A team member who didn’t start much while playing football for Lake Orion High School was hired as a varsity coach at a suburban high school outside of Chicago earlier this year.
The football program at Elmwood Park High School isn’t in good shape. It hasn’t won more than two football games since 1999 before they hired Eric Hennessy.
Hennessy, 32, grew up in Lake Orion. Before taking over the head coaching position he was the offensive coordinator.
Hennessy was the focus of a recent story in the local newspaper, Elm Leaves.
While playing for Lake Orion his team was 2-7 when he began.
That turned into two consecutive 10-1 seasons during his junior and senior year.
By the time Hennessy was a senior he transitioned from the bench into a starting offensive tackle.
He was quoted as saying in Elm Leaves that ‘Sitting on the bench made me realize that I’m still part of the team,? he said.
‘I really do think not starting made me a better coach. It made me understand people’s roles.
‘I know what it feels like to not be the star. I was also realizing that hard work is going to pay off for you. Extra hours in the weight room paid off for me.?
Hennessy began his coaching career as an offensive coordinator at Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. His team went from 1-9 in his first season to 9-2 in his third and final year. His school went to its first state playoff appearance.
Hennessy moved on to a brand new school at Southeast Raleigh.
That team was winless in its inaugural season but made it to the state playoffs in each of the next four seasons, losing only five total games in that span.
Hennessy is a television production teacher at Elmwood Park. He and his wife Amy have a two-year-old son Jack.