Scott Chandler of Iowa City Liberty is the Gazette area football Coach of the Year

CEDAR RAPIDS — Nothing about being a head football coach raised his eyebrows. At least on the field.

Everything went as Scott Chandler anticipated.

The off-the-field stuff, however, is a different story. There were a number of ancillary things he didn’t necessarily think about when he decided to take over the Iowa City Liberty program this past May after serving as an assistant coach.

Things like being in charge of equipment, offseason programs, youth camps. The Lightning went to a summer camp at Central College in Pella, which meant setting up transportation and dorm rooms for everyone.

“It really makes me look at the other coaches around town and wonder how they’re doing it,” Chandler said. “Because I think it’s more than a one-man job, with the things they are asking of head coaches. In other states, guys are doing less and getting paid a lot more.”

Chandler is from Texas, where prep football is a religion. The facilities, especially at some of the larger schools, are immaculate, the amount of people involved in programs large.

Iowa is not Texas. Coaches have more on their plates.

Thus Chandler said he’s so thankful for his coaching staff at Liberty, particularly Matt Eckhardt, who helped out a lot with the administrative stuff this season.

“I don’t think I would be able to do it without him. He helps me quite a bit,” Chandler said. “All of those things are not in my skill set, but coaching football really is. To have someone take that off my plate is great.”

And Liberty was great in 2024.

It finished 10-2, losing a heartbreaker to Southeast Polk in a Class 5A state playoff semifinal. This coming off a 4-5 season a year ago and in just the school’s seventh year of existence.

The Lightning averaged 40 points per game behind an offense that had a plethora of good skill guys. They were fun to watch.

Chandler is The Gazette area’s 2024 Coach of the Year.

“It was an honor to be coached by someone who really wanted everyone to succeed to their fullest every day,” said Liberty senior receiver-defensive back Dallas Miller. “Coach Chandler brought a lot of knowledge about football and life lessons that made everyone better each day he coached us. I know I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else except Coach Chandler at the high school level.”

“I really am a little bit in awe of how our staff and kids really rallied around each other,” Chandler said. “I’m just really proud of our team, the way our guys continued to grow throughout the season. They probably exceeded their expectations at the beginning of the year, so I’m just proud of that.”

Did they exceed his expectations?

“I think I might be one of these people who’s delusional,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever gone into a game that I didn’t think I was going to win. My first game coaching we lost, 41-0, to City High, so, yeah, I might be a little delusional there. But I’m always playing for the championship.”

Chandler played tight end for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2003 to 2006, was a fourth-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers in 2007 and played 90 games in the NFL for San Diego, Buffalo and New England.

He caught 181 passes for the Bills from 2011 to 2014.

“I loved Buffalo. Buffalo was a special, special place,” Chandler said. “My wife, every time we watch a game, is like ‘Oh, I wish I was there.’ My daughter turns 11 tomorrow, and she was born in Buffalo. She’s a sports fanatic, is like that little girl in ‘Remember The Titans.’ She knows every single player on the Buffalo Bills. A.J. Epenesa is her favorite, so is Josh Allen ... She’s a lot of fun.

“You think back about those days, and they were so much fun and it feels like it wasn’t that long ago.”

Chandler’s wife, Alissa, is an Oelwein native, which prompted a move back to Iowa following his playing career. The couple has four children (three daughters and a son) who range in age from 8 to 15.

Chandler started coaching at Liberty in 2021.

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“When I think about our drive up to the Dome (in Cedar Falls for the semifinal game), we left the high school and drove by all the elementary schools that feed Liberty, and all of the kids in the elementary schools were lined on the streets and they all had signs,” Chandler said. “It brought a tear to my eye, and talking about it right now just tears me up. That is the kind of thing I experienced growing up in Texas. We would go to the elementary schools on Friday mornings and give high-fives to the kids as they’re coming into school. Then they were all there on Friday night at our game.

“You kind of saw that going all this season. We’re playing a game of football, but it really does have a way of bringing a community together and having people rally around that. I think in this day and age, any time you can get unity and get a community behind a cause, it’s great. There are so many divisive things out there, so something that brings people together, that was really great.”

Comments: jeff.johnson@thegazette.com