The new leadership of the Streetsboro Rockets’ cross country program will have not one but two new coaches at the helm. Coaches Adam Miller and Larry Hoffman will assume co-coaching responsibilities, with Hoffman becoming the girls’ coach and Miller the new boys’ coach.
“It is very humbling and I feel great pride,” Hoffman said. “I am a Streetsboro graduate myself; I did not run cross country, but my daughter chose that path and got me connected about 10 years ago with it, so it has been a good journey, and I am looking forward to the season.”
The duo succeeds Coach Jon Hannan, who stepped down from his post as the head cross country coach of both Rocket teams for the last five years. As The Villager previously reported, Hannan is leaving the Streetsboro School District to become the new Athletic Director of Holy Name.
Hoffman served as an assistant coach under Hannan for the last three years. Miller has been tapped to become the boys’ coach after playing a supporting role with the program for the last three years.
“It is an honor,” noted Miller. “I spoke with Jon Hannan regarding why he thought I might be a good fit, and he hoped I might be able to continue with what he has done in development even further, so it is an honor to take on that challenge.”
According to Miller, he had been selected to become the Streetsboro middle school cross country coach after the Streetsboro Board of Education recently voted to reinstate middle school sports in June.
Prior to the Board’s decision, all Streetsboro middle school sports had been suspended earlier in the year, a consequence of the school district failing to pass an operating levy in May.
After the Board reversed its decision, Miller was prepared to take on the head coaching role of the middle school program, but Hannan contacted him to inform him that he was taking a new position, and they talked about him becoming the head coach of the Rockets’ varsity program.
Miller was familiar with the program, as his oldest son Ares has been running for Streetsboro for the past three years.
“I just became the supporting parent that was at each meet, making sure that my son and his teammates were well-cared for and supported,” Miller said. “I ran to all of the different locations I could to fight the mental monsters that are constantly plaguing runners in a race.”
Conversations about Hannan’s replacement included Hoffman, and the decision was made that Miller would coach the boys and Hoffman would lead the girls.
“I have been with the high school program for the last three years so I think Jon just assumed that as long as I was willing to stay on, we would just need one more coach and we would do it that way,” added the 1991 Streetsboro graduate.
Hoffman and Miller’s paths had crossed before, having been assistant coaches for the Running Rockets, a youth cross country program created by Hannan, as their children came up through the program.
Although it is Miller’s first time in a high school coaching role, he already has a strong connection with the program through all of his work behind the scenes. Hoffman represents a familiar face on the coaching staff, having coached the senior and junior classes for the last three years.
“Larry has such a vast knowledge about the ins and outs of the program from running it himself, also the technical side,” said Miller. “He is familiar with the multiple groups that we worked with in order to fundraise to keep the season running smoothly. It would be very difficult to fly alone on this.”
Although there are two new head coaches in the Rockets’ program this year, Hoffman stressed that they plan to keep the two teams as closely aligned as possible.
“While we will have our own separate squads, we are still very close with both squads,” Hoffman said. “I can see the connection with Adam starting on both sides. I think it will be good for the kids to have two coaches that care and are willing to do what we have to do to get them ready.”
They will lead Streetsboro in a Metro Athletic Conference that has several new members, with Cuyahoga Falls, Tallmadge and Portage County rival Kent Roosevelt joining the conference while Akron Coventry has departed to join the Principals’ Athletic Conference.
Hoffman said that the goals still remain the same for the Rockets.
“Our goals are to always compete for a MAC championship, always be ready to go when that postseason hits. Go out and do our best and see if we can put a team together,” he said.
