The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register Coach of the Year: Bruney takes Bruins back to title contest
By JOSH STROPEArticle Photos
WELLSBURG - When Tom Bruney took over the Brooke football program last spring, he decided to look back into the storied program's past just to know what he was getting himself into.
The Bruins were a football power in the late 80s and early 90s and had fallen on hard times in recent seasons. In 2008, Brooke started out 3-0 only to lose its last seven games.
It was a community starved for a winner.
The first-year coach then completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent memory, leading Brooke to a perfect regular season, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, and a berth in the West Virginia Class AAA state championship game.
That result has earned Bruney the praise and recognition of his peers, as he was voted by the OVAC coaches as The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register Coach of the Year.
''The first thing I look at is that it really puts an exclamation point on the fact that we had a very good football team with a very good coaching staff,'' Bruney said. ''We look at the Coach of the Year award as a team award. It was because the team and the coaching staff developed such a great chemistry together that we were able to have a great season.
''On a personal note, I'm kinda humbled. Any time that your colleagues and your peers vote for you and award you with something like this, it's very humbling. My heart goes out to them because a lot of times in this business, you really don't get a chance to look back and review your season because you are always moving forward. For my fellow coaches to honor us this way, it's very special and we really appreciate this.''
Bruney was coaching defensive backs at West Liberty University when he was chosen to lead the Bruins last May. No one was real sure at the time what they had because the coach had spent most of his coaching career in Arizona.
It didn't take him long to realize where he was at and the coach fully embraced the challenge of restoring the luster that had seemingly come off Brooke football.
His mantra from the beginning of the season was ''Back to the Future.'' Even Robert Zemeckis would have had a hard time writing this script.
''There are two ways you can look at it when a new head coach comes in to program, especially one with the background of Brooke, with the tradition and the three state championships,'' Bruney said. ''There is pride here. All coaches want to put their own stamp on a program and the other way is to come in and embrace what has happened. As we evaluated the situation, we felt the best thing was to embrace the fact that we do have tradition here and that Brooke was one of the premier programs in the Ohio Valley and the state of West Virginia.
''We wanted to go back to those days. We wanted to try to bring in as many people that were significant in the past as we could because we wanted to give them a feeling of ownership in the program as well. Coach (Paul) Billiard and I hooked up and we talked many times. He let me know what I was getting myself into.
''A lot of Coach Billiard's talks were not about football and more about people and personality, and because we decided to embrace Brooke County, it worked out real well for us. I've coached many different places and this school board and administration have been so supportive. You cannot be successful without that support. The community was outstanding.''
So outstanding that Bruney was choked up when he came out of the locker room on Dec. 5 before Brooke played South Charleston in the state championship game. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw how many fans had packed the Brooke cheering section. Green and gold had filled Wheeling Island Stadium. It was a strong show of support from a community that has embraced the Martins Ferry graduate.
''I think it was important that the community was so involved with it,'' Bruney said. ''A lot of people were saying, 'What happened to Brooke? The Brooke pride is gone.'
''The Brooke pride was never gone, we just had to relocate it and by accomplishing those goals, we were able to restore that pride and put it out in front of the program.''
The Bruins were led by Kennedy Award finalist Cotey Wallace, Hunt Award finalist Jake Lilly, all-staters Joe DiNardo and Ryan Lazear, and a host of other players like Ian Morris, Mike Kosevic, Kyle Sims, Tripper Naragon, Shane Paesano, etc., that came together to put Brooke back in the forefront of West Virginia football.
Brooke went 10-0, earned home-field advantage in the playoffs and advanced to the state title game for the first time since 1992. Despite the 28-7 setback to South Charleston, this team showed the heart of a champion.
''The one thing I wanted to make a point after the ballgame to the players was that I know that we are hurting right now and I know we wished we could have played better to win this ballgame, but I don't want this to become something where all we remember is that last game,'' Bruney said. ''We want to remember all the special things we did. No one even considered us being up for anything and we were able to come together as a team and as a football family and accomplish some great things together.''
So now comes the even harder part for Bruney and his staff. He has the belief from his players, the support of the administration, and a community that is so behind him that Staffilenos in Wellsburg sells a Bruney Burger.
Now he has to find a way to remain at the top with a target on their chest.
He has already has put the wheels in motion for that. With a host of players returning next season, Bruney has a new motto.
''We decided that our theme for the season is 'Unfinished Business,' '' Bruney said. ''We felt we did a lot of great things and that we are ahead of schedule with the evolution of our program, but there is just one thing we did not accomplish.
''The Monday after the state championship game, we had a meeting, planned our work for the upcoming months and we decided that we need to get 22 points better. That is our focus from now until next December.
''It's one thing to work your butt off to get to top, it's even harder to stay up there.''
THE INTELLIGENCER/NEWS-REGISTER COACH OF THE YEAR WINNERS
2009 - Tom Bruney, Brooke
2008 - Mike Flannery, River
2007 - Brett McLean, St. Clairsville
2006 - John Magistro, Bellaire
2005 - Reno Saccoccia, Steubenville
2004 - Bob Kramer, Weirton Madonna
2003 - Reno Saccoccia, Steubenville
2002 - Jay Circosta, Monroe Central
2001 - Ty Fleming, Shadyside
2000 - Ty Fleming, Shadyside
1999 - Alan Treherne, Barnesville
1998 - Wayne Neely, Weir
1997 - John Magistro, Bellaire
1996 - John Magistro, Bellaire
1995 - John Magistro, Bellaire
1994 - Bob Thayer, Wellsville
1993 - P.K. Poling, Oak Glen
1992 - Dave Kovalick, Barnesville
1991 - Gregg Bahen, Steub. Central
1990 - Paul Billiard, Brooke
1989 - Ty Fleming, Shadyside
1988 - Dave Cisar, Magnolia
1987 - Jim Paul, Weirton Madonna
1986 - Rich Weiskircher, Buck. North
1985 - Rich Weiskircher, Buck. North
1984 - Reno Saccoccia, Steubenville
1983 - Dan McGrew, Weir
1982 - Mike Herrick, Mingo
1981 - Dave Cisar, Magnolia
1980 - Bill McHugh, Buckeye South
1979 - Jim Thomas, Wheeling Central
1978 - Lou Nocida, Sistersville
1977 - Sonny Rea, Brooke
1976 - Jay Circosta, Woodsfield
1975 - Ron Pobolish, Cadiz
1974 - Rich Wilinski, Toronto
1973 - Lou Nocida, Magnolia
1972 - Marty Flannery, River
1971 - Tom Korab, Steub. Central
1970 - Joe Ault, Bridgeport
1969 - George Strager, St. Clairsville
1968 - Jake Olsavsky, Brilliant
1967 - Andy Urbanic, Whg.Central
1966 - Don Ault, Bellaire
1965 - Joe Ault, Bridgeport
1964 - Dick Thurnes, Tiltonsville
1963 - Dan McGrew, St. John Central
1962 - George Strager, Whg. Central
1940 - Bill Dorsey, Powhatan and Stan Plummer, Bridgeport
1939 - Bob Roe, Warwood
*No picks between 1941-1961.
