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Matt Kitchie isn't 'that guy'

Tribune photo by Eddie Daniels

New Land O’ Lakes football coach Matt Kitchie (left) has been warmly embraced by the Land O’ Lakes community. Last week the football booster club hosted a meet and greet at the Wilderness Beef O’Brady’s in Land O’ Lakes.

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By EDDIE DANIELS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 2, 2009

LAND O’ LAKES - Matt Kitchie isn't one to fudge with the past.

While coaching in Bradenton, he witnessed what can happen when a new football coach decides to not embrace the past. His wife, Laurie, a teacher at Manatee High, was there when longtime Hurricanes coach Joe Kinnan retired.

Kinnan, a legend among Florida high school coaches, led the program to four state titles, 23 winning seasons and 15 district titles. That's just a few of his accolades. He stepped down following the 2000 season and was replaced by former Gaither coach Howie DeCristofaro.

Kitchie, sipping on a Coke inside a crowded Wilderness Beef O'Brady's in Land O' Lakes, admitted, he doesn't want to be that guy.

"I hate to say it this way, but I saw how not to do it," Kitchie said. "Instead of embracing, he said we're going to change everything and do it this way. When you do that, you alienate all the people who came before you and if nothing else, the game of football is really good at remembering what came before you and everything that was built."

Kinnan, selected to the Florida High School Athletic Association's All-Century Team in 2007, took his old job back in 2005.

Kitchie, 31, replaces John Benedetto, who led the Gators for 32 seasons. During that time, Benedetto collected a 196-149 record, 13 district titles, including the last three seasons; 17 playoff appearances, including the last 12 seasons; six Sunshine Athletic Conference titles and two appearances in the regional finals.

Kitchie's willingness to accept the past seems to have made him a hit around the community and the locker room.

"Everybody has been phenomenal. The people of this community have really opened their hearts to me it feels like," said Kitchie, who coached Saint Stephen's Episcopal from 2006-08. "Everywhere I go, people are so nice. Everywhere I go they want to talk about the team. This is why I took this job."

That isn't so surprising to Land O' Lakes Principal Ric Mellin. He recently took over at the school and admits, he received the same greeting.

"I knew that was going to happen because when I transferred in a few months ago, that was the same type of embrace I received from the community," said Mellin, who held the same position at Mitchell. "I have a little bit of an advantage than Coach Kitchie does because I taught in the community about 15 years ago [at Pine View Middle School], so many of the families know me.

"I've known that the Land O' Lakes community is a community that supports their school, supports their teachers and administrators. I know what I was coming into and I knew it would be the same type of reception that Coach Kitchie would receive."

At some point, though, the past is the past and the product on the field has to mimic what the current coach wants to see. He plans to tweak things and bring in a few traditions from his playing days at Bradenton Southeast – a team that won state titles in 1993 (Class 4A) and 1994 (Class 5A) – while he played.

He also understands he must evaluate how well the group picks up on his plays in order to make changes in the playbook. If they're quick studies, expect a spread offense. If they don't grasp all the nuances, it likely will be a firm balance of the team's strong running game and dangerous passing game.

"In all honesty, the coaches who have been here already, the ones who have committed to being with us, have been real open to all the things I want to do," Kitchie said. "I have to be honest, it's not really up to me or the coaches, it's up to the kids. If they don't believe in what we do, why do it? It's going to be more how the kids can go, what they're good at.

"We may have to run the offense and the defense they've run in the past and maybe wrap some of the stuff I want to do into it. Maybe we can go wholesale. I can't tell you today what that it. It's going to depend on the kids, they're learning curve and most importantly, their desire."

What is for certain, he isn't willing to lock 12 consecutive playoff appearances by the Gators in the haze of the past.

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 259-7066.

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