In my column a few weeks back, I commented on the great work that was being done by young University City football coach Duane “Scooter” Hawthorne.
At 33, Hawthorne had led the Lions to two consecutive district championships while restoring some pride in the football program as well as the U. City community.
Unfortunately, Hawthorne’s brief, yet wildly successful run at U. City came to an abrupt halt last week when he told me he was stepping down as head coach to pursue other opportunities.
I was quite distressed when I was told of this development. Even when I called “Scooter” to confirm this, I still held out some hope that he would tell me, “No Earl, it’s just a rumor. I am coming back.”
No such luck. Hawthorne has stepped down after four seasons at the helm at U. City.
“I’ve got some other things going from a family standpoint that I want to pursue,” Hawthorne said.
“I’m really happy with what we’ve been able to do here and I really appreciate the opportunity that the school gave me as a young coach. But, I felt it was time to move on.”
I think this is a terrible loss, not only to the U. City athletic program, but to the community as well. On the football field, the Lions were starting to become a team that you did not want to play.
In recent years, the only reason you went to see a U. City football game was to watch that fantastic marching band play at halftime. However, that was changing as the Lions were emerging as a football power.
“I have a great group of kids and coaches to work with,” Hawthorne said. “We were able to turn the program around and I am proud of that.”
In the past two years, the Lions had won district championships and played toe-to-toe with some of the big boys of St. Louis football. A great example of the Lions’ competitiveness was this year in losses to Class 6 state semifinalist Hazelwood Central (14-12) and Class 5 semifinalist Webster Groves, (23-20). Both teams are still in the hunt for a state title, but the Lions were a play or two away from knocking both of them off.
As successful as Hawthorne’s teams have been on the field, it’s off the field where they have made the most gains. When he took over, Hawthorne changed the attitude of the program. He demanded excellence and accountability. That carried over into the classroom as well, where many excellent football players were walking the halls because they could not stay eligible.
With Hawthorne in charge, the academic reputation started to change in the football as well. The football team compiled a solid team grade point average with many players headed off to college on scholarships.
Finally, I saw first-hand what Scooter’s accomplishments meant to the community. I went to both of U. City’s playoff games against MICDS and Normandy and the outpouring of support from the community and alums was staggering. Folks were coming out of the woodwork with the U. City colors on and yelling “U TIME!!!” as they cheered on their beloved Lions.
I really hated to see this happen because Scooter was the total package. You’re talking about a young African-American male who could connect with young black males on their level and still command respect and top-flight performance on a consistent basis. He is a tremendous role model for those young men.
I am not privy to the inner workings of what goes on in a school’s athletic program. However, if Hawthorne’s departure could have be avoided, then this would truly be a shame.
In any case, somebody else will be getting one hell of a young coach.
(You can follow Earl Austin Jr. on his new basketball blog, stlouisbasketball.com or on Facebook or at twitter.com/earlaustinjr).