Mark Evans
Mark Evans will tell you that for the past month or so, his life has been a whirlwind.
"Fast," he said, "and furious."
Thursday night, the whirlwind picked up speed.
By unanimous vote, Evans has been named by the Manheim Township School Board the Blue Streaks' new varsity head football coach.
"It was a fast courtship, let's put it that way," said Evans, who said he was interviewed for the position June 6, offered the job on June 7 and accepted it on June 8.
He will work as a high school guidance counselor, a position he's held for a combined 19 years at Elco and Cedar Crest.
"I'm excited," said Evans, who will move his family of five into the Manheim Township School District.
"(Township) did come after me, and that's flattering when that happens. When people reach out to you, it's flattering."
Evans spent the past 14 years as head coach at Elco, the longest streak in school history, he said.
"It's bittersweet, because I don't leave Elco unhappy and I don't leave as a disgruntled employee. I'll always hold a soft spot for Elco. That's all my children have known. My kids have grown up as Raiders.
"I can't tell you how many kids and former players have reached out to me (since he accepted the Township position). It's a decision that wasn't made lightly. But I believe it is the right decision."
Evans said his decision wasn't impacted by Township's recent cost-cutting measures, which some initially believed contributed to longtime coach Mike Melnyk resigning as head football coach after 13 seasons to take the same position at Mount Lebanon.
Melnyk told the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era at the time his decision was not based on financial reasons.
Last year, the Township school district cut by half all stipends for coaches. The head football coaching stipend was reduced from $8,841 to $4,421 for the 20011 season.
For 2012-13, the district, in order to reflect the average for similar positions at other school districts in the county and state, slashed some stipend positions.
One of the results is that the stipend to coach the football team has been increased to $8,000.
"I'm not in it for the money," Evans said. "I'm doing it for the kids. When you're passionate about what you're doing, (money) doesn't matter."
Evans leaves Elco with a 74-71 career record. He guided the Raiders to four District Three playoff appearances and to the Class AA championship game in 2001.
A member of the 1987 and '89 University of Miami championship teams, Evans is the vice president of the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association. He has served as a coach in several high school all-star games, notably the Big 33 Classic, East-West All-Star Game and Chesapeake Bowl.
Prior to becoming head coach at Elco in 1998, he served as a Raiders assistant in 1997, as an assistant at Lebanon Valley College for four years and at Shippensburg University for three seasons.
Evans acknowledges that his late hiring — the school re-posted the position after the school board passed on the initial three finalists — has left he and his staff playing catch-up.
"We're behind the curve right now," he said.
Evans said he offered each of Melnyk's assistants the opportunity to return to the coaching staff this season. He said John Ridinger returns as offensive and defensive line coach and Jeff Illig is back as running backs coach.
New hires, Evans said, include former Lancaster Catholic lieutenant Jami Sands as defensive coordinator, Mark Steinmeyer as wide receiver and special teams coach, and former Penn State linebacker Bani Gbadyu as linebackers coach.
Evans said renowned trainer Steve Saunders of Power Train has also been working with his players.
"We want our kids to enjoy the summer," Evans said, "but we also want them to get bigger, faster, stronger."
He said while there have been between 40 and 50 players who have been working out thus far, he's hoping to have 60 or more when camp officially starts in August.
"Maybe we can put an ad in the paper," he said with a laugh.
Evans said he's looking forward to the challenge of coaching on the Section One level.
"The kids are bigger, faster, stronger and there are more of them," he said.
Despite the change in scenery, Evans will renew coaching acquaintances with Bruce Harbach, whose Lancaster Catholic squad is moving to Section One from Section Three after winning the state's Class AA title last December.
Evans said he has a good relationship with each of the Section One coaches.
"I know all of those guys," he said.
Knows, too, that as busy as he's been the past month, he's only going to pick up the pace as the 2012 season nears.
"Fast," he repeated, "and furious."
Note: The Manheim Township School Board also hired Andrew Raudensky to be the boys' varsity soccer coach. Raudensky spent last season as the head coach of Northern Lebanon's girls' team.
