After the administration made the decision not to renew former football coach Tom Mulholland’s contract, Principal Christopher Garran and athletic director Sue Amos announced Monday that former assistant football coach Jon Kadi would be stepping up to fill the vacant position of head football coach.
“Jon Kadi’s leadership will serve well the WJ football program,” said Amos in a Gazette article published Tuesday. “He is committed to the students and to their growth as athletes and young adults.”
Even though the administration and athletics department saw Kadi’s devotion to the team during his past year with WJ as an assistant football coach, they still went through a multi-week search and interview process to look at all of their options. According to Garran, the search began in late May, and extended outside of the WJ football program.
“Coach Kadi was the only coach associated with the program who applied,” said Garran.
Out of the nine applicants, six were offered interviews, which took place during the week of June 8. The six candidates were initially interviewed by Amos, Assistant Principal Christopher Merrill, who serves as administrator for athletics, and physical education resource teacher and former WJ football coach Rod Fry. Because Kadi stood out, he was selected for a second interview withGarran.
“During [the second] meeting, Merrill, Amos and [Edward] Ahnell, a football parent, joined me in interviewing Coach Kadi,” said Garran. “After that meeting, I had Coach Kadi meet with a small group of rising seniors. After that session, I announced that Coach Kadi was WJ’s new head football coach.”
Kadi’s meeting with the small group of rising seniors was an important part of the final stage of the interview process. According to Garran, even though he planned to name Kadi the new coach after the session with the rising seniors, Kadi was told that if the small group had “major complaints,” he would not be named the new coach at that time.
Although the WJ community looks forward to welcoming Kadi as the new head football coach,Mulholland’s dismissal was still seen as a shock and disappointment to some football players. However, Garran hopes that the team will understand why he replaced the coach of three years.
“Coach Mulholland served our football program well,” said Garran. “I simply made the decision to go in a different direction and to seek out a new person for the position.”
Garran is also hopeful that the departure of Mulholland will not have any affect on how the team accepts and perceives Kadi as their new head coach.
“Coach Kadi had nothing to do with [the dismissal of Mulholland],” said Garran. “Once [the team] sees his commitment to them as players, his passion for WJ football and his desire for improvement in the program, I think they will work well with him.”
As for the “new direction” Kadi will be taking the team in, he plans to use his experience as a former Catholic University linebacker to work on the team’s inner-spirit.
“Players are going to need to respect themselves, the school and the program we are trying to build,” said Kadi in a Gazette article. “The wins and the respect amongst the county will come after that. We are starting from the inside and working our way out to change [the attitude].”
Not only does Kadi want to bring this new philosophy to the football program, but he wants to put his knowledge and mindset as a longtime linebacker into the team. As Kadi stated in The Gazette, the team’s mentality will be “to get after it and attack.”
Now that the community is welcoming Kadi as the new head football coach, he is already proving his dedication, working with the team almost daily in the weight room. For those who would like to meet Kadi, the school will be hosting a meeting for players and parents to meet the new coach on Thurs., June 25 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria.
