Matt Furlong’s first connection to the program he will soon take over wasn’t made in the last month, when he was among nearly two dozen candidates vying to become head coach of Geneseo High School’s varsity football team.
It happened three decades ago, when Furlong interviewed Bob Reade, the legendary Green Machine coach who went on to Augustana College and in 1998 was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
“Matt shared with us that as a junior high student, he sat down with Coach Reade for a project, and that was so interesting,” said Joe Nichols, Athletic Director at Geneseo High School. “Matt went on to play football at Augustana, so I guess you could say he’s got some level of lineage to Geneseo and our football program.”
Furlong accepted the job over the weekend and Geneseo’s Board of Education formally approved the hire at its January 11 meeting.
Nichols said that as Geneseo began the process of finding Larry Johnsen Jr.’s successor, among the priorities was finding a coach who could make his players better.
“The main thing we were looking for was someone who can get players to a place they can’t get to themselves,” explained Nichols. “To me, that’s what defines a great coach, someone who can get more out of players than the players can on their own. Matt is absolutely capable of doing that.”
Furlong comes to Geneseo from Cary-Grove High School, where he’s taught and coached since 2005. He started out as an assistant coach for the sophomore team, became the sophomore defensive coordinator a year later, and from 2011 to 2017, served as the sophomore head coach. In 2018, he was elevated to the varsity level, where he was the defensive coordinator as Cary-Grove won three 6A state championships, including this past November.
“Cary-Grove beat East St. Louis, a team that had Power Five recruits all over the field,” said Nichols of the title game. “Cary-Grove was obviously an outstanding team, but its best players will likely end up in Division III. Matt was part of a staff that helped lesser athletes beat a better team–at least on paper–and they did that at the highest level.”
The process of hiring Furlong included participation and input from a selection committee of approximately 30 individuals ranging from school administrators, current football coaches, teachers, other GHS head coaches, a Board of Education member, football boosters, current and former football players, and community members.
In the first round, nine candidates were granted interviews and asked about their vision for the future of Geneseo’s football program. The field was narrowed to three finalists, who reviewed film of an opponent and were tasked with creating a game plan to present to Geneseo’s assistant coaches.
“Matt knocked it out of the park,” said Nichols. “In the Western Big 6, we’re often competing against bigger schools with better athletes. A great coach can find ways to compete against and defeat teams that at least on paper, are better. We feel Matt checks that box.”
Though Furlong has not been a head coach at the varsity level, his experience more than makes up for that. Nichols spoke with Brad Seaburg, head coach at Cary-Grove, and he shared that as the defensive coordinator, Furlong had complete autonomy of the team’s defense.
“Coach Seaburg said they worked in tandem and he often relied on Matt’s take in making in-game decisions,” noted Nichols. “It was a very collaborative process and I would expect Matt is the same way here with his staff.”
Aside from Furlong’s track record, Nichols was impressed with his character and how he thinks he’ll handle the pressures and scrutiny that come with being head coach of the Green Machine.
“Throughout the process, Matt stood out as a very polished and professional person,” stated Nichols. “He’s battle-tested, and I’m not sure there could be a situation that will overwhelm him.
“You’re almost taken aback at how calm he is,” Nichols added. “When you think of football coaches, you think of high energy and high intensity. Matt is extremely cool, calm, and collected.”
According to Nichols, Furlong was remarkably prepared for every step of the interview process.
“Matt has a tremendous work ethic,” said Nichols. “We asked a lot of the candidates, and he clearly put a lot of time and effort into it. The plans he presented to us were meticulous, and his football knowledge is off the charts.”
Furlong comes from a family of coaches–his father coached at Davenport Assumption, St. Ambrose and Augustana, his sister is a head basketball coach, another sister is an assistant basketball coach, and his brother is a head baseball coach. Nichols believes that will serve him well in his new role.
“When that kind of pedigree of coaching exists within a family, you understand what comes with it,” Nichols said. “You’re not surprised by the time you put into the job. You’re ready for the pressure and scrutiny. Nothing surprises you.”
While the storied Green Machine football team is well-known throughout Illinois for its decades of success on the gridiron, the hire of Furlong represents a new chapter. When it comes to a vision for the future, Nichols is confident the program will continue to be in good hands.
“We will always honor and respect our heritage,” said Nichols. “At the same time, we also need to reinvent ourselves and improve on a yearly basis. That’s something we made clear throughout this process. We never want to lose our traditions, what we’ve accomplished, and where we came from.
“Coming from a program like Cary-Grove,” Nichols concluded, “I think Matt understands and shares that vision. He’s going to be a great fit for our high school, our football program, our staff and our community.”
Read more: Matt Furlong named Geneseo’s new football head coach
