Times change; Kinnan’s approach doesn’t

BRADENTON — Pick a coaching clinic, any coaching clinic.

It doesn’t matter which.

At any one of them, Steve Gulash keeps believing his eyes are deceiving him. For during every trip, there is an interesting sight.

Manatee head coach Joe Kinnan. Taking notes.

“It’s fascinating to watch him go in,” said Gulash, Manatee’s offensive line coach and a member of the Hurricanes’ 1992 state championship team, “and take notes from guys he can write books about.”

Personnel is always changing, players are always changing, schemes are always changing.

But if there is one thing that has remained static for Kinnan, now in the fifth year of his second stint roaming the Manatee sideline, it’s how he goes about his business.

That’s why the guy who sports a .784 winning percentage, has won four state titles and will lead Manatee into its 11th state semifinal tonight against Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas keeps going to clinics.

And keeps writing down what he hears.

“When I go to clinics, (Lakeland coach) Bill Castle is there. (Southeast coach) Paul Maechtle is there,” Kinnan said. “We’re visiting colleges to learn stuff, do things and try to find a better way to be doing what we’re doing with the X’s and O’s, with the football philosophy.”

Since resuming his coaching career in 2005, Kinnan has led the Canes to 47 wins, three district titles, three regional titles and four playoff appearances, bringing his career record to 239-66.

He’s a mellower Kinnan, people have said.

Gulash, for one, doesn’t buy it.

“I think he re-evaluated,” he said. “When you do things so long, you get stuck in certain ways. Now, he expects more from his coaches. He expects us to do our job.

“He’ll coach us, we coach our kids. And that’s been interesting.”

Kinnan began coaching at Manatee in 1981, two years after he served as the offensive coordinator for an Eastern Kentucky team that won the Division I-AA national championship.

His philosophy hasn’t changed since.

His coaching philosophy that is, not his football philosophy.

There is a difference. And it’s the reason why Kinnan is always willing to soak up all he can.

“You have a coaching philosophy, and that has nothing to do with what you run offensively, defensively and with the kicking game,” he said. “That’s sort of carved in stone. That’s who you are and how you treat kids and how you run your program. Then you have your football philosophy, and I think that’s something that continues to evolve and continues to change, depending on what you’ve got, and as you learn more about certain things.”

The coaching philosophy is a list of 10 concepts Kinnan crafted at the beginning of his coaching career, and one he puts on the cover of the football manuals he gives to his coaches.

What does the list entail? Kinnan won’t say.

“That’s more personal as far as what we do,” he said, “and how we do it.”

Whatever it is, it has worked.

“He had enough faith in us, and enough belief in our talents,” said senior Brion Carnes, who in 2006 became the first freshman quarterback to start under Kinnan, “to throw us into the fire as freshmen.”

Said receiver Ace Sanders, a senior who started as a freshman that same year: “It’s been an honor to play under a legend like that.”

Ready to take his team into its third semifinal in five years, Kinnan isn’t looking too far into the future.

He’s too busy coaching and learning about the present.

“It’s been enjoyable. We’re having a good time, the kids are having a good time. We’re doing what we want to do in December, which is still coaching football,” Kinnan said. “We’re looking to (tonight), but I’ll be back next year.”