East-West Football: Tale of two Ondriezeks

Published 11:33 pm Wednesday, June 24, 2009

EVERETT — There are two versions of John Ondriezek: The calm, thoughtful family man and the ultra-focused, energized football coach.

Tom Myhre, who has coached with Ondriezek at Mariner High School since 1993, appreciates both sides.

“Off the field, he’s very mild-mannered and very business-like,” Myhre said. “He’s a great role model for the kids to follow in terms of his work ethic and just the way that he (lives) his life. He’s a very classy man.”

But what about on game nights?

“On the field, he’s as intense as just about anybody I’ve ever been around,” Myhre added. “He really gets fired up, and I like it because I’m the same way.”

To see Ondriezek in action, go to Everett Memorial Stadium this weekend. Mariner High’s longtime head football coach is head coach of the West team for the annual East-West All-Star Football Game, which starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Ondriezek, “because the game is in Everett and a lot of our local kids and students will be able to come watch us.”

This is Ondriezek’s first time as head coach in the annual gridiron showcase, which features many of the state’s elite Class 3A and 4A players. The Washington State Coaches Association selected Ondriezek and two Mariner assistants (Myhre and Jim Campbell) to help guide the West team. One Mariner player, defensive end/running back Jaren Saga, is also on the West squad.

“This is Washington high school football’s best, and to have an opportunity to coach at this level is quite an honor,” said Campbell, who has coached with Ondriezek for 10 years. “I think all three of us, we’re excited to have the opportunity.”

Ondriezek, 57, has been around football nearly his entire life. He grew up in Western Pennsylvania in Nanty-Glo, a small town about 80 miles east of Pittsburgh. As a 4-year-old, he constantly went to games with his dad, who worked in the steel mills.

“I remember back at that time just loving football,” said Ondriezek, an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan. “Those high school kids were my heroes.”

When the steel mills closed, Ondriezek’s family moved to Florida. Ondriezek was in the sixth grade. He went on to play high school football as an outside linebacker.

By age 18, Ondriezek, who also wrestled in high school, knew he wanted to be a coach and teacher. “My football and wrestling coaches were very instrumental in developing me as an individual,” he said, “and I just thought they had great jobs, to be able to have an impact on kids like that and to do something that you enjoy.”

About four years later Ondriezek became the head wrestling coach and an assistant football coach at Sarasota Riverview High in Florida. He spent seven years there. Then a new opportunity came along.

Frank Goddard, Ondriezek’s father-in-law, was head football coach at Mariner High. Goddard invited Ondriezek to join his staff, so Ondriezek and wife Sue Ondriezek decided to embark on an adventure. They moved to Washington in 1981, thinking they would eventually return to Florida.

It didn’t happen. The Ondriezeks quickly made friends in Everett and decided to stay. Tragically, Goddard died of colon cancer in 1991. Two years later John Ondriezek carried on Goddard’s legacy by becoming Mariner’s head football coach.

Coaching and teaching at Mariner has been extremely rewarding for Ondriezek, whose children Matt and Jacie both graduated from the school.

“I really enjoy working with a real diverse group of students,” said Ondriezek, “because over the years I’ve learned to certainly respect and understand other cultures. It’s made me a better person and it’s just been a lot of fun. You’re constantly getting educated about the world.”

Many Mariner students come from single-parent families and often do not have a father figure, he said: “Sometimes you are the first positive influence in their lives.”

Coach Campbell, one of the Mariner assistants who is helping Ondriezek coach the West team, admires how Ondriezek balances coaching with his personal life.

“Family comes first and he stands by it, and he’s true to it,” Campbell said. “He never puts football in front of family, and I really like that.”

Ondriezek, who guided Mariner to the state-championship game in 1998 and has 99 career victories, plans to stay at Mariner awhile. After all, he’s doing what he dreamed of all those years ago.

“Things worked out the way I had planned them to work out when I was 18,” Ondriezek said. “That doesn’t happen too often.”

Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.