New Sycamore football coach Darryn Chenault already part of green and gold TEAM
CINCINNATI — He won鈥檛 coach his first game for four months, but new Sycamore High School football coach Darryn Chenault is already an Aviator through and through.
鈥淏efore I start 鈥� shout out to Sycamore Aves basketball TEAM and coach (Tim) Austing for knocking out Moeller in the first round of OHSAA Tournament,鈥� Chenault wrote in an email, the day after Sycamore did just that, defeating Moeller 44-36 in overtime in the Division I district semifinals. That he put TEAM in uppercase is a window into Chenault鈥檚 plans to make the Aviators a Greater Miami Conference contender again.
The 52-year-old Liberty Township resident has been on the sidelines at various local high schools since the 1990s, shortly after he graduated from Finneytown High School in 1991. He played junior college football for two seasons before joining the staff at Roger Bacon High School as defensive coordinator. From there, Chenault went to Princeton, where he has spent the majority of his career, and then returned to his alma mater as head coach for four seasons. Stops at Lakota West, Lakota East and Moeller followed. The opportunity at Sycamore, he said, 鈥渃ame about in an unexpected but exciting way.鈥�
Chenault talked with people in the community about the opening created when veteran coach Scott Dattilo resigned. He interviewed with high school Principal Taylor Porter and Athletic Director Andrew Ovington, and, 鈥渁nd things took off from there.
鈥淐oach Chenault brings (more than) 30 years of coaching experience, a commitment to mentorship, and a vision for creating a culture of excellence on and off the field,鈥� said Andrew Ovington, Athletic Director. 鈥淗is passion for building relationships with our student athletes and our community will have a positive impact on our school district.鈥�
鈥淔ollowing in the footsteps of Coach Scott Dattilo is a privilege, as he did an excellent job establishing a strong football culture. The program has a great foundation, and I knew right away that this was the right fit,鈥� Chenault said.
鈥淭hroughout my career, I鈥檝e had the opportunity to work with talented athletes and build competitive programs,鈥� he said.
Sycamore is another challenge. The Aviators are 18-44 since their last winning season in 2018 (they finished .500 in 2021); 14-35 in the GMC. Chenault knows the ins and outs of the GMC, considered by many the top public school football conference in Ohio, having coached at three conference schools.
鈥淚 understand the level of talent and coaching that exists here. Programs like Hamilton, Lakota East, Lakota West and Princeton are consistently strong, and I look forward to the challenge of making Sycamore a perennial contender. It鈥檚 all about building a culture of hard work, discipline and accountability,鈥� Chenault said.
To that end, Chenault, hired in late January, has met with returning players. and is impressed with the leadership from the to-be seniors. The focus, he said, is in the weight room, getting bigger, faster and stronger.
鈥淥ur approach is straightforward – we鈥檙e going to establish a strong running game, execute up front, and win football games. On defense, we will be aggressive, disciplined and relentless. We want to surprise teams with our intensity and physicality. I believe in an old-school football mentality – toughness, grit and fundamentals – and that鈥檚 what we will instill in our players at Sycamore.鈥�
Those are qualities Chenault displays in all aspects of life. He has worked in law enforcement for 25 years 鈥� the last five with The University of Cincinnati Department of Public Safety. He co-founded S3C, an organization that 鈥渆ases cancer challenges with financial relief for families and individuals. Dedicated to the cancer community, we offer scholarship aid and advance research, contributing to the broader fight against cancer,鈥� according to its Facebook page.
His wife works in health care in Dayton; one daughter works for Network for Hope and another co-ops in at a local hospital.
Sycamore fans should see the fruits of that energy and passion on the field later this summer and fall.
鈥淔irst and foremost, I am about family, team and tradition,鈥� Chenault said. 鈥淚 take great pride in building relationships with my players, staff and the Sycamore community. Our coaching staff is one of the most exciting I鈥檝e ever been a part of, featuring a mix of Sycamore alumni and former University of Cincinnati players.
鈥淭his is my dream coaching staff, and together, we are ready to bring energy, passion and a winning culture to Sycamore football. We鈥檙e going to work hard, have fun, and make this program something the entire community can be proud of!鈥�
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