Building a program from scratch:
Tough job for Jolley, Cavaliers

Shannon Jolley

Loeffler's Link

Dec. 13, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. --- The easy part is done, offering a job and Shannon Jolley saying yes.

Now comes the hard part, the expensive part, and the part that usually takes a many, many years to get right.

Building a successful football program from scratch ... is it daunting, challenging or exciting? Yes.

But for Jolley, it's much more about the final option.

"Yes, it's challenging, but I'm really excited, humbled and honored to have this opportunity," said Jolley, who's been named the inaugural head football coach for Capital City High School that opens next fall. "It will be exciting for our staff and our football program to put together a product that not only the school is proud of, but the kids are excited to be a part of.

"There are definitely a lot of moving parts to this process, but that's what makes it exciting."

Say hello to the Cavaliers. They'll play JV football in 2019, when the school will have only freshmen and sophomores, with varsity play beginning in 2020 when CCHS will have all grades.

Roughly half of this year's freshman class from Jefferson City High School will move to CCHS next fall, with the rest of the students basically coming from Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

Jolley plans to be in contact with next fall's probable players to do some strength and conditioning in the evenings in the coming months, "and get the guys together so we can get to know them."

The cost of starting a football program is probably equal to all other sports --- combined. Just a uniform alone costs about $1,000 per player and with around 40-45 players expected to be on the roster in 2020, well, you can do the math.

"You are talking about a significant amount of money to make sure the kids are in the safest equipment and have the right teaching tools and other things for your facility," Jolley said.

First things first for Jolley, 47, and that's assembling a coaching staff.

"You want the best guys, but the priority is to find the right guys," he said. "The administration has done a really good job of trying to set the tone for the climate and culture of the new school, and we want to be an extension of that.

"So hiring the staff at Capital City is going to be the first real test to find the right guys who are really willing to get after it."

Jolley was head coach at Eldon for 10 seasons, where he transformed the Mustangs from doormats to relevance, before joining Terry Walker's staff with the Jays this year.

Jolley had one thing to say to Walker --- thank you.

"We had a good conversation (about his leaving), he's a good friend of mine and somebody I have a lot of respect for," Jolley said. "I can't say enough about him bringing me and my family back to Jeff City ... I appreciate everything he's done."

The Royal Blue and Silver Cavaliers will have their own practice facility and the administration is "working on the development of a future home stadium," Jolley said. "But that's not necessarily a priority right now."

Home games for the foreseeable future will be played at Adkins Stadium, and their schedule will work around the Jays' schedule. What a nice option to have, Adkins Stadium, which is better than many small college facilities.

"It's as good as it gets in the state," Jolley said.

Starting a football program is certainly challenging, but the task is not impossible. Battle High School opened in 2013 and in its first year of varsity football in 2014, the Spartans won the Class 5 state championship.

That, sports fans, is simply amazing.

"That's very impressive," said Jolley, who planned to meet with Battle head coach Justin Conyers on Thursday to "visit with him about the developmental part of it to make sure we're doing our due diligence to make sure we're on top of things.

"If there are obstacles we can avoid by talking with other people, that's going to benefit us in the long run. The realistic part is it's going to take a tremendous amount of work and there will probably be a lot of delayed gratification."

What would be the goals for a first-year JV team? Going undefeated? Scoring a touchdown? Getting a first down?

"Our initial goals are to create opportunities for as many kids as possible, to have a large roster," Jolley said. "We want to touch base with each young man who's going to be eligible to come out and play for Capital City, get a taste of our program and what the climate's going to be like, and how things are going to be done."

CCHS is scheduled to be part of a new conference for the 2020-21 school year, a conference that will also include the Jays, Helias, Hickman, Rock Bridge, Battle and Sedalia Smith-Cotton.

How much fun will that be?

"I think it's definitely exciting," Jolley said. "I've had some unique opportunities throughout my career and they've all been exciting in their own way. But I can tell you that at age 47 and in the latter part of my career, I don't think I've been this motivated or excited about a position in my career.

"It's been a rejuvenation for me, it just feels right. It's kind of renewed my passion for the things I love to do and that's to be in the weight room, coach football and be around young kids."

Speaking for all of us, coach, here's wishing you the best of luck.