Delaney takes over as head coach at Pottstown

POTTSTOWN >> How important is Pottstown football in Jeff Delaney’s life?

“The background picture on my computer — it’s a picture from that first night game,” he said, referring to the addition of lights at Grigg Memorial Stadium in 2017. The sun was going down, right over the trees, and Bishop Shanahan was kicking off to us. It was a dream come true. Perfect.”

Thursday night, the Pottstown School District made another of Delaney’s dreams come true, approving his appointment as the Trojans’ next head football coach.

Delaney will replace Mark Fischer, who led the Trojans to a District 1 Class 4A championship game appearance in his second – and ultimately final – season at the helm in 2018.

Since graduating from West Chester University in 1998, Delaney has worked in the Pottstown School District and coached in various positions, including three PAC schools (Pottstown, Boyertown, and the since-closed St. Pius X). Thursday’s announcement was the realization of a dream for the longtime assistant.

“Oh, yeah — this has been a goal of mine for a while,” said Delaney. “I can still remember my first game at Pottstown — Thanksgiving Day in 1998. I’d been hired as a PSSA tutor, but I was still coaching at Jenkintown.

“Jenkintown didn’t have a Thanksgiving game, so I came to see Pottstown play and I was just mesmerized by it.”

Delaney’s journey to his dream job began the following year when he led the middle school squad before moving up to work with the varsity offensive and defensive lines from 2000–2002 — a stretch that included an undefeated, PAC-10 championship campaign in 2002. Delaney would spend 2003 at St. Pius X before returning for another three years as Pottstown’s offensive coordinator from 2004–2006.

A five-year tenure at Boyertown as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach yielded record-setting offensive performances for the Bears before Delaney spent a year at Northampton High in 2014.

But he found his way back to Pottstown yet again in 2015 as a volunteer assistant before being appointed offensive coordinator in 2016.

As an assistant principal starting in 2018 and as Director of Career and Technical Education this school year—both considered administrator positions—Delaney was not allowed to pursue a head coaching position. Next year, he will return to the classroom, allowing him to pursue the football position.

“I know how to balance coaching, teaching, and family,” he confirmed. “This is something I’ve dreamed of doing, so I’m willing to make some changes.”

That was music to the ears of athletic director Matt Miller, who emphasized community and continuity in his coaching search, which began when Fischer stepped down on January 14.

“That was probably the largest deciding factor,” acknowledged Miller. “Consistency is the one thing we’ve lacked to an extent. To be able to combine Jeff’s football knowledge with his familiarity in the community was a great selling point for this position. He knows the kids, their families, and he knows what they need.”

“I want the community to be involved,” Delaney emphasized, “and everyone I’ve discussed adding to my staff is either an alum or has been here as long as I have. I want to bring this back into the community.”

Michael Santillo and Levert Hughes were confirmed as assistant coaches also at Thursday’s school board meeting.

Ideally, Delaney says a roster of at least 40 players is his goal, and he plans to accomplish this by communicating openly, honestly, and directly with parents to make sure everyone stays on the same page throughout his tenure—one both he and Miller hope will create a lasting legacy.

“As someone who’s been in this district for 21 years now, I don’t see Jeff going anywhere,” said Miller. “I think the longevity is something that can happen here, and if it does, I think Pottstown can emerge into one of the [stronger programs] in the area.”

Delaney says while defense was his first love, but over the years he developed an affinity for scheming on the offensive side of the ball, particularly as it relates to line play. Of course, he adds that it doesn’t really matter in his new role.

“I like both parts, but here I’m not going to do either one,” he explained. “I have an offensive and defensive coordinator, so I can be the head coach and work with our students. My job is to be with the students, and that’s what is most needed for our population.”

As far as an on-field identity for his team, Delaney hopes they’ll take on the personality of their leader — direct and aggressive.

“I strongly believe in being multiple in formation, but simple in concept,” he said. “I think anyone will tell you I have an aggressive personality, and that’s how I want to be as a football team. We’ll play smart, we’ll play disciplined—but I think when you approach things with aggression, the players buy in more easily.”