Full Show - 7/19/2025

Full show from the Donovan & Jorgenson Heating & Cooling Studio: Saturday, July 19th, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome into the Varsity Blitz high school sports show, presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores.
Coming for a very chilly studio. We got to get
downv in Jordan said, heat and cooling to come on
out because it is cold in this studio. I can
tell you special guest for two hours. He's used the

(00:20):
Texas weather Man and he's going to be freezing. I
sent them a Texas Morning and said, where a hoodie?
Where a hoodie? I'm excited about today's show. I have
not had a chance to see coach Joe Cook for
a while. We've talked to every once in a while,
but man, he's back in town for a few weeks
and I'm like, hey, Man, if you're in town, can

(00:41):
I get you to come on in studio? He said absolutely.
I said, can you tell Hubba he's got to come
with you. He goes, I'll get him to come in.
I said, he's never come in before, and in studio
the entire two hours. Coach Joe Cook, Coach Hubba, Coach Hubba.
I'm gonna start with you man, going to think memorial.
I'll talk to Bill Young, who's coming out a little

(01:02):
bit later on the show and and he's really happy
to have you on that staff. Brother.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
How you been, Oh, I've been great. Thanks for having me.
Uh yeah. Back at Catholic Memorial with Coach Young. What
a difference, What a difference. You know, it's back to
the old school ways of kind of coaching and kids
are yes sir, no sir. And if not, Coach Young's
the first one to let him know that it's yes sir,
no sir.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Well, you know I coached you as a freshman, and
I tell people how about all the time that I
didn't look nobody else would do it. I was coaching
basketball there, they asked me to do it. You as
a freshman, knew more about football than I did. I
was a coach and man, you were you you snapped,
I'd be so many times, and I loved it that team.

(01:49):
Would you talk about some of the guys that were
on that team? You guys ended up winning the state
championship with coach Joe Cook and and I'm telling you
I take full credit for it for well, coach you know,
you used to say, look, are you ever gonna run
this and do this and do that? And when you
think about the guys we had on that team that

(02:11):
we only had sixteen players, but boy, ten of them
were really good football players. And we had some kids
that could play, and we ended up winning some games,
not a ton of games, but a few games. And
but Cook comes in and Joe's in studio with us,
and three years later he went to state championship. And understand,

(02:31):
the year before he took over at Dominican, the varsity
team didn't score a.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
Point point forget about three years.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Later not only win the state championship in football, but
we won one in basketball. And you know that, And
I'll never forget this at the Old Arena when when
we beat Marquette in the state championship, Joe Cook as
the first guy went over and thanked because he changed
the culture of that school well. And to Saint Dominican

(03:01):
went a state championship in football. People look at me
like I'm out of my mind at this point. And
so that your your your class really turned turned that
school into a state champion with football.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
That was a various part. I mean, I'm still friends
with the majority of the guys on that team. I
mean that's part of you know, we've preached for years
and years and years you know, sometimes it's not the
most talented teams that win, but the team that's type
knit group, those are the teams that come through and
you know when it's crunch time and that's special.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yeah, did you know? Did you know that early on
in high school that coaching is stuff that was going
to be in your your future because you had you
had the brain for it as a thirteen year old. Yeah,
and you were a big kid. You played sander, you punted,
you played defense. You didn't come out to feel much.
But even at that point, like I would step back
and when you would come into my office and go, look,

(03:56):
I don't know why we're not doing that. We've run
this really well. You need to call a little bit more.
As a thirteen year old had enough courage to come
into the coach's office and kind of speak your mind.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
And I appreciated that a lot. Yeah, I mean it's
always been a passion. I mean part of it is, too,
is my dad's always been a coach, so growing up
he was a coach. And then once I started getting
in coach, I mean, if you looked at a mount
rushmore of head coaches in the state of Wisconsin, I
think I've worked with all of them. I mean, you know,
with having coach Cook as a mentor and then being

(04:28):
on staff with Phil Datka and Tom Tarasca.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
I mean you got the really young and Bill Young.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
Those are the if you ask me, those are the
four that you would say if you're Southeast Wisconsin or
Southern Wisconsin coach, that's the mount Rushmore.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
Joe Cook, brother, how you got doing good?

Speaker 3 (04:45):
Thanks?

Speaker 1 (04:46):
You know what I missed you in shows with you.
I gotta be honest, man. You were my co host
on the Friday night scoreboard show's co host on my
Saturday morning show when it came to high school football,
and I got to tell this story, so you know
you're at all and some things, some stuff happened what
people don't understand. We don't need to get into it.
But there was some some health issues in your home

(05:09):
and you were like, I'm done. I'm just gonna walk
away for a while. And I came to your house
and knocked on your door and said, hey, I want
you to keep your tone in the water. I want
you to do be my coase. And you basically said
get away, you don't come back. And the next day
I came and knocked on the door again, and you

(05:29):
were like, are you out of your what? And I said,
I want you to consider this and you were like,
don't knock on my go away. I'm done. I'm not
doing high school football. And your wife called me, he said,
wearing him down. She's coming over and I go, he's
gonna punch me. She goes, he won't punch you. I
promise you. But you got weight to day and then
come back. And I waited a day and came back

(05:50):
and you had kind of said, okay, let me think
about it. And then we did that Friday night scoreboard
show and Sparky, who we just kind of talked to you,
I have to think. And look, I wouldn't be doing
any of this, none of it had it not done
for this guy. And and and I love him. I
I do. And and the fact that he kept saying, no, no,

(06:11):
you're doing fine, and she snaps every once in a while,
you know, the writer for the journal setting we had
our co host, who was Dan Pfeiffer at that point
was yelling at me because I snapped out of him
too much. And then Sparky walked in the studio and said,
you know, take the skirt off man, you got to
go after that guy, And I said, he's telling me
I went too hard. He goes, no, you didn't, and

(06:33):
it was it was you know, he had written a
couple of things that weren't right, and I had to
go after him a little bit. I thank you for
doing that. That was really fun and I have so
many memories from the time we spent together.

Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yeah, no, it's been awesome. I'm glad you kept knocking
on that door. But my wife and also had a
lot to do. She did, Yeah, she talked some sense
to me. And then it was the best thing, you know,
and there you you know, the smarter half and American. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no,
and it was it was the best thing ever. That
she kept knocking is a reason, you know, got as
a plan and that was it. And you were you're

(07:06):
the prophet knocking at the door.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
You know. Well when she called and whispered, you're wearing
him down, I said, no, I don't think I am.
He's mad at me today than he was yesterday, and
she said, no, no, keep doing this because this we
I want him to keep his tone in the water.
And that gave us an opportunity to talk high school football,
to talk to coaches and just to kind of keep

(07:28):
that passion that you've always had. He let's talk a
little bit about Paradise, Texas. We're going to have the
new head coach, the new head coach on who you
know pretty well, but I know him a little bit. Yeah,
you know him a little bit. The new head coach
at Paradise Texas is going to join us at ten o'clock.
In fact, let me run through the guests that we're
going to have. On Connorsanger, who was the quarterback at

(07:52):
Pious Yester Guys coaches now the passing game specialists for
the Arizona Cardinals.

Speaker 3 (07:57):
Yeah, is going to join us.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
Nick Olva, who's the recording recruiting coordinator for Louisville Fighting Farmers.

Speaker 3 (08:04):
Yeah, the Fighting Farmers. They're famous in Texas.

Speaker 1 (08:06):
Are they really?

Speaker 3 (08:07):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (08:07):
Yeah, the fight They were the.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
Team, the team in the nineties most Yeah, they were
the number one team in the nation when they had
Mysical champions back in the day. With the USA today,
they were the Mysical national champions, yeah, ninety sixteen, ninety
sixteen coach. Yeah, so I mean no, but they're they're
a pretty famous team.

Speaker 1 (08:25):
Yeah, And he so he's going to join us at
nine point forty. Uh, Tommy cook is going to join
us on a cute little boy. Not Tommy, he's fine,
but the little baby he's got that you seventy Yeah,
you had aw boy, Yeah, my goodness.

Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, his daughter Camilla and now he just had a
baby boy. Kobe.

Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, Kobe had the cowboy had on that. I loved it.
How many grand kids you guys have?

Speaker 3 (08:45):
Seven? We're trying, we're trying to stay ahead of you, Mike.
We had six, right, yeah, six is yeah, we had
to break the tie Tommy.

Speaker 1 (08:51):
And you know what, my daughter and her husband are
out of town and the four boys, my wife's at
their house and I'm trying to avoid a little bit.
The three year old punch me in bad spot, so
I'm trying to say that way. But Tommy Cooks joins
at ten o'clock and Bill Young he's going to join
Legend a few minutes. For your cell phone. He's at
his grandson's game right now, and he said, hey, I

(09:12):
will definitely text you when I'm available, and that's awesome,
and he said, I'd love to have a couple of
minutes to talk to Joe and coach hubbas Hey, your
decision to leave the state of Wisconsin and go to Paradise, Texas.
I was worried. I thought, boy, that's a big change
that this is that worked out really well for you

(09:32):
and your family.

Speaker 3 (09:33):
Yeah, it did. And it wasn't an easy decision, just
because of you know, all the friendships you've developed here
and of course you have family, you know, and but
it it was an opportunity. I mean I had always
in Hubby can always tell you this. I mean, obviously
he played for me, he coached me all his years
and really become best friend, you know. So it wasn't easy,
but it was a it was a dream always a
coach on there, you know, because how about and I

(09:54):
actually have been going down since nineteen ninety seven every
year going to their playoff games, clinicing with coaches, you know,
just I mean, so got to know the area really well,
got to know some good people, obviously Ronnie Gage from Lewisville,
who won a couple of state championships. And now when
he called me and offered me a job to come
down there as his OC, it was just one of
those times I said to my wife, I said, I
don't know. It's just I can't pass it up my

(10:16):
whole life. I've talked about coaching on there and it
sounds crazy, but I you know, I had talked for
thirty some years and and I love coach at teaching
and coach, but it's hard. The classroom is it's a
stressful job and you get to that point you know
your little life. And I was like, oh man, it'd
be nice to just coach football and not have to
be in the classroom teaching. And I'm like, take that.

Speaker 1 (10:37):
Actually, one of my favorite is is you were also
an athlete, the athletic in athletic at the school. Yes,
And I had John and I said, hey, doing some research,
you guys got a really good volleyball team. And you said,
we got a volleyball team.

Speaker 3 (10:51):
Come on to say that.

Speaker 1 (10:52):
I look, you said that.

Speaker 3 (10:56):
On that that might be Ai. I don't know, we were.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
We have a volleyball team that I've laughed for. I'm
still laughing that. Hey, the difference between coach and before
I get to that, you have for a long time
and he's now sitting between us, but you have said
to me you have no idea the quality of coach
Hubby is he's so good? What makes him such a
good high school football coach?

Speaker 3 (11:21):
And well, I'll tell you it's, you know, when when
he was in high school and then obviously you know,
I was coaching. It didn't even have to go as
far as the field. I still remember walking down the
hallway going to do my supervision for a study hall
and I hear this debate argument going on in a classroom.
It's a nun. It's a Bible class and I hear Hubba,

(11:44):
one of my football players. I hear Hubba because he
can't miss his voice because he's loud, and they're debating
some biblical scripture. And I'm thinking myself, here's a nun
and you got a guy who probably as somebody opened
the Bible, and you're debating, going on and on, and
he's driving a crazy I'm like, get good coach. I
mean if he if he's literally trying to convince a nun, shit,
oh it just oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I

(12:07):
was crying. I'm like this guy. But then on the
football field, just like you spoke about, you know, he
was a coach on the field one hundred percent, Yeah,
and you just knew it, you know, and then there's
you know, you have to have that love for the game,
right and then you find out you really get coaches
when you get into coaching, do you have a love
for the kids too, because that's a big part, you know,
And and can you relate to him?

Speaker 1 (12:25):
So how about and you'll laugh at this. I was
thinking about stories about that freshman the one year I
coached football. Two quick stories that I still tell.

Speaker 4 (12:34):
And one of our guests coming says, don't tell that
story anymore, but Catholic memorial I'm coaching freshmen, we write
we lose.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
It was fourteen to twelve something like that. We and
we had the ball with when the time ran out
on the thirty yard line going in. And so I
go to shake Coach Bulvo's hand after and I didn't
know Chuck, and I said, man, that was a really
good freshman football game, and you go, it was really
My kids will pay for this debacle. And I called
him something I shouldn't call him. And two months later

(13:06):
I'm moving into my house and he's walking down the
middle of the street and I go, you're still And
I said that he first, I'll laugh, and he helped
us move in varsity was playing that afternoon or whatever.
It was over at Whitefish Space Stadium and it was
forty two to nothing with four minutes to go, and
they ran a double reverse bomb for a touchdown. And

(13:26):
after I'm in the men's room and there's coach young
and I didn't know him, and I go, do you
really have to do that? Was that necessary? He goes,
you didn't like that? And I go, no, He goes,
didn't get better? That's kind of me. And you know what,
he goes, quit telling that story because I'm not like
that anymore. And I go, but I learned so much
as a young coach. And he was right. The other

(13:47):
thing that happened that day or that year, Scott Foker,
remember Scott. Scott came into me after game one or
game two, right after, into the coach's office and put
down his equipment, said I'm done. I quit. And I said,
hold on a second. He said, coach, you look at
my long hair, and you look at the grateful dead

(14:07):
T shirt type. You don't think I can play. I'm
a really good football player and you don't know it.
You haven't noticed it. So I'm done. I'm wasting my
time and I said, look, I make a ton of
mistakes as a coach. Can you give me one more week?
Give me a week, and if you're right, I'll admit
I was wrong. But if you're wrong, I'm going to

(14:28):
tell you. He goes absolutely. I watched him all week.
That next game, he was pulling out his jersey to
come out for the game because he played full back
and played inside my back. He was on every special
team and he's pulling his jersey. I'm like, he didn't
play the first two games. You can't be tired. And
the kid was really good. And the fact that you

(14:51):
would come in my office. He came in as thirteen
fourteen year old kids, you want parents to do that.
That team Trevino Moore, Ganton, Yeah, Kubiak, these guys garroted,
Gary o'donald Yeah, yeah. Credits you a lot. He's a really.

Speaker 3 (15:08):
Big basketball coach on the coast, in big time coach.

Speaker 1 (15:12):
He was the next call. I was gonna call him
if we didn't get all these guys to to say no, no,
I'll come on. If I get a chance to talk
to to Cook and Hubb, I'll come on. But that
team had and again we we had sixteen maybe seventeen players.
We couldn't even screwge. We had to go half line
and all I had Moore as a running back. I

(15:32):
don't know where he ended up for you.

Speaker 3 (15:35):
Yeah, he played offensive, guarden, defensive end for us.

Speaker 1 (15:38):
He did. Yeah, I had to run the ball that
we ran Trigg place because he could.

Speaker 3 (15:41):
Throw it a little bit an athlete.

Speaker 1 (15:43):
Yeah, Troy wagg there.

Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yeah, I still see Troy all the time. Yeah, looks
the same, he's still playing basketball. Yeah, same energy.

Speaker 3 (15:50):
But well, you know, and that's what was great about
those kids, and I think some of the things that's
been lost today. I'm not trying to knock down like
the old days whatever, but they were multi sport, right,
Those kids played everything. I mean, they were just junkies
for sports. But what that does is, besides we came
learning how to be a competitor, they become really good friends.
They bonded. I'll tell you, and I think guess with
any team. I'm sure if we call any coach that

(16:11):
want to State champiship last year, they'll tell you, Yes,
this class had talent, you can't win without that, But
they had a chemistry. They actually cared about each other.
They really like each other and they were gonna let
the other guy down. And that's that's what that Jamaican
team was.

Speaker 1 (16:23):
Like, Hey, really quickly because we have to get through
a break because Connor Sanger is going to join us.
Getting when when you got to Paradise the program was
was okay, right, they're terrible struggling.

Speaker 3 (16:36):
I did they were there and ten the year before,
one and nine you for that and ten before that,
one and one for that?

Speaker 1 (16:41):
What what happened? Look, you've turned programs around in a
different state where where football is is is number one.
How difficult was it to get those kids to buy
in what you were saying?

Speaker 5 (16:55):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (16:56):
Not hard? I mean really, I mean I think and
we have been a side, you know, I think the
first thing is as long as they see that you
really care about them. You know, you're in it for them,
not yourself. Yeah, and it's genuine and you have a
real passion for the game. But at the same token,
you got to show them that you know what you're
talking about. You know what I mean, you can't be
a phony, you know, you know we said, you know,

(17:17):
you lose your power if you don't have an answer
to a problem. So you mean, knowledge has powers, so
you better be you better know your business right and
and it doesn't mean you have to out smart everybody,
but you know what I mean, you better be good
what you're talking about and be real. But the biggest
thing is that you care about these kids. You're gonna
put them the best position to win, but they have
to understand that to win, we're gonna have to work
like we thought we were working. No, no, we got

(17:39):
to work and with a real intensity enthusiasm.

Speaker 1 (17:42):
And we'll get to we'll get to the work part
of it because in Texas different and it's changing here
in the state where you get more contact days. We'll
get to that later in the show. On the other
side of the break, Connor Sanger is going to join
his former quarterback at Pie went to Wisconsin, I think
went to Oshkosh. He's now the passing game specialists for
the Arizona Cardinals will join us on the other side

(18:03):
of the break, Joe Cook and coach Hubba in Studio
three for the entire two hours. We're gonna do one
hour and I went no, no, no, hold on. I thought
this was through. I knew Hubba would want to talk
once I got a microphone in front of him. This
is the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show presented by
your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores on
Fox Sports ninety twenty and your iHeart Radio App. Well,

(18:25):
welcome back to the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show
presented by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market
stores on Fox Sports ninety twenty and your iHeartRadio app.
Coming live from the Donovan and Jordanston HEDI and Coolid Studios.
I'm Mike mcgiffern, special guest in studio for the entire
show Joe Cook and coach Hubba and I can't thank

(18:46):
these guys enough for for giving me the time. And man,
I've been looking forward to doing this show for sure.
Hey guys, when when we talk about the best quarterback
you guys ever coached, our next guest is he's in
that conversation out there for sure?

Speaker 3 (19:01):
Yeah, Connor Sanger.

Speaker 1 (19:02):
Unbelievableed what what made him so good?

Speaker 3 (19:05):
Joe going back to talking about being a coach in
the field and being a love for the game and
being very intelligent. Connor super intelligent, understood concepts and reads,
I mean, just kind of a natural feel for the game,
but was a student of the game and just very polite,
a natural yes, sir, no, sir, guys. Parents did a
great job raising him, and he was just really just

(19:28):
really a great person. But because he was such, you know,
so well this one, you know, he just absorbed information,
you know what I mean? So great kid.

Speaker 1 (19:38):
Do you know if if you put me playing Thanksgiving
like Turkey Bowl for the next one hundred years, I'm
not going to throw thirty seven touchdowns and rush for
thirty nine like he did in his high school career.
He is now the passing game specialist for the Arizona
Cardinals Condorsanger Connor, how you been man? We're having a

(20:01):
little bit of a hard time hearing you. Connor. Uh,
let's talk a little bit about playing for coach Cook
and Hubba. They didn't yell at you much, did they.

Speaker 6 (20:10):
Can you guys tell me a little bit better?

Speaker 1 (20:12):
Yeah, we got you perfect now? Thank you?

Speaker 3 (20:14):
Hey, Connor? How you doing?

Speaker 1 (20:15):
Hey, what's going on?

Speaker 3 (20:16):
How are you good?

Speaker 5 (20:17):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (20:18):
Great?

Speaker 7 (20:19):
Uh?

Speaker 6 (20:19):
No, good playing for those guys. I really think it
added from my love to the game, and you know,
just the curiosity of why we were doing what we
were doing. And I was listening to the show as
you guys started and kind of hearing the story about
Hubba going going to the office and asking why are
we doing this and we should be doing this more that.
I think that's one of the qualities that I had

(20:42):
as well that allowed me to grow into the role
that I have now. And without Coach Cooking Coach Trubble
being great teachers and giving those explanations, I don't think
I'd be where I am today without them.

Speaker 1 (20:52):
So, man, I love that. And then and look your
career as a coach. You coached quarterbacks, coach you are
at Carol at Whitewater, North Dakota State and now with
the Cardinals for a number of years, and you got
the Bill Bidwell fellowship. I love that and the fact

(21:12):
that you've been now for four years. The love that
you have for NFL football is it Is it what
it was like when you were a kid, or now
that you're involved in it, is it more of a business?

Speaker 6 (21:25):
You definitely see the business side of it more, but
I think at the heart of it, the game is
still the game. And listening to Coach cook explain about
how he gets kids to buy in and how he
turned the Paradise program around. It's very similar at the
NFL level, which is I guess it was surprising a
little bit at the start, but it really makes sense.

(21:46):
These players they don't really care where you came from.
They don't really care you know, what style of quose
you wear, like anything about your background. What they want
to know is one that you care about them, and
that two that you can provide them with answers. So
I think that carryover really just shows how the game
is transcended through all different levels that you're going to

(22:07):
coach or play at.

Speaker 1 (22:09):
Joe, when when you had him in high school and
you talked about being a coach on the field, he
not only was that was his huddle, right, but the
guy with the players on that team looked up to
him and listened to him and kind of took direction
from him. I would assume.

Speaker 3 (22:26):
Yeah. And the only reason he any can't remember now
when he started for US he was a sophomore and
uh and he was a skinny little guy now super
athletic and could throw the heck out of a ball.
So everybody understood his talents. They you could see that
that was obvious, but still he was a sophomore, and
it's hard to look up to a sophomore when you're
a senior. But it makes it easier when he's the
first guy in the you know, in the film, when

(22:47):
the first guy on the practice field and the last
guy to leave on everything. You know, he's picking up
the equipment. He didn't ask him to do it, and
they never changed. Well all of a sudden, now you
start buying in. Okay, I can follow this guy. He's
you know. And so yeah, he was a natural leader.
I mean, it was just I mean, and obviously an
incredible talent. And I don't care what when you get
in that field, you start making plays like he does.
And I still remember we played when he was a sophomore.

(23:09):
The first game he started was against Whitnall and they
had Joel Stave, who had a pretty good career for
the Badgers, Yes he did, and they were obviously picked
to beat us. And I remember there they won the
state parlisting championship that year and I think three of
the five linemen of theirs were state champions or national
champions some crazy thing. But anyhow, we beat him sixty

(23:29):
nine to fifteen, I think was a score and I
Connor ran for over three hundred yards and threw for
about three hundred. And I remember the safety for the
Green Bay Packers, Collins who when they won the Super Bowl.

Speaker 1 (23:40):
Yeah, he was at the game. He was Nick Collins,
Nick Collin.

Speaker 3 (23:43):
He was at the game. And after the game, he's
kind of like, which guy's going to the Badgers this summer?
But I mean, well you win, you win, respect in
a hurry from everybody.

Speaker 1 (23:51):
Hey, And Connor was a tough kid.

Speaker 2 (23:54):
I mean he was a skinny superphic, but he was
a tough kid playing through some nicknacks as whole. And
for a line coach and the lineman, they loved it
because you know, he was the guy. And I don't
think we had another one. There wasn't a backup. There
was sixth alignment and Connor and those guys spent all

(24:15):
the time together because Connor was the biggest part of
the protection scheme.

Speaker 1 (24:19):
Hey, Connor, growing up, did you were you a multi
sport athlete?

Speaker 7 (24:23):
Oh?

Speaker 6 (24:24):
Yeah, absolutely, And I heard Coach Cook talk about that
a little bit earlier as well, But yeah, baseball was
actually my first love. And I would say honestly, getting
to high school and just being in that program kind
of it turned my love into football a little bit,
and that's really when I decided when I wanted to
get into coaching. But yes, I did play baseball and
I ran track as well.

Speaker 1 (24:45):
Hey, your favorite memory of being part of Pie's Football?
And think about the programs we're talking about Paradise was was,
you know, had two wins in four years, Dominican didn't
score a point the year before you two go over.
Pie's has never been a big time football program, had
a lot of success there. When when you were coaching Connor,

(25:06):
when I asked you, looking back at the Pies days,
your favorite memory being part of of Joe Cook and
hubblished program, what would you say?

Speaker 6 (25:15):
That's uh, that's a really good question. And we did
talk about the uh my first game starting against Whitnell.
I think that's one that really sticks out. That's one
where you know, we like like we were the underdogs,
like Coach Cook said, and all of a sudden you
go out and have this crazy success and it's obviously
you want to win and stuff like that. But that
game was extremely fun. We had a lot of fun

(25:38):
that day. It was hot, people were cramping on the sidelines,
but we were pushing through and I think that's one
that really sticks out. And then I guess I would
say another one that was just you know, just a
really good time and honestly it didn't it it led
to a loss. But our playoff game against Greenfield, you

(25:59):
no green Day, excuse me before we went on and
played South Milwaukee, super windy game, you know, with the
with the shotgun option scheme that we were running, we
were able to handle it a little bit. But there
was actually a punt that went backwards from the Greenville
never I'll never forget that. That was one of the
craziest things I've ever seen. The ball projected forward and
it came backwards. But that was just a gritty win

(26:21):
on a on a Tuesday night where we started the
first round of playoffs, and that was that was something
that we fought through. But that was that was a
lot of fun.

Speaker 3 (26:28):
Yeah, No, it was a big I mean, Greendale was
the number one team in the state for Division two
and we went to their place and uh on a
really windy Cole night and upset them, you know in
a in a Barnburger game, stoppedhim on a two point
conversion at the end of the game and by Connor, has.

Speaker 1 (26:44):
They missed a free kick?

Speaker 3 (26:45):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (26:47):
So Cook doesn't remember me coming to his house. He
doesn't really goes I can't remember what I have for breakfast,
but I can't remember I don't remember my nieces and
nephews days. But I know Rod Crew hit three eleven
the last year you play. It doesn't make any sense
to be at all. You know, the the the kind
of comfort level that you have when you have a

(27:09):
kid like Conor at quarterback, and you've had some good
quarterbacks over the years, but man, you can there really
isn't any game plan that you can't put in that's
gonna make him. If it's really windy, if we got
to run him more, then we run him more. Or
if we can throw the ball all over the place
because we got receivers that can catch it and he
can put it wherever we want it. It's got to

(27:31):
be a real comfort level as a head coach.

Speaker 3 (27:33):
Oh it is. And the biggest thing is you're seeing
how football has evolved. And Connor obviously knows this. He
has Kyler Murray, the man he's coaching there at Arizona.
When you have a guy who can run or is
a threat to run that changes the defense, how they
play and what they can play. And you know, so
I've had some you know, really good, multi talented quarterbacks.
Guys can run through you know, they can do it all.

(27:55):
But the difference that Connor brought out of probably, you know,
as far as the whole package, is the intelligence part.
I mean, and and probably I'm going to go back
to the the discipline and willingness to take coaching. You
I mean, because there's times that I'm sure in his
mind's right thing and you you know what you're talking about.
That's a bad idea, I'm this, But there's times he understands, hey,

(28:16):
you know what I mean. For this to go smoothly,
you know, we can't have two chefs in the kitchen,
you know what I mean? And so and I got
there's times I know I didn't make the right stuff,
but when the quarterback goes with it and he sells
it the team that the coach is called the right play,
it makes it the right play.

Speaker 1 (28:30):
The difference between him and Hubba in high school, Hubba
would tell me right right off, you have no idea
what you're doing. Why are you saying this? And I'd
be like, I'd be quiet about the coach man, and
then I'd pull it be in my office. He would
just say it straight up. And then Connor. Look a
number of times that we've talked about Connor, between you

(28:51):
and I, you've always brought up his parents and and
how well he was he was brought up. And I
think that has a lot to do with when you said, look,
he's he he would accept coaching. That's where that comes from.
If he goes home and his dad saying that guy
doesn't know what he's don't you know what audible out
of every running play that they're calling and throw the

(29:13):
ball that that wasn't happening at his house.

Speaker 3 (29:15):
No, And it sounds crazy, but I go back and
tell you all the great players I had, the ones
that go beyond just talent, I mean as far as
leadership and kind of whatever. The Hubba, Jake Sprague, Connor Sanger,
they all had one thing in common. They came from
totally different backgrounds, different coaches they make. They all had
great parents, super supportive, great discipline, you know, I mean

(29:36):
they understood what was important and they backed right the
right thing.

Speaker 1 (29:41):
You know. Five minutes after Hubba would be yelling at
me after a game. His mom would come up and
hugby and say thank you for coaching. She was way
nicer than you. Pal. Oh, for sure.

Speaker 2 (29:52):
She still as it was funny when you were bringing
up your Coach Young story. She still has a little
bit of anger towards coach every.

Speaker 5 (30:00):
Now and then.

Speaker 1 (30:00):
Yeah, well we'll tell coach Young, Hey, hey, Connor coaching
at all different levels. Did you see yourself ever going
back to college or going maybe to high school or
is the NFL obviously that's where most coaches want to
get to. I read a thing where you're you're in

(30:22):
the top one hundred of young coaches to be looked
at as far as moving up into the game of
NFL football. Do you feel like that's where you're going
to stay now for your career?

Speaker 6 (30:34):
Yeah, Well, ironically enough, I'd chose to play college football
over college baseball because I knew I wanted to coach
college football. So that was something that was ingrained me
through high school through coach Cook and coach Machada and
just other great mentors that I had. But when I
got to the college level, I never wanted to be
a head coach. I always wanted to be an offensive coordinator,

(30:54):
you know, because you don't have to deal with the recruiting,
the fundraising, all that stuff. Just wanted to stick the
foot all But honestly, the NFL was never part of
my aspirations because I didn't think it was attainable. It
was never It's never really something that I thought could happen,
So it never really crossed my mind. And then ironically enough,
I got the phone call and obviously ran with the opportunity.

(31:17):
But now that I am at this level, I don't
I don't really want to leave it. It's it's the
best level of football that you can get to, obviously,
but just the the time that we spend together as
the staff and with the players and just finding ways
to win is something that at this level, you know,
you're just all about ball. You don't have anything else
to really worry about. So it's yeah, it's definitely where

(31:37):
I want to be from a football standpoint.

Speaker 3 (31:39):
Well, and I would think with college coaches and not
having to deal with nil there boy in high school, Yeah,
I mean you know, so, yeah, you're gonna bear spots
in them.

Speaker 6 (31:48):
No, exactly, And I have a lot of a lot
of guys who are obviously still coaching at the college level,
and you kind of hear the horror stories about that,
and it's not something that I really would want to
deal with.

Speaker 1 (31:58):
Right now before we let you go. Your decision to
leave Wisconsin to go to w Oshkosh when you look back,
good decision for you. That had to be a very
difficult decision to make. But when when student athletes at
the high school level are listening to this show. I
used to complain all the time that that guys that

(32:19):
would take a two thousand dollars scholarship to go to
some Division two school in the middle of Minnesota instead
of going to Whitewater or going to Oscotch or Lacrosse.
I just couldn't figure out. But they but that pride
issue was. Look, I want to be able to tell
people I got a scholarship. Yeah, but it's not going
to pay for your gas. I'm wondering how difficult the

(32:39):
decision was to leave Wisconsin to go to w Oshkosh.

Speaker 8 (32:43):
No.

Speaker 6 (32:43):
Absolutely, you hit the nail on the head. And I
think the thing that is misunderstood early on until you
really embrace it, is that the football in Wisconsin from
the high school level through the we Act. Even in
Madison it's it's it's very good football compared to the
rest of the country. I don't think it gets enough
credit that it does. And honestly, Andy Ludwig, my offensive

(33:04):
coordinator at Wisconsin, He's a big influence in my coaching career.
But if I didn't go to Oscosh, I don't I
don't think i'd understand football the way I understand it now.
The coaching staff there, from Pat Seroni and our offensive
coordinator Luke Vine, who's now the head coach at Stevens Point.
I had a couple of injuries both years playing at Oskosh,

(33:26):
and when that when those injuries happened, they allowed me
to actually start coaching a little bit in season, So
making the switch from playing to Okay, it's week seven
or week five, tear my acl against Whitewater, and all
of a sudden, I'm sitting in game planned meetings and
you know, kind of figuring out the game plan and
how we want to attack our next opponent. And without

(33:46):
that that opportunity, there's no way I'd understand the football
that I do now. So I going back to what
you said, we would kind of joke at Oscosh about
these kids taking those two thousand dollars scholarships and going
to play at a D two. You have quality football
at home in the state of Wisconsin. It's not something
that you can take lightly and pass up on.

Speaker 1 (34:07):
He is Connor Sanger again. He is the passing game
specialist for the Arizona Cardinals. I have to thank you.
I took second in my fantasy football league last year.
I had Kyler Murris my quarterback. So I'm thinking you.
I'll send you the fifty bucks or whatever with my
winnings with you. Hey, Connor, thank you so much. I

(34:27):
know that Joe Cook and Coach Hubber are so proud
of you and and the work that you're doing and
and continue to to have Wisconsin in your heart. And
they can take the boy out of Wisconsin, they can't
take Wisconsin out of the boy. So be a good
ambassador for the state for us.

Speaker 6 (34:44):
Absolutely. No, I just want to say one thing. It's
it's kind of funny how it all goes full circle.

Speaker 7 (34:49):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (34:49):
Nick Ola and Tommy Cook were actually our seven on
seven coaches yep, when we were playing at Pious and
ironically enough, nick still now being the offensive coordinator at Lewisville.
That was actually the school that Tyler Murray went to
his freshman.

Speaker 3 (35:06):
Year before he transferred to Really very.

Speaker 6 (35:10):
Very ironic how this all comes full circle, And you know,
I just think that's very very cool.

Speaker 1 (35:15):
Hey, I'm not splitting my fantasy football winnings with Nicol
only with you got her. I'm only doing that for you. Hey, Connor,
thank you so much for a couple of minutes your time.
I really appreciate it. And there's anything you need from
from here in the standard Wiscotts, you let me know.
I'll send you a case of broche or something. No. Absolutely, Hey,

(35:35):
good luck this year with the Cardinals.

Speaker 6 (35:37):
Thanks, I appreciate it. I look forward to listening to
the rest of the star studded lineup.

Speaker 1 (35:41):
Yeah, we got them all man, We'll be talking about
you behind your back. Don't take offense to it. Hey,
I'm a mess with guy I coached over at Dominican.
We we uh, we always whooped up on pies quite
a bit, so, man, I think that's what I remember.
I'm not quite sure. Before Yeah, way before your time,

(36:02):
way way before kind of thinks like we're going to
get to a break other side to break Nickolva. Uh,
talk to me a little bit about his background and
how you know that?

Speaker 3 (36:11):
Well, Nick's family, his dad John and and uh and
mom Laurie. They they're best friends with us.

Speaker 1 (36:18):
We grew up.

Speaker 3 (36:19):
I went to school with John and that, and so anyway,
as long s very short, I coached out. I lived
and coached in Tucent, Arizona. And when I came back,
we didn't have enough money to find a place to live,
and they allowed us to live in the other half
of the townhouse with him.

Speaker 1 (36:30):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (36:30):
And uh, so we grew up kind of like the
Brady Bunch. So Tommy and Nicola grew up there the
same age, best friends, and and I would take him
everywhere they come to all our all our Oak Creek stuff.
I take him to Notere, to Dame or Wisconsin to
the springball stuff. And and they just grew up football junkies.
And uh and so Nick and Tommy are like two
pieces in a pod. You know. They just love the game.

(36:50):
They love you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (36:51):
And just so, how how far is uh is Louisville
from Paradise and.

Speaker 3 (36:56):
Louisville is just it's Dallas. It's a you know, right
there right to. In Dallas and then Paradise were probably
an hour an hour away, but in Texas that means
just across the street, right. I mean, honestly, you don't
even think it's literally like that's like five minutes away.

Speaker 1 (37:10):
So I'm not going to ask him this, but I'll
ask you in the future. Do you see the nicol
of being in a staff over at Paradise one day?

Speaker 3 (37:18):
No, No, just he's gotten the he's gotten the taste
of the big schools in the big time talent and
the facilities. You have facilities that are better than colleges.
They have athletes that could rival the Division one's because
like he'll probably tell you his team this year, he's
probably got four or five guys that are Power five recruits. So,
I mean, they don't just have talent. They got like
I said, they lost Kyler Murraley Murray to Allan. I

(37:39):
mean they have kids that they had the number one
last year, number one lineman in the whole country went
to Oklahoma. It was probably gonna start as a true freshman.
I mean they got they got dudes and.

Speaker 1 (37:48):
Captain's staying there.

Speaker 3 (37:50):
Yeah, you come to Paradise, you have linemen that are
like my size. Okay, so we're small, but we're tough.

Speaker 1 (37:58):
You know, I don't want to hear about Yeah yeah, man,
I love doing the show. You are the lou Hols
though of the state of Wisconsin. We have nobody we
have both of our guys will be Yeah, but we're
thirteen to one. We're somehow we we we were able
to do that. We're gonna get to a break. Nicol
like he's the recruiting coordinator for the Lewisville Fighting Farmers.

(38:20):
We'll get to Nick on the other side of the break.
This is the Varsity Flix High School Sports Show, presented
by your local Picking Save and Metro Market stores on
Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeartRadio app. Welcome back
to the Varsity Flix High School Sports Show, presented as
always by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores.
Coming live from the Donovan and Jorgans and Heating Cooling Studios,

(38:43):
the cooling parts working.

Speaker 3 (38:46):
They've got the I can give it two times up.
It's for sure.

Speaker 1 (38:49):
I can see your breath. I can't believe how close
we're all city. I gotta be sense. Why the only
jersey hanging here's a hockey church. Yeah, yeah, rost Baby
coach Hubba and Joe Cook, and I have to be
honest with you, guys. I've looked forward to this show.
I'm such a we're all friends, but a big fan
of both these guys. And I learned a lot about

(39:11):
football before we get to Nicole. I got to tell
and I tell this story a lot. You were coaching,
and I don't even know where to be honest with you.
And you came in the next morning, and it might
have been I know Creek, and you said, look, I
can prove to you on some of the things I
talk about how we have to trust each other on
the field. And I said, okay, And you brought up

(39:32):
the game tape and you said, look at where my
safety is for the entire game, except for the last minute.
He goes my safety doesn't trust the corner, and look
at where he is. He's in perfect position the whole game.
And now we're up by four and they got to
go sixty yards in the last minute, and they got
to score a touchdown. And now he takes three steps
over because he thinks he's got to help the corner

(39:55):
and they run a wheel route right down the middle
where he's supposed to be and beat us.

Speaker 3 (40:00):
That was we were. We were at Pius playing Oh
Creek ed O Creek, and and of course it was
our first year at PIS and it was an opening
game and we were obviously not very good yet, you
know what I mean? And uh, and we had a
beat and all we had to do is the was
they had one play left and yes safe, And that's
I can remember exactly. I stilled a few nightmares about
that one.

Speaker 1 (40:18):
Well, and you were much more fun to do the
show with when you won the night.

Speaker 3 (40:22):
Before you were I'm not a really good loser. No,
I haven't gotten over that part. I'm working on it,
working on it.

Speaker 1 (40:28):
How would you agree with him on that?

Speaker 2 (40:31):
I mean, that was a game that we looked forward to.
Obviously it was our first game back like at Old Creek,
you know where we were at so many years.

Speaker 1 (40:40):
And yeah, that was a tough one to swallow. Hey,
before we get to Nick, how about I'm sure that
you've had a number of conversations with Joe about moving
to Texas and being part of that staff and with
family here is have you any second guesses or any
thoughts of Man, maybe I should have have done that?

Speaker 2 (41:01):
Well, I actually went down and interviewed at Paradise because
down there, coaching is different. You have to be hired
by the school district, so there is no outside coaches because,
like coach said earlier, you know, you have your athletic
periods and all that stuff. So everybody's in the building
and we just could not make it work financially with
what they had for me to move down there. Now

(41:22):
that being said, if one of your guests later, namely Tommy, decides, Hey,
this is great, I'm gonna go to a big school.
There's more opportunities, and I definitely would cross that at that.

Speaker 1 (41:32):
Well, you know who's in a big school and I
there you go and I and I just called the
recruiting he's not. He's the co offensive coordinator and recruiting
coordinator for the Lewisville Fighting Farmers. He's at a big school.

Speaker 2 (41:45):
Yeah, and Nick's one heck of a football coach. He's
his knowledge of the game is second to none. I mean,
I'm at Tommy's wedding. We sat probably at the reception
for an hour and a half exiting, Oh.

Speaker 1 (41:58):
Football, we're supposed to celebrate the newly No, you're talking
our next catch He's a key Wascob native and played
football at Oshkosh and Again. He's now the co offensive
coordinator recruiting coordinator for the Lewisville Fighting Farmers in Texas.
Nick Ola, Hey, coach, how you doing.

Speaker 5 (42:20):
Good morning guys. How's it going up there?

Speaker 3 (42:22):
Hey?

Speaker 1 (42:22):
Good?

Speaker 2 (42:22):
Hey?

Speaker 3 (42:23):
How are you doing?

Speaker 1 (42:23):
Nick?

Speaker 3 (42:23):
Hey? Nick?

Speaker 5 (42:25):
Doing good? Doing good? Thanks for having me on.

Speaker 1 (42:27):
Hey, Nick, you know when when Joe talks about moving
in and being like the pretty bunch, you know, you
and Tommy became best friends, and I know that Joe,
you hung out with these guys and a lot of
different football stuff. How much of that to you credit
to you now being a high school football coach?

Speaker 5 (42:47):
Oh so much. I remember just going to all the
high school games and just loving that, and even when
I moved to kew Oscom, just the following it and
then going on going to all the campuses. I remember
we went to a Wisconsin, we went to Notre Dame,
we went to Minnesota once. But just seeing that it
just kind of like, oh man, this is really cool.
And so that's definitely a huge part of what I'm

(43:10):
why I'm doing what I'm doing.

Speaker 1 (43:12):
Hey, how did how did you end up in in
in Texas, Okay.

Speaker 5 (43:17):
So I went to Oshkosh man listening to Connor. It's
crazy how similar of stories we had in the sense
of like our two of our biggest football role models
is coach Cook and coach Serni. And so when I
went to Oshkosh, similar to Connor, I tore up my
knee twice. And so I didn't have the college football

(43:39):
playing career that I wanted, but that I ended up
playing my fifth year, which was my senior year, and
I only had to take three credits because I was
ready to graduate. So I really spent that whole senior
year like in the meetings room, in the in the
uh you know, the game planning and things like that,

(44:01):
and so that kind of really kind of kickstarted my
coaching deal. And then so out of college, I I
coached and taught in two years in Wisconsin. But I
kind of just was like, man, if I ever want
to try it, this is the time. And I just
felt like, you know what, I'm going to do it.
So I ended up going down and coaching with Tommy
at a small school called S and S did that

(44:23):
for a year and I coached football, basketball, and baseball
and I was living an hour I was living an
hour away from the school, which is a terrible idea,
but I didn't know because I was just moving from Wisconsin.
And so at the end of that season, I was like, man,
this is really fun, but I need to find something

(44:44):
better or something that I'm not gonna you know that
I'm going to be able to sleep a little bit more.
And so me and Tommy and I think this is
It was mostly Tommy's brain power, but I think we
had came up with the coolest model to meet people.
Neither of us really new a ton of people, but
we would give quarterback lessons. But what we did is,

(45:06):
instead of like trying to get individual kids, we would
call coaches and say, hey, bring every quarterback in your
program middle school through high school on a Saturday morning.
Haven't bring twenty five bucks, and we'll train them all
for three hours. And we did it today. We needed
the money, but be we just needed to meet people.
And so in doing that, I met Michael Odele, who

(45:29):
was the state champion quarterback for Lewisville and those teams
that Coach Cook was talking about, and he was the
offensive coordinator at a nearby school. And after our conversation
that day, he goes, Hey, I'm about to get a
head coaching job, would you be interested in coming with
And I was like, heck, yeah, absolutely, yeah, yes. Two
months later I got the job at Lewisville. I was

(45:51):
the receiver and the special teams coordinator. I did that
for four years, and then the last four years I've
been the offensive coordinator and then doing a lot of
stuff with recruiting, and then this year being the full
time recruiting coordinator as well. So it's been a journey.
It's been. It's a crazy, full circle journey though too,
just with coach going down to Louisville and meeting with

(46:12):
coach Gage and you know what Connor was saying about Kyler,
and it's just crazy how full circle it is.

Speaker 1 (46:18):
Hey, for a couple of guys that played for Saroni
and everybody that study here knows him. And I've told
the story one hundred times Nick, but you'll love this.
My mom, when she was alive, would always listen to
my high school sports show every Saturday, and at noon
I would get off the air back then at noon
and by quarter after twelve she would call me to say, Hey,

(46:38):
that was that coach a really good guy or you know,
was that player? How do I get a chance to
watch that player play? Well? I had a coach, Serroni,
on via cell phone and my mom during the segment
started calling me and I'm like what And she was
living at the Catholic home and I'm thinking maybe there's
an issue. So I go to an early break and
asked Serrooni to hold on and I go out and

(47:00):
I go, you okay. She goes, I don't like this guy,
and I go what. She goes, he's too cocky. I
would play for him, and I said, he's not trying
to recruit an eighty five year old with a bad beat.
And she goes, you go back on the air and
you tell him that your mom thinks he's too cocky.
So I go back out of the air and tell
Serroni that and he goes, what's your mom's name? I said, Joan.

(47:21):
He said, Joan. When you win as much as I do,
you get to be a little cocky.

Speaker 3 (47:25):
Deal with it. Well, my mom.

Speaker 1 (47:27):
Is ringing my phone like crazy. I just loved it. Hey,
how much John? Did you get a chance to talk
with Tommy? Are you guys still talking quite a bit.

Speaker 5 (47:37):
Yeah, we hang out quite a bit, We talk quite
a bit. We're both so busy, you know, and so
it is tough, especially during the fall. So well, we
talk quite a bit. But then you know, we'll see
each other see each other now and then as well.

Speaker 1 (47:52):
Hey, so you never played actually played for Coach cooker
coach Hubba, but they sure know enough about you, and
I would assume that that everything that you learned and
any any questions you have about anything that that comes
to coaching football, these guys will will pick up the
phone if you call. How much do you do you
give credit to some of the things that that that

(48:15):
you learned from from Joe growing up and bringing that
to Kekam and being able to probably break down film
with him with Coach Cook or Coach Hubba if you
wanted to. But how much do you do you credit
the knowledge of the game and how you see the
game to these guys?

Speaker 6 (48:33):
Oh so much?

Speaker 5 (48:34):
And I think that the one thing I can say
is from Coach Cook and Coach Hubba is is you
can always make winning from anything and everything is relative.
And those guys are always so good at like taking
the hand their dealt and making the most of it,
and it's like, Okay, I remember those teams at Pious
where I was like, okay, we're super small and we're

(48:56):
playing Arrowhead and Lockshaw West and Catholic Memorial. So they're like, Okay,
we're going to play really really fast. Or in other
ways it's like, Okay, we're going to throw the ball
a little bit more. We have a quarterback that can
throw it. And so just being able to adapt, and
I mean Coach Cook is his offense has evolved so
much over the years, and it's because he's willing to evolve.

(49:18):
And I think that's a pitfall that a lot of
coaches are as, Oh, I'm this this is the offense
that I run. And if you look at those guys,
I mean, their offense that they run is different based
on their personnel. You know, if you'd have told me,
you know, back in the early two thousands that Coach
Cook would be running empty formations ninety five game out
of total, you were crazy. But so just the ability

(49:41):
to adapt and not get stuck and this is who
our identity is, Well, your team could be completely different.
For three years, my first three years an offensive coordinator,
we had a kid that was one hundred and eighty
five pounds, was a freak athlete, led the team in rushing,
was a thousand year rusher. Well, the quarterback we have
now is not that he's a paca passer who can't

(50:03):
really run very well, but he can sling the ball
over the Justin and both those guys really are the epitome.

Speaker 1 (50:07):
Of that how good will how good will the fighting
farmers be this year?

Speaker 5 (50:12):
You think, I think we're gonna be pretty good. Now
here's the thing and coaches talking about this, but we're
like a Dallas suburb and so six A football, which
is the biggest level in the Dallas suburbs, is Murderer's row.
I mean it is. You're playing some D one. There's
D one kids everywhere. This is a crazy stat. I
didn't eve think I told coach cooked this, So this

(50:35):
is a wild stats. There are four starting SEC quarterbacks
that are from my eighteen district in Texas. Yeah, Jalen
Green from Arkansas played for me at Lewisville, Garrett Nuss
Meyers from a rival, Marcus Jackson Arnold who's the starter
for Auburn is from Dent Geyer, and John Mtteer, who's

(50:56):
the start at Oklahoma's from Littloe, So I mean that
just kind of tells you the level you're playing. So
we have a ton of talent. I think we're going
to be really good, but it's there are very few
games that you're walking in knowing we're probably gonna win
this one. Like it is. It is tough.

Speaker 3 (51:11):
Yeah, I remember, uh uh we have in Texas you
have a ten game season with a bye week built
in kind of like the NFL, and so Paradise we
had a bye week and and we're gonna go see
NIXT team and there playing Marcus. This is a few
years back, and uh, and I said, well, you know,
you guys gonna beat him. He goes, Oh, it's gonna
be a tough game, Nick down and and we're like really,
it goes yeah, they get He goes they got a

(51:32):
quarterback they can just he's unbelievables I've ever seen. And
we're like, but you got four defensive backs, both safeties,
both corners being recruited by Power five, so they're not
kind of a vision one. They're like the best of
the best. And he goes, yeah, but this quarterback is
really good. I'm like, okay, come on, I know I
sand bag a little bit, but this is ridiculous. Well,
if that guy is the starting quarterback at LSU right
now and is a Heisman favorite. Also, he wasn't lying.

(51:56):
I mean he went to the game. You're like, oh, yeah, okay,
that's another level.

Speaker 1 (52:00):
Hey, Dick, when you said that that that that's your rival.
What is that week like in Texas and what It's
got to be unbelievable? What kind of crowd it is?

Speaker 5 (52:10):
It is unbelievable. So we are about seven minutes away
from each other. We're in the same school district, just
different high schools. I actually live in the Marcus Zone
and I work in Lewisville, and it is it's called
the Battle of the Acts. And they used to back
in the nineties because Marcus wasn't didn't get opened until

(52:32):
I think late eighties, so then it kind of we
took some of our kids in an open Marcus. But
they used to play that game at the Cowboys Stadium
every year. So now they keep it go ahead on
the Yeah, they keep it on the campuses now, but
it is a complete sellout. The kids go crazy. It
is wild, it is intense. There's definitely some animosity usually extra.

Speaker 1 (52:55):
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, it is maybe a different level
with Franklin Oh Creek. Remember Joe used to tell me
when he was coaching Oh Creek, if I if all
of a sudden I'm missing, go to the police stationed
in Franklin. They have me in the basement. And I
was laughing. You'd be like, no, I'm serious. I really
if I just go up missing, I'm not going anywhere,

(53:17):
but they may get me. Hey, Nicola, I really appreciate
a couple of minutes of your time. I can tell
you that Coach Cook and Coach Haba say nothing but
great things about you, and you being a great ambassador
for high school football in the state of Wisconsin, and
I really appreciate a couple of minutes.

Speaker 5 (53:35):
Absolutely. I always tell all the kids because they always
ask about Wisconsin football. And obviously, you know, the Texas
athletic period gives them an advantage, But I mean the
hard mouthed football that is Wisconsin. I mean there are
some teams in Texas that would would not enjoy playing
against some of those teams, but just the style of
play and the physicality and just the overall linemen and

(53:58):
linebackers and things like that. So I'm always talking it
out because the half of them don't even know where
Wisconsin is on a map. Unfortunately, they really don't know.

Speaker 3 (54:06):
They think he was a Jackson teacher, and they did not.
They thought it was in Canada. They had no idea.

Speaker 1 (54:12):
That's awesome. He is Nicol the offensive coordinator recruiting coordinator
in Lewisville, Texas for the Lewisville Fighting Farmers. I love
that name, by the way, Fighting Farmers. Hopefully they'll never
have to change that because some farmers got up, you know,
like the fighting Irish man. You know I'm Irish.

Speaker 3 (54:31):
I think you're safe down in Texas, so too.

Speaker 1 (54:33):
Hey, Nick, thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.

Speaker 5 (54:36):
You bet, Thank you guys for having me.

Speaker 3 (54:38):
Nick.

Speaker 1 (54:40):
We're going to get to a break. I just got
a text from Bill Young saying we can call him now,
so I might buy and and Tommy, if you're listening
to the iHeartRadio app or if you can send him
a text, We're gonna call him at ten twenty. But
on the other side of the break, Coach Bill Young,
the head football coach at Catholic Memorial. He's the goat.

(55:02):
He is the goat, and we're going to give coach
Young a call right now. This is the Varsity Blitz
High School Sports Show presented by your local Pick and
Save and a Metro Market stores on Fox Sports ninety
twenty years I heard radio app man when the goat says,
I'm ready to come on. We got it. We had
to take your son, Tommy, move him out of the segment. Baby, Well,

(55:23):
we'll get Tommy Cook on around ten thirty or so.
Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show
presented by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market Stores.
Coming from the Donovan to Jorgensen Heat and Cooling Studios.
That was the quickest hour of all time in studio
with me Joe Cook, Hall of fame coach Joe Cook,
what's the head coach at Paradise decided that he's going

(55:45):
to step down, But you're still on staff, right.

Speaker 3 (55:47):
Yeah, I'll be still running the offense. I'll be the
offense corner for my son now he's heal, and I'll
be the head coach, you know, athletic director.

Speaker 1 (55:54):
How will that be for you? Yeah, you're shaking his head.

Speaker 3 (56:00):
Probably gonna get fired by the end of the year.

Speaker 1 (56:02):
Honestly, I had Mike Basili and Junior and Mike Basilli
Senior in studio, and Mike was basketball coaching at Mesmer.
Then Junior was the head basketball coach in Pewaukee, and
he had his dad come on staff and they go,
how did that go for you? And they both shook
their head and said not good because Mike was so
used to being the head coach. And Junior's like, you're not.
You're my assistant. Now, knock it off over there, and

(56:24):
I think you guys would do just Tommy's be up
in the press box.

Speaker 3 (56:28):
You give me on the field, Tommy's gonna be in
the box. Really no, because and it's for a good reason.
They now allow in Texas where I'll be able to
communicate with the offensive players. So they actually wear like
it was like a heavy duty Apple watch, and we
literally send the playdown from the box to them, so
there's no more huddles, no more signals, no more anything,

(56:49):
and it goes right, just stuff and they just look
at their watch and tells them to play everything they want.

Speaker 1 (56:54):
You know, in Wisconsin football, we just started letting guys
take water breaks into the salt pills. So we're a
little bit behind. I can tell you that. Look, we
all agree that that we think that the greatest high
school football coach history of the state of Wisconsin. He's
in the conversation and he is now joining us. And

(57:15):
I am such a big fan of coach Bill Young
over a Catholic memorial. Maybe a step below his daughter Sarah.
That's who I'm the biggest fan. I gotta be honest,
and she knows more about football than any of us.
I can tell you that right now, Coach Bill Young,
how you doing.

Speaker 8 (57:33):
My friend, I'm good, Michael, I'm good.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
Hey when I called you and got a hold of
you earlier in the week. Instead, I've got coach hubb
and Joe Cook and studio. Can we get a few minutes,
you said, man, I absolutely, and I've got to go
watch my grandson play. But after that, if I can
get a few minutes on the show, would certainly love that. Look,
Joe and Hubba, we're on your staff together.

Speaker 5 (57:56):
Now.

Speaker 1 (57:56):
Hubba is back on on your staff, and I think
that's a great move for him and a great and
a great move for you. But back in the when
we talked to you, so look, there's a couple of
guys I've learned a lot about football with and Joe
Cook is one of them. You look back at those
days where he'd come out to your practices fondly.

Speaker 9 (58:14):
I would assume, Yeah, you know, ultimate.

Speaker 8 (58:20):
Respect for Joel. He's a tremendous football coach. We're so
fortunate to have hub would come back with us. I
think we're going to have a really good squad this year.
But I you know, there's three guys that I learned
my football front Tom Taraska, Joe Cook, and then Pat
Seroni and I learned more about option football. We ran

(58:42):
the flexbone, and you know, like from I'm a defensive guy,
where Joe's an offensive guy. You know, Joe is everything
guy and kicking game, defense, offense. But when you prepare
for like a team like Wisconsin Lutherin, you understand the
concepts that running because you you ran that offense. And

(59:02):
I think option football is a great equalizer. And and
Joe is he is a phenomenal, phenomenal coach. And uh,
he's one of the best coaches. And I mean I've
been to USC, I've been a uh, you know, all
over the country to different colleges and and UH and
pro camps and and Joe is one of the greatest

(59:23):
coaches I've ever met. I really mean that from the
bottom of my heart.

Speaker 3 (59:26):
That's nice.

Speaker 1 (59:27):
Yeah, that is nice. Here, we're gonna save this tape
and send it. Yeah, that Billy Young saying that is
is high praise. When when you came, when you started
working with with Coach Young at Catholic Memorial, you used
to say to me, look, they're they're they're so disciplined.
For a reason, it's because that it comes from the top.

(59:49):
And he's a very disciplined guy. And he does the
things that he has done for years the same way. Right,
he breaks down film Saturday mornings, and he does he's
very assistant and disciplined in what he does.

Speaker 3 (01:00:02):
Yeah, and I can go back and I don't know
if Coach Young remembers this, but I was in high
school when he first got his job at Memorial and
he was a linebacker coach, and he was a study
hall monitor, and he was very tough, Like not just
on the football field study halls, you didn't mess up,
but the thing that stuck out as a kid, and
I was a punkin idiot and he just was. He

(01:00:24):
was tough, and but he was very knowledgeable on the
football field, even though he wasn't the head coach. Everybody
was kind of like, why is that guy not the
head coach? You just knew as a kid, like that
guy should be the head coach. But it was you
didn't mind him chewing your tail or getting after you
because he actually cared about you. He took time off
the field and talked to you, and it was really
kind of like kind of like a father's son, not
just me to anybody. He was just I mean, he

(01:00:46):
was just different. You knew then it's like, man, this
guy's really good. And I just remember going to college
and he got the head job. I think won a
state champion in his first or second year, and you
just like, okay, that makes sense, you know. But then
coming back and coaching with coach back in two thousand
and seven and eight, and and I just remember going, gosh, dog,

(01:01:07):
I mean, he's even at this stage, he hasn't lost
a step. His attention to detail is second to none.
I think that it probably strikes more than anything else
is him and Tom Trasca were just maniacs on detail
and breaking down people. But even coach Tarasca tipped his
hat to Coach Young like he's the king, like he
would come to coach young to help with bright Towns.

(01:01:28):
So nobody breaks down a team. No, he knows. He
knows your team better than you know your team. I
guess the best thing you say. I mean, it's unbelievable.
I mean, so the attention to details, second and none.
He's the Pete Carroll of high school football. He's I
don't want to say his age, but he's older than me.
He just puts him up there, but he's still he's seriously,
his hair is perfect, he's got the golden tan, and

(01:01:50):
he still's got energy. He's running around and I'm like,
this guy's Pete Carroll. It's unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (01:01:55):
What a great couple of it that is, Pete Carroll.

Speaker 8 (01:01:58):
It's great. I gotta tell you something. You know, like
my d Matt Bergen, who was my right hand man,
he's phenomenally he's he's like a son of me. And
our video coordinator, Billy side Out. John spy Tech, one
of our former players, wound up. You know, he played
at Michigan and then he went, uh, this is his

(01:02:21):
course to become a general manager for the Raiders right now.
But John was a quality control guy, not even a
quality control guy, you know, an intern for Detroit. Then
he went to Scilly, and then he went to Cleveland,
then Denver won a Super Bowl ring down there, and
then then he got the pro player personnel job down

(01:02:43):
in Campa and then out by the Raiders. So we
Billy and Bertie and I all went out to Vegas,
uh uh and spent three days with the Raiders. And
Pete Carroll is phenomenal, what a great man, and uh,
you know, like on his opening press conference, John was
kind of uh, you know, he took a shot and

(01:03:05):
he say, he gave me a little shout out and
he said, yeah, my coach is uh, you know, maybe
a year older than you are. But and then they
looked and laughed at each other. But age the kids
keep you young and having opportunities to meet guys and
and uh you know, like with Joe and Hubba, the lifetime,
lifetime memories for me as a coach, and when you

(01:03:28):
run into great football coaches. Hubba has just done an
incredible job along with Scott Rice, you know, simplifying our offense.
And he is like a coordinator on the offensive line.
He is he's the best line coach I've ever been
around in Joe's. Like I said, top one or top
two guys that I've ever associated with in high school.

(01:03:49):
They're just tremendous people and they love football just like
I do.

Speaker 1 (01:03:53):
We're talking to Bill Young, the head football coach at
Kathy Morrow. You know, I told a story about coming
to your house and now on the door, and you're
telling me to get away and be coming back and
coming back. Well, I had asked coach Young to come
in studio a bunch of times and and he said
no because he breaks down film Saturday morning. And I said,
and I said, you know what, I'm just going to

(01:04:15):
stop asking it because I just forget about it. Well,
then I heard a national radio guy with that he
was retiring and they asked him what any regrets, and
he said, I two people that I really wanted to
have on as a guest, and they had turned me
down a couple of times, and I just said forget
it and moved on. I wish out. I'm smart enough
to figure it out. So that got me thinking, so

(01:04:36):
I called Sarah. I called his daughter and said, sit
in the studio with me. Now, I did it before
the season started, before even the first practice, and she said, absolutely,
I would love that. Then I called Bill and said, hey,
do you have any interest? He said no, And I said,
you sure it because I think you'd get along with
with Who's going to be my co host that day?
And he said who's that? I go Sarah and he goes,

(01:04:59):
I don't like you. You came in and we spent
two hours and the love between those two. I'm telling you, man,
I have goosebumps on my arm right now from that
show and I still to this day. People say that
was your best show, and we given, Well.

Speaker 8 (01:05:16):
I tell you what my Sarah's You know, I get
real emotional about her and and I just love her
so much. And you know, like with the loss of
Gil in our lives, you know, we have a tremendous
bond before now it's even stronger. But you know, football
and your faith football and your family, and you know,

(01:05:39):
I know that's a cliche deal, but that that's applicable
to anybody that loves the game, like Joe and how
Doing and Mike. All the stuff you've done for prep
sports is second and none. You know, everybody loves you
and you're a tremendous person. And that's been an honor
to associate with you and uh, you know, have an
opportunity to talk about Joe and Hubba. They're just great

(01:06:02):
football coaches and great and better people. They're just phenomenal
and I consider myself a very lucky guy to have
association with a guy like coach Coach and coach Hubba
well Man.

Speaker 1 (01:06:16):
We appreciate that a lot. Tell me about this year's team, Coach,
and feel pretty good about what you guys. Guys got
coming back. And I know that for Friday Night rivals,
historically the last four or five years, we've done that
opening game against Franklin and we've mixed it up a
little bit. We're gonna do the game against Tosa East

(01:06:36):
at Hart Park a little bit later in the year.
What can people expect from this year's Catholic more Well.

Speaker 8 (01:06:42):
Number one, you know, like this started to learn from Joe.
You got to be able to run the ball offensively
and you gotta stop doing it defensively. And we did
not do a good job in a state championship last year.
Even in i'd say the last two years big games,
we haven't been able to run the ball. We've got
really good group up front, and uh we played thirteen sophomores,

(01:07:06):
guys that you wouldn't play. Uh, you know, they're forced
to play a ton of young kids. And uh, you know,
we had a great season winter season, and then we
had a great uh uh you know camp time right
now and summer. So we're stronger and faster and bigger

(01:07:28):
when we were last year. But you know, I'm just
just going to be dialing on Franklin, you know, and
uh they're a great program, and you know Franklin, Uh,
they just reloaded like a lot of really good big schools.
But uh, I think we're going to be offensively a
ton better because of Hubbah and uh and uh just

(01:07:50):
uh you know, Scott's gonna we have really a good
offensive staff and defensively with Ryan Stefinanc and Mit Schultz
and Brandon Jackson. Uh, you know, I think we'll be
better on defense. But you know, we just got to
just be dialing every day to get a little bit
better and uh, you know, just just just be more

(01:08:11):
physical and and be able to run the ball and
stop the run. Uh. That's that's the deal. That that
hurt us in that last game against Notre Dame.

Speaker 1 (01:08:20):
He is Bill Young again. We in this studio. He's
the goat. He's the greatest of all time when we
believe that high school coaches, high school football coaches in
the state of Wisconsin, and he is certainly in the
conversation with anybody who's around the high school football in
this state. We really appreciate a couple of minutes of
your time. Go get go, have breakfast with your grandson.

Speaker 8 (01:08:42):
Yeah, and and James. They won the league.

Speaker 3 (01:08:46):
So there you go. That's awesome.

Speaker 1 (01:08:50):
If you could let Sarah know that I'm still going
to have her come in to talk you sports, all right,
you know what?

Speaker 8 (01:08:56):
He here, Mike here, she is put it on.

Speaker 1 (01:09:02):
Like Sarah, you're live by the radio with Joe Cook
and Coach Hubb. I just wanted to say alone, let
you know that I'm still gonna be chanting you to
come in studio and talk you sports with me.

Speaker 7 (01:09:13):
Hey, I'm I'm up for that for sure. I'm actually
coaching some cross country that's fall and we got football
for games. My dad is he's an honorary coach for
that as well for Sege football, and you can see
him Sarah's little.

Speaker 3 (01:09:25):
Boys, Sarah, this is Joe Cook I you know, obviously
I don't know you really well. We bumped in each
other a few times, but I can tell you this
about your dad. What he said obviously is true. But
obviously the relationship you have is true. But anytime he talks,
I'll say, well, how much long are you going to coach? Coach?
And he goes, I'm gonna go another ten years, and
he goes, oh, but my daughter, Sarah. Sarah says I
got to go after next year, and he goes like, da,

(01:09:47):
and have you there for a second ago, I'm going
ten more. He goes, oh, but Sarah, So obviously you
have a You're the only person that can talk to him,
I think, and ever convince him of anything, because I'm like,
I just laugh, because there's one person he looks up
to where he he values your opinion over what he
wants to do, and it's you.

Speaker 7 (01:10:05):
Well, I appreciate that my dad and I have a
extremely a close fond you know, and especially you know,
losing the rock of our family, my mom. Yeah, I appreciate.
It's been really hard for us and you know, we're
just trying to stick together. And you know, my kids,
my kids tell him, they're like Grandpa, you can't retire.

Speaker 1 (01:10:23):
They like.

Speaker 7 (01:10:25):
They you know, they love Friday night Light. We just yea,
we believe she made football with dad. So it's it's
a blast.

Speaker 10 (01:10:33):
I'm glad.

Speaker 7 (01:10:33):
How about your back. You're back out there with him.
He's he's so jacked up about that. So I think,
tring me a good run and have you a good season.
And Joe, I mean, I know we'd love to have
you back to get a contract there.

Speaker 2 (01:10:48):
I have not, but I saw her at camp the
other day with the young uns running around out there,
and so you know, her presence has felt.

Speaker 1 (01:10:56):
That what when would when she's on the salads one
day throw the ball to have her thrown back Connor Seger,
she's got an arm, bight. Ye I'm just telling you,
he's a heck of an athlete. Man, shareff between us,
you know how much we all love your dad and
how much we're praying for you and him and your
family and the kids and everything. If there's anything you

(01:11:19):
ever need, please let me know. But he's the goat,
and and he hates when I say that stuff, but
he is. He is the greatest of all time in
this area and maybe in the state of Wisconsin, and
I hope, I hope he's right. I hope he coaches
another ten years because then there's ten more years of
kids that are going to get the benefit of having
him guide them not only on the football field in

(01:11:41):
the classroom, but in life. And I hope he coaches
for as long as he can coach.

Speaker 7 (01:11:47):
Yeah, no, I'm with you. He honestly, he changes so
many lives. And it's really cool when you're part of
the Seamates program. You know, these guys come back and
they say how much he's done for them, and that
they that you really turn them into young man and
you know that the bond and it's just it's something
special my dad has and he's awko to know what
he does and he's he's a great dad. He's a

(01:12:09):
fantastic grandpa. And my kids love him so much. And
you know, I just appreciate everybody supporting him and our family.
And you know, if you stay sharp, if I stay sharp,
I'm like, well, Dad, he brought in it as long
as you can. You know, if that's what you love.

Speaker 1 (01:12:24):
Well, I can tell you this, he's a sharp disease
every well, you know what, when I talked to him
the other day. I you know, I said, how you doing?
And we talked a little bit of personal stuff and
he said, Look, if I was a drinker, i'd probably
been hitting the bitle this last year. And if I
was a golfer, I would be out of the golf course.
I don't do any of that stuff. I football and

(01:12:44):
that's what I'm going to continue to do. Hey, Saren,
thank you so much. Give him a hug for us,
and uh again when you see him calling here in
the next couple of days, is to talk to you.
Youth sports with you, and I look look forward to
having that conversation. She is serious. She's the daughter of
the goat. How's that the daughter of the goat. We're

(01:13:06):
gonna get to a break. Other side of the break,
Tavy Cook is going to join us. Sarah, have a
great weekend. Oh she is gone. That she's unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (01:13:15):
One thing that Sarah kind of hit on and I
think this is a big point with Coach Cook. And
every time Coach Cook hands out his staff book, you
have a staff meaning him and Bill Young have always
said the same thing. Kids don't care how much you
know until they know how much you care. And she
hit a point of players coming back and seeing coaches,
and I was fortunately yesterday and I was with the

(01:13:37):
head coach and Slinger, and he talked about the same
thing about players coming back, and you know, that's the
biggest part of his life. This past week. All of
a sudden, we're standing there and Memorial there's a kid
sitting there, and you know, Fox got drafted in the
sixth round right by the Yankees. The next day, he's

(01:13:58):
not out celebrating wherever. He's at Catholic Memorials practice field,
thanking coach Young for everything that he did for him, unbelieved.

Speaker 1 (01:14:07):
Well that puts hears that, that does, It puts tears
in my eyes. It does, and and I'm so happy
to hear that because the Fox family is really very
special to Catholic Memorial and the love they have for him.
I was so scared of Bill Young for a long time.
Really quickly, I know he's changed, and I can prove it.
Here's how, here's how I know. Two years ago, we're

(01:14:29):
getting ready to do the Franklin Catholic Memorial game, and
I was still doing the live interviews that we would record,
but right before the game, right the buses didn't show
up for the Catholic for Catholic Memorial and SUVs are
pulling up out at Wakshaw South and guys are in
full uniform, jumping out and running to the field. And
I'm like, and I got to interview Bill Young in

(01:14:51):
six minutes. And he's walking across the field and I'm
trying to avoid him because I don't want to tell
him I got to interview him six minutes. And I'm
going to the left and he's start it's going to
his right, and then I start going right. He starts
going to his lip and he's making a bline for me.
I'm like, this isn't gonna be going this is gonna
go well, and he goes mcgivren, how you doing. I
said good. He goes, what time do you need me?

(01:15:12):
And I go in six minutes. He says, you got it.
It's good to see you. As you walked away, I thought,
oh he's softened a little bit.

Speaker 3 (01:15:19):
Shocking, just shocked.

Speaker 1 (01:15:21):
I was scared, Ben. I'm a grown man, I got
six grand kids, and the man was scared me. We're
going to get to a break on this side of
the break. The head football coach at Paradise, Texas is
going to join us. He is Tommy Cook. This is
the Varsity Plitz High School Sports Show, presented by your
local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores on Fox
Sports nine twenty in your iHeart Radio app. Welcome back

(01:15:43):
to the Varsity Plits High School Sports Show, presented by
your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores. This
has been the quickest this show has ever been. I
think I gotta be honest with you. I having so
much fun talking to Joe Cook and to coach Hubba. Look,
I'm proud to say they're friends of mine, and the
fact that I got a lot of respect for these

(01:16:04):
guys not only as men but as football coaches. I
really appreciate the amount of time that that they're giving
me this morning. We're now joined A. He's a good
football coach man, he's the head football coach he had
Paradise Texas. He's Tommy Cook, Joe's son, Tommy. How you been.

Speaker 3 (01:16:23):
I'm doing good?

Speaker 1 (01:16:25):
Really good. I gotta tell I gotta tell this quick story.
People ask me a lot, you do I like the
wi A and I go sometimes. Yeah, they make good decisions,
make bad decisions. I still go back and what makes
me sad is that you didn't get a chance to
coach your son in high school football.

Speaker 3 (01:16:44):
I got.

Speaker 1 (01:16:44):
I had that chance, and it was the best three
years for me. I coached thirty six. The best three
years were a Calvary Baptist in Monominy Falls, the Caucasian Invasion.
We had seven or eight boys on the team, and
we went played everywhere. Man, we went and played everywhere.
And I had that opportunity. They took that from you,

(01:17:06):
and I'm still mad about that, And.

Speaker 3 (01:17:09):
That might have been a blessing. God has a reason
for everything.

Speaker 1 (01:17:14):
Make it on there, you you would have loved that. Hey, Tommy,
congratulations on being named the head football coach in Paradise, Texas.
And I don't know what you're thinking about having this
guy as your OC, but you know, maybe a year
or two and and that'll, uh, that'll play its course.
Congratulations on that, and talk a little bit about moving

(01:17:35):
over six ye oh, go ahead.

Speaker 10 (01:17:39):
Sorry, you know you cut it a little a little bit,
but no, I'm super excited to feel very blessed. And
you know you're talking about my dad being the offensive coordinator.
I actually had a bunch of coaches on our schedule,
and teams that we play in the playoffs send messages
saying like hey, congrats to your dad, like super awesome year.
And then he was either I'm super happy he's gone

(01:18:01):
or like, hey he is he looking for a job
because I want to hire him. So it was about
the easiest decision ever for me to have him be
the OC. He'll be awesome as usual.

Speaker 1 (01:18:10):
Hey, moving over six inches on the on the bench, Joe,
and you can you can speak to this as I
can as a basketball coach. It might as well be
about five miles right. It's a look, you know, the
assistant coach, I always got to be the good guy,
the good cop, and coach wallers Chime because he's the
students had to be the bad cop. But he was

(01:18:30):
the face of the program. And we could argue a
lot in the coaches room, but I had to walk
lockstep with him. What what lessons and how much conversation
did you have with Tommy? Him being the head coach
now is going to be different than him being the assistant.

Speaker 3 (01:18:45):
Well, fortunately he's got a better looking face of me.
So this is a fasive program. They just improved one
hundred percent. So but no, Tommy's natural I mean he was,
you know, my defense coordinator the last six years. The
last three years we had number one defense Texas or
three day Football, So I mean, obviously it was a
big part of our success with our defense. And but

(01:19:05):
he's more in that he knows both sides of the ball.
He's he's a complete coach. But his personality, I mean,
he is the right time. I mean, it's it's a
young men's game. You have to have that energy and
enthusiasm goes a long way, and you know he's got that.
But he connects well with the kids, very faith based.
I mean, they there's a real connection and the kids
will love them and so he's going to get the

(01:19:27):
most out of them. And so I see great things ahead.

Speaker 7 (01:19:29):
Joe.

Speaker 1 (01:19:29):
Did you guys talk about this a few years a
couple of years ago, like, but come on my staff
and then when when that when when maybe it's time
for me to step back as the head coach. This
is something that might be in the future for you.
Have you guys had those conversations.

Speaker 3 (01:19:45):
Yeah, I mean, you know, maybe Tommy's younger and better
memory than me, but but no, we did, I mean
a little bit, but not like it was a setup.
It's not like nepotism. Hey, I I have this, Ye's
going to fall into it. I mean, you could also
be out of it. But to be honest, because of
what he's done on defense, Tommy was getting calls for
the last three years from other schools, bigger schools, pay
a lot more money, do a lot less work, to

(01:20:07):
go and leave our school and go And he could
have gone, and he did so there was obviously a
loyalty fact.

Speaker 1 (01:20:12):
How did you feel about that?

Speaker 3 (01:20:14):
I told him to do what he's always best for
him and his family. Yeah, one hundred percent. I'm totally
about that. You know. It's like, you know, I'm a
big boy. I'll figure out how to whatever. We won't
be as good without him, But that's not the point.
I mean. So, but he didn't. It was his choice,
and he wanted to stay for a couple of reasons,
but the biggest one really was he fell in love
with Paris and his daughter Camilla is going to school

(01:20:36):
at Paradise and it's a great school, really really for
a public school, it's really strong. We're in the Bible Belt,
and if and if if we're in the Bible Belt,
we're the buckle. I mean it's like it's i mean
really strong, and it's a great place to raise, you know,
your children. And so anyhow, he wanted his daughter to
have a great experience. And now Tommy has a new baby,
baby Kobe, so so cute.

Speaker 1 (01:20:57):
Yeah, so you love the cowboy hat, by the way,
it's awesome.

Speaker 3 (01:21:01):
He's his priorities, right, you know, it's not always about
the big the you know, how big a job it is,
how much talent, how much money. You know, he's looking
at which one's gonna be the best, you know, for
a family to be, you know, faith centered, you know.

Speaker 9 (01:21:14):
And hey, Tommy, how do you look when when when
that decision was made that you're going to take over
as the head coach and you and you got the job,
Your your your whole mindset on.

Speaker 1 (01:21:27):
You're no longer just worried about the defense. You've got
to worry about the program and the youth program and
all of that. You know, being raised in in the
cook household, you watched your dad and the amount of
sweat equity that he put into the programs that he worked.
I would assume the lessons you learned as a young man,
and how to be a head coach have stayed with
you this long.

Speaker 10 (01:21:50):
Absolutely, I wanted to be really cautious too, because I
thought there potentially be an opportunity whenever my dad did
decide to retire, that I'd have the option to interview
for the head coachingosition. But I just didn't want, in
no way wanted to rush that because one, it's my
dad and I just wanted to be loyal to him.
But two, he just just like, man, you can't do
a better job than what he does. And so what

(01:22:11):
he's done for not just the football team, but like
the whole community of Paradise, it's transformed the entire community.
Like before he came there, Paradise, I mean, honestly, wasn't
winning really in any sports football as well. In this
past year in Texas, there's something called the Lone Star Cup,
which they rank all of your sports teams, boys and girls,
and most of the year we were second in the state,

(01:22:31):
meaning every single program, not just football, was successful. So
I wanted him to write it out as long as
as he wanted, because he just did such a phenomenal
job and as far as lessons taken, like I've learned
everything from my dad, So I consider myself super blessed
he had coach young on and there was a smart
decision to make me wait because he needed to get

(01:22:51):
on right away, like my dad. It's like, man, their
energy level is amazing and the work they put him
behind the scenes is a huge reason why they're so successful.
So definitely huge shoes for me to fill, but also
an opportunity i'm really excited for.

Speaker 1 (01:23:08):
Is he taking over your office? He is, He's going
to keep it.

Speaker 10 (01:23:14):
That's a controversial topic.

Speaker 3 (01:23:15):
Yeah, because I told him one condition, you can't move
my crap all over the place, say at all this memorabilia.
And he sends a photo of him and his daughter
and baby and they're all sitting in the office and
I'm looking aroun. I'm like, they already move Prepper one.
I'm like, what's going on here, don't look to that.

Speaker 10 (01:23:29):
Mike before he left for Wisconsin, He's like, Hey, do
whatever you want with the office, but don't touch this.
Don't touch the I'm like, I'm just going to leave everything.
Where is about five hundred pictures of that.

Speaker 1 (01:23:40):
There's one thing, Tommy, you got to remember too.

Speaker 2 (01:23:43):
And I keep poking that your dad all the time,
is whenever you had a staff meeting. You know, the
number one job in an assistant coach is to make
the head coach happy, so you get to rewind him.
I don't recall that the number one job with the
assistant is to make you happy.

Speaker 1 (01:23:59):
Now man, good luck? Yeah, yeah, sign it.

Speaker 3 (01:24:05):
Okay, we got a question a little bit about tom
You know, Tommy has hubby is his god father? Oh jeez,
when you got confirmed, yes, I mean a confirmation sponsor,
you know, for his confirmation. And I'm thinking myself, this
guy was debating a none over biblical scripture.

Speaker 2 (01:24:23):
And now he's Tommy was born my senior year of
high school. And uh, you know, it's like he's like
a little brother. I mean, I wish Tommy's gonna do
a great job. He's a phenomenal football coach, but more importantly,
he's a phenomenal person. And like coach was saying earlier,
that's because he has great parents, great parents, I mean,

(01:24:43):
so you know that's where it started. And you know,
the Cook family's fantastic.

Speaker 1 (01:24:47):
Thank goodness. He got his good looks from his mama.
I gotta face for radio, you gotta face for radio.
He got his football knowledge for you and the good
looks from from his mother. Hey Tommy again, congratulations and
look you know this and he tells you this a lot.
But he tells me every time I talk to him,

(01:25:08):
how proud of all of his kids, but it always
comes back to football when we talk, and how proud
he is of you, and what a great job that
he knows that you're gonna do uh in that community,
and congratulations into Hubu said in the first segment. If
you ever move on and get to a big school
down in Texas, if you need an assistant coach, call him.

Speaker 10 (01:25:32):
Oh, I'm gonna keep calling him regardless of where I'm
at all. But like, we got to get you down
the Paradise for a football game.

Speaker 1 (01:25:37):
Oh you know what, I would love that. I would
love that. Can you imagine having your dad and hub
on your staff and you're the head coach. I'm not
sure you want that that.

Speaker 3 (01:25:47):
Texas is ready for that.

Speaker 1 (01:25:48):
Texas ready for that. If that happens, I'm gonna quit here.
I'm moving there and doing a radio show or or
a like one of these sitcoms or something reality. Sure,
you guys would kill each other. Head coach at Paradise Texas.
He is Tommy Cook, Tommy, congratulations on the job, and
congratulations on your son being born. That's a really cute kid.

(01:26:12):
Keep up the good work, young man.

Speaker 10 (01:26:15):
Yes, sir, God bless you. Thanks for having me on.

Speaker 1 (01:26:17):
I bless you as well. Yeah, man, that's awesome. Yeah,
Apple has not fallen far from the tree, there, has it.

Speaker 3 (01:26:25):
No, he's a step off, trust me, he's he's gonna
be really good. He's so good. I mean he really is.
And yeah, he's like I said, he's got centered and
and and he backs it up. I mean it's great.
I mean he's really a he can complete package.

Speaker 1 (01:26:38):
How and how involved in the youth program in Paradise,
Texas for you? And how much will Tommy be? And
I don't know the difference between Texas football and Wisconsin football.
It was important for you to be to show up
at some of their games and practice and stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:26:53):
Well, it's different in Texas. You run the seventh seventh
grade up seven through twelve, so your junior high program
is directly controlled by me. So yeah, you hire everybody.
So you're coaching, your staff coaches the junior high so
law schools. You're big enough, you have your ow junior
high staff, a freshman staff, JV staff, and univarsity. If
you're a smaller school, you may have one big staff

(01:27:16):
of all your coaches. But your basketball coach is your
receiver coach, your baseball coach is your dB coach. You know,
your wrestling coach could be your line coach, you know,
whatever like that. So all the coaches coach football and
then they So, I mean that's where there's a tight
bond all these guys together. They're in the building. You
have athletic periods, but you're coaching your programs from seventh

(01:27:36):
grade up. So youth football only goes up to sixth
grade in Texas, and they closely align with what the
high school is doing. So yeah, we clinic with them.
They do all stuff and they have their games right
on our field and all that.

Speaker 1 (01:27:48):
So if a kid who lives in a and let's
say a kid from Old Creek wants to go to Franklin, Right,
if a kid lives close to Paradise, Texas, do they
have to go to the school in their district or
can they? Is it open enrollment?

Speaker 3 (01:28:03):
Yeah, you have to go to the school in your
district unless it's what they call an open district. We're
in an open district, you know, we're in Wise County,
and because we're out in the country, so it's different.
So there's areas where people are living where there's no
school close with. It's almost like I'm going either to
go thirty minutes that direction, in that direction or that
direction and run into a school. I mean, you're that
far away. So like where we're at, I see more

(01:28:24):
cattle than I do people. I mean, we're in the
country and so it's you know, so so if somebody
does come in, they have to come in you know,
when you're young. And then if you come in later,
like say you're gon entered as a freshman, you get
a felt what they call a PAPF and it goes
in front of the district executive committee and it's a
big process. So it'll ask to be legit.

Speaker 1 (01:28:43):
Can you recruit?

Speaker 3 (01:28:45):
No, not no, there's no recruiting unless you're a private school.
The TAPS they call it is the private schools, right,
and it's different than the private schools here, but they
have their own league. If you're in TAPS, you don't
play against the public schools. You play in the TAPS
League and the TAPS League. They can do what ever
they want. They can literally come onto your campus and
recruit kid right off while you're in the middle of practice.

(01:29:05):
I mean, if not that, anybody would you might be
a flight But you know what I'm saying. But yes,
it's that it's totally different.

Speaker 1 (01:29:11):
Because here in Wisconsin, as a private school coach, I
couldn't recruit.

Speaker 3 (01:29:15):
No there, they can.

Speaker 1 (01:29:16):
I could recommend and highly suggest if that was illegal,
that would do a little of that.

Speaker 3 (01:29:21):
Yeah, you know, it's it's different there. But you know,
but the thing is the public school system. You know,
the way football set up there, You don't It's really
not that big of a draw to leave because the
football is so good in the public schools and you know,
you have your athletic period, it's part of your school day,
so you when you like your football team, like I,
you know, a coaching I never was in the school building.

(01:29:42):
I was in the fieldhouse. But during our period was
from eleven thirty to twelve thirty was our athletic period.
The football team came to the fieldhouse and that's their
class for that period, just like a math class or
you know whatever. And then so we can practice football
year round if we want. No, obviously not gonna bring
your kids out and do that, but you have that
option what you want. So obviously, one of the reasons
track is so good in Texas is your football team.

(01:30:05):
Everybody in football runs track. They don't have an option
because you've got track practice during the football period, you
know what I mean. So, and that's why you know
it's different. Like I was talking, I was visiting Oak
Creek and I think they had the four by four
state championship really team, and I was watching a practicing like, hey,
I've not seen a ton of speed. Are any of
those guys out here?

Speaker 5 (01:30:24):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (01:30:24):
You know, just you know there's track guys whatever, because
you're the kind of well in Texas, all your track
guys run football. That's why the football is so fast
because it's football players who run track. If that makes it.

Speaker 1 (01:30:36):
Really quickly, we got to get through break is nil
in Texas.

Speaker 3 (01:30:39):
Yeah, that's coming to Yeah, I mean that's the you
know what I mean, it's a yeah. I mean, you know,
obviously it won't affect the small schools like who's endorsing whatever,
but those big schools.

Speaker 1 (01:30:47):
But here's my fear, even for the small schools, if
your back up quarterback and he's getting five hundred thousand
bucks and he's wearing news.

Speaker 3 (01:30:55):
It's going to be a terrible thing.

Speaker 1 (01:30:56):
It's going to be to locker room. It's cultures.

Speaker 3 (01:30:59):
It's an awful thing. It goes against everything that I
think football stands for, even high school athletics. It's awful.

Speaker 1 (01:31:05):
You know what's cool. Tommy has to deal with that now.

Speaker 3 (01:31:08):
That's right. The head coach, Yeah, Rome, give me Burnie
is in my rear ver mirror. I'm I'm driving away.

Speaker 1 (01:31:15):
I'm driving. Oh boy, we're gonna get to a break
on inside of the break, Coach Hubba and Coach Joe
Cook in studio will continue with them on the other side.
This is the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show, presented
by your local Pick and Stape and Metro Market stores
on Fox Sports ninety twenty and your iHeartRadio app. Welcome
back to the Varsity plates High School Sports Show. No

(01:31:36):
longer need the headsets. Joe Cook and Coach Hubba are
in studio. Guys, make sure that you say hi to
the family and stuff for me, and yeah you're in town.

Speaker 3 (01:31:47):
And yeah I'm in town. Now I'm staying in uh today.
Ye oh yeah, oh big dam. I'm I'm staying in Wales,
right across from Killing Ray and my daughter Christina and
her husband Tyler, they live in Wales, and I got
to give a show out to there, to Joe, my grandchildren,
to beautiful granddaughter Ramona. And then Hendricks and Hendricks will
be playing for the Junior Lasers this year in football.

Speaker 1 (01:32:07):
What year is he?

Speaker 3 (01:32:08):
He'll be an eighth grader this okay? So, and then uh,
and then tonight my daughter from Charlotte, North Carolina, flies in.
Her husband's a doctor, but he has to stay working.
He's on you know how that works here and then
he but she's coming with her three boys, Braylen, Kai
and TiO. And and so I'm super excited. Whole families coming.
We have a wedding. Uh. Linda's brother Bob Milkie, who

(01:32:28):
you know, his daughter Courtney's getting married next week. And uh,
so everybody's coming back from all over from California, Arizona, Florida,
and North Carolina everywhere.

Speaker 1 (01:32:37):
It'll be fun.

Speaker 3 (01:32:38):
Oh, it's gonna be awesome. It's so family's everything, you know,
you know that.

Speaker 1 (01:32:41):
Yeah, we had a couple of weeks ago we had
all six through the grandkids up in a cabin up
at Lake Harrowhead. And we got home and I brought
the luggage in and I said to my wife, no TV,
no radio, and don't talk to me for quiet.

Speaker 3 (01:32:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:32:54):
Yeah, how about how are the girls doing?

Speaker 3 (01:32:56):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (01:32:57):
Very good?

Speaker 2 (01:32:57):
I mean, Morgan, my oldest is, you know, thriving and
you know as a manager at where she works at.
My youngest daughter is starting beauty school now she's living
in still Water. Just got done playing basketball and you know,
now those.

Speaker 1 (01:33:14):
Girls are done.

Speaker 3 (01:33:16):
Yeah quickly, quickly. It was a D one basketball player.

Speaker 2 (01:33:22):
Yeah. So, I mean, so, you know, fortunately both girls
are healthy and you know, everybody's doing.

Speaker 1 (01:33:28):
Well and thriving.

Speaker 3 (01:33:29):
Tell where your mom and dad living now?

Speaker 1 (01:33:31):
Oh yeah, my mom and dad live in Texas. They
go for the winter.

Speaker 2 (01:33:34):
They have the place up here because my mom refuses
to sell her house because that would mean she can't
host Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. So she literally has her
house here for two days and they live in Florida
Atkinson for the summer.

Speaker 1 (01:33:48):
In Texas in.

Speaker 3 (01:33:48):
The winter, unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (01:33:52):
Well, your mom is always any time I have seen her,
she would stop what she's doing to come and hug
me and say hello to me. And she would always
did tell me to say hi to you. She's so
just a kind she she always said, you're doing a
great job, and she knew I wasn't. Joe Cook. Thank
you about thank you? Have you come in and time

(01:34:14):
I've asked you, Well in the past you've been I'm
not sure because you were very busy with the girls.
Trust me, I'm gonna I'm gonna have you come back in.
If I can't get to Bill Young, I'll go to
you perfect.

Speaker 3 (01:34:24):
Yeah, for surely.

Speaker 1 (01:34:28):
I'm so happy I kept knocking on that door and
that Linda Collins said, you're wearing them down. No, you are.
You are come back.

Speaker 3 (01:34:35):
Glad you did. I'm glad you don't.

Speaker 1 (01:34:37):
Wait to don't wait you know a week to come back, dude.
And two so appreciate man. The love I have for
you guys is time praying for for you guys a
lot and your families. And yeah, it's good.

Speaker 3 (01:34:47):
To see you. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:34:49):
You got it. This is the Varsity, but it's high
school sports show presented by your local Pick and Save
and Metro Market stores on Fox Sports ninet twenty and
your iHeart Radio app.