Clackamas hires Ryan McCants as head football coach

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Clackamas Cavaliers have officially hired Ryan McCants as their new head football coach.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McCants, a former Oregon State Beavers running back (2008-2011), went 33-22 over the past six seasons at Roosevelt, culminating in a Portland Interscholastic League championship last fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He is tasked with replacing six-year coach James Holan, who went 36-26 and resigned after a 5-6 showing last season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McCants officially signed his paperwork Friday and was able to attend the Clackamas boys basketball team's 74-72 double overtime playoff victory that evening.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For McCants, the move from Roosevelt to Clackamas was difficult, as he felt he poured a lot of himself into the role as both a coach and community leader.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Therefore, it had to be the right fit.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“It was one of those decisions that was not very easy,” he said. “I built a lot of great relationships and worked in the building. I've got a lot of love for the North. Clackamas came in and I applied. It's one of those situations where there's so much support to build a successful football program. There's an infrastructure there to build that program. They answered every question and showed so much support. Clackamas checked all the boxes and it would've been very hard to say no. As a competitor, that's all you can ask for.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One big draw was the opportunity to work with Clackamas athletic director John Arnston, a long-time football and baseball coach who won three baseball state titles with the Cavs.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“He's been phenomenal and is one of the reasons why I took the job,” McCants said. “If you've got a question or have a request he's on it right away. It's awesome to have someone like that in your corner. He's coached football, so he knows what it takes to be successful.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McCants will meet with the Clackamas community Thursday at 6 p.m. and intends to “cast a wide net” in his search for his coaching staff.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clackamas will start spring football in late May.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As for Roosevelt, McCants is thankful for his time with the program and had high praise for the community and the support he received in six years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“What makes Roosevelt so special, to me, is that I saw the potential, having coached against them at Lincoln,” he said. “There was talent and they had success. To go from an outsider, seeing the possibilities there and then working with the community and the youth program to building it from the ground up was awesome. It was a privilege to do it. This year we were able to win league with a group that I first met as seventh graders It was special.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Nemec's notes</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've known McCants for quite some time and it has been inspiring to watch his coaching journey.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When his playing career ended, McCants said he didn't know exactly what was next for him.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I had put all my eggs into one basket with football, and it came to an end in 2012, 2013,” he said. “I finally made the decision to hang it up and had a tough time figuring out who I was if I wasn't a football player. I got involved in coaching camps and 7-on-7 and then someone asked me to join the Lincoln staff. It filled the void that I had. As someone who had a ton of people pour energy into me to get where I got, I wanted to give that back. I love diving into the work, going through the grind and being able to go through the highs and lows.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What McCants doesn't often tell people is that some of those early camps were literally hours away from his home and he would actually lose money given the cost of gas and a meal (or two) on the road.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But he did it because he loved it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He laughed recalling those early coaching days reflecting last summer at The Northwest Showcase at Western Oregon University, explaining that even losing money on those gigs provided some great memories - and lasting relationships. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His smile was even larger that day, however, when the conversation turned to his family. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He'll be an easy one to root for at Clackamas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cavaliers are in good hands.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->