New coach; new hopes
Chase Johnson
With more than 30 years experience in coaching, head coach Carl Hargrave of the MCC Thunderbirds Football team has his sights set high and his expectations solid.”I have been blessed to be around a lot of great head coaches,” Hargrave said.
“I was with Dennis Green in college games as well as the National Football League. I’ve been coaching with Dennis for 16 years.”
With his past in the NFL coaching with the Minnesota Vikings and our very own Cardinals, Hargrave also has a lot of experience in college ball as well.
He coached with Jack Bardee at the University of Huston and with Hayden Frye at the University of Iowa along with many others.
However, Hargrave is not the only coach with previous NFL experience.
Six out of the 11 football coaches have spent time playing nationally.
Learning from his experience he said, “I was around some very organized coaches.”
Hargrave understands that coming from the NFL to a college setting and that organization is a key factor to gaining success.
He is very excited about this season and the new team assembled.
“We did a really good job recruiting this year and the team is coming together the way I like it,” Hargrave said.
He also realizes that MCC is waiting for an excellent product on the field and he believes that they will bring that to front.
He has set some high goals for this relatively young team and said that the Thunderbirds are looking to win the conference and be in a position to possibly win the national championship.
However, Hargrave knows that with Snow College being a major competitor and now Phoenix College coming strong on the scene; not to mention Scottsdale and Glendale, this conference will be tough.
With several promising players such as quarterback Taylor Perkins, tight end Beau Gardner, and receiver Johnny Gordon, Hargrave feels confident.
“They may not be big name guys but they are playing well together,” Hargrave said.
The season looks bright and with hopes of reclaiming the Valley of the Sun Bowl from two years ago the team is ready.
In Coach Hargrave’s words, “We believe in faith, family, and football.
