Okuniewski named coach at Boone
Football coaching is a ‘family tradition’ for J.D. Okuniewski, who played for and was an assistant coach with the Blazers
As the son of a high school football coach, young J.D. Okuniewski wanted to followed the path of his father, John Okuniewski Sr.
“I used to make him go down in the (yard) and I would pretend I was in the booth, up in the window in our backyard, and radio down to him,” J.D. Okuniewski said. “(Since I was) about 6 or 7, I’ve known this is what I wanted to do.”
More than 20 years later, Okuniewski is living out a childhood dream as he was named the head football coach at Daniel Boone by the school board on Feb. 27.
“I always knew I wanted to be involved in coaching,” Okuniewski said. “I’m just blessed I got the opportunity to do it.”
Okuniewski, 28, comes from a long line of football coaches. His grandfather, Jim Mich Sr., coached at the former Saint Pius X High School just outside Pottstown. The football stadium was named in his honor.
While John Sr. coached J.D. when he was growing up, Okuniewski’s father also coached at Exeter under former head coach Ron Zeiber, and at Dieruff High School in Allentown. J.D. Okuniewski’s uncle, Jim Mich Jr., was an assistant at Pottstown and is now the defensive coordinator at SpringFord. Another uncle, Stan Okuniewski, also coached at Exeter.
“I’ve just always been around it,” J.D. Okuniewski said. “It’s always been a family tradition.”
A 2013 graduate of Daniel Boone, Okuniewski played wide receiver, outside linebacker and quarterback for the Blazers from 2009-12. He was the starting quarterback his senior season.
“Not everybody gets to go back to where they’re from and contribute to their community that they grew up in,” Okuniewski
said. “I’m very proud that I have the opportunity to do that.”
Okuniewski, a Douglassville resident, started coaching at Daniel Boone in 2017 as a volunteer assistant coach under former head coach Bill Parks, and as the junior varsity head coach. He continued coaching under former Blazers head coach Rob Flowers, serving as the wide receivers coach and remaining the junior varsity head coach.
Flowers resigned in December after leading Boone to a 17-31 record in five seasons. He said he wanted to take time to focus on his position as Director of Community Relations and Equity Awareness at Boone.
“I think Coach Flowers has done an excellent job,” Okuniewski said. “As a community member, as a lifelong Blazer, I am so thankful that a man of the caliber of Rob Flowers has been around and helped these young men and helped me. He’s been a mentor to me.”
In addition to serving on the football staff for the past six seasons, Okuniewski is also a 10th-grade English teacher at the high school. Whether it’s teaching or coaching, he said he enjoys spending time around the kids.
“We have great kids at Daniel Boone,” Okuniewski said. “Being around kids, you learn something new every day.”
According to Okuniewski, the connections that he has built as an assistant coach and as a teacher are invaluable as he begins his tenure as head coach.
“It comes down to relationships and just being in the building,” Okuniewski said. “You see them in the hallway, you have them in class — it’s more of an opportunity to get to know them.”
The Blazers went 2-8 last season, winning just one league game in the inaugural season of the expanded Lancaster-Lebanon League. Daniel Boone last qualified for the postseason in 2021, losing to Waynesboro in the opening round of the District 3 Class 5A playoffs.
While he looks to guide the Blazers back to the postseason, Okuniewski said achieving success will be a collective effort.
“The biggest piece that is going to get us where we need to be is harmony,” Okuniewski said. “It takes 11 men selflessly doing their job to win. You have to be in sync all the time.”
While his team looks to reach their goals through working together, Okuniewski said he hopes to teach his players life lessons.
“Football is a team game, but life is the ultimate team game,” Okuniewski said. “When you’re in perfect harmony, team-wise, life-wise, with other people trying to attain goals, I think that’s very important to finding success.”