NORTH ROBINSON —Ryan Teglovic wanted to make it work.
After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Jan. 18, 2021, Teglovic coached all of last fall, leading the Eagles to a 10-2 record. The plan at the end of the season was thesame as always—prepare for the next one.
Then things changed.
"My wife and I talked in December over Christmas and at that point we were going to try to continue this because I still love to coach and I still want to coach … hopefully, God willing, someday I'll be able to again." Teglovic said."As we got into January and I started these treatments at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, the first treatment into the second treatment they laid forward the schedule. Assuming this is going OK, my schedule for treatments would be every 20 days, I'd have an eight-day treatment cycle in Baltimore until next January. That was the big thing there, at that point I can't miss every third week in a football season.
"Last year I was very fortunate to only miss a few practices because of treatment, but it was only four or five for the year — this would be a week at a time away from it. We'd be putting the kids at a disadvantage and the other coaches at a disadvantage, too."
Tuesday morning, Teglovic made the difficult decision to resign as coach of the Colonel Crawford football team after 14 years with the program.
"It was pretty tough," he said. "We've got a pretty good bond between coaches and players here. Having to tell those guys because of treatments and physically with all things I can't do it next year, it's tough. I've been here for 14 years, and it's not just the players, (but also) my assistant coaches.
"The relationships are what you miss the most, being with the kids day in and day out, being with your coaches, you build a bond and those are relationships that become very important for you. It's a big friendship, the relationships are what you miss more than anything."
Sage advice from the very start
When Teglovic was hired prior to the 2008 season, Athletic Director and basketball coach David Sheldon told him one important thing that still rings true today.
"These kids will work for you."
"He was right," Teglovic said."Our kids bought in and work hard in the offseason, dedicating themselves in season, I've been able to coach a phenomenal group of young men for the last 14 years. The administration here is top notch, very supportive, and the assistant coaches I've had here have been unbelievable. Those still on staff, we've lost a few that have gone on to be head coaches that were tremendously impactful on the football program as well.
"If you're going to be competitive in football, you have to have those components. Kids willing to work hard, good administrative support, and great assistant coaches."
Prior to taking over the program, the Eagles hadn't had a winning season in more than a decade, but that changed quickly under Teglovic's lead. In his second season Colonel Crawford was 6-4. Inhis fifth, the Eagles went to the playoffs for the first time ever and returned the following year, winning a share of the North Central Conference title along the way. His first 10-win season came in 2015 which is also when the program won its first playoff game, 42-10 over Ayersville.
Teglovic didn't necessarily change the culture at Colonel Crawford, rather tapped into what was already established.
"It's special because there was a pretty special history here before I got here," he said."Right before I got here there were some lean years … we hadn't had a winning season since 1996. But you could tap into the 1993 team that was 8-2, the 1992 team was 8-2, there were some great teams in the late-'70s and some really good teams throughout the 1980s — there was tradition here to tap into in the community. Perfect storm, things worked well and I really believe it's the things we talked about. Good administration, good coaches, kids coming from families willing to work hard."
The past two seasons have been special for the program, winning the Northern 10 championship in 2020, the first since sharing the NCC crown in 2013, then winning playoff games in consecutive seasons for the first time ever and making it to the regional semifinal last year and regional quarterfinal this past fall.
"Since I took over in 2008 we've had two losing seasons, one in 2008 my first year here, then again in 2019," Teglovic said."But even those years I enjoyed coming to work every day. It wasn't from a lack of effort from our kids or coaches. You'd love to make the playoffs every year, we did that six times. You'd love to win the league every year, we did that twice.
"But success in the world's eyes isn't always the correct measure of success.I just appreciate the relationship that God has allowed me to have with these kids and coaches, that's what sticks out."
Program, and Teglovic,in good hands
Though stepping down wasn't an easy decision to make, Teglovic knows his replacement will be set up for success.
"Whoever comes in, there's a huge amount of resources here with great kids coming back and coaches who are willing to help," he said."I think it's a really good group coming back. We lose a lot, but next year's seniors have been working really hard in the weight room and you can see the hunger there, they want to go out and prove themselves."
Teglovic's focus now shifts to his own health. Immunotherapy treatments will continue throughout the rest of the year at one of the top healthcare facilities in the country.
"If I look long term, I don't think anybody with cancer thinks they're going to beat this thing in andof themselves," Teglovic said."You can fight, you can take careof your body, you can do all those things, but it's like anybody else on the street — you don'tknow what your last day is and you don't know what's ahead.
"Am I hopeful?Yeah, you have to remain hopeful. But I have today, I appreciate today and live today, continue to fight and get the best help I can get and move forward for as many days thatI have."
The rest, he leaves in God's hands.
"It's really an aspect of faith and trusting in God one day at a time," Teglovic said."You move and do what you can do each day and enjoy each day. I really don't know, my bloodwork and things have been good, but I still have cancer in my body and there are days I don't feel good. The treatments I'm doing are trials and they've had some success, but you just don't know.
"It's life, there's no sure thing … you just try to live, trust in God, and be thankful for the good days you have."
The familyset up a Caring Bridge pageonline shortly after Teglovic's diagnosisfor anyone, and everyone, to follow along on his journey.
zholden@gannett.com
419-617-6018
Twitter: @Zachary_Holden
