Kangas Hired To Be New Gladstone Football Coach

GLADSTONE---A brand new beginning.

That's how Gladstone High School Athletic Director Matt Houle describes changes in the Braves football program heading into the 2013 season. There's major renovations being done to the Marble Athletic Field this summer, and now, the team has a new coach.

The Gladstone School Board on Thursday hired Cody Kangas to be the varsity head football coach in the 2013 season. Kangas is just 24 years old, but has a lot of football knowledge. He was an All-Upper Peninsula quarterback at Manistique High School in 2007, and played two years at Northern Michigan University.

"It all starts in the weight room," Kangas said on Thursday. "We just started lifting this week. To get the kids there, seeing their teammates working together, sweating with them, learning a whole new offensive and defensive scheme."

"It kind of puts a new fresh air (into the program)," Kangas said. "It's not gonna be like last year. It's gonna be a whole new team, a whole new atmosphere. And hopefully, we can generate some wins. We're gonna turn this program around."

Houle likes what he sees so far from his young coach.

"He's young, enthusiastic, and he will connect well with the kids," Houle said. "We are very excited. There will be challenges ahead. But with the support of the community, and our parents, he will be successful."

Kangas's father, Todd, has coached the Manistique program for years and Cody says he has learned how to run a program from his dad.

The Emeralds had a 7-2 season in Cody's senior year in the very tough Mid Peninsula Conference, and made the state playoffs.

The Braves have struggled in recent years.

After a 9-3 season and two playoff wins in 2008, the Braves' record went from 5-4 in 2009, 4-5 in 2010, 0-9 in 2011, and 2-7 in 2012.

That led to the firing of Coach Josh Mileski, and the Gladstone Schools decided to look for someone outside of the program to try to turn things around.

Kangas says he realizes that it will not be easy, given the tough schedule the Braves play every year. Gladstone is by far the smallest school in the Great Northern Conference.

"The thing is, you can't look at it like a loss already," Kangas said about playing big schools like Marquette and Menominee. "You have to look at it and circle it on your calendar, and say 'I'm gonna show up to play that day'."

Kangas shattered several Manistique Emeralds offensive records as the quarterback of the team during his playing days. He ran for more than 2,500 runs and passed for another 1,700 during his high school career. Kangas played two seasons for NMU, and even though his football career ended, he is still a student at NMU for another year.

Then, Kangas coached with his father, and was the Manistique JV coach last season.

"Coaching with him, he's shown me how to build a program," Cody Kangas said. "From not-so-many good years to becoming a contender in the conference."

Cody Kangas interview.

Kangas will continue living in Marquette with his wife and their two-year-old child, as his wife works there and Kangas needs to finish his degree at NMU.

He will have a lot of late nights, as he did Thursday night after attending the school board meeting and then media interviews in the afternoon at the Marble Athletic Field.

And as for the Marble Athletic Field itself ? Well that, says Houle, is going to be a lot different when the 2013 season begins.

"The field itself is being re-crowned," Houle said. "We are renovating the locker rooms. It's a new look on the field, and on the sidelines."

Kangas has already hit the ground running, even before being officially hired by the school board. He has been holding informal weight lifting sessions twice a day, four days a week, at the Gladstone High School. Also, Kangas has run some off-season drills, although by MHSAA rules he cannot be there with more than seven boys at a time.

You can listen to our full interview with Kangas by clicking the thumbnail in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box at the top of this page.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

8/24	7:00 PM	Gwinn Model Towners	49 - 12 (W)	1-0

8/31	7:00 PM	at Bark River-Harris Broncos	34 - 6 (W)	2-0

9/7	7:30 PM	at Negaunee Miners	34 - 36 (L)	2-1

9/14	8:00 PM	at Menominee Maroons	6 - 47 (L)	2-2

9/21	7:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	14 - 35 (L)	2-3

9/28	7:00 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	19 - 49 (L)	2-4

10/5	7:00 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	25 - 37 (L)	2-5

10/12	7:30 PM	at Kingsford Flivvers	28 - 49 (L)	2-6

10/18	7:00 PM	Calumet Copper Kings	12 - 36 (L)	2-7