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CHILLICOTHE — A familiar face will be leading the Huntington Huntsmen onto the football field this coming fall.
Huntington’s Board of Education approved the hire of Clay Beeler as its newest head football coach on Monday — the 14th head coach in program history.
“I want thank God for this opportunity. Without Him, this opportunity wouldn’t be possible,” Beeler said. “I am beyond excited. I was raised in the Township and it’s a blessing to be able to give back to our community. This has been a dream of mine since I was Pete Ruby’s water boy in the late 1990’s. It’s surreal that he’d offer me the job 20-plus years later. Huntington Township and the game of football is in my blood and it’s a real honor to be named the coach of this football program.”
Beeler has spent the past several seasons as an assistant at Huntington under coach Ed Yates, whom he replaces, after spending time with the program during his playing days as well.
“Coach Yates was my mentor last fall. He brought me in as defense coordinator and took me under his wing and taught me the ins and outs of running a successful program,” Beeler said. “Ed is a workhorse and he’s successful for a reason. I’m very thankful for the time he spent with me last year in preparation for an opportunity like this.”
The Huntsmen’ newest head coach certainly knows the game of football.
He was an all-SVC selection in 2004 and 2005 and was named the league’s Defensive Back of the Year in 2005. During his time at Huntington, he rushed for over 1,000 yards and recorded over 200 tackles.
Beeler transferred to and graduated from Chillicothe High School, where he was earned honorable mention All-Ohio honors in 2006, recording 186 tackles for the playoff-bound Cavaliers.
He spent his collegiate years at West Liberty University and found more success.
Before graduating from West Liberty in 2011, Beeler was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American and helped lead the Hilltoppers to their first-ever playoff berth.
Now, as a head coach, he’ll take on a program that’s coming off its own first-ever playoff berth.
The Huntsmen finished 5-6 overall last season after dropping a first-round playoff game to Paint Valley.
“One of our short-term goals is to simply continue doing the little things the right way,” Beeler said. “That’s not just in regards to football, but in all that we do, from the classroom to our service work in our community. You have to take care of the small things before you can accomplish the big things. Another is to control what we can control. Our kids know that nothing will be handed to us and we must work relentlessly, every single day, to achieve our goals.”
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