River View football turning to long-time assistant, grad to reboot program

Posted by Admin January 16, 2025 Football

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WARSAW — River View football needed a reset.

The administration turned to a long-time assistant to start the process.

Tyler McKee, a 2007 River View graduate, was approved to become the new head football coach during Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting.

McKee played for the Black Bears under Jeff Cook and has been an assistant for four coaches at the school, including Thom Lesieicki, whose teams were 4-25 over the past three seasons.

The Black Bears have lost 19 straight games and scored a total of 43 points in the past two seasons.

“It’s going to be a challenge. I could have gone somewhere else, but Warsaw is home, and I wanted to stay and fight,” McKee remarked. “Football is a game where you get knocked down and have to get back up. That’s the mindset I’m going to bring.

“We will need patience, but there’s a lot of excitement in the community. Football is important to communities like ours. There’s people ready to rally around us, and I want to bring this program and community together.”

McKee, who also served as an interim coach under former coach Mike Hemming, has worked for every level of the program. It was among the reasons he was selected.

He is the owner of McKee’s ManCave Barbershop in Coshocton, and he, his wife and three children live in the Warsaw area and attend River View Schools.

“We are very excited to have Mr. Tyler McKee as our new Head Football Coach for Black Bear Nation,” Superintendent Chuck Rinkes said. “Tyler has a plan to build this program from the ground up. We believe Tyler has what it takes to get student-athletes on the field, compete at a high level and eventually turn this program into a success both on and off the field.”

Implementing the plan

McKee has ideas of what is needed to turn the program around, and it starts with communication. He hopes to hold a coaches clinic to ensure all levels are on the same page.

“I want to share my vision for the program and make sure we have a one-team approach at all levels,” he said. “Each level has gone different directions in the past. I want to bring in the right people and make sure everything looks and sounds alike from high school to our youth.”

Another area is developing relationships. Building trust among coaches and players is his focus, and McKee will use a “layered approach” to ensure that happens.

He has three assistants focused on the weight room, and his program’s foundation is based on 4 C’s — competition, commitment, caring and community.

“I want to instill discipline and accountability. I want our guys to compete every day and commit themselves to the program,” he said. “I want our kids to care about what they’re doing and what they have. We want to be involved in our community. I want to bring back that pride and have us out there helping others without an expectation of getting anything in return.”

Staying positive

Bringing a new outlook to River View football will be tough, but McKee has seen the community rally around other teams, like the state championship soccer squad. His goal is to return that enthusiasm to the football team.

“The beauty about communities like ours is the support for athletics,” he said. “I saw how that worked for soccer, and I’m hoping we’re capable of doing the same with football.

“We have to motivate the kids, but I want them to also motivate themselves,” he added. “Football can mirror life, and I want to set up our kids for success. Our goal is to build strong character and develop good husbands, fathers and community leaders for the future.”

Improving numbers and morale are among the challenges McKee faces. He is optimistic after seeing other Muskingum Valley League schools, like West Muskingum and New Lexington, overcome tough times to find success.

“I have a vision of what this program can be,” McKee said. “It starts with trust and being there for each other. I also want our kids to enjoy their time here. It’s going to take time, but I’m going to keep fighting and hopefully bring success back to our program.”

bhannahs@gannett.com; X: @brandonhannahs