With NFL (and XFL) coaching experience, Martha's Vineyard in good hands with Tony Mottola

Tony Mottola has coached every level of football.

But there’s just something special about high school football.

“To be honest with you it’s just the rawness of it,” said Mottola, who just began his first year as Martha’s Vineyard’s football coach. “You’re teaching them everything from A-Z about the game of football. A lot of these kids, not only here but other places I’ve coached, it’s their first year playing or it could be their third year playing, whatever it is, but it’s still pretty new to them. I really like that excitement of teaching them something that I’m really passionate about.”

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Mottola brings professional coaching experience to the sidelines. In the 1990s, he coached with the then Los Angeles Raiders (he was there when they moved to Oakland in 1994). NFL Hall of Fame receiver Tim Brown was on the team, along with the likes of  Greg Biekert (he recovered Tom Brady’s ‘incomplete pass’ in the Tuck Rule game), James Jett (an olympic sprinter who scored 30 touchdowns in his NFL career), Willie Gault (a Super Bowl champion on the 1986 Chicago Bears) and quarterback Jeff Hostetler (a two-time Super Bowl champion).

“A lot of those names are probably names people don’t even recognize anymore,” joked Mottola. “I was very fortunate to be able to get to be a part of that.”

Ready to restore MV's 'storied football tradition'

He also a stint in the first version of the XFL with New York/New Jersey Hitmen in 2001. He's coached at the collegiate, prep and high school level. For the last 13 years, he was the head coach at Demarest in New Jersey.

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“The resume from where I’ve been, what I’ve done and the success I’ve had, I think it gives you instant credibility with the kids,” said Mottola.

So how did Mottola end up on the island? He grew up on the coast of Maine and living on the water was a major draw. So was the potential to restore Martha’s Vineyard’s storied football tradition. Yes, the Vineyarders have only finished above .500 once since 2016, but the program isn’t that far removed from its glory days. Martha’s Vineyard went to eight Eastern Mass. finals from 1991-2008.

“It’s a unique place, you take a ferry to it,” said Mottola. “It’s a unique island. I know it has a rich tradition of football and I grew up on the coast of Maine so the ocean and water have always been a huge draw for me.

'Fell in love' with island and the people

“Once this became available, it was really a no-brainer to apply for it. I didn’t really know much about the island or Martha’s Vineyard but I came over and visited and just fell in love with the island, the people I met on the island. We’re really excited to put the pieces together and get the program back on track and make it exciting for the island again.”

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Mottola takes over a Martha’s Vineyard team  coming off of two consecutive losing seasons. That record is a little deceptive, as four of those 10 losses have come by one score, including two overtime losses last season.

Although Mottola arrived on the island just before the preseason began, he’s happy with how things are going. The team has around 50 players suiting up.

“I think that they’re excited, not only for the season but they seem  excited daily for what we’re doing in practices,” said Mottola. “They’re open to new ideas. It’s tough when you come into a new program and they’ve done things a certain way for so long and you’re bringing new ideas, new approaches and new practice styles. A lot of people resist change, but they have welcomed it with open minds.”

Look for the Vineyarders to go fast this year. Mottola said his practices have a college-like atmosphere. The players are moving quickly between drills while listening to music. Martha’s Vineyard will play in a spread offense this season.

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Mottola declined to highlight any individual players as he continues to get up to speed, but he’s been happy with the team effort so far.

“We just like to have fun,” said Mottola. “We’re really in the market of making this fun in all aspects.”

The Vineyarders will be less focused on wins and losses this season, instead of focusing on doing things the right way with a new coach.

“We’re more focused on the process than the outcome at this point,” said Mottola. “We just need to continue to get better daily.”

Zeke Vought, Caleb Nicholson, Jared Meader and Elijah LaRue make up the rest of Mottola’s coaching staff, although he’s hoping to add two or three more coaches.

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Mottola’s son, Jack, plays on the University of Albany football. The Great Danes have a tall task in the season opener as the FCS program starts on Saturday at Baylor, which is No. 10 in the USA Today Coaches Poll at the FBS level.

“It’s consistency, it’s building relationships with the kids knowing that it’s a trust factor,” said Mottola. “It’s a leap of faith for them to take the field and believe what I’m teaching to them and saying to them. The kids have really, really welcomed me with open arms, but really open minds. We do things a little differently and the kids have really embraced it.”

Martha’s Vineyard high school football fall 2022 schedule

Week 1: Sept. 10 at Sutton, 2

Week 2: Sept. 17 at Salem, 1

Week 3: Sept. 23 vs. Monomoy, 6

Week 4: Sept. 30 at Sandwich, 6

Week: 5 Oct. 7 vs. Nauset, 6

Week. 6: Oct. 14 at Falmouth, 6

Week 7: Oct. 21 vs. Dennis-Yarmouth, 6

Week 8: Oct. 29 vs. Nantucket, 2:15

Nov. 19 vs. David Prouty, 1

Key matchups

The Island Cup on Oct 29 against Nantucket is always the biggest game on the Vineyarders schedule.

Martha's Vineyard will try to avenge an 8-6 overtime loss to Salem in Week 2. The Vineyarders lone home game of the opening month is against local rival Monomoy.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Tony Mottola is the new football coach at Martha's Vineyard