Ryan Nail accepted a job as the new PE teacher at C-G-D, and the head coaching position came with it. That was just fine with the former Cowboy athlete, as he brought plenty of experience with him. “I have been a baseball and softball coach for the past 15 years, so that was an additional bonus,” said Nail. He played for the Cowboys from 2002-06. Also back home in Clarion is his wife Jess (Rohrer), herself a former Cowgirl athlete. The couple has two children. They return after spending several years in Grundy Center.
He immediately has been impressed with the hardworking attitude of his players and their willingness to put in the work. “That is definitely our strength,” said Nail. “Not everything has looked normal as I traveled back to Clarion on weekends. Some of the kids are putting in seven days a week worth of work, and that is sometimes unheard of. It shows they want to build this program with that hard work and good attitudes, and that allows the coaching staff to develop the talent.”
He sees a weakness as being the unnatural schedule they have had so far. “I have great assistants and so everything during the week has to be communicated through them,” said the head coach who has since gotten the family fully moved in. “That will turn into a strength when I can communicate, see the players more often and open up our season schedule. This opportunity would not be possible with out the hard work and dedication from my assistants.”
Those assistants include Matt Odland, Bryce Tegtmeyer and Knute Severson, all former Cowboy athletes in their own right. “Matt will be my main assistant, and has had to be the head coach at different times,” he said. “He’s done an incredible job filling in when I can’t be there, and that’s why I knew it was important to get him on my staff. He has as much pride in this program as I do, and has a motor that is non-stop especially when it comes to baseball. Bryce is the middle school/assistant varsity coach and has been rolling along since day one. He brings a ton of baseball knowledge and experience with him, and will be a person that pushes his players and assistants to the max. Knute will be helping us out on a volunteer level. I have only been around him a few times, but he is someone that brings a bunch of experience and a great working attitude to the staff. It’s rare to see him without a smile on his face, and he’s one of the first ones to jump in and play catch if needed. He creates learning opportunities for everyone around him. It’s rare to have not only four experienced coaches but all four that have been through this program. It goes without saying that the expectation is to turn this program around, and having hometown alumni taking the reigns is as good a start as we can ask for!”
He feels the key to the season will be learning from both wins and losses. “We must learn from both successes and let downs,” said Nail. “We know we are going to experience both, and we need to stay grounded when we find success and find learning opportunities wherever we can. Our only wins can’t come on the scoreboard. We need to win every night in every aspect of the game and especially the ones that take no talent to control.”
He feels that explains some of his philosophy about coaching, adding “I really try to just focus on the things we can control.” He wants his student-athletes to look and act like a team in all aspects. “We will respect our fans and our community, and thank them for their involvement,” said Nail. “We will work hard and hustle wherever we go. As far as games go, we will take them one out at a time on defense while doing what is needed offensively. We need guys that can find the gap, move the runner or put a bunt down at any given time to give us the best opportunity to be successful. We will continue to do the right things and control our attitude, effort and perspective as those are the things that only we can control day in and day out.”
