After spending the past seven years as an assistant coach, most recently, the defensive coordinator, Tom Clarey, will lead the Indians into the Friday night lights this fall.
Tom Clarey was hired by Forest City in 2016, is a 2011 graduate of MOC-Floyd Valley, and received his education degree from Northwestern College in Orange City.
Clarey has been striving to become a head football coach since his high school playing days as part of the Dutchmen program. At MOC, coach Clarey played for Thomas Rupp, who spent many years as the team’s coach, and though he learned lessons from coach Rupp – it was from an assistant coach, Coach Lyle Lundgren, where Clarey learned the most.
“I learned a lot from him; he was a high school (physical education) teacher, and he led our Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) along with being a football coach and head wrestling coach. He was the person who taught me a lot about what it takes to be a man, what fatherhood looks like, what being a good husband looks like”, Clarey said.
Clarey also mentioned his college coach Kyle Achterhoff, who became the Northwestern College head coach in February 2009 and coached through the 2015 season, compiling an overall record of 59-19.
“Not only did he recruit me there and give me the opportunity to play college football, but when I got injured, he also allowed me to start my coaching career as a student coach – I learned a lot from him,” Clarey said.
Forest City has become home to Clarey and his family. He and his wife, Angel, are part of the school system and have three children. Clarey felt at home even before he arrived for the first time almost eight years ago, and he felt like this was a place he could stay, raise a family, and eventually become a head football coach.
“Being around the program for seven years has been a great experience for me and my family,” Clarey mentioned. “There are great people here in this community, working at the school; I know the resources at Forest City, and the people are great. They want all of our programs to win but especially want to see the football program succeed – so it was a no-brainer for me”, he added.
The job officially became Clarey’s when the school board voted on March 13th at its monthly meeting. The process went quickly, as it needed to, during what was a busy time for football coaches in Iowa. Between offseason strength and conditioning, submitting priority lists for non-district games, and preparing an offensive and defensive scheme for the upcoming season. Clarey could not do football activities with athletes until June 1st, but once that date hit – the season preparations began.
“Points are a big concern of ours both offensively and defensively,” Clarey said of what Forest City fans can expect from the team this year. “A fan should expect to come to a football game, and the word I would like to use is electric – I think we’ll be electric and have a lot of energy behind the ball when we are out there,” Clarey said.
Clarey wanted to hold his cards close to the vest on the Xs and Os but said he felt a lot of excitement around the program and reiterated that his teams would play with lots of energy.
“I think kids are excited, there is a lot of excitement, and there always has been. In my seven years here, I feel the energy on a Friday night, so I hope to continue that energy and that same feeling”, he said.
The Indians will open the season against 3A Clear Lake, something they haven’t done since the late 80s. They will also play 3A Algona in week two, a team they last played in 2017. They will play Eagle Grove for the first time in multiple decades and then open district play vs. Spirit Lake in week 4. They play week-5 at GHV, week-6 at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, week-7 at home against Estherville Lincoln Central, and week-8 against Okobjoi.
“We go into every season with a great shot at (the playoffs),” Clarey said of his schedule. “If your coaching this sport thinking you won’t get to the playoffs, you’ve already started off on the wrong foot,” he added. He continued, “Everyone in the district has great athletes, and it’s been a dogfight with each of them in the past.”
Will he have nerves walking out under the lights for the first time as a head football coach? Clarey, with confidence, said, “I can’t say I’m overly nervous right now, I’ve always tried to operate as a head coach, and I don’t see myself changing a whole lot, and that helps the nerves.”
Forest City fans will first see the team on August 18th when Mason City comes to Forest City for a scrimmage.
How would Clarey describe his feeling heading into the season if not nervous?
“Excited – celebrating this (when he got the job in March) with my wife and kids at home; I’ve been waiting for that for a long time – excited is probably the best word I have.”
