MIKE McCABE
Former Forest Grove HS Coach
First Hire For Buckley
Former Forest Grove HS Coach
First Hire For Buckley
Mike McCabe Joins Pacific Football Staff
The former Forest Grove High School head coach joins the Pacific football staff and will lend local expertise to the Boxers' recruiting efforts
FOREST GROVE – Pacific University Head Football Coach Keith Buckley looked locally for his first hire as he has announced the hiring of former Forest Grove High School headman Mike McCabe as the program’s first assistant coach.
A 1977 graduate of Pacific and a veteran of high school coaching circles, McCabe will provide valuable knowledge and assistance in local recruiting as the Boxers work on building their program for a Fall 2010 kickoff. In addition to recruiting, McCabe will be involved as an offensive assistant.
“Mike’s reputation in the community and his connections to Oregon high school coaches have been a tremendous help in the early states of building the Pacific University football program,” Buckley said.
A 12-year head coach of the Forest Grove High School football program before retiring following the 2008 season, McCabe is excited about remaining involved with football and with the return of the program to his alma mater.
“The timing couldn’t have worked out better,” McCabe said. “Coach Buckley and I have a very similar coaching philosophy and I felt that he was someone I had an immediate connection with. I look forward to the challenges of aiding to put together a program from the ground up. The work involved to get there should be very rewarding.”
McCabe was a teacher and head football coach at Forest Grove High School before retiring from education in 2009. As head coach, McCabe led the Vikings to state playoff appearances in 2003 and 2007. In addition to coaching, McCabe worked as a physical education and weight training teacher.
In addition to football, McCabe served as an assistant track and field coach from 2001 to 2006. He also served as an assistant varsity baseball coach from 1997 to 2001 with both Forest Grove’s high school and American Legion baseball programs.
As a teacher, McCabe spent his first 20 years as a physical education teacher in various local elementary and junior high schools. He moved to Forest Grove High School in 1997.
McCabe’s work as a teacher helped to sell Buckley on his value to the Pacific program. “It was clear in getting to know Mike that he truly cares about players’ development on and off the field, and they in turn care a great deal about him,” Buckley said. “It is that type of player-coach relationship that I am looking for in developing a staff at Pacific.”
A native of Hayward, Calif., and a graduate of Forest Grove High School, McCabe earned his degree in physical education from Pacific in 1977. He played two seasons of football for the Boxers at center from 1973-1974 and also played four years of baseball. McCabe also earned his Master of Science in teaching from Pacific in 1984. He and his wife, Bonnie, continue to live in Forest Grove.
Posted by Blake Timm (timmbr@pacificu.edu) on Oct 13, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Edited by Alana Kansaku-Sarmiento (kans2166@pacificu.edu) on Oct 17, 2009 at 8:43 PM
