Post Detail - Columbia Valley Gardens Elementary (2024)

Introducing New Mark Morris Football Coach: Mike Peck

Longview Public Schools would like to introduce the new head Football Coach for Mark Morris High School, Mike Peck! Coach Peck is returning to his stomping grounds at Longview Public Schools for the 2024-25 football season and beyond. Please join us in getting to know CoachPeck through the interview below:

• What got you started in coaching?"My grandpa was a teacher and coach, my dad was a teacher and coach. It’s something, I just always knew I wanted to do. I also played sports growing up and had a lot of great coaches that I looked up to. I knew from a very early age this is what I was going to do for my career."
• What brought you back to Longview?"I love Longview and have a ton of pride for the town. When the job opened up, I just felt like I had to take a shot at it. The opportunity to come back home and help build a program in a community that I care about was just too hard to pass up."
• What was your favorite subject in school?"This is going to sound cliché but I loved PE. Sports have always been a huge part of my life and so many life lessons can be taught through sports if done the right way."
• What’s it like taking on a coaching position that hasn’t changed hands in over 20 seasons?"It is very exciting. I have a ton of respect for Coach Perkins and what he did at Mark Morris and how long he did it. I am excited for the opportunity to continue to build on what he's created."
• How will you build on the legacy of former coaches?"Mark Morris has a rich history in athletics. I want to honor them by doing things the right way, developing young men, having the football team as a positive extension of the school, and building the program with hard work and respect."
• What new ideas will you bring to the table?"In general, a new philosophy for the program and how we will execute that. There are so many ways to be successful in football. Ours will focus on attacking in all 3 phases of the game. On offense, we want to spread the field and attack all parts. On defense, we want to disguise our looks and bring pressure. On special teams, we want to go for it on 4th down, go for 2, etc. Be aggressive and confident in everything we do."
• What traditions do you plan to continue?"I am still learning what traditions they have had for the last 20 years but I want to continue as much of them as possible. Especially singing the fight song after we win. And maybe we create another tradition or two that the players and community like."
• What’s it like coaching a team that was once your rival when you were a quarterback for R.A. Long High School?"I loved my time at RAL and I'm proud of RAL as my alma mater. For me though it's about the town of Longview and doing what we can to help mentor the next generation and build something the community can be proud of."
• What do you think of that “cross-town rivalry”?"I think the cross-town rivalry is great for the community. It's exciting for everybody. Whether you are a player, coach, parent, etc. It is a special week and a fun event for the community."
• How do you plan to build rapport and trust with players, fans, parents, and the community?"I think every program has to know who they are, what they are trying to do, how they are going to do it, and why they are doing it. For us, the Pyramid of Success provides that. If we are all on the same page with the answers to these questions, the rest takes care of itself. I have attached the Pyramid as it is the road map of how we will operate the program."
• What would you like to tell the Longview Public Schools community as you begin your first coaching season at Mark Morris High School?"We will do everything we can to build a program the players, parents, and community can be proud of. We want to help develop young men into great sons, brothers, and eventually husbands and fathers. Our ultimate goal is to create champions on and off the field “The Monarch Way” and have a lot of fun doing it!"