HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 05-19 Former Vikings LB Pete Bercich hired as Hill-Murray football coach PIONEER PRESS5/19/2016
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Former Vikings Bercich is Hill-Murray's football coach
Former Vikings LB Pete Bercich hired as
Hill -Murray football coach
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By JAQII,I. I jfrederick@pioneerpress.com
May 18, 2016 1 UPDATED: 15 hours ago
A return to coaching wasn't on the front burner for former Vikings linebacker Pete Bercich. Then he got a phone call.
It was former Vikings center Matt Birk, a mutual friend of Bercich and Hill -Murray athletics director Bill Lechner.
When the Pioneers' coaching position opened, Lech nerca [led Birk to see if he knew of any potential caindidates.
Birk called Bercich.
"It accidentally fell together," Lechner said.
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5/19/2016
Former Vikings Bercich is Hill-Murray's football coach
Bercich went to a catholic high school school in Illinois, something he said always stuck with him, before playing at
Notre Dame. So, when he visited Hill -Murray, it seemed a natural fit.
"I came away just flattered and impressed with the people there," Bercich said. "That started the wheels turning."
On Wednesday it became official — Bercich is the Pioneers' new football coach. He takes over for Rick Fryklund,
who left the job after getting a teaching position at St. Thomas Academy. Bercich also will have a full-time position
at the Maplewood school as its director of development.
Bercich will continue to call Vikings games on KFAN 100.3 -FM.
Bercich was selected in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL draft by Minnesota and played linebacker for seven years
before serving as an assistant under Mike Tice. He has continued coaching at youth levels with his sons in Lakeville.
He said making a more official return to coaching was always in the back of his mind.
"The timing is really good," he said. "It's what I think I'm meant to do, in one form or another, is coach. I'm excited
to work with the high school. I'm excited to work with that age group. There's a lot that can be taught and a lot to
be learned."
Hill-Murraywent 0-8 duringthe regularseason in 2015 before winning its opening playoff game. Butthis could be a
new era far the Pioneers, who will hold a groundbreaking ceremony that Bercich will attend on Friday far the
school's new football stadium, which will feature an artificial turf field and a track and should be completed right
around the start of the 2016 football season.
"I thought, `We've gat to try to see if we can get the best coach possible, because there's some good stuff on the
horizon,' " Lechner said.
Lechnerthinks he's found that in Bercich.
"I know that there's a lot of work to be done," Bercich said. "They have everything there that you need. They have
all the facilities. They have everything you need, so that's not an excuse. Hard work is going to have to carry the
day."
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