Trinity Prep has made some major moves in the coaching department in the past few years, including the additions of David Davis for basketball and Derek Wolfe for baseball, but the latest augmentation to the staff may have put the icing on the proverbial cake.
Mike Kruczek is the newest member of the Trinity Prep family, as he will head the school’s football program.
But who is coach Kruczek? Many football enthusiasts may have already heard of him and his numerous accomplishments and accolades.
Going over the entire resume of new football coach Mike Kruczek would literally take up the entire page, so here is a brief summary: He started his football legacy as an All-American quarterback at Boston College in 1975.
Wait, this story is just beginning.
After his collegiate career, the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, would later select him in the second round of the 1976 NFL draft. His first role with the team was to backup legendary quarterback Terry Bradshaw, which helped acclimate him to the professional stage.
His rookie year turned out to be a difficult challenge, as his mentor was faced with an injury, leaving Kruczek as the starter. He thrived in the role, though, leading his squad to six straight victories en route to the AFC title game.
Kruczek went on to win two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers, concluding his NFL career in 1980 with a brief stint with the Washington Redskins.
That’s right, Trinity Prep’s new football coach owns some flashy bling.
His coaching career started in 1982, when he became a quarterbacks coach under Bobby Bowden at Florida State. Bowden is certainly not a bad man to have show you the ropes.
Kruczek spent one year in a similar capacity with the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL, becoming the offensive coordinator at the University of Central Florida shortly thereafter.
UCF’s offense was thriving with Kruczek at the helm, leading to a promotion to head coach of the football team. With future NFL quarterback Daunte Culpepper as his star, Kruczek led the Knights to some of their biggest achievements in program history.
Kruczek later became the quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. He would rise up the coaching ranks for the franchise, culminating in his stint as the offensive coordinator for the organization.
That’s quite the journey, but why would coach Kruczek decide to come to Trinity Prep after such a successful career as a player and coach?
Well, Coach Kruzcek addressed this question during a meeting with his future players on January **. “Having the chance to mold young people is now where I’m at in my life,” said Kruczek. “I’ve coached from Pop Warner to Kurt Warner and everybody in between. Anybody you have seen on T.V., I have an association with in coaching. I know a little bit about the game of football, I know a lot about life and I think that is the aspect that I want to bring to this program.”
Kruzcek would also go on to talk about his past experience with the Trinity Prep football program. “27 years I have lived within two and a half miles of this school, and I have seen this place grow tremendously in a lot of areas.” said Kruzcek. “I had a great chance to be (coach) here in 2008, which was a tremendous experience. I have to say it was probably the most enjoyable time coaching; it was also the least stressful time.”
He would go on to compliment Trinity’s staff, saying “the leadership of the school” was one of the major reasons he was drawn to Trinity Prep. Additionally, Kruzcek said he was impressed with the “phenomenal character” of the students who attend this school and can’t wait to start molding their futures.
In regards to football, one main key point was stressed during his speech: competition. Addressing the team, coach Kruzcek told his new players that “he was going to teach (them) about the game and going to show (them) what it takes to help you achieve what (they) want to achieve in (their) athletic career. It’s all about competition.”
Also, he told the team that weak excuses would not be tolerated and that the coaches would stress “all hands on deck. One guy goes down, next guys comes up. Nobody wants to hear excuses. I don’t care if the star quarterback goes down, the next guys must come up and make plays.”
Obviously, Trinity Prep has seen a fair amount of football injuries the past few years, especially in regards to the quarterback. Two years ago J.J. Wartski was knocked out of the season, and just last season Eliot Shapleigh was forced to the sidelines with a broken arm.
Kruzcek was also alluding to his own career, as he was the quarterback who replaced the star, Terry Bradshaw, and made some plays in Pittsburgh.
To increase the competition, Kruzcek wants his players to become “spokesmen for the team” and help attract more players to the gridiron. He said that new players will not be disappointed with what they find at Trinity Prep.
“It’s going to be special”, said Kruzcek. “Competition makes you better. I look forward to great things as we move along: winning championships.”
“Having the chance to mold young people is now where I’m at in my life,” said Kruczek. “I’ve coached from Pop Warner to Kurt Warner and everybody in between. Anybody you have seen on T.V., I have an association with in coaching. I know a little bit about the game of football, and I know a lot about life, and I think that is the aspect that I want to bring to this program.”
Kruzcek discussed his past experience with the Trinity Prep football program. “27 years I have lived within two and a half miles of this school, and I have seen this place grow tremendously in a lot of areas.” said Kruzcek. “I had a great chance to be [coach] here in 2008, which was a tremendous experience. I have to say it was probably [my] most enjoyable time coaching; it was also the least stressful time.”
He complimented Trinity’s staff, saying “the leadership of the school” was one of the major reasons he was drawn to Trinity Prep.
Additionally, Kruzcek said he was impressed with the “phenomenal character” of the students who attend this school and that he can’t wait to start molding their futures.
In regards to football, one key point was stressed during his speech: competition. Addressing the team, coach Kruzcek told his new players that “he was going to teach [them] about the game and going to show [them] what it takes to help you achieve what [they] want to achieve in [their] athletic career. It’s all about competition.” Also, he told the team that weak excuses would not be tolerated and that the coaches would stress “all hands on deck. One guy goes down, next guys comes up. Nobody wants to hear excuses. I don’t care if the star quarterback goes down, the next guy must come up and make plays.”
Trinity Prep has seen a fair amount of football injuries the past few years, especially in regards to the quarterback position.
Two years ago J.J. Wartski was knocked out for the season, and just last season Eliot Shapleigh was forced to the sidelines with a broken arm.
Kruzcek was also alluding to his own career, as he was the quarterback who replaced the star, Terry Bradshaw, and made some plays in Pittsburgh.
To increase the competition, Kruzcek wants his players to become “spokesmen for the team” and help attract more players to the gridiron. He said that new players will not be disappointed with what they find at Trinity Prep.
“It’s going to be special”, said Kruzcek. “Competition makes you better. I look forward to great things as we move along: winning championships.”
