(Middlefield, OH)- The Huskies said good-bye to head coach Chris Perrotti after three years at the helm. The team welcomes Rich Turner to the Cardinal Community after most recently spending time on staff for the Warren JFK Eagles.
“The community support and administration support for the program first interested me in the position at Cardinal,” said Turner. “I think the program has the potential to take it to a whole new level.”
The Huskies had made the playoffs for the last four seasons, including 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Under Perrotti’s reins the Huskies went 18-15 overall. During his tenure, the Huskies named five players to the All-Ohio Team.
Coach Rich Turner will start with a clean slate after the Huskies graduate eleven seniors in May of 2024. However, they do return two-time All-Ohio lineman Max Soltis along with quarterback Cal Ciminello and Chaise Harris. They also return Josh Hartman who fought for Varsity minutes and eventually became a starter for them on the line by the end of the season.
“My goals for next season are to be more physical as a team, and win a playoff game for the first time since 2002. I hope to establish a program that builds character and values for the players that can help them become successful not only on the football field but in the game of life,” said Turner. “Be good dads, good husbands, and good community members in the future.”
Turner’s football experience began in the halls of Austintown Fitch High School where he played for the Falcons for four seasons. He earned All-Conference honors at the defensive back position and led the league in interceptions. On the offensive side of the ball, Turner was ranked fourth in receptions and eighth in total touchdowns for the league. During his high school experience the team made it to the Final Four for Division I.
After high school Turner earned his teaching credentials, while getting his Masters degree in educational leadership. Turner will serve as a history teacher for the district where he has many years of AP government classes under his belt.
“It is very exciting to fill the position with someone who we can also get in the building every day as a teacher and brings a ton of experience and success,” said athletic director Jimmy Soltis. “During the hiring process, Rich separated himself from others with his passion for teaching kids, in the classroom and on the field.”
He began his coaching career for Youngstown City Schools while attending Youngstown State University. His coaching staff and he coached East High School, where they went on a 16-game losing streak to winning the league championship and picking up a playoff win in two years. Turner was offered a teaching position located in Florida and joined the Nova High School coaching staff as the offensive coordinator.
The Titans went from 0-10 to 5-5 the very next season.
From Nova High School to Naples High, Turner became an assistant QB/RB coach where the Eagles won a state championship, while following up with a Final-Four appearance.
Turner and his family moved back to Ohio where he began coaching for Normandy High School. He led the Invaders to three playoff appearances and notched two conference titles during his six-year span at the helm. Turner was crowned AP Division II Coach of the Year, along with Conference Coach of the Year.
Players like Jalen Carter who now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles played under Turner in Florida. Turner served as assistant coach to many teams while in Florida.
“We won five out of the last six years, when I was an offensive coordinator at an 8A (2600 students or more) school in Florida where we went 8-2 and our quarterback broke all the school passing records set by Jeff Driscoll who currently plays in the NFL,” said Turner.
The Huskies finished 6-5 last year and 3-2 in the CVC. The team picked up crucial wins over Cuyahoga Heights and Painesville Harvey, but would like to see the Kinsman Cup come back home after going 1-5 against archrival the Berkshire Badgers within the last four years.
“My favorite thing about coaching is seeing the players years down the road be successful and still look back at their football days in the program as a critical part of their good fortunes now,” said Turner.