Rose Bowl MVP Pat Coogan of IU makes Marist High School proud
Marist High School in Chicago's Mount Greenwood neighborhood has been well-represented in the college football playoffs, with three grads in last year's national championship.
Two players — Carnell Tate and Nolan Baudo — went to Ohio State, while Pat Coogan played for Notre Dame. Coogan, a center, transferred to Indiana University for his fifth season this year, and recently added another accolade to his résumé that made his community and his high school coach proud.
When Coogan was named Rose Bowl MVP last week, the Marist grad became the first offensive lineman to win it since 1944.
His teammates weren't the only ones who were excited for him in the moment.
"I pulled out my phone, rewound it, and I was recording my TV the entire interview that he did just so that I could have it, you know, to refer back to," said Coogan's former coach, Ron Dawczak. "That's how proud I was as his former coach."
Coogan has Dawczak a few proud moments during his college career — like playing in a national championship game with Notre Dame last season before transferring and helping the Hoosiers go undefeated on the way to a semifinal.
"To play with a Heisman winner, and the level of dominance that they've shown over the course of the year, has been almost surreal," Dawczak said. "For him to be able to assume a leadership role as quickly as he did, and to just see how tight he is with his teammates, is something really, really special, and I think it speaks volumes about the type of person that he is."
Dawczak saw that person firsthand while he was coaching Coogan at Marist.
"Never once would look to take a shortcut in anything, was always one of the hardest workers. The leadership ability and leadership qualities stood out at an early age when he was here," said Dawczak. "Minutes after winning a Rose Bowl and being named MVP, he even acknowledged right away said our work isn't done yet, so always has his mind on what's important, and it's always team first with him."
Now, Coogan and his team are one win away from what would be Coogan's second straight national championship appearance, with different programs. It is a unique opportunity potentially to cap off a successful career that all began in Mount Greenwood.
"Being such a key component of two different national championship-level teams, it would just be something that for me, I would just look at it with a lot of pride," Dawczak said. "This is such a tight-knit community that really enjoys the success of one of our former students and student athletes here. It's great for the Marist community at large to see Patrick to enjoy the success that he's had."
Some of the community will be there to see it all unfold in Atlanta. Dawczak said he will be at the Peach Bowl.
Dawczak also went to the IU game against Wisconsin this year, as his daughter also happens to be a freshman at IU.
The College Football Playoffs resume Thursday night with the firsts semifinal matchup between Miami and Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl.