Davies Ready for New Adventures After 21 Years with Rebels

For the first time in 21 years when the Howell Rebel football team opens its season in the fall will not be the coach at the helm of the program.

The coach announced his intention to walk away from coaching but said he has enjoyed his time at the helm of the program. "I just think it's time," he said. "After 21 years it's time to step away and possibly do something new."

With a coaching career that spanned more than two decades Davies said he doesn't know yet what that something else will be but he is looking forward to what comes next. 

He also said that while he will miss coaching he believes the program he leaves behind is in good shape. "We've got a lot of good players coming back," he said. "One of the things I wanted to do when I did step down was to make sure the cupboard was anything but bare."

Not only has the program been successful during his tenure but participation has also grown with Davies saying there are approximately 150 student athletes scheduled to play for the team next year.

Davies said the decision to retire from coaching has not been an easy one or one he settled on quickly. After the season he said he started to strongly consider the possibility but with end of the year activities including recruiting and the team banquet he was not able to come to a decision until very recently. 

While his departure coincides with the graduation of his son Ryan from Howell High, Davies said that was not a factor in his decision making. "I can honestly say that had no factor in it at all," he said. "I coached for 21 years and felt it was time."

Summer training camp for the Rebels will open in approximately five months and the coach said he is not sure how he will feel when the team is on the field and he is not in the sidelines. He said while he will not miss what has become a 24/7 job there are aspects he will definitely miss. "I look forward to seeing the program continue and take even bigger strides than we took," he said. 

Having coached the team for so long Davies said there are plenty of highlights for him to look back on and no regrets to stop him from enjoying what the team accomplished. 

One of those highlights was the 2007 sectional title that the Rebels brought home for the first crown in school history. After some early success with the Rebels Davies said the team struggled before building back up to their championship form. Seeing the turnaround is something he is proud of being able to be a part of.

As he watched his son set Shore Conference records by sending the ball flying through the air Davies said he was also watching another point of success come true for the Rebels. "One thing I always wanted to have work well was the passing game," he said. "The first years we tried to do the things we did now but it was not very successful," he said with a laugh. After changing the offense the Rebels saw more success before returning to the air in the past few years.

There have also been other accomplishments Davies said he is proud of beyond the wins and losses on the field. "The accomplishments our kids were able to make have been very meaningful to me to see them become not only better players but also better people," he said. "I wanted to make sure it was a meaningful experience." 

Whether it was the regular starters or the players who saw only limited time on the varsity level Davies said he wanted all his players to take away good things from their time representing the Rebels.

Since deciding to leave Davies said he has met with the returning players to inform them of his decision. "I expressed to them how I felt and why I was doing what I was doing and that I was looking forward to seeing what they would do in the future," he said. 

Davies said speculation had been swirling recently about his departure at some point, which he believes eased some of the surprise about his decision. 

With the Rebels looking for their first new head coach in so many years the coach said he is not sure how that process will work but believes the team will have a qualified leader when training camp opens. "I think it will be an attractive position," he said. 

Athletic Director Peter Bruno said there will be a process to replace Coach Davies and also believes the Rebels will be in good hands for the 2012 season. “I have so much respect for Coach Davies I am sure we will have many fine people applying,” he said. 

As he walks away from the team he has known all these years Davies said he accomplished more than he could have imagined when he first took the job. "I came here 21 years ago thinking I'd be here three or four years and all these years later I'm still there," he said.