PJ O’Connell grew up in Anderson. He went to high school at AUHS. He spent many Friday nights as a teen lacing up his cleats, strapping up his pads and repping that blue and yellow Cubs jersey.
But, most of all, from the time he was born to the present day, PJ O’Connell developed a love for all that is Anderson. He’s an Anderson guy through and through.
“Anderson is a unique place,” O’Connell said. “There’s a type of person that comes out of Anderson and those are my type of people.”
And now, O’Connell is here to shut the revolving door of head coaches that has plagued the school’s football program over the last few years.
O’Connell was introduced to the game of football as a young kid. He played Pop Warner and continued competing throughout high school.
So, when his son turned six and started to play the sport competitively, O’Connell felt his experience with the game could help his son and other young players in the area.
“I had some football knowledge from playing,” O’Connell said. “I just went out to volunteer and just fell in love with it. I never had the intention to coach at this level or at any level. It was just to go help out and volunteer my time.”
Once O’Connell realized just how much he loved coaching, dreams started to form. Dreams he wasn’t sure would ever become reality.
“Once I caught that coaching bug and realized it’s something I truly loved and it’s something that fulfills me, my ultimate goal was to be the head football coach at Anderson,” O’Connell said.
So, when the job at his alma mater opened up, O’Connell didn’t waste his shot.
“I heard that the job was open, and I figured if there’s a chance and this is what I really wanted, at least throw my name in the hat and see what happens,” O’Connell said. “I did not think it would come as soon as it did. I thought that was maybe a futuristic type of dream that could possibly happen one day.”
It’s an unusual dream, as O’Connell himself recognizes, but it’s his dream. Coaches, like athletes, tend to progress from high school to college to the pros. However, O’Connell is home.
“I’m sure a lot of people have dreams of coaching in college or the NFL, but my ultimate dream was really to be where I’m at right now,” O’Connell said. “In my heart I want to stay here as long as possible, as long as they’ll keep me. This is something that I don’t intend on stopping anytime soon.”
For an Anderson program that has now seen three head coaches in the last three seasons, O’Connell’s arrival and commitment to the program are a sigh of relief.
According to athletic director Jeremiah Jones, who also joined the Anderson athletic department this season, the search came down to O’Connell and a few other experienced coaches in the area.
“We ended up going with PJ because he is a local guy and someone who we thought can revive our program,” Jones said. “We always hope the coach we get is going to stick around. Some stability to our school and our football program would be great.”
If O’Connell has his way, fans of Anderson football can expect a shift. However, the shift is not immediate.
It’s been years since Anderson’s glory days, ones that O’Connell remembers very well.
“For somebody that has lived in this community basically my whole life, I’ve seen Anderson at its height,” O’Connell said. “When I was a young man, it was a powerhouse. One of the top programs in the area.”
O’Connell knows that for Anderson to regain its prominence in the North State, it starts with building a culture. That culture takes time.
Just because a team wins some games doesn’t mean the culture is back. Yes, O’Connell and the Cubs want to win games in 2025, but there’s arguably a more important goal at stake: setting the tone for the future of the program.
It starts with relationships, and it’s O’Connell’s favorite part of being a coach.
“Just building those relationships with those kids and helping them reach their potential as human beings,” O’Connell said. “Obviously on the football field that’s great but making some kind of positive impact on their lives and hopefully that’s good enough to help them become good human beings and men.”
O’Connell is already starting to see that culture start to take form.
At the team’s most recent outing, a three-team scrimmage against Central Valley and Yreka on Aug. 16, O’Connell noticed his team embracing the aspects of the game that make the sport special.
“There were no egos involved. There was nobody worried about their tackle, or their touchdown, or their yards, they were genuinely happy for one another and celebrating each other’s victories,” O’Connell said. “That’s the thing that sticks out for me and hopefully something we can build on.”
It’s a work in progress, but something O’Connell will continue to preach.
“Sometimes I think guys this age think that if they give somebody a compliment it’s a form of weakness, or they are showing some type of emotion they shouldn’t be showing,” O’Connell said. “Everybody enjoys a compliment. What better way to build a relationship and form a camaraderie with our brothers than really celebrating each other and spending time building each other up?”
O’Connell and the new Anderson program will hit the field for regular season action on Friday, Aug. 29 at Etna. It will be the first time O’Connell leads the squad out as head coach.
For O’Connell, winning games is nice, but it’s a temporary solution to a larger problem. O’Connell isn’t just looking to win games, he’s looking to restore Anderson to what he believes and knows it can be.
“We’ve had our ups and downs, but to have a coach that can bring that culture back,” O’Connell said. “I think ultimately that’s where I want Anderson football to be.”
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: ‘My ultimate goal’: PJ O’Connell leads Anderson as head football coach in 2025
Reporting by Brett Abrams, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
