BENNETT'S MINUTES: New county football coaches glad for opportunity

Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Cloverdale coach Tom Winders like to wear his camouflage clothing, and also likes coaching the Clovers in football.
Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

Carnes, Winders find new positions working out well

North Putnam’s Sam Carnes and Cloverdale’s Tom Winders find themselves in one common position — that of a first-year varsity football coach in Putnam County this fall.

Other than that, however, there are many differences between the two men.

Sam Carnes

Carnes was an assistant coach at Avon for three years after graduating from Taylor University, where he played on the offensive line.

He is on the second stop of what looks to be a long and successful career. Carnes teaches social studies at North Putnam, and he and his wife are expecting their first child sometime during the season.

Winders, on the other hand, has four children — with the two oldest being relatively close in age to Carnes (who is 25).

While he has enjoyed his job so far, Winders is admittedly not a lifer in it.

“I told Mr. [J.J.] Wade that I’m not his 20-year head coach,” Winders said this week, “but I will help get this program rebuilt. I truly believe I can do that. So far we have made great strides from where we were three months ago. “

Carnes had considered himself a well-organized person, but a few months into the job as head football coach he now realizes he still has a way to go in that area.

“It is a lot harder organizationally than I thought it would be,” he said. “All of the things that head coaches do that aren’t related to Xs and Os and on-the-field type stuff.”

One new twist that current coaches have to contend with is the use of the Hudl online video system, in which coaches can input game film and tag certain places for players to watch that involve them.

“I had done some things with that at Avon, but I have also had to learn some new things,” he said. “The great thing about it here is that it’s been a great team effort. People like Dan Fouts have been coaching here longer than I’ve been alive; he and other coaches like Randy Summers have been really helpful in this transition.”

Carnes and staff talk to the Cougars frequently about how they don’t need to “be a superstar,” but just need to do their job.

“The same goes for me,” he said. “They don’t need for me to be Bill Belichick, and I don’t need them to be the world’s best D-line coach. We just all need to do our jobs.”

Carnes has enjoyed the small-school environment at North Putnam, one that had kept predecessor Greg Barrett in that position for nine years.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “The small-town atmosphere makes it fun.”

Carnes did some research while in the job-seeking process last spring — even sending me an e-mail with some questions about North Putnam — and admits that he wasn’t prepared to take just any job.

“There were only two schools that I applied to,” he said, “that I thought might hire me and where I wouldn’t have to totally tear down the program and rebuild it from scratch. Coach Barrett did a great job here for a long time, and we just need to continue to build off his success.”

Carnes was not yet feeling the nerves before his impending head coaching debut, but he knows that won’t last long.

“About 6:30 p.m. on Friday might not be the best time to come and talk to me,” he said. “You get rid of nervousness by being prepared, and we’re just trying to be as ready as we can be.”

Winders was much more familiar with the Cloverdale community, school and program, having been around it for a long time.

“I’ve been in this community for 26 years, and have coached football, softball, basketball and baseball,” he said.”When I was announced as the head coach, I wasn’t planning on being the head coach.

“After a long thought, and many people talking to me I decided to do it,” Winders added. “It’s been exciting.”

Winders’ day job is as an operations manager with Pitt Ohio Express, a trucking company. He is glad to have the flexibility to be able to moonlight with the Clovers.

“I have coached this year’s seniors since second grade,” said Winders, whose son Nick is a member of that group. “I’ve always said I’d do anything for these boys.

“I felt there’s no sense in bringing a new face in here,” he added. “I know what needs to be done.

“We have already established a curriculum, with a routine and a schedule, and we needed that desperately here in Cloverdale.”

Carnes’ first game as head coach will be a home contest with Indian Creek, while Winders and the Clovers will play at South Putnam — a team which has beaten Cloverdale 10 straight times.

The administrations for both schools should be congratulated for making excellent hires.

These programs are both in great hands.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: