After 35 years, high school football coach resigns to pursue artistic career
Jerry O’Mahony has spent the past 35 years coaching other people’s children. But with retirement nearing, he wants to chase a career as an artist.
The 60-year-old Boise High School football coach stepped down after three years leading the Brave. He said he plans to teach art for a couple of years more before trying to sell his own photography and ceramics to local galleries.
“I used to show art in the gallery when I was younger, and I want to get back to that,” O’Mahony said. “I want to give it a shot.”
O’Mahony posted a 1-26 record at Boise. The 1978 Boise grad was the head coach at Emmett from 2004-12, leaving him with a career record of 25-74. He also served as an assistant coach at Eagle and Centennial in his 35-year coaching career.
O’Mahony said he told Boise High administrators that he’d give it three years to turn around his alma mater. But after three years, he said he still struggled to get players into the weight room and figured it was time to give someone else a shot.
“I think it can be done, but I tried everything I can think of,” O’Mahony said. “I kind of exhausted my resources, and I want someone to be successful.
“I’m an old Boise High grad, so I really want the program to do well. But they have to lift, and there may be that guy out there that can get them to lift and bring success back to the school.”
A state powerhouse long ago, Boise has struggled over the past three decades. The Brave last made the playoffs in 2002, and Boise has one winning season in the past 27 years (2008, 5-4).
Boise had to cancel its junior varsity schedule this season due to dwindling participation, and the Brave’s varsity team finished the year with 28 players. But O’Mahony said new locker rooms, a new practice facility and the split of the 5A Southern Idaho Conference into two pods next fall gives a new coach some building blocks.
At “5A or 4A football, those two levels, no matter who your opponent is, if you don’t lift well, you’re not going to do well,” O’Mahony said. “So that’s the key. But I think it can happen. Somebody’s got to get the kids excited about the whole process. And hopefully, that’ll happen.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2019 at 2:19 PM.
