MISHAWAKA — Is the key to getting the Penn High School football head coaching job to be the team’s defensive coordinator first?
Maybe not, but the last two head coaches have been hired in that fashion.
The latest person who fits that bill is Pete Riordan, who was named the new Kingsmen head coach Wednesday. Riordan has been an assistant coach at Penn for a combined 20 years across two stints, most recently serving as the defensive coordinator.
It’s a similar path that the recently retired Cory Yeoman took to becoming head coach, with Yeoman being a defensive coordinator under Chris Geesman before taking over for him as head coach in 2003.
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“I’m not quite sure that’s how it works, but if that continues in the same track record afterwards, then it’s a good stepping stone,” said Riordan of the defensive coordinator-to-head coach pipeline at Penn.
Riordan broke the news to the team in a surprise announcement Wednesday morning. He is just the third head coach for Penn in the last 50 years after Geesman lasted 39 years and Yeoman 21.
“It meant a lot to tell them first,” Riordan said. “I think it was important to hear it from me and not being leaked out. I had told the assistant coaches (Tuesday), and I really appreciated them keeping it under wraps so we could have this surprise moment. … It was a special moment to be able to walk in, be embraced by the team, have everyone cheering and going nuts.”
The hire was met with approval from the players, including the potential starting quarterback next year in Kellen Watson.
“My reaction was pretty big because I knew the athletic department made a good decision,” the current junior said. “Coach Pete was our guy, and he’s going to bring a lot to the table for us this year to be successful.”
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Only one starter returns on defense in sophomore Vinny Freeman. He’s happy that Riordan was promoted because it keeps the program stable.
“With coach Pete, every day you know what he’s going to be like coming in,” Freeman said. “He’s going to be a great leader, but also, he’s going to expect us to work hard. Just having him and knowing every day what we’re getting into is great.”
Penn Athletic Director Jeff Hart noted the search to replace Yeoman was thorough. They consulted with several people, including other athletic directors across the state, to gather as much information as possible before deciding.
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“Anytime when we look for a head coach, regardless of the sport, we have a couple non-negotiables,” Hart said. “We need that person to be of the highest character, we need them to be competitive and we need them to have a teacher’s heart, whether they’re a teacher or not. Pete exudes all of those things.”
Both Geesman and Yeoman were in attendance for the press conference introducing Riordan as head coach Wednesday. Riordan was on Geesman’s staff from 2000-02 before Yeoman took over as head coach in 2003. Riordan has been around the Penn program ever since, minus three seasons at Ben Davis High School (2007-09) in Indianapolis while his wife, Nicole, was serving a medical residence to become a physician.
“He’s been very successful in every place he’s been,” Yeoman said. “You can tell the guys on our staff have either been champions or coached champions, and he’s done both.”
Geesman was highly complementary of Riordan.
“It seems like they couldn’t miss, but I think they hired the best man,” Geesman said. “The final four candidates were all great coaches, but Pete stood out. It was a plus that he’s been here, he knows what the expectations are and what type of kids we have. It’s a great choice.”
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Riordan is a South Bend native, playing for the 1995 state champion Saint Joseph football team. His wife is a Penn alum, giving them several family ties to the area. The couple has two daughters.
“Penn football is a very special program to lots of people. That fact is not lost on me,” Riordan said. “I’ve been fortunate to experience that for 20-some years now, both before and after my time at Ben Davis. My goal is to continue to grow the successes of the program, push myself and the staff to continue to evolve and adapt to the changing game of football, and to continue to develop our players both on and off the field.”
2024-03-20 19:33:56
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