Northwestern hires Joe Cardinal as new football coach
A chance to return to Northeast Ohio was a huge draw for new Northwestern football coach Joe Cardinal.
Born and raised in Alliance, a chance to move closer to home and be near family was a huge plus that couldn't be measured. But stepping into the shoes left behind by Mike Thut, the winningest football coach in Northwestern history, will be no small task.
Thut finished his 22-year career with a record of 119-108, won four of the program's five Wayne County Athletic League titles and guided it to all seven of its playoff berths.
"Following Coach Thut will definitely be a daunting task," said Cardinal. "He's been here for over two decades and had a lot of success in that time. He's a tremendous coach, and the fact he stayed that long is also a testament to how great this community is. For someone to want to stay that long, it really says a lot."
As for the WCAL, which Dalton and Norwayne have dominated recently, Cardinal understands just how tough the league is. With a difficult nonleague schedule and a one-week-at-a-time approach, to meet that challenge will be a process.
"The WCAL is a very tough league and we also play a very tough out-of-conference schedule," said Cardinal. "Last year they played eight teams that made the playoffs. It's cliche, but it really comes down to taking it one week at a time. You can never look too far ahead or you lose sight of the process."
Cardinal is well versed in the process as he has led some successful teams over his coaching career.
Cardinal was the co-defensive coordinator at Ravenwood High School in Tennessee, winning a 3A state title (Div. I equivalent in Ohio) in 2015 and finishing state runner-up in 2014. Ravenwood went a combined 38-4 while he was on staff.
He then went to Triad High School, where he compiled a 7-23 record from 2016-2018. He stepped aside in 2019 due to an illness in the family, and he has been an assistant coach at Triad while working on his master's degree the past two years.
From his travels to Tennessee and then back to Northeast Ohio, Cardinal talked about two things that really stuck with him — the small-school atmosphere and a strong support system, both of which he saw in the Huskies and something he believes he fits in.
"There are a lot of really good people in the community who support Northwestern academically and athletically, and that's special," he said. "You can look around and see those that move here stay here, and I really wanted to be a part of that.
It's also something that made him stand out to athletic director Anita Jorney-Gifford.
"Coach Cardinal is excited to join Husky Nation and he wants to be visible at the little Husky and middle school games," said Jorney-Gifford. "He has experience with increasing numbers of athletes on his teams, was very well versed in returning players from film and we are excited for him to come and get started."
Cardinal said he is fully aware of the talent coming back in Ethan Siders, Craig Reed, Anthony Huber, Nolan Hartsel and others. He said he fully intends to utilize each of them and give the Northwestern faithful a fun Friday night.
"We will use a system that will fit the personality and abilities of our players," said Cardinal. "Ideally, I'd like to play with tempo to control the pace of the game. Our style of play should be enjoyable to watch."
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Joe Cardinal to take over Northwestern football program
