How Carmel football banded together for a final four run after longtime coach stepped down

When Tom Donahoe first came to Carmel at the start of summer camp, he had some expectations as a volunteer assistant coach, but certainly didn't expect to be in the position he's in today.

"Just be around football and see how another successful program handles their business," Donahoe said of his initial goals. "I actually tried to have very few expectations. ... I said to my wife, I'm going to carry out the ball bag to practice and slowly work my way into different things and just be around coaches and kids that want to play football."

He came ready to learn and work with one of Section 1 football's all-time coaching greats in Todd Cayea, but ended up getting a lot more than he initially bargained for due to unforeseen circumstances.

Shortly after the Rams' season-opening win over White Plains, Cayea stepped down from coaching after more than three decades at Carmel due to health reasons. Donahoe was named head coach moving forward.

The coaching transition came during one of the biggest weeks of the regular season, and amid the emotional and mental struggle, the Rams suffered a lopsided loss to rival Arlington. The Admirals dominated on both sides of the ball and nearly ran them off the field.

Since then, Carmel has regrouped and won every game. The Rams got postseason revenge over the Admirals to capture their third-straight Section 1 Class AA title. This past Saturday, they defeated Section 2's Shenendehowa to win a regional title and secure their spot in the state final four.

Donahoe defers the credit to his predecessor, his players, and his fellow coaches. While he may have the title of head coach, he notes that it's been a collaborative effort throughout the season, with all seven staff members playing an equal part and players providing input.

"Todd did have to step down but he's here not just in spirit, I think this is also a testament to him," Donahoe said after their state regional final victory. "The culture he established continues even when he's not on the sideline, so he has a lot to do with where are are now. It's what he's done over the last three decades.

"First and foremost, every coach and I – and I knew a few of them before I came over – really cares about the kids, and from that foundation, we've all decided to do what's best for the kids in the program and therefore, the collaborative part just kind of took care of itself."

A coaching all-star team

So, how do you replace a community fixture like Cayea? Despite the Rams' continued success, they'll be the first to tell you that you can't.

"There was a joke amongst the staff that we would ask Todd about the playbook or where something is written down, and he'd smile and say, 'it's all in the hard drive,' and point to his head," said Carmel offensive and defensive line coach Jim Donahoe. "When Todd stepped down, the hard drive walked out the door, all the reference material and stuff. ... Everything we've done was to try to honor what he's established over three decades and put a product on the field that would be representative of the program he built."

A master of building relationships and developing players in practice, Cayea called both the offensive and defensive plays on game days for the last 26 years.

"It's a hard thing to do, but it was amazing to watch him flip the switch from offense to defense and be right on top of it," Jim Donahoe said. "Honestly, just from calling the defense, it's exhausting, so I don't know how he was able to do it for nearly 30 years, but hat's off to him."

Just as it's been a team-wide effort inside the lines, it's been a collaborative approach on the sideline.

"There's just a wealth of experience that comes on the staff," Carmel offensive coordinator Brendan Connolly said. "Three coaches have been head coaches before. There's probably, I haven't bothered to count, but there's got to be almost a combined 200 years of coaching experience on the team. That's a tremendous asset."

Cayea delegated roles one last time before stepping away as a coach and turning into a game-day regular as a fan. His staff members grieved his sudden need to step away, just as the players did. They needed a couple weeks to fully find a rhythm.

They'll be the first to say official titles are only in name. Tom Donahoe was named head coach after Cayea's departure. He was previously a head coach at Mahopac for 12 years, before stepping down and spending the last six seasons as the freshman-level coach before returning to varsity and coming to Carmel.

Offensive playcalling duties have been transferred to Connolly, who is also in his first season at Carmel after previously coaching at Edgemont and Riverdale Country Day. He also works with the Rams' secondary.

Jim Donahoe and Patsy Costabile work together to break down opponents' offenses and make defensive play calls. Costabile also coaches running backs and linebackers.

"We're fortunate that there's no egos with our coaches," Connolly said. "It's whatever you say, let's roll with it. Not 'Oh, I'm the offensive coordinator, we're running it this way.' If somebody sees something they think is gonna work, let's do it. Same thing goes on defense, if we tell Jim something that we see, we'll roll with it.

"Everybody's been extremely selfless and collaborative, couldn't have asked for a better experience. It's unparalleled to anything I've been a part of."

Jeff Hughes works with the line, as well as the field-goal and extra-point teams. He also assists in scouting and breaking down opposing offenses and defenses.

Jorma Tompuri runs scout teams, a position that is taken very seriously at Carmel. Tommy Woodburn rounds out the experienced coaching staff and handles all of special teams, while assisting in coaching the secondary.

"It kind of really does feel like a coaching all-star team," Costabile said. "I was with Jeff, Tom and Jimmy at Mahopac for three years, and it's like coming back home being together with all those guys. Brendan and Tom are younger guys, but they all fit in perfectly with everything that's going on. It's fun to be with all these guys coaching. We're not afraid to speak our mind and nobody takes anything personal. We get along really well, and it's a huge collaborative effort."

Pushing through the state playoffs

The entire program was shaken by Cayea's need to step down to address his health, but with the various surprises and obstacles they've dealt with throughout the season, they feel confident to dispatch any challenge ahead.

"The coaching staff, the way that they've trained us since day one to be accountable and just stay focused since day one," said Carmel senior Damien Santiago of the team's resilience. "A lot of ups and downs throughout the season, it's been a hell of a ride, and I just love being a part of it, especially with these guys."

Since suffering that 55-18 loss to Arlington in an emotional Week 2, the Rams have responded with nine straight wins. They've averaged 29.1 points per game during this stretch, while limiting opponents to 12.6 points per game.

"Coaching is definitely great," Carmel junior Tristan Werlau said. "It's improved throughout the year as they've gotten more comfortable, and I think, now, we're playing our best football."

They're determined to keep the journey going. Carmel is back in the state final four for the second time in three years. The Rams are gearing up for another Section 2 opponent in Christian Brothers Academy-Albany.

They aim to go all the way for their former coach, the program, and everyone at Carmel.

"It's been smooth as you can possibly be under the circumstances," Tom Donahoe said. "The kids have great respect and affection for Todd, but he handled it well and with a lot of class. The kids were disappointed and they were emotional, but he set the stage for the rest of the season moving forward with the rest of the coaches.

"Truth of the matter is our coaches work hard, but the kids could come very close to doing what they're doing without us and that's a testament to how Todd laid the culture and foundation for a program, so that we can continue without him being on the sideline every day."

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: How Carmel football banded together after Todd Cayea stepped down