Menhart is back as Carmichaels’ football coach
CARMICHAELS – When football coach Mike Bosnic left Carmichaels Area High School to take the same position at Washington High School, the Carmichaels school board knew it needed someone it could trust to take over on short notice and get the team ready for the 2009 season. They found that individual in a well known, well trusted friend who knows a thing or two about winning football games with the Mighty Mikes. By a 6-0 vote with one member abstaining, the school board hired John Menhart as its head football coach for the 2009 season at a special board meeting on Wednesday evening.
Menhart, who was in attendance at the meeting, has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Waynesburg University. He is the principal at Carmichaels Area Junior/Senior High School.
This will be Menhart’s second time around with the Mikes, as he coached them from 1989 to 2002. During that stretch, Menhart won more than 80 games and helped build the Mikes into the constant playoff contenders that they are today.
“I am really happy to have him back,” Carmichaels athletic director John Krajnak said of Menhart. “I never asked him about coming back until last week, but my intent all along was to have him back. As a principal, he has a lot on his plate, but the community and the kids will benefit.”
The meeting began with a 36-minute executive session. After that, the meeting took just two minutes to complete as the board voted and Menhart accepted. Menhart admitted that he is a little nervous about his second time around with the program.
“I’m very excited and a little nervous, believe it or not,” Menhart said. “However, I’m very optimistic.”
The new head coach also wished Bosnic best of luck at Washington.
Like most coaches hired late in the football calendar, Menhart has a lot to do in a small period of time to get ready for camp, which starts in August. However, it is clear that he has a very strong supporter in Ron Ferek, the school board president.
“We’re extremely pleased to have John Menhart back as head football coach,” Ferek said. “He is a very highly regarded member of the district and we are pleased to see him return to the sidelines. His commitment to the student-athletes and community of Carmichaels is unmatched.”
With the decisions made and voted upon on Wednesday night, Menhart rejoins a very select group of just seven coaches that have coached the Mikes since 1927. Technically, he will be the eighth individual to hold the position after serving as the sixth.