When there was changeover on the coaching staff at SUNY-Cortland over the offseason, Steve Cushing was named the interim coach of the program where he was the defensive coordinator of the 2023 team that won the NCAA Division III championship.
However, once Cushing learned there was the potential to become head coach at Misericordia, he jumped at the opportunity.
Cushing officially began his duties as Cougars head coach in March. He was able to benefit from a full spring practice slate and lock down as many recruits as he could. Thanks to a smooth transition from the previous coaching staff and with the help of some of veteran players, the Cougars maintained their offseason conditioning program until Cushing was fully on board.
Saturday at noon, the Cougars open the season at Endicott. It’s the beginning of what Cushing hopes will be a positive step in the program he once played, graduating in 2018.
“We have a great group of guys,” Cushing said. “When I got here we lost some kids, but not a ton. We were able to get spring ball in and get in the weight room. We set the foundation and got our staff hired between March and June. It was nice to be able to come in and have a base set.”
Cushing is the program’s third head coach since the 2023 season. John Davis resigned following the 2023 season and left Tyler Cottle as interim head coach last season when the team finished 3-7 overall and 2-7 in the Middle Atlantic Conference.
“I think change can be nerve-racking,” Cushing said. “We have a good core group. (Davis) did a good job here. (Cottle) did a good job in the interim process keeping the bonds together. When we had our of our first recruiting visits when I was here, just hearing our kids talk about their bonds with their family and each other. It carried through the transition.”
Holy Redeemer grad Jacob Hunter is listed as the starting quarterback. Ronnie Borden is the backup. Another Holy Redeemer grad, Jeff Kozerski, is team captains and starting left tackle. Davon Reams, a junior from Carbondale Area, is the starting running back. Freshman Nate Malarkey, a Dallas grad, is second on the depth chart at safety. Patrick Murphy, a grad student out of Scranton High School is a starter on the defensive line.
The Cougars were picked to finish eighth in the conference preseason poll. That is not of any concern to Cushing or the Cougars. It’s a day-by-day, game-by-game approach with the emphasis on getting better each day. The process will be focusing on what they do well and working on the phases where they are lacking.
“Everybody wants to win every single game,” Cushing said. “We talk about how we go about practice, we want to raise the level of competition and raise the way we compete. We want to set the standard and raise the standard every week.”