Mike Brennan
- Post by: mcalibrary
- January 3, 2024
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SPECIAL HONOREE
WINNING A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP! BEING NAME PENNSYLVANIA COACH OF THE YEAR! You would think that these accomplishments would be for someone who has been in the business for 10 years or so. Not for Coach Mike Brennan. You see, Mike accomplished the fete in only his first year at the helm of the Red Tornadoes and in only his third year as a head football coach. The championship was Mount Carmel Area’s fourth since 1994 and kept alive its streak of winning titles in even numbered years – 94-96-98-2000. Mike is being honored here today for being named Associated Press Pennsylvania AA Coach of the Year as well as Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association AA Coach of the Year.
Some would like you to believe that all Brennan has to do was assume control and let the players perform on the field. The truth is that Mike inherited a team with only two full-time offensive starters returning – Matt Bucher at guard and Jon Veach at tailback. On defense, four starters returned; Yasenchak, Veach, Lentini, & Ziegler, along with part time starters Brown and Cuff. The first thing Mike did was to assemble his coaching staff, making sure that all were on the same page both offensively and defensively. The rest is history!
Brennan led the 2000 edition of the Red Tornadoes to a 14-1 record and won Mount Carmel Area’s 5th district championship and 4th Pennsylvania AA State Title. The team’s only loss was to District IV AAA Champion Selinsgrove. In addition, the Tornadoes added to their own state history by winning their 700th game with a win over Troy in the Dist IV semi final game. They became the first team in the state to win 700 games with record now standing at 704.
Mike came to us from Pottsville Nativity where he had been the head football coach for two seasons as well as the Director of Development. Brennan received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Education from Temple University in 1993. While a member of the Owls Football Program, Mike earned 2 letters as an offensive tackler/tight end. Following graduation, Mike served as an assistant football coach at Holy Cross High School in Delran, NJ. In 1994, Mike moved on to Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT where he served as an offensive line coach and was responsible for recruiting Eastern Pennsylvania.
Mike was recently married to the former Melissa Painter of Pottsville and hopefully he has experienced only the first of many successful seasons as the leader of the Mount Carmel Area High School Red Tornadoes.