Narish's return has benefited all

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:10PM

When he was approached about a possible return to the program he had guided

to its greatest achievements, he admitted to some apprehension.

Granted, the invitation was to return as an assistant, not the man in

charge. However, he didn't want to be perceived as some savior or "old ogre"

making demands.

His desire was to contribute, to blend in.

The return of Lou Narish to the Tinley Park sidelines has gone better than

anyone, including the man himself, could have imagined.

So smoothly in fact that the Titans (7-3) are preparing for a Class 5A

second-round playoff game against Vernon Hills on Saturday night.

It's more than just coincidence that Tinley Park qualified for the

postseason for the first time in 10 years at the same time Narish returned

to the program he guided for two decades.

"I'm just happy for (head coach) Nick (Johnston) and the school," said

Narish, who was

122-71 in 20 years at Tinley Park. "It's been very enjoyable."

Narish had to make adjustments.

For 28 years, both as head coach and assistant, Narish has called the plays

on offense. That includes a 2006 to '09 stretch as offensive coordinator at

Bolingbrook.

His return to Titans Country, however, would be void of those

responsibilities. He provides insight, of course, but his main obligation is

to coach the offensive linemen.

"I was used to working with the running backs and wide receivers," said

Narish, 65. "It's a different emotional involvement for me. It's a

transition, even at this old age. But I enjoy coaching the offensive line."

One of the first orders of business for Narish when he agreed to return was

to call Chris Merenowicz, a former member of his staff at Tinley Park.

Like Narish, Merenowicz had moved on after leaving Tinley Park - in the

physical sense, at least. He coached at Lincoln-Way East for five seasons,

but his heart remained at Tinley Park.

Narish figured it wouldn't take much convincing to get Merenowicz, a former

All-Conference quarterback at Tinley Park, to return to his alma mater.

"Chris went to Tinley Park and played at Tinley Park," said Narish, a Leo

High School grad. "He has such a passion for the school. We were both gone

from Tinley Park for a few years but we were still coaching. I just thought

we could bring some different insights to the program."

One of their first suggestions to Johnston was to avoid having players play

both ways.

That's how the big boys at Bolingbrook and Lincoln-Way East game-planned.

Narish and Merenowicz were convinced Tinley Park, despite its smaller

enrollment, should make an honest effort to emulate that strategy.

"We had to make an effort to make kids play only one way," Narish said.

"Obviously, you have to have the players to do this. This team has a nice

mix of seniors and juniors. If we didn't have strong classes like we do,

there's no way we would be able to not play kids both ways."

Ultimately, however, none of the final decisions were Narish's calls to

make. It was up to the man in charge, Johnston, to embrace the idea or not.

It could have been an uncomfortable situation. Imagine Johnston, who hadn't

led the Titans to a record above .500 in seven seasons, rebuking the

suggestions of Narish, who guided Tinley Park to a Class 4A state

championship in 1986 and registered winning records in 15 of his 20 seasons?

"I didn't want to come back and put my imprint on everything," Narish said.

"I didn't want my coming back to be perceived like that. Nick's the head

coach."

Johnston is quick to acknowledge the benefits of having Narish on a staff

that also includes Tinley Park alumni Jordan Hopman (special-teams coach),

Rich Komar (offensive coordinator) and Chris Vitt (D-line coach).

"It's great having Lou's knowledge here," said Johnston, an H-F graduate.

"He's brought the offense to new heights. I'm the only one on the staff who

will argue with Lou. I know his personality and how to deal with him. He

knows I make the final decisions. But he knows I'm always willing to listen

and how much I respect him."

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.