Harvey's first-year football coach Michael Tucci has his work cut out for him this year.
He is taking over a program which has gone 16-34 over the past five years.
Last year, the Raiders won one game.
How is he going to turn it around?
He's going to start by instilling a winning attitude in the minds of his players. He wants them to forget the past few years. He wants them to think of themselves as winners even though they haven't won a single game yet.
How is he going to achieve that?
He is going to care more.
Not that coaches in the past haven't cared at Harvey. I'm sure they all have.
It's just obvious to me that Tucci cares.
He is at Harvey for the long haul. He wants to transform the program this year and for many years to come. He wants the community to support his team and he wants his players to achieve their dreams. Overall, he wants to make an impact.
At practice Wednesday afternoon, it was obvious Tucci is already doing that.
Players talked about the discipline they have this year. They talked about hanging out with the right crowds, doing well in school and putting in the hard work.
They don't want to be just average this year.
They are striving for perfection on and off the field.
When I was interviewing them for the preview, I felt the need to tell them that even if they don't win a game, they are already winners. In the middle of the summer heat, they were working their butts off. That is impressive to see.
What they are doing now will impact them for the rest of their lives.
Hopefully, they are building a solid foundation in Tucci's first year as head coach. These kids can work with Tucci to change the culture at Harvey.
It's not going to happen over night.
It's going to take some time.
But it's already happening.

-Theresa Neuhoff Audia



Michael Tucci has been hired as the next head football coach at Harvey.

Tucci was the quarterbacks coach last year at Maple Heights. He has been a head coach at Mt. Gilead and an assistant at Warren Champion, East Liverpool and Lisbon Beaver.

Tucci takes over for Marwin Walling, who stepped down at the end of last season. Former Harvey coach Devlin Culliver briefly accepted the position before deciding to take the head coaching job at Maple Heights instead. Tucci was approved at a board meeting on May 23.