Grove City Football Q&A: Longtime coach Greg Waits leaps into new role leading Dawgs
A 1980 graduate of Grove City, Greg Waits is looking forward to his latest coaching challenge at his alma mater.
Waits was named football coach in January. He replaced Matt Shaul, who stepped down after two seasons.
“I’ve loved every second of this,” Waits said. “I am 100 percent Grove City. Our kids and coaches have done an amazing job so far this winter and spring with our team workouts and everything we’ve been doing. It’s just been a pleasure. It’s been awesome.”
Waits had served as an assistant in the program since 1999 and had previously applied for the head-coaching position before eventually withdrawing from consideration.
The Dawgs are seeking their first winning season since 2013, when they finished 6-4.
Waits previously led the boys basketball program for 15 years, stepping down after the 2017-18 season to serve as athletics supervisor, a position he since has left. He compiled a record of 208-136 overall and 99-83 in the OCC with five league titles.
Waits also is an assistant on baseball coach Ryan Alexander’s staff.
Under Shaul, the Dawgs went 5-15 overall and 3-7 in the OCC-Ohio Division.
Waits played baseball at Valdosta State in Georgia, helping the Blazers reach the Division II College World Series during his junior season in 1983.
With Grove City’s summer program nearing, Waits sat down with ThisWeek to discuss what it means to guide his alma mater’s football program and the improvement he is expecting.
Question: What can you accomplish with the program during the offseason?
Answer: For the next couple of months, we’ll continue talking to our kids about our system. We just want to continue getting stronger and getting in great shape because what we’re going to do offensively and defensively, we’re going to have to be in great shape. Our kids are doing an amazing job of doing that and buying into that right now knowing that everything we’re doing right now is preparing them for our season. We’ll have 7 on 7s in July.
Q: What is one major theme you have stressed in the offseason?
A: Our big thing right now to our kids is if you want to be great on Friday nights, you have to be great in the weight room, you have to be great in practice, and so far, we’ve been great in the weight room and when we go out to the field and do some conditioning, we’ve been great on the field. Our kids are buying in. We have an outstanding group of kids and we can’t wait to get really rolling in June and July.
Q: What does it mean to be able to lead the football program at your alma mater?
A: It’s amazing. I’m so excited about everything that we’re going to try to do. I’ve been a Grove City guy forever. I’ve looked at some other positions in other school districts and I just can’t get myself to leave Grove City and South-Western (City Schools). I love it 100 percent.
Q: What makes this the right time for you to take over the program?
A: I applied for it a couple of other times and I withdrew my name both times because I knew down deep inside that it wasn’t the right time for me to get this job. I was always hoping and praying it was going to come around again and it just so happened it was perfect timing this past winter.
Q: What does your coaching staff look like?
A: We have a coaching staff from varsity, j.v. and freshmen and it’s an outstanding group. The kids love them. They’re a hard-working group of coaches. They are all in with what we’re trying to do with the kids. Our coaches are great and I love every single one of them. Jay Howard has been our offensive line coach for the last several years and he is also our weight room and conditioning guy. He will also be our running game coordinator. Dylan Schoonover played running back for Grove City and is in the weight room with Jay getting our kids going conditioning-wise, skill-wise, agility-wise. He was a great hire for us. He’s going to coach our running backs.
Joey Fields (defensive linemen) and his dad, Joe Fields (outside linebackers), are coaching with us. Justin Rohm is back as the defensive backs coach. Chris Farbizo, who coached at Grove City several years ago, has been the defensive coordinator at Columbus Academy. He is back as our defensive coordinator. Eric Benjamin played linebacker and running back for us and is coaching our inside linebackers. We love him. The kids really love him. Hunter Joseph is our receivers coach and passing game coordinator. Jimmy Allmon coached with me in basketball and will coach the quarterbacks and receivers. Tyler Kent, who coaches baseball, is our social media analyst. Mark Mayers is our director of football operations.
Q: After struggling the past few seasons, are you optimistic you can lead a turnaround for the program?
A: We have all the ingredients right now to win immediately, and if we don’t win immediately, I’m going to be really disappointed in myself and our coaches. We have some extremely athletic kids and we have a lot of college coaches ramping up and talking about our kids already. We’re excited about their prospects. We have a great nucleus of kids that are going to get it done for us.
Q: How has the transition been since you took over the program?
A: I’ve been coaching football over here for more than 30 years and just getting to be the head coach now is an awesome feeling. The transition has obviously been very smooth because I’ve been around forever. ... We have a great group of people. Our Gridiron Club, our athletics director (Kris Sander), our school, our community, all the pieces are here. We just have to connect everything and get it done and that’s what we’re going to do.
Q: What are your thoughts on the Grove City sports community?
A: The Grove City people are going to be here whether you win or lose. It’s a great sports community and they’re going to be out here. If you win, you’re going to get some of the people that don’t really come to the games and they’re going to start showing up and say what is going on over there. We have to win. We’re going to put a product on the field this year that the Grove City community and all of us involved in the program are going to be extremely proud of.
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Grove City Football Q&A: Waits leaps into new role leading Dawgs
