Huron introduces new football coach Craig Jobe at halftime of basketball game vs. Pioneer
Craig Jobe takes over at Huron after stints as defensive coordinator at Pioneer and Skyline.
Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com
The excitement was palpable at Huron High School's Riverdome on Friday as Craig Jobe was introduced as Huron’s new football coach during halftime of the Huron-Pioneer boys basketball game.
For Jobe, a teacher at Huron, the next step is to bring that excitement to the football field.
“Being in the building, I see these kids every day, I talk to them every day,” Jobe said. “It’s exciting to get to work with them and try to turn it around a little bit and bring some excitement for the school.”
Jobe has been the defensive coordinator at both Pioneer and Skyline since wrapping up his playing career at Wayne State as a defensive lineman in 2002.
He takes over a program with just one win over its last two seasons, including a winless 2012 that ended just about a badly as imaginable after a brawl broke out following a Week 8 loss to Pioneer. Huron played its final game with barely enough to play with low numbers exacerbated by player suspensions as a result of the fight.
That means the work will start next week in building toward the 2013 season.
And the first order of business, he said, will be to get his team in the weight room.
“We’re going to get in the weight room, try to get bigger, faster, stronger in order to compete with some of the SEC Red teams,” Jobe said. “We’re excited to get started. We’ve got a lot of potential we just need to get to work.”
Jobe is the second football coach hired in Ann Arbor this week, after Pioneer announced Jari Brown as its new coach Wednesday night. Both the Pioneer and Huron coaching jobs became available after Paul Test and Cory Gildersleeve both resigned in the months following brawl between the two teams.
Jobe said he plans to call the plays on the Huron defense and coach the team’s defensive line. But before he knows what sorts of schemes his team will run, he needs to fill out his staff.
Yet he is comfortable saying one thing at least.
“We’re going to be an exciting football team,” Jobe said.
Kyle Austin covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kyleaustin@annarbor.com.
Comments
TrustMeIknow
Sun, Feb 10, 2013 : 11:55 p.m.
huron messed up yet again. They should not have let Jari Brown slip away the same way they did Lee Arthur in 09. especially to an athletic program that is as dedicated to their football team as Pioneer is. huron football and Pioneer football are no longer rivals, they just don't like each other. There is no competition between them. The games will always be chippy. But the rivalry is long gone. We'll see if this guy even wants this job by the time Jari Brown is racking up the points when they meet this season.
microtini
Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 8:01 p.m.
Looks like Brady Jr. Gotta be a good sign.
Kyle Austin
Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 9:18 p.m.
Haha, didn't notice that before, but I can see it.
lefty48197
Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 3:45 p.m.
Did the River Rats lose the brawl too?
EyeHeartA2
Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 5:45 p.m.
Please clarify.....as in more or less of their kids are charged with felonies when compared to Pioneer? or did you mean something else?
Kyle Austin
Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 5:05 p.m.
In regards to the brawk, I can say that watching the Huron-Pioneer basketball game last night, there was a moment late in the game when things started to get chippy, and coaches and ADs deescalated things quickly. Both sides seem determined to not let anything like that happen again.
sweetdaddy1963
Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 3:20 p.m.
This is for Skyline, Pioneer, and Huron please keep your head Coach! Enough is enough as a fan of all three whom I want to suceed at the state level, these coaches must stay and build powerhouse's to much talent in A2 good luck to all three.
Jhugan1
Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 1:34 p.m.
Once again, Huron is afraid to give a African American the oppurtunity to be a coach.
Jhugan1
Wed, Feb 13, 2013 : 1:11 a.m.
I know that there were at least 2 African American coaches that applied. Andre Rison and the African American coach that was just hired at Pioneer. Obviously, they are both qualified. How about Lee Arthur who interviewed for the job before they hired the last coach they fired. Lee Arthur has a state championship to his resume. Please don't dismiss me as someone who does not have any credibility to what I'm saying.
EyeHeartA2
Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 4:03 p.m.
How many applied? Were they qualified? What were the qualifications of the job? How many interviewed? How did the interviews go? Please answer the questions above, since your comment as written is quite ignorant.
boo
Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 3:58 p.m.
Maybe you should have applied.
boo
Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 12:52 p.m.
Good news for Huron football!