Chargers Reeled Mariakis Back To Football's Sideline

Veteran Coach Was Content Walking Away From Ridgeland

  • Wednesday, August 17, 2016
  • Larry Fleming
Rather than end his 30-year coaching career, Mark Mariakis decided to join Chattanooga Christian's football staff in 2015. A year later, Mariakis is the Chargers' head coach and still going strong.
Rather than end his 30-year coaching career, Mark Mariakis decided to join Chattanooga Christian's football staff in 2015. A year later, Mariakis is the Chargers' head coach and still going strong.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Mark Mariakis, who as head coach almost shepherded Ridgeland to the pinnacle of Georgia high school football in 2012, breezed through his first season as Chattanooga Christian School’s defensive coordinator.

The 30-year coaching veteran was perfectly content in his role as an assistant on Rob Spence’s staff, and returning to a head job was the last thing on Mariakis’ mind.

But, one found him anyway.

At Chattanooga Christian School.

“Never,” the 54-year Mariakis said when asked if, in 2015, he ever envisioned being a head coach again.

Even in his final two years at Ridgeland, while seriously contemplating retirement from teaching and coaching, Mariakis would have been at ease just stepping away.

“I told people I could walk away from football and never look back,” he said. “It’s what I do, but it’s not who I am. I’ve been blessed, God’s been good to me, football has been great for me and my family, but it’s not my life.

“I don’t go home and sit at the dinner table drawing up plays on a napkin. That’s just not me. At that time, I just didn’t see myself getting back into a head coaching role.”

Mariakis had already proven himself over and over.

He went 72-51 in 11 years at Ridgeland, starting slowly but building momentum along the way. From 2008-12, the Panthers were 47-14 and reached the Georgia state playoffs each year.

The high-water mark came in 2012 when Ridgeland went 13-2 and lost to Sandy Creek, 45-10, in the Class 4A championship game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The Panthers’ high-powered offense averaged 40 points per game and the defense, which has been Mariakis’ specialty throughout his career, held opponents to half that many.

Mariakis was named the coach of the year by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association, the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the Associated Press and won the last of three Region 7-4A Coach of the Year honors.

He was the toast of the Chattanooga Valley, where Ridgeland High is located.

However, the Panthers’ fruitful run when Mariakis went 7-13 in his final two seasons. So, he stepped down.

“When I retired I really had not planned to go back into football,” he said.

Then, a long-time friend called.

It was Spence, the Chattanooga Christian coach who came offering something he though Mariakis likely could accept – a position as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator.

“This is what he said,” Mariakis recalled in a recent interview. “He said, ‘I know you’re not going to do this, but I need some help. Can you help me?’ One thing led to another and I came to CCS.”

Mariakis, a deeply religious person heavily involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and church ministry, found that CCS’ part-time offer was a perfect fit.

“The first semester I was showing up at 1:30, teaching a couple classes and coaching football,” Mariakis said. “The spring semester I’d come in for the first two classes and be home by 10:30.”

That schedule worked splendidly.

In 2015, the Chargers posted their first winning season (8-4) and won their first playoff game before losing to Notre Dame in the second round.

Two months later, Spence, who left Rutgers University for the CCS job, was interviewing for an assistant’s position at Tennessee-Chattanooga. It was on a Friday before Martin Luther King’s holiday.

Later in the day, Mariakis received another call, this time from Bryant Black, the upper school head.

“He found me having dinner at the Pizza Hut across the street from school,” Mariakis said. “He asked if I had heard about Rob.’ I said, ‘No.’

“Bryant said, ‘He’s at UTC right now and they’re going to offer him a job. If he takes it, we’re going to offer you the job here.’

“I said, ‘No, don’t do that.’

“And he said, ‘We’re going to. You’ll have to turn it down.’ ”

Spence took the college job.

Mariakis asked for time to talk with his wife, Debbie.

At 8 o’clock the next morning, Mariakis had breakfast with Black and the two spent four hours discussing all things CCS football.

“We left that meeting with me taking the job,” Mariakis said. “And here we are. I’m at peace about my decision. We’re having a blast and it’s a blessing. All the coaches here love the Lord, love the kids and they can coach some football.”

Now, the question becomes: how long does Mariakis, who will soon turn 55, plan to stick to running another prep program?

“Until I don’t enjoy it,” he said. “That’s when I’ll bail out, but I’m nowhere close to doing that.”

Mariakis and the Chargers have plenty to look forward to. First, they have to take care of this upcoming campaign with the hopes of continuing their on-field success from a year ago. And, CCS has decided to leave TSSAA’s Division I and move into Division II-AA for the 2017-18 season.

That’s a big decision and a huge leap into the future and Mariakis’ steady hand at the top of the program seems like a necessity.

“We’re going to ride this thing out and take it year-by-year,” the coach said. “One benefit to teaching and coaching in public schools is that after 30 years you can start drawing retirement. That gives you some freedom to explore some things.”

That three-decade passage helped Mariakis make up his mind to leave Ridgeland.

“The time there was incredible, but it was time to move on,” he said. “You get that feeling. That decision was in my heart for three or four years.”

After hesitating a few moments, he added: “Here’s the sad thing about head coaching and staying at schools. When I left Ridgeland with 12 years of experience, I was the second-most tenured coach in 4A football in Georgia. The number one guy was at Marist and he had like 30 years. 

“When I was going to school at East Ridge High School, I played for Raymond James and he was there a long time. Tom Weathers was at Red Bank for years. They went to those schools and stayed. Those days are gone. The pressure of winning, dealing with all the stuff you have to deal with, people can’t do it anymore.”

Mariakis said he has a special group of players and the CCS culture is different – in a good way. The idea is to put a competitive product on the field, but more important is what other people see when the look at that product.

CCS desires that people see a Christ-like attitude, sportsmanship, citizenship, family love, caring, great effort and toughness.

“Those are things that don’t come natural,” Mariakis said. 

Along the way those players are going to be “coached up” by Mariakis and his staff, with some new ideas right from the get-go.

The Chargers have run a spread offense since they began playing prep football in 2009, including the time Spence was around.

Mariakis prefers the wing-T, a run-oriented offense.

“This will be the first time CCS has ever taken a snap under center,” he said. “Instead of zone blocking, our linemen for the first time will have to come off the ball. It’s an exciting time.”

That long-lasting enthusiasm for the sport is what keeps Mariakis going.

(Reach Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)

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