Q&A: Monte Thelen thought he was out, but Legend football pulled him back in
Monte Thelen built a winner at Cherokee Trail. From the time the school was founded until the conclusion of the 2015 season, Thelen served as the only football coach the school had ever know.
He nearly brought a state championship to the school as he advanced the Cougars to the Class 5A title game in 2012, only to fall to Valor Christian.
Cherokee Trail went 5-4 in the 2015 regular season and lost to Heritage in the first round of the state playoffs. Thelen stepped down soon after. It appeared that Thelen did not have any interest in taking another job, but Legend athletic director Kevin Boley was able to convince him to take the football coaching job at Legend.
With the whirlwind of the hiring process over, Thelen took some time to chat with CHSAANow.com about how he became the new coach of the Titans and what challenges he is looking forward to facing.
Question: When you stepped down at Cherokee Trail, the impression a lot of folks had was that taking another head coaching job right away wasn’t your plan. What changed all that?
Thelen: I guess it all changed when Kevin Boley contacted me in mid-March and we just started talking specifically about Legend.
Q: What did he talk about that got you intrigued in the program?
Thelen: Well for starters, it’s about 12 miles from my house so it was close and it didn’t require a move. And they seemed very interested in me becoming their coach and just the positive vibe I got from Kevin and Jason Jacob, who’s the principal. Just the fact that they’re both definitely sports guys. I had never worked for a principal and athletic director who had such an extensive coaching background that it made me feel comfortable. Along with the pretty positive vibe that I got from speaking with everyone at Legend High School in general.
Q: How is the approach different when you come from Cherokee Trail, where you started a program and became very successful, versus going into Legend which has had success and is a sustained program?
Thelen: The approach is always different at different jobs. They’re different situations. You’re right that Cherokee Trail was a unique one in that it was a brand new program, but I have had experience at both Rangeview and Strasburg, which are more similar to Legend in that they were jobs that at the time, there was a lot of interest in trying to have a positive impact on the football program that had not enjoyed a lot of success in the past as some of the other programs at the school. I felt like there were some similarities there with what I had done in the past.
Q: I don’t know if you think about this way, but your name and bringing you on will spark up any program. What have you gotten from kids and parents, beyond the people you have already talked to, in terms of support or feedback?
Thelen: I have received some contact from the Titan family. It feels really good to be welcomed and to be treated that way. I have not had the chance to meet the kids per se. That’s going to happen early (this) week and I will also be meeting with the existing coaching staff at that time. But this all just went down here in the last couple of days so I have not yet had a chance to meet a large number of parents or students with Legend as we’re speaking right now.
Q: What did you learn in your time at Cherokee Trail in terms of coaching in that area and coaching in (the Centennial) league that you hope to bring with you?
Thelen: I learned a lot of things at Cherokee Trail. It was a great experience for me. You learn a lot of things through a lot of situations. I’m probably a better coach now than I was 13 years ago when I went to Cherokee Trail. I’d like to use the word experienced, but I’m older and I just experienced a lot more.
Being successful at Strasburg or Rangeview or Cherokee Trail or Legend, it all requires attention to detail, accountability, building up a sense of camaraderie among the players and coaches. It’s a chore of many people. I’m going to be a part of that, just like I was other places that I have been.
We’re not going to be successful just because I’ve been named the head coach. I’m just going to be a part of it. It’s going to require a lot of work by a lot of people. Hopefully I can play a part in that.
Q: A lot is going to be different next year with an RPI system in place, leagues have been realigned, if there was any year to change programs, would this be an ideal year to do it?
Thelen: I don’t know. In the 13 years at Cherokee Trail a lot of the constants changed. We were in three different classifications. I guess you would say we were in four different leagues before they started changing up the 5A leagues. It seemed like every two years, things were changing for us.
A lot of it is how you approach change. If you think it’s fun and exciting, you’ll have one attitude. If you think it’s overwhelming or — I don’t know if that’s the right word. If you think that a lot is changing and you don’t know what it might mean, I think that affects how you deal with the situation.
We are going to be excited about the opportunity at Legend and we’re going to approach it with that attitude.
Q: With a new job, is there a new sense of excitement or a new burst of energy that comes with it?
Thelen: Oh sure, yeah. You bet. I would agree with that. I am energized by the confidence that Kevin and Jason have placed in me to lead the Legend program. I feel a responsibility to try and have a positive impact on the Titan family. And I’m going to work real hard to try and make that happen.
