1st day in books for C.R. Washington’s Maurice Blue, the Metro’s first African-American head football coach

CEDAR RAPIDS — His first practice as head football coach at Cedar Rapids Washington began with conditioning tests. It ended with players doing sprints sideline to sideline.

Then more sprints sideline to sideline. Then more.

'Don't feel sorry for yourself, because no one's gonna feel sorry for us,' Maurice Blue told his players Monday morning, as they lined up to run yet again. 'We're not deep, we can't afford not to be in shape. We're down in numbers, so we've got to be high in mental toughness.'

The longtime defensive coordinator takes over for Paul James, now head coach at Linn-Mar.

He has been a part of this program for approaching 25 years as a player and coach. Blue is invested in Washington football to the absolute hilt.

'It doesn't feel weird, probably won't feel weird for a little bit. Maybe the first game. Hell, maybe the first scrimmage,' he said, with a laugh. 'I have always cared a lot about this program. Now I have to care a lot and make sure things run smoothly. There are just added things with being a head coach. The little stuff you don't realize. When you're an assistant, you're like 'Yeah, I'll be the head coach.' Then you get it, and it's like 'Oh, my God.' You've got to deal with this person, with that person, this situation, that situation.'

Blue is the first African-American head football coach in Metro history, one of the few this state ever has seen. You ask him its significance to him, and he has a difficult time answering.

He always has just seen himself as a football coach, period.

'I know there will be people that will think it's a big deal, and I won't say it's not,' he said. 'Is it to me? I don't know, because I haven't really thought about it. Since I've been coaching, I've been a black coach. As far as coordinators, one of the very few in the state. It just is what it is.

'I think more about being the head guy at my alma mater. That's a bigger deal to me than the other stuff. I don't want to pooh-pooh anything or anybody, because it is significant. It's just kind of funny that it's me, because the last guy who thinks about that kind of stuff is me.'

Blue was able to retain much of the coaching staff from last season, including Frank Scherrman, Tim Callahan and Jason Davis. He has promoted head sophomore coach Jason Wood to varsity assistant and added former Wash all-stater and NFL player Dedric Ward.

Washington lost in the Class 4A state playoff semifinals last season and appears to be a very capable squad again. The team has a pair of Division I offensive linemen in tackles Andrew Todd (who has committed to Miami of Ohio) and Nolan Potter (who is being heavily recruited by Northern Illinois, among others).

'It's been great with Blue,' Potter said. 'He's shortened things up. We're going harder and shorter than last year, and it's been great.'

'It is (different), but it isn't,' Todd said. 'Coach Blue has been here so long and works so hard, cares so much about his team. It's a good feeling to play for him. You know he's got your back, no matter what. And he brings a new energy, being the head guy now. That's infectious.'

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