Profile: Mack, Huron football getting the recognition and respect they’ve earned

Antaiwn Mack remembers his first practice as head coach of the Huron football team, and while the amazing results make it seem like it was a long time ago, it’s been only three years. To accomplish what he’s done at Huron in just three seasons is nothing short of a miracle considering where they were when he first introduced himself to his players.

“Yeah, it was a pretty quick turnaround,” says Mack. “The key is to surround yourself with really good coaches, volunteers and anyone else who wants to be a part of the program and has the same vision as the head coach. A lot of the success goes to the student-athletes who bought into what we were trying to do and worked hard to reach our goals.”

Grab a history book – we’ll make it short because we’ve been down this historical road before but perspective is important. Huron went winless in four consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2018 and won just one game in 2019 – Mack’s first season with the program.

Then, everything changed. In 2020, the River Rats went 2-2 before winning a playoff game with Kalamazoo Central. They lost to perennial state power Saline by just seven points 34-27 in a second-round playoff matchup. And it’s been game-on ever since.

The Rivers Rats won seven straight games last season after starting out 1-1. They lost a close 14-10 opening-round playoff game to eventual state champion Belleville – the Tigers closest game in their amazing run. Big wins came over Pioneer (34-0), Dexter (28-21) and Bedford (31-30).

And Mack – along with his coaching staff – were recognized for their amazing success and turnaround. Mack was named Detroit News All-West Coach of the Year, Detroit News Dream Team Coach of the Year and the M-Live Division 1 & 2 Associated Press Coach of the Year.

Mack wasn’t walking into an empty cupboard despite the program’s struggles. He knew there were good athletes, good football players, good people and players who wanted to turn things around just as much as he did.

“We had the talent and the work ethic, it was just a matter of putting everything together and doing things the right way,” he said. “We now have kids who want to come to Huron and be a part of the program and take advantage of everything Huron has to offer, both in sports and academics. This is a great school.”

Success is measured in many ways for a high school football program – the win column is just one of them. “We are getting a lot of kids to the next level,” Mack says. “We put our kids in situations to be successful and where they can be seen by college scouts and go on to get a college degree so they can better provide for their families. Our staff is really proud of this part of our success.”

In Mack’s first two years, Huron had 25 players with college opportunities to play at the next level.

“That’s a pretty big number and this year we will certainly be adding to that,” Mack said. “A lot of times football helps guide them to something they want to do with the rest of their life and many would go to college even without football. Our staff always asks the kids about what they really want to do after football and some just want to enjoy playing high school football and some want to play in the NFL. We want them to have a plan and goals not only during high school but after.”

Mack, 39, works at the high school as a community assistant and helps mentor students who have day-to-day challenges. “It’s very rewarding and Huron is a very diverse school so we work with kids from all over the world who come here and I’ve gotten to learn about a lot of different cultures and their experiences and goals,” he says. “Yeah, that’s very rewarding for me. I really like it.”

Mack had a great turnout last year with around 100 players coming out for football and it was the first time in almost a decade that Huron could field a freshman and JV team along with varsity. Both the JV team and freshman team had a winning record last year. His first year, Huron had about 65 students come out for football and had a JV and varsity team.

The River Rats will find out just how good they are in the first two weeks of the season. They kick things off at home with a non-league game against Lapeer at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26. The Lightning went 7-3 last year and reached the playoffs for an eighth straight season.

Huron’s first league game is Sept. 2 against Saline in an early season SEC Red Division showdown. City rival Pioneer is in week three.