Perry coach excited to get started

Bob Gecewich wasn’t formally hired as Perry’s new head football coach until the night of Jan. 19 when the school’s board of education gave its stamp of approval.

But that didn’t stop the former head coach at Dublin Jerome from taking a look at the hand he’s been dealt as the successor to longtime coach Matt Rosati, who stepped down after the 2020 season.

Gecewich, a 2002 Euclid graduate, was in town on Jan. 18 with his family to do some house shopping. But even prior to that, he was taking a sneak peek at video clips and rosters from the 2020 Perry football team in anticipation of taking over the helm of the Pirates’ successful program.

“I’ve watched some of the film,” he said. “I’m going to dive in more deeply to it.

“One thing about a coaching change is that you don’t know who is going to walk through those doors. It should be exciting because everyone gets a fresh start. Everyone is going to get an opportunity to prove themselves.”

Gecewich is taking over

a Perry program that went 5-2 this past season, an abbreviated one because of the novel coronavirus. While there were some tough graduation losses, such as running back Jaylen Anderson, a West Virginia signee, a solid group returns, including freshman quarterback Brayden Richards and two-way starter Jadynn Anderson — just to name a few.

Gecewich didn’t get into names, but he did say he has looked at film and “checked some names” on the roster he has seen.

He said he will be interviewing prospective staff members in the near future.

“I hope within the next month or so to meet with the staff and we’ll get the defense ironed out,” he said of potential defensive sets. “Offensively, I have a couple core principles. But at the end of the day, you find a quarterback, find five linemen and the next five to 10 best guys. We’re not locking ourselves into a specific style.”

Gecewich brings with him to Perry a wealth of experiences. Prior to his

six years at Dublin Jerome, he was an assistant for two state championship teams at Maria Stein Marion Local, as well as coaching positions at Nashville (Tenn.) McGavock for five years and Dorchester (S.C.) Woodland for one season.

Gecewich said he wasn’t necessarily looking to leave Dublin Jerome, but that the opportunity at Perry was one he couldn’t pass up.

“I think there are multiple factors,” he said. “It’s obvious academics and athletics matter (at Perry). It’s

a place that has been competitive in multiple sports. It’s a place where we can see ourselves settling and raising a family.

“Talking with (athletic director) T.J. (Rockwell) and the Perry administration throughout the process, there was a vertical alignment. It’s just a good fit.”

Gecewich and his wife, Ashlee, have three children. He has his undergraduate degree in secondary education and a master’s in educational leadership.

Gecewich said he will finish the school year at Dublin Jerome and then head to Perry to get a jump start as soon as possible on the 2021 season.

He said he wants a team that plays hard always.

“Our goals and our standards are basic,” he said. “We want to maximize ourselves and play as hard as we possibly can. We want to compete every single day. We need to embrace trying to grow and get better every single day. If we do those things athletically, we’ll be in great shape.”

Gecewich