Fenton brings in Zeman to coordinate offense

Football seven-on-seven drills are a couple months off. Meanwhile, it's fun to speculate how Fenton's offense will look under an imminent partnership of strange bedfellows.

The Flyin' Bison?

Former Riverside-Brookfield coach Otto Zeman, whose Bulldogs hold 17 of the top 20 game passing yardage records as well as the top single-season mark on the Illinois High School Association records list, is a board approval away from becoming Fenton's new offensive coordinator.

Bison head coach Mark Kos said that's basically a formality.

“We're just following the chain of command,” said Kos, who will enter his second year as Fenton's head coach but has been with the program a decade.

The association between Kos and the colorful Zeman began in February, when Kos broached the subject of a sit-down to discuss the passing game “now that we're not adversaries,” Kos said.

Talks between him and Kos escalated. In late March Kos offered Zeman the coaching position. After some back and forth Zemon accepted the week of April 4. On Tuesday he met with Fenton's players.

Released as Riverside-Brookfield's athletic director and head varsity football coach after the 2009-10 academic year, it ended Zeman's 28-year reign as the Bulldogs' head varsity coach. The fall of 2010 was the first time in 41 years he'd not coached football.

“This is the first time I'll be working with a different group of guys and will be at a different school,” Zeman said. “But coaching's coaching, and I'm excited about it.”

Zeman went 162-116 with 13 playoff appearances at R-B, and is in the halls of fame of both the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association and the Illinois Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association. He also played a pivotal role in the current landscape of Illinois high school state playoff series while serving on the IHSFCA Advisory Committee.

“The private-school guys love me because I was the guy who proposed the (enrollment) multiplier,” Zeman said.

Kos must be praised for bringing in a former adversary with such an accomplished resume and lively personality to boot. Kos didn't want Fenton to simply coast after winning two straight Metro Suburban Conference football championships, including last season's title clinched by a 20-13 win at R-B that not only gained the Bison a playoff berth but eliminated the Bulldogs.

“I think teams looked at us and thought Fenton was very run-dominant. Not only will we still be able to run the ball hopefully with great success, but also we'll hopefully give defensive coordinators other things to think about. Hopefully we'll be able to pass the ball with great efficiency as well,” Kos said.

Naturally, Zeman was not about to disclose the offensive plans he jokingly called “top secret.” However, implementing a 1-back, 4-wide receiver set as long ago as 1982 may indicate his philosophy.

Asked if he has payback in store for Riverside-Brookfield, Zeman answered humorously with a sinister snicker.

“I wish them well, but my job now is to help Fenton get better and win,” Zeman said.

“I'm just really excited, really thankful for the opportunity,” said the Countryside resident. “I'm rejuvenated as much as I can be rejuvenated at my age, and I'm really looking forward to it.”

Belated congrats

This info may be a little ripe, but here's to the boys and girls basketball coaches named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association's district coaches of the year.

Locally, they include Kim Connell of Waubonsie Valley, Paul Ferguson of Wheaton Academy and both Gene Heidkamp and Peter Paul of Benet, the sole local school represented by both its boys and girls coaches.

Coach Jason Nichols of Class 3A girls state champion Montini and Scott Miller, coach of Glenbard East's third-place 4A boys team, were easy picks.

Other familiar names were East Aurora boys coach Wendell Jeffries and Geneva girls coach Gina Nolan, plus two former Montini boys coaches, Tom Sloan of Lyons Twp., and Tom McCloskey of Riverside-Brookfield.

They'll be honored along with IBCA 2011 Hall of Fame inductees on April 30 in Normal.

A usual suspect

One coach often found on that list of IBCA honorees is Neuqua Valley boys coach Todd Sutton. A release by basketball analyst Charlie Essig reveals the impact Sutton's Wildcats have made in their brief history.

In Essig's five-year averages of team basketball strength, based largely on success against strength of schedule, Neuqua Valley trails only Simeon, Marshall and Whitney Young among the 452 teams ranked.

Extending even to Essig's 17-year ranking report, which includes Neuqua's debut season of 1998-99, the Wildcats are No. 18. West Aurora (No. 4), Proviso East (No. 7) and St. Joseph (No. 14) are the nearest teams ahead of Neuqua Valley.

A Dee I recruit

By signing his letter of intent last Friday to play basketball at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., Immaculate Conception senior Demetrius Mobley became 11-year Knights coach Darren Howard's first Division I basketball player.

“I think it's a good choice for him,” Howard said.

The Knights' fifth all-time scorer and one of seven boys to have scored at least 1,000 points at IC, Mobley's schooling from Howard is perhaps a slight taste of what he'll see on and off the court at Army.

“He pushed me in every aspect of the game, and I really feel that's probably the reason why I'm prepared to take that next step,” said the 6-foot-3 guard, who will fill a shooting guard role for Army coach Zach Spiker.

Mobley, who also considered Northern Arizona and Fairfield, said he's not a big military man but is looking forward to the challenge and commitment. He'll leave July 17, mainly heading right into basketball without, he said, “doing military stuff.”

Mobley, a second-team Class 2A IBCA All-State pick who was great around the rim this season, aims to bring the lessons he learned under Howard — discipline, leadership, working within a team framework — to West Point.

“I'm going to go in there with an open mind and hope to do great things,” he said.

The week that was

Another Immaculate Conception coach, girls and boys track coach Bob Cronin, perfectly described the outdoor sporting scene this past week:

“When we arrived at Oswego East it was 41 degrees with rain blowing sideways.”

doberhelman@dailyherald.com