Pen Argyl Area High School’s football team isn’t far removed from championship success.
Brady Mutton knows that because he was on the field for those games just a handful of years ago.
Now, Mutton will try to lead the Green Knights back to those heights.
The 2014 Pen Argyl graduate was approved as the football team’s new head coach during Tuesday night’s school board meeting. Southern Lehigh graduate Chelsea Rivenbark was also approved as the school’s new cross country coach at the same meeting.
Mutton replaces John C. Smith, who had a 7-13 record after two seasons in charge. Despite his youth, the Moravian College graduate was eager to jump at the opportunity when the position became available at his alma mater.
“As soon as it opened, I knew it was something I wanted to do,” he said. “To me, becoming a head coach is going to be a challenge at any time … I didn't know if I'd have the opportunity again. I didn't know who would get the job or when it would open again. The age really didn't matter. If you're good at something and passionate about something, I think you can take care of pretty much anything you want to.”
Mutton was an Express-Times/lehighvalleylive All-Area first-team offensive lineman when the Green Knights won District 11 Class 2A championships in 2012 and 2013. Pen Argyl has a record of 21-42 in the six seasons since Mutton’s graduation, with just one winning campaign.
The new coach feels that getting the kids invested in a leader who is in it for the long haul is important.
“They're still hard-working and tough kids. I never saw a huge change in the kids that are coming through the program. I don't think it's talent,” Mutton said. “It's about getting kids to buy into a program that's going to be around a while. I think with them having that assurance, knowing that I'm there for them and I have these relationships with them already, it's just a matter of pulling the talent out of them and executing when it comes time on the field.”
Mutton was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator with the Green and White youth program, primarily working with sixth-graders, from 2012-16. He worked under Rob Melosky as an offensive line coach and freshman head coach at Pocono Mountain East from 2017-19.
“There was shellshock at first. It wasn't any sort of culture or program I've ever really been a part of, but there's not a better person to learn from,” Mutton said of Melosky. “Between him and coach (Bill) Brong, they're just two guys with a lot of head-coaching experience and success. They really went out of their way to help me and prepare me for this. They didn't know it was going to be this year – I didn't know it was going to be this year – but in all three years, there has been a concerted effort to start prepping me as a head coach, knowing that's something I wanted to do. I think that paid big dividends.”
Mutton currently serves as a mental health worker at the Colonial Academy in Wind Gap.
“We feel his experiences as a player, coach and mental health worker make him a great fit for our program,” Pen Argyl athletic director Tim Egan said in a release. “His familiarity with our community, school and athletic program will serve him well as he begins his head coaching career here in Pen Argyl.”
Mutton, who was a PIAA Class 2A wrestling runner-up at 285 pounds during his senior season, is pursuing a master’s degree and teaching certification at East Stroudsburg University.
He’s had preliminary talks with several potential staff members, but hasn’t finalized anything at this point. Those staffers will help prepare the Green Knights for a new era of Colonial League football.
Pen Argyl will enter the new joint football conference formed by the Colonial and Schuylkill leagues this fall. The Green Knights will be in the Red Division with Northern Lehigh, Notre Dame, Palisades, Salisbury, Jim Thorpe, North Schuylkill and Tamaqua.
“I'm excited. I think it's still going to be a challenge, regardless of school sizes,” Mutton said. “I think teams like North Schuylkill, Tamaqua and Jim Thorpe are pretty solid, year in and year out. As a player, we had experience playing North Schuylkill and Tamaqua in the playoffs. I love going to those places. I think it's going to be big and help out the atmosphere at home and away games. I think everyone is going to be juiced up to have a fresh start.”
And Mutton knows the Green Knights can have success against those programs, because he’s done it himself – not that long ago.
Kyle Craig may be reached at kcraig@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KyleCraigSports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.
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6 seasons removed from playing, Mutton excited to lead Pen Argyl football back to top - lehighvalleylive.com
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