Rambler 'would love' coaches to return; Poggiali still unsure

SANDUSKY — Lucas Poggiali spent Wednesday night at the grass football field next to Strobel Field with Sandusky's players for a workout. "For them, it was business as usual," Poggiali said Thursday afternoon. "It was great. Our kids just want to play football." Poggiali isn't yet sure whether he'll return for his third season as Sandusky's head coach, and he hasn't set an official timeline for himself. "Just trying to figure out what's ultimately gonna be the best thing for me and my family moving forward," he said. "... I know there are other people affected by this. I want to make sure I do right by everybody involved. That's just how I'm wired." If Poggiali and Jamaris Brown want to return to the Sandusky football sideline, the Blue Streaks administration wants to have them. "I personally would love for both Lucas and JB to be in the roles they were in last year," superintendent Dan Rambler said Thursday during an interview with the Register. The statuses of Poggiali and his associate head coach and defensive coordinator, Brown, have been in limbo for most of the week. Poggiali was set to be promoted to athletic director, to replace the retiring Shawn Coakley. Brown was slated to be the new head football coach. But after community pushback, Poggiali and Brown pulled their names from consideration Monday night, less than 12 hours before Rambler was to recommend them to the school board. Rambler said he has interacted briefly with both men in the days since, but is waiting to formally "touch base" with them until next week. "I feel it's important to give them some time with themselves and their families to see where things are," Rambler said. As far as football timing goes, it isn't ideal for the Blue Streaks. They were supposed to open June camp Tuesday night, but that was postponed. "We need to get a head coach in place," Rambler said. "We need to get potentially an assistant head coach, defensive coordinator in place. And we need to get an AD in place. I also think it's really important to ensure that we have the right process to do it. Which is why we're trying to take some time and try to redo (the process) first. But yes, we need to move things quickly. We need to get those people in place, too." Poggiali joined his players for the Wednesday workout, allowing a sense of normalcy for everyone. "I told them last night the same thing that I've told some of them in individual circumstances: When you walk through our gates to go practice, it's really your escape to go play football and enjoy it," Poggiaili said. "It was great. It was fun." The Blue Streaks went 3-7 in Poggiali's first season in charge before improving to 6-4 in the regular season last fall, qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time since 2019. The Streaks nearly upset Medina Buckeye before a field goal with three seconds left ended Sandusky's season in a 31-29 loss. There's been an outpouring of support for Poggiali and Brown this week. Poggiali's wife, Tatum, shared an emotional message on Facebook that included this: "As his wife, I can tell you that Lucas carries the weight of all of his kids' problems because they are all so near and dear to his heart. That's just who he is. He knows no other way. To those of you that have reached out to show our family love and support, thank you so much. It means more than you know, and we are forever grateful." Damyion Smith, Poggiali's high school teammate, wrote on Facebook: "I'll say this, Lucas Poggiali is a stand-up individual. Stood on business, came back to push this community in a positive direction like he said he would when we were 15 years old." According to OHSAA rules, teams are allowed 13 coaching days between May 15 and July 31. Official fall sports practices begin August 1. Sandusky's first scrimmage will be home on August 9 against Clearview. The Blue Streaks play their "preview" scrimmage the next Friday night at Bellevue. The Blue Streaks' season opener will be Friday, Aug. 23 against Oregon Clay at Strobel Field. Rambler hopes Poggiali and Brown will be around for all of that. "They are phenomenal individuals," Rambler said. "Having spent time interviewing both of them, they are incredible people. They have the right passion for what they're doing. Their goals are correct. They have our kids' best interests in mind. They work tirelessly to impact our kids. "I know they do that through coaching, but they do it through all that they do in our district and in our community. I think if the two of them were to return, we're a stronger district because of that. We're a stronger community because of that."