'It's time for me to be a dad'

ARLINGTON – Josh McGrain has been called "coach" for a lot of years. He figures it's time, though, to identify with another more personal title. "It's time for me to be a dad," McGrain said Wednesday when Arlington High School announced he was stepping down as the Red Devils head football coach. Arlington went 65-31 in McGrain's nine seasons as head coach, continuing a successful tradition at a school that, with a 664-293-34 all-time record, is among the 25 winningest programs in Ohio prep football history. "A lot was established before me by guys like Doc Castor (170-43-13) and Joe Metzger (162-65-30)," McGrain said. "I was lucky to be at Arlington. Our kids always bought into the program and busted their tails and the parents were always very supportive." McGrain, the Blanchard Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 2020, guided Arlington to the OHSAA playoffs seven times, with the Red Devils reaching the third round of the regionals in 2020 and the second round in 2016 and 2023. McGrain admitted some wins stuck out more than others. "My first win, at Anna," McGrain said of Arlington's 2015 season opener. "We struggled that night, but we managed to score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and kicked a field goal to win it in overtime (17-14). And the win over Liberty-Benton two years ago (16-13), that was big for our community. "I'll miss those Friday nights. But what I'll really miss is being out there every day with the kids. There was a lot of hard work put in by a lot of kids over the years." Coaching is never just a 3-to-5, after-school hobby, though. In addition to their football families, coaches have real families, too. "I have four girls," McGrain said. "One's going to be in junior high, one's 10, one's going to be 6, one's 4 … It's tough not bringing it (coaching) home at times, so it's time for me to take break and step back. "It's time for me to be a dad."