Cherry Creek High School Principal Ryan Silva listens to Coach Dave Logan address the media after Logan was announced as the new football head coach at Cherry Creek. Photo by Tom Barry
By Tom Barry
After speculation, controversy and hype, Cherry Creek High School officially announced Jan. 26 that Dave Logan would be the new head football coach of the state’s largest high school.
Nearly 200 excited Creek parents, football players and administrators gathered at the Schilling Law lecture hall for the highly anticipated announcement.
Immediately following his “gig” as afternoon sports talk show host, Logan left the KOA radio studio at 7 p.m. for the short drive to the school campus from the flagship Clear Channel station.
Rumors have persisted since last summer that one of Colorado’s most discernible sports personalities would end up at Creek next season. The Bruins had been one of the state’s most formidable football competitors. Creek currently has 3,500 students and was founded in 1955.
Creek’s announcement has proven more than coincidental when their popular football and basketball coach and dean of students Mike Brookhart resigned his head football duties. This move occurred just one week after Logan was fired unexpectedly from Mullen on Jan. 11.
One week after the firing, Mullen announced to students and parents it had provided the Colorado High School Athletic Association allegations about potential recruiting violations by Logan’s assistant coaches. Logan’s name was not included in that filing. According to CHSAA records, Logan has never had a sanction against him. Mullen announced it would provide additional allegations, as a timetable was not provided.
The ‘talk’ at the lecture hall
Logan entered the standing-room only lecture hall and was introduced to excited Creek parents, football players and staff. This exceptionally popular and highly visible sports and business personality addressed the group for around 30 minutes “speaking from the heart.”
“I’m excited, Logan has had a great career and I’m looking forward to having a good year,” said Matt Rindal the next day, a sophomore who played strong safety on the varsity. “We’re excited about having a ‘big name’ coach our team.”
Cole Booth, a football player who was on the freshman team last season, said, “He said we are going to be more of a ‘blue collared’ team. Logan said we are going to be more conditioned (next season) and that he (Logan) expects the Cherry Creek team to be the best team.”
Logan was detained after the announcement by interested and spirited players and parents alike. The new coach was a half hour late for his press conference, as the media waited one block away from the lecture hall in the library.
“Logan will be an outstanding addition to the Cherry Creek family,” said Ryan Silva, Creek principal, as he addressed the media. “Our new football coach has great integrity and would be a role model for our kids.
“We wanted to make sure that Dave Logan was very comfortable with us and that we were comfortable with him. I’ve heard him say this multiple times that wins and losses are not on your tombstone, it’s more about the number of kids you have impacted.”
Logan addressed the media, stating that there were a lot more important things than football. He was uncomfortable with all of this attention, and shared that he was, “totally, totally absolutely amazed” at the level of attention given to his firing at Mullen and being hired at Creek.
“I’m very happy obviously to have this opportunity and I’m looking forward to doing the absolutely best we can, both on the field and off,” said Logan. “The last 19 years, we have endeavored to do things the right way and to impact kids on a positive level. It’s certainly a lot more than football for us.”
Logan’s coaching career began in 1993, amassing 201 wins, 43 losses, and six 5A state championships.
“I’m a big believer in hard work and think teams that work the hardest usually give themselves the best chance to succeed,” Logan said.
{ 0 comments }
