As the second half of two-a-days at McGann-Mercy High School took its course Wednesday, many parents lined up along the fence of the baseball field and watched the newly appointed coach at work. Some were there because they drive out from areas like Bellport and it doesn’t make sense taking two trips but others stayed to make sure that the investment made by the school and athletic director Paul Mastronardi was one worth making.
Mike Buck replaces a town favorite in Jeff Doroski as head coach and it undeniably brings its fair share of pressure to build a program to heights it hasn’t really been before. Buck has the experience and pedigree to put together a winning team but will it happen?
“We never know,” Buck said. “We’re just going to have to see.”
His resume speaks for itself. If anyone is qualified to build a program it’s Buck. He’s played in the NFL, he’s coached in the Arena Football league, he’s coached high school. Before he landed at the front doorstep of Mercy this June, he was the coach at Calhoun High School in Merrick.
So why Mercy? Why Mercy at this point in his career?
“I thought it was a really good opportunity to start a program,” Buck said. “Paul, the AD, was a really good salesman. His vision in where he’d like to take the school with the athletic program is something that I’d love to be a part of for a very long time. It was an easy move, really.”
Mercy is coming off of a 1-7 season, gaining the one victory by way of forfeit at the end of the season so he knows he has his hands full. But it’s a challenge worth taking in his eyes; though it’s worth noting Mercy made the Division IV semifinals just two years ago with Doroski at the helm.
Asked whether he feels pressure filling the shoes of such a well-liked coach that parents battled to keep, he responded, “sure, there’s always pressure whenever you start a new job. But when you do what you do you best, and you know I’ve been doing this a long time, and you enter it with a positive attitude and the kids see that, it’s infectious and hopefully it spreads from the kids, to the parents and through the school.”
In addition to his experience, Buck believes he has two strengths suited for this exact job.
“I’m very flexible when it comes to running an offense and defense,” Buck said. “Different years you’ll have different kids and I’m able to adapt based on the type of kids I have. It’s nice to build one core system and stick to it but without PAL leagues to keep these kids together from youth, you really need to adapt each year as a coach. I’m multiple in how I think scheme-wise. We can run anything from three tight ends to an empty backfield. I also pride myself in evaluating talent and putting people in the right spots to succeed.”
That’s exactly what he’ll be doing once he’s able to see what his players are able to do in some live scrimmages against other teams. He’s limited in the amount of kids available because of the enrollment of the school. He figures about 25 juniors and seniors will suit up for him this year and he doesn’t count out bringing up younger kids if they’re able to compete at a high level.
What he’s seen thus far in practice is a group of kids that are not only athletic but eager to learn. Terminology is one thing Buck has continually tried to emphasize in practice so that he can get his team all on the same page.
It might be a year of learning for McGann-Mercy. But at least they’re learning from one of the best.
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