Warren Harding coach Thom McDaniels prowls the sidelines during the Division I championship game against Cincinnati Elder on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2002, at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio. A win would make McDaniels the first Division I coach to win state championships with two schools. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

For nearly three decades, Thom McDaniels was widely regarded as one of Ohio’s elite high school football coaches.

From 1982 to 1997 McDaniels guided the Canton McKinley High football program, where his teams compiled a 134-42 record. He led the Bulldogs to seven playoff appearances, including two trips to the Division I state title game. In 1997 McKinley won the Division I state championship. The ’97 Bulldogs (14-0) were also crowned National Champions by USA Today.

McDaniels then worked his magic in Warren. From 2000-2006 McDaniels led the Raiders to a 63-21 record, including five trips to the postseason. In 2002 WGH (14-1) advanced to the Division I state title game, losing to Cincinnati Elder 21-19.

McDaniels would go on to coach at Jackson for two years. He served as an assistant at Solon and Massillon, then returned to Canton in 2014 to guide the McKinley program for one year before heading into coaching retirement.

Today, McDaniels says he is “enjoying the grandfather life” with his eight grandchildren. Never one to sit idle, McDaniels spends nine months of the year mowing grass at a golf course near his Stark County residence.

Still, removing McDaniels from the game he loves would be impossible. That’s especially true given the fact that son Josh is the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders and son Ben serves as the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator of the Houston Texans.

“Me and my wife spend a lot of our time traveling,” said McDaniels. “It’s a double pleasure going to NFL games and seeing the grandkids.”

Yet even with his family ties to the NFL, high school football remains close to McDaniels’ heart.

In his own words, McDaniels reflects on his coaching days and shares his opinions on the current state of high school football.

COACHING IN WARREN AND CANTON: “I grew up in Orrville, but I fit in situations like Warren and Canton. I don’t know if I could explain it, and I don’t know if people would understand if I did try to explain it. I’m not a coaching genius, but I know that if you have kids that can run and who are fearless and physical, then discipline, order, and structure go a long way.

“Orrville is a small town but I grew up in a diverse school system. I was always comfortable in situations with black kids and black parents. I had great comfort being in urban settings as a teacher and football coach. Our records suggest that kids responded.”

GLORY YEARS IN CANTON: “I happened to be at the right place at the right time. I was at McKinley beginning as an assistant in 1980, and football mattered immensely during those twenty years. It mattered to the entire community and because of that, we had a great run.

“Those were the two most successful decades in McKinley history in terms of wins and in terms of success against Massillon. Everything came together because we were able to instill discipline and structure into the program. That’s where it all begins, and the kids, the school, and the community allowed that to happen.”

RETURNING TO McKINLEY IN 2014: “It was a mistake. What I discovered when I returned to Canton McKinley was that it wasn’t the McKinley that I left. The culture was unrecognizable to me. I didn’t have the stamina and energy to stay long enough to fix that so I was in and out in one year, which I’m not proud of. I was in and out in one year for my own benefit because if I stayed I would have been crazy or institutionalized.

“When I was in Canton from 1980 to 2000 football mattered immensely to the entire community. I didn’t expect it to be that different in 2014, but it was. It’s taking place in Warren right now if I’m not mistaken. I’m still connected to a lot of special people in Warren so I’m very aware of what’s going on there.

“Change is inevitable. We should expect it, but it’s hard. I was at two places that were awesome, wonderful, and remarkable in Canton and Warren and we sort of expect and hope that it’s the same.”

PLAYOFF EXPANSION: “I don’t think expanding to seven divisions or the sixteen-team format is good for the game. And limiting the number of Division I schools so that nearly every team gets in makes zero sense to me. It has diluted football and it has certainly diluted the playoffs. Way more than fifty percent of the first-round games were won by three or more touchdowns. You can’t tell me that’s good for the game.”

“The risk of injury in our game is greater than in any other sport. To have a sixteen (seed) play a one, you’re looking at a serious risk of injury. They play seventeen games in the NFL. Colleges don’t play sixteen games even with the playoffs. I’m one of those guys who really appreciated the significance of the offseason and we shared our players with winter and spring sports. But I don’t know how much commitment is taking place now compared to years gone by because of the expanded seasons.”

CHANGES IN THE GAME: “There weren’t personal trainers when I first came in, and I don’t even know if it was going on in the 2000s. Now we have them everywhere. The quarterback personal trainer is an industry. You and I can start a quarterback clinic and we wouldn’t have to be very good at it but we’d make a lot of money. All of that has taken away from the whole concept of team.

“You build chemistry in the weight room. We always had full participation in that in both McKinley and Harding. We had strength and conditioning classes during the day at both schools. And that’s where the true chemistry of a team is built.”

CHANGES IN THE QUARTERBACK GAME: “The game has changed immensely since I began coaching in 1972. Even from the late 90s and early 2000s, when we were in the gun some percentage of the time. It amazes me how few quarterbacks are now under center. I think there’s a shortage of great high school football quarterback coaches and a lot of coaches are playing athletes at quarterback because they don’t know how to coach, or they don’t want to coach typical quarterback skills.”

LOOKING BACK AT WARREN G HARDING: “My seven years in Warren were seven of the best years of my life. All I offered when I came was some organization, direction, discipline, and structure. When I coached against Harding I saw a lot of fearless kids who could run, and who had energy. I don’t take credit for that. So I just felt, as a guy who coached against them, if they just had some organization, direction, discipline, and structure, that would get results. And I was right.”

MEMORABLE WGH MOMENTS: “Obviously our run to the 2002 state title game was awesome. One of my most fulfilling years as a coach was 2006. We started out 2-2. We lost our starting quarterback and our backup, and we righted the ship and finished 9-4. In the playoffs, we beat top-ranked St. Ed’s at Browns Stadium, then lost to Mentor in the regional final. That was such a rewarding season. It wasn’t a state title team, but my goodness, I was so proud of that team.

“We always wanted to compete against the best. We sought out St. Ed’s and Mentor and we revived the Massillon rivalry. We didn’t want to wait until the third round of the playoffs to face these teams. We sought them out in order to improve our program.”

GREATEST PLAYER EVER COACHED: “Mario (Manningham) was the greatest receiver I ever coached. Maurice Clarett probably tops the list. I had Percy Snow at Canton, who was a remarkable player, but that was a different era. Jimmy Tressel got rich from some of our running backs. We had Adrian Brown and a few others that we sent to YSU. There’s a much longer list than those I named, but I think that list begins with the first three mentioned.”

BEING AWAY FROM THE GAME: “I miss coaching full-time, I miss the game. I’m full of desire but I’m older now than I was in 2014 and I have less energy and less stamina. It’s a young man’s game.

“All of us retired coaches, we’re always paying attention to what’s open. But in reality, I’m not coming back at this point. My involvement with my two sons who are in the NFL and with eight grandchildren keep me going. I’m spread thin. There isn’t a job out there that I’d consider.”