'I want to see them be champions': How Clay Beeler is continuing Huntington's development
HUNTINGTON TOWNSHIP − Clay Beeler thinks Huntington is moving in the right direction.
The first-year coach knew that before he even assumed his role as Huntington's newest head coach in February. He saw the change firsthand while serving as an assistant under former head coach Ed Yates in 2022. In the span of a year, Beeler helped Yates guide Huntington to its first five-win season since 2018, as well as its first playoff berth in program history.
Now, Beeler has the keys to the program, and his plan is to keep it on the same course Yates set it on last year. He saw the success Huntington found with the culture that had been implemented. There was a tangible sense of positive growth that came with those changes. Yates laid a foundation, and Beeler is building upward.
To him, culture stems from the top. His 15-man coaching staff can attest to that.
"Ed started paving the road, and we are just continuing the process and trying to grow it," Beeler said. "Anything to do with culture starts with leadership. I'm fortunate to have a great coaching staff, a lot of guys aren't that fortunate. You see a lot of coaches with four or five guys, I've got 15. These are guys who have been coaching for 20, 30 years, and a lot of young guys that just got out of college."
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Beeler himself is just over a decade removed from college. He'd graduated from West Liberty University in 2011 where he cemented an impressive playing career. He was named a NCAA Division II All-American three times with the Hilltoppers, and he ended his career with 324 total tackles − the fifth-most in program history. He was even named to the university's Hall of Fame in 2021.
His time with the Hilltoppers, however, seemed to end his initial stint in the football world. Following his graduation, Beeler took a step back. He didn't jump back into the sport for some time. He settled down.
But football came knocking again. Eight years after his college career ended, Beeler was asked to volunteer to help coach Huntington's seventh grade football team. While there, he found he was able to combine his two passions: coaching football and guiding his players.
"I think God pulled me away from football, and then he kind of showed me this is where you can lead future generations. This is where you can connect to these guys."
The rest is history. Beeler built his way up from junior high football to his current role at the head of a Huntington program that has seen new life. He wants to be a mentor, and his mission is to make the Huntsmen akin to a family.
Some of his old players even followed him. Much of the freshman class on Huntington's roster were part of the seventh grade team that he coached when he first signed on three years ago.
The rest of the Huntsmen have become just as close. Beeler and his staff emphasized building those relationships before the season begins. He and his staff are committed to consistent strength and conditioning, which he believes is the foundation to forming the bond that forges all strong football programs.
"I'm all about relationships, and that's really where you develop those relationships and you build those bonds," Beeler said. "A lot of my coaches are 100% committed. They're in there. By the time football starts, we know every kid that's here."
The Huntsmen enter 2023 with a new coach and a more experienced roster searching for further progress. A strong set of underclassmen have assumed starting spots in a bid to keep their team trending upward.
Beeler's goals for the year are simple: build-up, and follow-up. He knows what a strong season looks like for the Huntsmen, and he believes they are headed in the right direction. The eventual goal − a Scioto Valley Conference title − is always on the table, and Beeler wants to see his players reach those heights.
"That's really why I'm here, I'm here for the kids at Huntington," Beeler said. "I want to see them be champions."
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: How Clay Beeler is continuing Huntington football's recent development
