As the February 10 target date rapidly approaches, the football coach search committee narrows its list of candidates.

Former Football Head Coach Aaron Brady’s sudden departure has left a void on the Malvern football sideline that is still yet to be filled. But the school’s athletic department is wasting no time in trying to find a replacement.

Malvern Football is often viewed as one of the school’s more prominent sports. Students constantly fill the student section, players are committing to division one programs, and the team is constantly a topic of conversation days leading up to a big game. That’s why the decision on the new football coach is paramount.

Following Brady’s resignation, the Malvern athletic department has listed the position as available on the school website, and has posted advertisements in local newspapers.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“I think it’s going be challenging. But I think we just have to embrace it. I think it’s just embracing the culture that the new coach brings in and working hard and cooperating with the coach.”

-Quinn McCahon ’18[/perfectpullquote]

In terms of progress with finding a new coach, Athletic Ddirector Kurt Ruch says that the committee is on pace to meet its February 10 target date for naming a new coach.

“We’re still on that [February 10th] track as we move into the next round which is face-to-face interviews which begin next week,” Ruch said.

Malvern’s players, however, have not yet played a role in the search.

“We’ve kinda been out of the loop,” junior Quinn McCahon said. “But I think [the committee] is on the second round of the process, so I think as it gets closer we’ll be more involved.”

McCahon also believes that although a coaching transition will be a challenge, the team is up for the task.

“I think it’s going be challenging,” McCahon said. “But I think we just have to embrace it. I think it’s just embracing the culture that the new coach brings in and working hard and cooperating with the coach.”

Malvern football alumnus Mike McCarthy ’15 described his experience in transitioning from Coach Pellegrini to Coach Brady in 2014.

“Once Brady came in the transition happened pretty quick,” McCarthy said. “The level of off-season commitment, like workouts and lifts, increased a lot. We were running an entirely new system, so we had a lot to learn.”

In line with Malvern’s passion for football, Ruch believes that the school is interviewing only the best candidates qualified for the job.

“I think the group that we’re down to are extremely qualified, I think they’re very passionate, and I think any of them can help guide us to our next coach,” Ruch said. “In this next round as we go to face-to-face interviews I think that’s where you’re going to see some rise to the top and others kinda fall to the sides so it’ll really be a good test as we go into this next round.”

As for the previous coaching staff in place for last year’s team, two assistant coaches applied for the head coaching position, and the rest of the incumbent staff will be evaluated by the new coach for positions on the new staff.

Off the field, it’s paramount that the new coach follows the Malvern mission.

“The coach has to follow our mission,” Ruch said. “He has to be about the school first… From an academic side, to helping [the students] get into college, to helping them become good Malvern men is what we’re all about.”

“At the end of the day, I’m hoping that the guy understands football, is a good human being and helps train our kids and make them better people,” Ruch added.