UPTON, Mass. (AP) - John Milligan has seen it all when it comes to football.
From winning four consecutive Big Ten championships as a University of Michigan player in the 1980s, to chewing out current New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady after bad throws as a graduate assistant - Milligan’s been there and done that when it comes to the gridiron.
That being said, he’s now stepping into new territory.
Milligan was hired as the Nipmuc football head coach on April 10, marking the first time he’s ever been named a head coach of any football program.
“First and foremost, one of the big things that was very attractive was the program already has a great culture,” Milligan said. “They know what it means to play in big games. They’ve won three central Massachusetts championships.”
Milligan will replace former Nipmuc head coach Shawn Hill, who in his four seasons at Nipmuc led the Warriors to three Division 5 Central titles.
Milligan is a Trenton, Michigan native and he played college football under legendary coach Bo Schembechler from 1986-90. He was a linebacker and served as team captain his senior season, and played alongside Heisman trophy winner Desmond Howard.
From there he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with Michigan, commanding the offensive scout team who had a quarterback named Tom Brady - back then Brady wasn’t a six-time Super Bowl winner.
“Tom (Brady) was not what he was today back then. When I ran the scout team, I continuously would have to get on him about inconsistent throws,” Milligan said. “I’ve enjoyed every position I’ve had as a football coach, from the college to the high school game and now I’m really looking forward to tackling this new challenge at hand.”
Milligan bounced around the college game, acquiring different coaching positions - including stops at Army and Central Michigan.
His wife Debbie acquired a job in Newton, which was one of many reasons the Milligans moved to Massachusetts.
John then dove into the high school coaching game - making stops at Newton North, St. Marks, Westwood and most recently Xaverian, while getting his teaching certificate.
With his daughter, Sam, now a junior on the University of New Hampshire swim and dive team, and his son, Matt, graduating from Xaverian in June, Milligan will have a lot more time on his hands.
“I always wanted to be a head coach and all the responsibilities and duties that come with it,” Milligan said. “Both of my kids are in college now. So I can be all in towards an opportunity like this.”
With Nipmuc returning a fair amount of top players from last season - including quarterback Judah Dishington, running back Richard Broni and wide receiver Nate Gould - the Warriors look like a team ready to compete again in 2019.
“We have a lot of multi-sport athletes at Nipmuc and the great thing is every coach at the school encourages the kids to play different sports out of season,” Milligan said. “In my day, you don’t see that a lot at other schools. We’d love to win this season, we want to compete, but building relationships and creating a foundation in the program where everyone plays for one another is the ultimate goal.”
Milligan is a football lifer. And now he’s coaching football at school like Nipmuc - who is very passionate about its athletics and kids. That’s something that drew Milligan to the job.
“I have accomplished a lot in this sport as a player and coach,” Milligan said. “I’ve played in the Rose Bowl and been around just about every big game there is in college football. At the end of the day, it’s 11-on-11 and nothing gets myself more excited than to coach a bunch of kids that are going to play for one another. It’s a dream come true.”
Online: https://bit.ly/2PvmXdJ
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Information from: MetroWest Daily News (Framingham, Mass.), http://www.metrowestdailynews.com
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