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Marv Cook named head coach at Regina
by Rob Poggenklass · Sports · March 07, 2007
Former Bears QB, all-Big Ten and all-Pro end to lead rival Regals
When fans of the West Branch football team look across the sideline at Iowa City Regina this fall, they will see a familiar face wearing some new colors: blue and yellow.
Marv Cook, a 1984 graduate of West Branch High School who went on to play at the University of Iowa and for seven seasons in the National Football League, last week accepted the head coaching job at Regina, the Bears’ biggest rival.
In an interview on Monday, the former West Branch quarterback said one thing that his time in the NFL taught him was that even the biggest rivalries can produce lasting friendships.
“What you find out is that there are good guys on both sides,” Cook said. “That guy who was your rival at Michigan or Ohio State can make a great teammate at the next level.”
Cook starred at WBHS in the early 1980s, and his red home jersey still hangs in the high school commons today as a reminder of what West Branch kids are capable of, when they set their minds on achieving a goal. Cook credits his West Branch coaches, including Tom Nosbish and Butch Pedersen, with helping him get started down a path that ultimately led to a successful career with the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams.
“My coaches at West Branch — they were the first ones who didn’t laugh at me when I said I wanted to play in the National Football League,” said Cook. “They said, ‘This is what you have to do.’ Ultimately it was up to me to get it done.”
Last year, Bears Head Coach Butch Pedersen began a rivalry with his eldest son Lance, the head coach at Wilton. This year he’ll begin one with the most famous of his former West Branch players.
“We wish Marvin all the luck in the world,” said Pedersen. “I have all the respect in the world for him and I know he’ll run a quality program at Regina.”
Cook said he has family throughout the area and while he’s proud to be part of the Regina family, where his children attend school, he’s just as proud to be a Bear.
“I’m honored to represent Regina, just as I was honored to represent West Branch,” he said. “I love those guys.”
After West Branch, Cook’s path led back to his birthplace, Iowa City, where he joined Hayden Fry’s Hawkeyes. As a tight end, Cook played with the 1985 runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, Chuck Long, and went to four consecutive bowl games from 1986-89. Cook was a consensus first-team All-American, a two-time Iowa team MVP and a two-time All-Big Ten pick. Many Hawkeye fans will never forget Cook’s performance on Nov. 14, 1987 against Ohio State, when he caught nine passes for 159 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown that sealed a 29-27 Iowa victory.
Cook still maintains close ties with the university and his fellow Hawkeyes, including current NFL pro Tim Dwight. Cook volunteers at the Tim Dwight Football Camp, which will enter its sixth year this June. And it’s clear that Iowa’s winningest football coach had a big impact on the West Branch grad.
“It starts with Hayden Fry,” Cook said, “a guy that gave me a chance to complete my dream.”
From there, the names only got bigger. Cook was drafted in the third round in 1989 by the Patriots, where he played under Head Coach Bill Parcells and Charlie Weis, then the Patriots’ tight end coach. Cook remembered that when Parcells found Weis, he was coaching high school football in New Jersey. Today, Weis is a highly regarded head coach at Notre Dame.
“I knew he was a genius then,” Cook said.
Cook said he has been around football consistently since he retired from the NFL in 1995. While he has volunteered, primarily as a youth coach, this will be his first head coaching job. Cook knows he’ll have some big shoes to fill at Regina, where Chuck Evans stepped down after leading the Regals to three straight playoff berths, highlighted by a Class 1A State Championship in 2005.
“Regina football is in a good situation,” Cook said. “We want it to stay that way, and make sure it’s not a rebuilding situation.”
Cook said he would interview potential assistant coaches this week. He said he had a chance to sit down with his players briefly last week, when Regina Athletic Director Chet Wisniewski introduced him as their new coach.
One of the many lessons Cook wants to emphasize to his players is sportsmanship. He sits on the board of the Institute for Character Development, which is chaired by former Iowa Governor Robert Ray and administered through Drake University. The group’s mission is to promote civility through character development. Cook has taken an active role by promoting the “Character Counts!” program, which focuses on the six pillars of character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.
“Most of these kids are going to become professionals in something other than football. Hopefully I’ll be able to pass on some of the lessons I’ve learned,” said Cook. He believes it’s most important that young people learn how to become leaders, on and off the field.
“It’s not just winning,” he said. “It’s pursuing victory with honor.”
McCarty named new Regina golf coach
West Branch High School graduate Brown Deer golf pro Sean McCarty will be the next Iowa City Regina golf coach. McCarty could not be reach this week for an interview.
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