MADISON TOWNSHIP — After five years, 29 wins, two playoff appearances and one conference championship, Sean Conway decided it was time for a change.
Conway stepped down as Madison’s football coach Monday evening, saying it was time for a different voice to pilot the program he has spent the past half decade rebuilding.
“We have made a lot of improvement over the course of the last five years. I just think it’s time for another vision,” Conway said in an exclusive interview Monday night. “I believe our program is at that point where a new coach can come in and take it to the next level.
“At the same time, this will allow me to focus on becoming a stronger administrator. My primary focus is to serve the high school … and help serve the district in another way.”
Conway was hired in 2010 to succeed Kevin Maltarich, who spent just one season at Madison before accepting the head coaching position at West Holmes. Conway, who was 44-19 with three playoff appearances and two Firelands Conference titles in six seasons at Crestview — he is still that program’s winningest coach — inherited a Madison program that had won a combined four games from 2007 to 2009.
“I don’t think people realize how bad it was when Sean got here,” Madison athletic director Doug Rickert said. “He and I sat down and watched film from those early years and it was bad.”
The Rams were just 2-8 in Conway’s first season, but made remarkable strides in his second. Madison was the surprise of north central Ohio in 2011, going 7-3 and knocking off crosstown rival Mansfield Senior in the regular season finale. The 27-21 win over the Tygers snapped a four-year Senior High winning streak and set the table for a memorable 2012.
The Rams parlayed a 34-0 win over Mansfield Senior in Week 10 the following season into a share of the Ohio Cardinal Conference championship and the program’s first playoff berth since 2005. Madison knocked off Westlake in the opening round of the Division II playoffs before falling to eventual state champ Toledo Central Catholic.
“Sean Conway has done a phenomenal job at Madison,” said Mansfield Senior coach Chioke Bradley, who graduated from Senior High in 1994 and took over at his alma mater in 2010. “For not coming up in the rivalry, he has embraced it. He has brought a lot of pride back to that side of town.
I have a lot of respect for him and what he has done.”
The injury-plagued Rams were 3-7 in 2013 and not much was expected this fall. Madison secured its second postseason berth in three years with a 21-14 win over Mansfield Senior in Week 10. The Rams nearly stunned seconded seeded Clyde in the opening round of the Division III playoffs before falling 41-33.
So why step aside now?
“As our program has gotten better and things have begun to take shape, my assistant coaches have taken such a lead that they are as important — if not more important — than I am,” Conway said. “I feel very comfortable at this point entrusting the program to such a capable group of coaches. They are committed to Madison and fantastic at what they do.”
Conway gathered with his players Monday to watch the 2014 highlight film. He informed them of his decision then.
“The kids are fine. I like them more than they like me,” Conway joked. “It’s been a real emotional couple of weeks and it all came to a head (Monday night). I broke down a little bit but it’s only because I have the best memories that I could ever ask for as a head coach.
“Walking away from that is extremely tough, even though I’m not going very far. I still love football and I’ll continue to be a Madison Ram and a Madison Ram fan. No matter what, I’m going to be at every Friday night game and I’ll support the new coach in any way I can.”
In addition to revitalizing the program, Conway presided over one of the most exciting periods in school history. Ram Field at STARTEK Stadium debuted this fall with its new artificial surface.
“The Madison administration really set the football program up for success,” Conway said. “When you have the good fortune to work with the administration and coaching staff that I worked with, you can get a lot done in a short period of time. I could not be more thankful to a group of people than I am to them.”
Conway said the decision to step away was made with the program’s well being in mind.
“Although I plan on enjoying more time with my wife and children, my wife would never ask me to step down,” he said. “She has supported me for 11 years as a head coach.
“I came to this decision because I want to do the right thing for the Madison football program. It wouldn’t be fair if the head coach couldn’t give everything that is needed for the program to be successful.”
Conway’s coaching staff included former Madison head coach Matt Godsil and former Mansfield Senior head coaches LeRoy Smith and Jamie Masi, among others.
“You could not find a better group of individuals to lead a team,” Conway said. “They are the greatest friends I have in this world. I learned something new every single day and they’ve all been so inspirational for me.”
Whoever takes Conway’s place will inherit a program on much more firm footing than the one Conway encountered five years ago. Madison returns Richland County’s most dynamic player in sophomore Tyrell Ajian, who picked up a pair of Division I college scholarship offers last week.
“The relationships I’ve gained in the Madison community and with the Madison players have changed my life so much. I could not be more proud to represent a school district,” Conway said. “I feel like I’m a Ram in my blood and I never want to be anything else. I’ll be here until Madison doesn’t want me to be here.
“I love Madison, I love my players, I love the people I work with and I could not be more thankful. They’ve blessed me for five years and I’ll never be able to show my true appreciation.”
