“I loved every minute of it…I would not change a thing” Mike Glaser, St. Xavier
They asked Mike Glaser one time why he was hanging it up. The guy was 7-4 in title games, at the KHSAA’s highest classification of competition, and was winning a smidge over 81% of his games. Anyone winning 336-games, against only 78 defeats, in a 31-year period should be contemplating the title, “KHSAA’s all time winningest coach;” not planning fishing trips. Glaser’s response was pretty telling. “Because I am old. I try to bring a lot of juice to practice, and it gets tougher all the time.” You have got to love a self aware man. Getting old aside, Coach Glaser won seven (7) titles, more than 81% of his games, and got to coach with his brother, Bill, when Bill took the reins in 1974. Overall, a pretty terrific life and we think he would definitely agree.
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
Louisville, KY: You know in the coaching fraternity when a career has had significance. One sure sign is when your decision to hang it up grabs a USAToday byline. You’re retiring making the local news is one thing. It making the “national news” is a whole other enchilada.
That was exactly the case, in August of 2012. Mike Glaser announced the 2012 season would be his last at the helm of St. Xavier High and no less of a periodical than one of the nation’s top circulated newspapers, at the time, reported it.
When you’re stepping down is either regionally or even locally newsworthy that says something about your career. When your retiring is nationally newsworthy…well, that says something all together more grand.
Glaser once told Xavier News, in an article entitled “Everyone’s Coach” that his biggest role model, when he was growing up, was his brother Bill. When Mike Glaser was coming along, brother Bill Glaser was a coach at the University of Kentucky. Bill worked on Fran Curci’s staff at UK as its DL coach.
Curci had been an all-American QB at Miami in 1959, was the head football coach at the University of Tampa from 1968-1970, The University of Miami from 1971 to 1972, and headed up the Wildcats from 1973-1981.
Belichick and Saban are my two favorite coaching role models
Mike Glaser to “Xavier News”
Mike Glaser once said, “My two favorite [coaching] role models, other than Bill [brother], [were] Bill Belichick and Nick Saban. Belichick and Saban both made the team the most important aspect. They both believed in the process more than the outcome…”
Those are key characteristics which mark the great ones as being truly great. Believing in, and not short-cutting, the process while making everything about promoting the team over individuals are aspects which ensure success at most all coaching destinations. Believing in processes over outcomes; well, that is coaching.
Glaser went on to relate that “Coaching…is helping people reach their dreams and goals. A coach should be helping others become CHAMPIONS in everything they do.”
That is what Glaser did for 31-years. Glaser helped people reach their dreams and become champions not just in football but in everything.
Glaser was “Everyone’s Coach.” Glaser made kids good at EVERYTHING.
Glaser prided himself on perpetuating the very real perception he would do anything for his players and the men who coached for and with him. Glaser felt his job extended further than making great football players. Glaser wanted to make great people, teammates, citizens. Glaser was selfless, like his coaching role models, like his brother, Bill.
Make no mistake however, Glaser made football champions. Glaser won seven (7) titles over his time on the Tiger sideline. Glaser is the 6th, all-time winningest coach in KHSAA history with a record of 336-78. If you are curious, that is a little over an eighty-one percent (81%), winning percentage, over a 31-year period.
Not bad for a guy who played along the line for the Tigers on one of its better teams. Glaser was a senior in 1969. His own squad finished 11-0 and won the 3A title.
Glaser played for St. Xavier, attended Bellarmine, and coached the freshman team at St. X all four (4) years he was in college
Friday Night Fletch
Glaser, Roman Catholic through and through, attended Bellarmine. While there, Glaser coached the St. Xavier freshman squad for four years.
When Bill Glaser got the Tigers head job in 1974, Mike Glaser jumped at the opportunity to help him. Glaser would coach his brother’s OL.
Glaser served the staff as an assistant for eight (8) seasons before being elevated to the head football coach’s post in 1982. The rest, shall we say, is history.
Glaser won state championships in 1986, ’92, ’95, ’97, ’99, 2004, ’09. Glaser would lead St. Xavier to the title game four other times, coming up empty. Overall, Glaser took St. Xavier to 11-KHSAA title games in 31-seasons.
That comes out to slightly better than a trip to the title game every third year. Pretty impressive, if you ask us.
Glaser’s patronage of St. Xavier High went well beyond the football field. Glaser coached varsity basketball and worked at the school in various capacities on the academic and administrative sides.
Glaser lived The Xaverian principles. Glaser had a ton of humility, kept things simple, conducted his personal and professional affairs in ways inculcating trust from his faculty, administration, and athletic departments, showed deep compassion for his St. Xavier community, and exhibited tremendous zeal for his students, faculty, administrators, coaches, and fans of St. Xavier High. His example fostered a community of faith, service, and excellence.
Mike Glaser was Everyone’s Coach. He exhibited all that was best in our KHSAA community.
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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