Bill Siderewicz officially coached his final game at Martinsville High School in 1999.
Unofficially, the 79-year-old is still at it.
Siderewicz, who is 15th on Indiana’s career wins list with 269, has been known to text or call his son, Joe, the quarterbacks/receivers coach at Center Grove, with snippets of advice. Try this play, he might suggest. Or at least get rid of this other one.
“He calls every day and tells me, ‘You have to tell (head coach) Eric (Moore) this and that.’ That’s his hobby. Some people play golf. He draws football plays,” Joe Siderewicz said, laughing.
Bill Siderewicz rarely plays golf after undergoing back surgery two years ago.
Even in his golden years, he remains focused on football — namely the Center Grove Trojans (where grandson Joey Siderewicz is the starting quarterback) on Friday nights, and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
“I’m watching Center Grove’s practice right now on my iPad. Watching Joey and watching the offense and defense. I really enjoy watching the games, but I’m also looking at technique and strategy,” Bill said. “As long as I’m living and Joe’s coaching, I’ll be watching.”
Bill Siderewicz started as a head football coach at Rensselaer Central High School in 1964.
Then it was off to Martinsville in 1970 to coach the likes of current Bloomington South coach Mo Moriarty, longtime NBA player Jerry Sichting and back-to-back Indiana Mr. Football winners in quarterback Earl Haniford (1995) and tailback Israel Thompson (1996).
Bill’s knack for dissecting what opposing offenses and defenses were and weren’t giving him got handed down to Joe, a 1982 Martinsville graduate who played receiver for the Artesians.
“Joe used to travel around with me when I was coaching. He would watch film over and over and over. He was probably 10, 11 years old. Now Joe does the same thing with Joey,” Bill Siderewicz said.
Joe coached on his father’s staff for 14 seasons (1986-99) and succeeded Bill as head coach in 2000. He’s been an integral part of Moore’s staff at Center Grove since the start of the 2007 season.
There are similarities, Joe Siderewicz said.
“Both dad and Eric can coach the heck out of kids, but the kids respond to it. It’s that ability to get the most out of a kid, but at the same time not drive him over the edge,” Joe said.
“My dad demanded intensity out of the players, and coach Moore is the same way. As a matter of fact, my wife (Lisa) when I first came here and started coaching for Eric she said this will be like coaching for my dad.”
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THE TOP 20
Indiana’s all-time winningest high school football coaches entering the 2015 season:
1. Bud Wright, Sheridan, 392*
2. Jerry Brewer, Jasper, 368
3. Chris Geesman, Penn, 339
4. Russ Radtke, New Prairie, 324*
5. Bob Clayton, Heritage Hills, 320
6. Don Howell, Hobart, 314
7. Dick Dullaghan, Ben Davis, 312
8. Mike Gillin, Indian Creek, 292*
9. Denny Pelley, Speedway, 290
10. Bill Sharpe, Jimtown, 288
11. Leland Etzler, Woodlan, 287
12. Jim Belden, Carmel, 283
13. Gene Sartini, Providence, 279
14. Tom Kurth, Elkhart Central, 278
15. Bill Siderewicz, Martinsville, 269
16. Bob Gaddis, Columbus East, 266*
17. Mo Moriarty, Bloomington South, 262*
18. Phil Teegarden, Elkhart Memorial, 261
19. A.J. Rickard, Lafayette Harrison, 257
Mark Surface, Marion, 257
*Active
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