Kyle Parmley
Will Mara was introduced as the new head football coach at John Carroll Catholic High School on Friday, May 15, 2020. Mara graduated from John Carroll in 2011 and has worked with the football program ever since. Photo by Kyle Parmley
BIRMINGHAM -- John Carroll Catholic High School has selected one of its own to be the next head football coach.
Will Mara, a 2011 graduate of John Carroll, was named the Cavaliers’ head coach in an announcement on Friday afternoon. A small gathering was held in the school’s auditorium, with a number of players showing up to hear the first words from Mara as their leader.
“I do not take this opportunity lightly,” Mara told the players. “I am ready for the challenge ahead of us.”
Mara played baseball and football at John Carroll and has been a part of the football program’s coaching staff since the day he graduated, even while he attended UAB.
“I’m pumped. This has been a dream of mine since I was in high school. I’ve been a part of it for 15 years, going to back to playing middle school football,” he said. “I’ve seen the ups and down and I’m excited to get to work.”
For three years following high school, Mara coached on the middle school football staff and helped with the varsity program on Friday nights. He rose to become the varsity wide receivers coach after that and has been the head middle school coach for the last four years, while still helping with the varsity.
Mara takes over for Logan Colafrancesco, who coached the team for the last four years. The Cavs have not reached the postseason since 2009, when Mara was still a student. He hopes to end that streak soon. It won’t be easy in Class 5A, Region 5, which features the likes of Cordova, Fairfield, Parker, Pleasant Grove, Ramsay, Wenonah and Carver-Birmingham.
“We don’t want this to be a three-year building process,” he said. “We want to find a way to be successful right now.”
Mara said he will build the Cavaliers’ program on three big picture pillars: discipline, adaptability and commitment. As for this fall, the team’s goals will be to learn the game, compete and have fun doing it.
He believes the school is in a position to compete, and his wealth of experience around the school and program will help. As a private school, John Carroll competes in athletics with schools typically much larger in enrollment size.
“I’ve learned that John Carroll is a different place,” he said. “We have to get creative. If we’re able to take care of the little things on and off the field and make sure that we’re disciplined and ready to work, we can turn that into success on Friday nights.”
As far as on-field philosophies, Mara has some ideas. But ultimately, he aims to take advantage of his team’s strengths foremost.
“I do have a playbook, but I’m not going to come in and say we’re going to be a certain style,” he said. “We’re going to adapt to the athletes that we have. It’s a big puzzle and a chess game.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting every facet of life, Mara takes over as head coach unsure when he will be able to conduct his first physical team meeting. Fortunately, the players in the program are already familiar with him and he has been communicating with many of them digitally.
Whenever that first Friday night game rolls around, Mara is unsure of the emotions he will feel. But he’s been anticipating the moment for a long time.
“I don’t know what it’s going to be like to lead that group of young men out onto that field,” he said. “It’s definitely going to be a different feeling and a different viewpoint. I’m really excited about that.”
