Adrian names Przygodski as new football coach

ADRIAN – Joel Przygodski grew up the son of a track coach. It didn’t take him long to get the coaching bug.

“After I was done with my playing career, a few people asked me if I would like to coach,” Przygodski said. “I got the bug right away and it hasn’t left.”

Przygodski was named the new head football coach at Adrian High School Friday. A teacher at Adrian’s Springbrook Middle School and former assistant at Adrian has spent the last couple of seasons as the quarterbacks coach at Saline under head coach Joe Palka.

“Joel has been successful at all his previous coaching stops,” said Adrian athletic director Chad O’Brien said in a press release. “Coach Przygodski will bring a wealth of coaching experience including multiple years as a head coach.”

Being a teacher in the system, O’Brien said, will give Przygodski a head start in taking over the program.

“Joel’s past 11 years of experience as an APS teacher and coach will give him an advantage with our student athletes,” O’Brien said.

Przygodski agreed, saying one of the biggest focuses of the staff will be building the program numbers, something that has plagued the Adrian program the last several seasons.

“We have to recruit right in the halls of our building,” he said. “We have to create a buzz around the program and build relationships with the kids. Having taught in the system, I know most of those kids. I think that gives me a leg up.”

O’Brien’s recommendation to hire Przygodski goes in front of the Adrian board of education Feb. 14.

Przygodski is an Ann Arbor Huron graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University. He was an assistant at Adrian under Phil Jacobs and had coaching stops at Huron, Milford, Ann Arbor Pioneer and Milan prior to joining Palka’s staff. He was head coach at Huron from 2005-2008, going 13-23 in those four seasons.

At Saline, he worked with Hornets quarterback Larry Robinson for four years and Saline’s latest star-studded quarterback, C.J. Carr. Carr is only a sophomore but has offers from more than half of the Big Ten schools and the 2022 national champions, Georgia.

“They are some talented quarterbacks,” Przygodski said. “It will be fun to see C.J. progress. He’s a phenomenal young man, too.”

During his time at Saline, the Hornets have won four Southeastern Conferenced Red Division titles, two district championships and a regional title.

“It will be fun to get to work in the SEC White again,” Przygodski said.

Both O’Brien and Przygodski spoke about the tradition of Adrian football and “restoring” the pride in the program.

“We are beyond excited to bring Joel back to Adrian and restore the pride and tradition of our program,” said O’Brien, who was on the same Saline coaching staff as Przygodski for a couple seasons.

The two also coached together under Jacobs at Adrian in 2010 and 11. O’Brien was Saline’s offensive coordinator while Przygodski was quarterbacks coach at Saline from 2018-2021.

Adrian High School principal Mike Perez added Przygodski was chosen over some good candidates.

“During this process we interviewed multiple qualified candidates and Joel’s ability to build relationships with our student-athletes and his experience were above the others,” Perez said. “I firmly believe he will connect with our students and staff and exemplify Maple Pride in his actions.”

Przygodski lives in Tecumseh where he and his wife, Jenny, have a son, Chase, who is a student at Tecumseh High School.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Saline's Przygodski named Adrian's next football coach