Assistant Coaches Help Clayton Football Team Prepare

While the position of head football coach at has been , the person who serves in that role points out he's not alone in training players ahead of the fall season.

“Everyone is taking on more responsibility this year,” Clayton head football coach Scott Weissman said. “Everyone on this team has expectations and responsibilities, and everyone wants to pitch in and do their part.”

Weissman has years of experience as both a head and assistant coach. He was a defensive coordinator in the Clayton program last fall before . He’ll continue as defensive coordinator in 2011.

Weissman had a successful career as a head baseball coach at . He won more than 300 games from 1990 to 2009. In addition, Parkway won a state championship in 1996, placed second in 1990 and placed third in 1997.

Weissman also spend several years as a football assistant in the Parkway East (junior high), Parkway North (offensive coordinator), Parkway West (offensive coordinator), Parkway West (defensive coordinator) and Kirkwood (defensive coordinator) programs. 

The Clayton football program has eight assistants this year: Barry Ford (running backs and cornerbacks), Joe Scotino (wide receivers and defensive backs), Dan McMullen (quarterback and wide receivers), Mick Pictaggio (offensive line and defensive line), Doug Verby (running backs and defensive line), Heath Kent (defensive line, linebackers and special teams) and Andy Boeyinka (offensive line and linebackers). 

Verby and Ford both have varsity head coaching experience. Verby is the wrestling coach, while Ford is the girls track coach.

“I don’t know that you have to have it,” Weissman said in reference to whether assistants nead head varsity coaching experience. “However, they all understand what our goals are and what’s coming up. This takes the best effort out of the head coach, assistants and players.”

The Clayton Greyhounds will hit the football field for practice on Aug. 8. Clayton football players—like many prep football players across the country—prepare for the fall season in the summer through weight training, participation in summer football leagues .

“We hope to be able to keep a good pace,” Weissman said about the early practices. “We want the kids to be in good shape so we can run high-tempo practices.”

They Greyhounds finished the 2010 season with an 8-4 mark. Weissman said he is satisfied with the attendance at summer camps and that he expects the numbers in the program to be good in the 2011 season.

Clayton plays its first game Aug. 27 against Lutheran North.