Happy Hobart days here again
Second-year head coach led Brickies to first regional title since 1996
A deep run in the state tournament was one of the experiences that Hobart coach Craig Osika wanted to replicate 11 years ago when he was sitting on his deck in Valparaiso with his wife, Stefanie, discussing a career move.
The Brickies’ football mystique — unique, insular and steeped in a deep sense of community pride — can’t be replicated anywhere else. Only experienced.
Osika, the Post-Tribune Football Coach of the Year, helped Hobart win its first regional title since 1996. The Brickies finished 11-3 this season.
Yes, it was just like the good old days for a week in Hobart. Everybody in town was giddy. For the youngsters, who weren’t born when Hobart was the football standard, the Brickies won state titles in 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993. Hobart was state runner-up six times.
The kids that play now had only heard about what it meant to be a state champion-level Brickie. Some have experienced it now. East Noble defeated Hobart 29-24 in a Class 4A semistate game. Hobart was a play away from getting to Lucas Oil Field, finishing on East Noble’s 39-yard line with time running out.
Osika, a 1997 Hobart graduate who played on the offensive line, is old enough to know.
“The town got behind us,” Osika said. “Not that they ever left. But it’s a different feeling when you get on that run. Seeing this through my players’ eyes and helping them navigate the year after an 0-2 start was pretty special.”
Osika’s journey to the Hobart sideline was unconventional.
He played at Indiana and then spent three years in the NFL with the Browns and 49ers, securing a pension.
After his playing career ended, Osika took a year off and returned home, taking a job as a production supervisor at U.S. Steel.
He hated it.
Then he worked in medical sales for a few years.
Hated that too.
In 2008, with his first child on the way, Osika had a moment.
He told his wife on their deck in Valparaiso one night, probably over a “few drinks,” that he couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to get back into football.
“I had spent almost all my life playing team sports,” he said. “I just had to figure out a way to get back to it.”
The closest he could come was coaching.
Osika already was working part time as a coach at Hobart.
So he quit his job, the couple moved in with his parents and he enrolled at St. Joseph’s in Rensselaer.
For 18 months, Osika made the long commute to get his degree and certification in education.
Osika laughs when he recalls his first day of class.
“Here was a 30-year-old man as big as me, who walks into class with these 18- and 19-year-old kids,” he said. “People got mad because I was actually studying. I blew the curve.”
Osika took over as Hobart’s coach in 2018 after Ryan Turley resigned. Osika had been the offensive coordinator.
He was overwhelmed by the camaraderie and love this team generated.
“They created a culture that I’ve never been a part of,” he said. “I’ve been a part of a lot of teams at every level — high school, college and the NFL. I’ve never felt that love before. It’s a testament to them. They 100% bought in.”
The Brickies have a chance to replicate their success next year.
Hobart’s lockdown defense, which gave up just over 10 points per game and had five shutouts, returns eight starters.
“If we can stay healthy, we can play at a high level,” Osika said.