The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Berkshire hires new boys coach
Ryan Dickard has aimed for a head-coaching job since he graduated from West Geauga in 2007.
A confluence of his own history and Berkshire’s recent past made the Badgers’ open job ideal for the 29-year-old Cleveland State graduate.
Dickard was hired by Berkshire earlier in July to lead the basketball program.
“It’s been a dream of mine probably since the day I graduated high school and realized my athletic abilities were capped out,” Dickard said. “I had to find another avenue to get in the basketball world, I guess. I’ve been thinking about this for awhile, preparing myself, I think I’m ready for the moment and super excited for November to roll around.”
Dickard’s hire was approved by the Berkshire Board of Education July 9. He was chosen from a score of applicants.
Dickard was attracted to Berkshire’s recent history under Keith Clapacs and John Carroll coaches Pat and Pete Moran. He highlighted players like Emil Hess, currently at John Carroll, Jason Ronyak, Tim Goff, Tim Ludlow and Jarett Smetana and the Badgers’ slew of league titles in the past decade.
Dickard is confident his coaching background prepared him to lead Berkshire’s next chapter of basketball.
He played for Chad Frazier at West Geauga, from whom Dickard learned about defense and work ethic. While an undergraduate at Cleveland State, Dickard coached his alma mater’s freshman team under John Cardiero before he joined Josh Jakacki at Kenston. As the Bombers’ junior varsity coach, Dickard derived the value of communication as he watched Jakacki — now at Crestwood — run a program.
Dickard spent the last three seasons as a varsity assistant at West Geauga under Jeff Javorek. Like Dickard now, Javorek’s tenure at West Geauga marked his first headcoaching experience.
The Wolverines won their first CVC Chagrin title in a decade this past winter.
Under Javorek, Dickard absorbed valuable experience in player development and coaching an offense.
“I think I exemplify a lot of those characteristics,” Dickard said. “I was ready to move on to taking over my own program. Berkshire seemed like a perfect fit.”
Dickard studied middle childhood education at Cleveland State and works as a teacher.
He also begins a new phase in his teaching career this fall, when he starts a new teaching job at Pinnacle Academy in Euclid.
At Berkshire, Dickard takes over a team that won two games in the 2017-18 season. Coach Keith Clapacs stepped down after the season to spend more time at home with his first child on the way. Dickard’s first objective is focused on instilling a winning attitude at all levels of his program.
“It’ll be a challenge to get the kids motivated and believing in themselves again.” Dickard said. “It’ll be a process, starting with the youth level and getting those kids ready, motivated and interested in playing the game of basketball, learning fundamentals and structure.”