HS Football: Mahanoy Area hires Connolly as head coach

Mahanoy Area head coach Mick Connolly pictured at Schuylkill League Softball Media Day in March. Connolly was officially hired as Mahanoy Area's varsity football head coach Thursday. (Staff Photo).

MAHANOY CITY — Mahanoy Area chose one of its own to be the Golden Bears’ next head football coach.

The Mahanoy Area School Board officially hired Mick Connolly at its meeting Thursday evening in the Large Group Instruction Room at Mahanoy Area High School. The vote was unanimous in favor of Connolly.

Connolly is Mahanoy Area’s third head coach in as many years. Paul Babinsky (2023) and Dave Holman (2024) coached the previous two seasons. Holman served as head football coach for nine seasons overall before stepping down. The board accepted Holman’s resignation effective May 29 at Thursday’s meeting.

The 55-year-old Connolly is a 1988 Mahanoy Area High School graduate. He played tight end and defensive end on back-to-back Eastern Conference Class C championship teams.

Connolly, retired after 25 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, resides in Mahanoy City with his wife, Ashley, and their three children, Ella, Cullen and Carson. He was also Mahanoy Area’s head softball coach this spring.

On the gridiron, Connolly coached in the Tri-County midgets for five years, then spent the past two seasons as the junior high head coach at Mahanoy Area.

Getting hired in late June doesn’t leave much time to get the Bears up to speed with the rest of the area teams.

“We all know we’re behind the 8-Ball. We haven’t had one practice yet, so we’re seriously behind the 8-Ball,” Connolly said. “(Friday) I’m going to have a meeting with the team, and we’re going to get going immediately. … We’ll adjust. We have our work cut out, but we’re going to get going and we’ll be ready to rock and roll.

“The first order of business is we’ll be on the football field, hopefully by Monday,” Connolly added. “I’m going sit down and have a meeting with them (Friday), let them know what I expect, what I expect from them. I didn’t want to make anything official until I was officially approved. I spoke to many, many guys about the coaching positions. I will get on the phone with them (Thursday night) and let them know we’re getting ready to rock and roll. I’ll sit down with them (Friday) as well after I sit down with the kids, and we’ll come up with an agenda.”

Connolly said he has ideas what he wants to do as far as schemes offensively and defensively, but he wants to see his personnel before he makes any firm decisions.

One thing Connolly and Mahanoy Area’s players have going in their favor is the familiarity they have with each other from the midget and junior high programs. He said that should help in the transition to the varsity level.

“I know these kids from the weight room. I work out with them in the weight room. These kids, they’re ready to go,” Connolly said. “They come up to me and they say, ‘When are we going? When are we going?’ I couldn’t say anything, but they’re overanxious and ready to go. … It’s time for us to start going, and we’re going to go. We’re late to the dance, but we’ll get there.”