H.S. Football: Longtime Clearview coach Mike Collier steps down

A good football coach has the perfect speech ready for any moment or situation. Mike Collier had to find the right words Tuesday night to say goodbye. In a lengthy Facebook post Collier announced to the Clearview community he had resigned as the football coach and athletic director, citing health and family concerns as his reasons for leaving the school he attended, then coached at for the past 29 years. "It's just been a process over the last few months," Collier said. "I'm trying to take better care of myself health-wise and we had some family stuff going on. So as a family we thought it would be best to move in this direction." In 18 seasons as head coach, Collier, a 1991 Clearview grad, posted a 109-77 record that included seven playoff appearances and six league titles. For the last 12 years he's also been the athletic director. "Clearview is always going to be home and family to me. It was a tough decision but one that health and family dictated," he said. "It's been a blessing. I am just grateful to have had this opportunity with such great people. I love this place, I've dedicated my entire adult life to it. Coach (Tom) Hoch hired me back in 1996 to coach middle school football and I have been doing it ever since." Collier was a member of Clearview's 1990 team that went 10-0 and won the Lorain County Conference. He was an assistant coach 11 years prior to becoming head coach. Throughout his career Collier has talked about Clearview being a large family and stressed the importance of maintaining that environment to his players. In the end it was the nudge of Collier's family at home that helped lead to this decision. "All three of our kids live in Arizona," Collier said. "So that's something we've talked about wanting to get out there with them and be there for the big moments and the little moments, support them and enjoy life as a family." As athletic director Collier shepherded the Clippers' move from the Patriot Athletic Conference to the Lorain County League and oversaw the installation of synthetic playing surfaces at Tom Hoch Field and on the baseball and softball fields. "I try to be positive at all times so I haven't shared a lot of stuff that's been going on over the past year or two," Collier said. "I just tried to keep things moving in the best direction and doing what was best moving forward." While Collier knows he's making the right decision for himself and his family, he recognizes the magnitude it has across the Clearview community. "What I am going to miss most is the relationships with coaches, ADs, the guys in the media and, first and foremost, the student-athletes. I'm going to miss everyone who has been a part of the Clearview family," he said. "It's not always easy in the athletic world. There are a lot of trials, tribulations and hardships, but when you know you're with people who care about one another those things have a way of working out." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.