

Vince Suriano, my former college OC, demanded that every detail be accounted for in the way we did everything. 
Jeff Giesting, First HC, hired me as a 21-year-old right out of college, and that showed me to always take chances on the young guy! 
Evan Dreyer is the current HC at Anderson High, and he showed me how to relentlessly and continually keep growing as a coach!

What will you remember the most from the class of 2024?

The class of 2024 was a very close group of players and even better friends or brothers to one another. 

Would you list any members from the 2024 class that will be moving on to play college ball?

Currently, at this time, there is one player still deciding if he will choose to play at the next level.

Who is the best player you have played for or coached against, along with the team they played for?

2 players come to mind immediately: my first high school football game I ever coached in was against Mt. Healthy High School at UC. We played against a running back by the name of David Montgomery. He turned out to be an okay player! All jokes aside, he was lightning in a bottle! 

The 2nd was my 3rd game as a HC at Norwood vs. Corey Kiner from Roger Bacon High School. I’m pretty sure we had no missed tackles against Corey. could have been because we were simply never close enough to him to make the tackle. He was a very electric player. Glad to see him back home at UC! 

The Lions will enter the 2024 season on a five-game losing streak. How important will it be for the team to kick the season off with a win?

I think it’s always important to start out with a win! Since we have been at NR, we have started out 1-0 each year. We have to take each week day by day and keep pressing to be 1-0 each week! 

As the old saying goes, you have to win the first one to win them all! 

What must the team do better to make sure they have a winning season this year?

Our team must be process-driven rather than results-driven. Last year, we started out 5-1 and finished 0-5. Like we have told our players all off-season, process over results!

How important is it for all of the teams in the system to run the same type of offense and defense?

I think it’s vital to get vertical alignment grades 5th–12th all on the same page. In 4th grade and below, we want those kids to have as much fun as humanly possible! 

We’re pretty close to getting all levels aligned vertically. I hope to finalize the process this year! 

How important is it for all teams in the system to play a full schedule?

Very important! Kids want to play, and we want them to play! 

Where should the state finals be held?

At the shoe, it’s not even a question! One of the most iconic stadiums in all of football, and oddly enough, located directly in the center of our state—a tough concept, but maybe we will figure it out one day!

This is the tough question. Do you feel that private schools have an unfair advantage over public schools?

I love this question! I feel that all private schools definitely have an advantage. They can go into any community in the whole state and offer kids the ability to play at their school. 

I say we make the whole state open to enrollment and level the playing field. It would prevent what is going on right now, which is that more and more schools, both private and public, are openly recruiting. We have an amazing school, facilities, community, and brand of football! 

Where is your dream vacation spot?

I’m currently here right now while typing this out: Hilton Head Island, SC.

Have you ever been to a Reds game?

Multiple! Benefits of living in Cincinnati. I can pop down for a Reds game and be back home by 9:30 p.m.

What is your go-to snack?

I don’t snack a ton. but I love some Dots Pretzels.