2024 Ashland County Hall Of Famer Saccomen Continues To Be AU Football Coaching Staple

The 100^th Homecoming game for Ashland University's football team will be Saturday (Oct. 5) at 1 p.m. vs. Ohio Dominican at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
 
Interior defensive line coach John Saccomen has seen more Ashland Homecomings than anyone else currently affiliated with Eagle football. Saturday will be his 33^rd Homecoming in his second stint with the program (1983-2004, 2013-current, no Homecoming in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
 
"What I expect is we're going to have a full-house, number one," Saccomen said of Homecoming, as the Eagles (2-2 overall, 2-0 conference) are tied for first place atop the Great Midwest Athletic Conference standings. "I know we're going to have a lot of enthusiasm."
 
On Homecoming, Saccomen will coach in his 346^th career game at Ashland – two shy of tying College Football Hall of Famer Dr. Fred Martinelli for most games coached in the history of Eagle football. Fittingly, he will break Martinelli's mark at home on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. vs. Northwood.
 
"Part of it is the love of the game," said Saccomen, who has coached for Martinelli, Gary Keller, Lee Owens and, now, Doug Geiser, when asked why he continues to coach. "I don't have to be here. I like what I do, I like the people I work with."
 
Geiser values having a coach with as much experience as Saccomen has.
 
"There's great value in John's experience," he said. "What he has seen and what he has coached, he was a defensive backs coach here initially. There's a ton of credibility. There's not many people in the country who can say they've coached a defensive lineman in the College Football Hall of Fame (Bill Royce).
 
"That's what's tangible. The hidden value with John Saccomen is who he is as a person, as a man. He's a man that's full of integrity and accountability. He holds his players accountable. They know he loves them. It's that combination of expertise and his intangibles…that make him special."
 
Over the last five seasons, Saccomen has had the opportunity to coach with his son-in-law, AU defensive ends coach Andy Tabler.
 
"It's been unbelievable," Saccomen said. "When we first met, he came to the house, and we were talking, and it took just a couple minutes, and we were talking about football and getting in stances and things like that, talking about technique."
 
Said Tabler, "It has been an incredible and rewarding experience, not only for me, but also for my wife (Saccomen's daughter, Rochelle) and sons (A.J. and Lucas). It's one thing to say that your football program is like a family, but for us, it really is."
 
Added Geiser, "Coaching defensive line nowadays is a two-person job. It's two different job descriptions, inside and outside. Just the relationship they have. There's already an understanding there, there's a trust there. They both know they are working for the same common goal, but they don't always think alike, which is good.
 
"They can bounce ideas off each other, they can get mad at each other, disagree, but at the end of the day, they know they are pulling the rope in the same direction, and that's pretty special to see, especially when it is a father-in-law and a son-in-law."
 
To this day, Saccomen is teaching highly-successful Eagle defensive tackles. Senior Collin Strong is the reigning Great Midwest defensive Athlete of the Week.
 
"John's attention to detail and demand for players to do things the right way has had a big impact on how his guys play," Tabler said. "Continuing to look for better ways to do or teach something has allowed him to remain successful. But ultimately, his genuine love for his players stands out above all other aspects of his coaching.
 
"Having him with our program has been great for our younger coaches who learn a lot from him. He has been a big influence on the many former Eagle players and coaches that have moved on in the coaching profession at the high school, college, and NFL levels."
 
Once Homecoming is over, Saccomen will have a very interesting Saturday a week later, as, on Oct. 12, he will be at Findlay at noon for the Eagles' key game against the Oilers, then will be inducted into the Ashland County Sports Hall of Fame at 6 p.m. at the AU Convocation Center.
 
"I've never sought accolades, ever. And I still don't," said Saccomen. "When all of that came about, number one, I was surprised by it. At the same time, I guess excited that people think that much of me to put me in that position.
 
"I'm working as hard as I ever have, and I want the successes for my guys to be as great as they've ever been."
 
"Great leaders and great teachers stand the test of time," said Tabler. "They continue to learn and adjust to the changing times, but they don't let anything change their core values. Having him around our program has been incredible for our players, but also for our football alums who come back for games or bring their kids back. They can usually be heard telling their kids, "He is the greatest, you'd be lucky to play for him."