Plainfield South football coach Bublitz also Cougars' athletic director

JOLIET – In the 2012-13 school year, Ken Bublitz pulled off an unlikely double. He already was Plainfield South’s head boys basketball coach, and he took over the football program as well.

Being the head coach of major sports in fall and winter seasons at a large school is a rare feat. But Bublitz fared well because of the work of his basketball assistant, current Cougars coach Tim Boe.

Fast forward to 2015. During the summer, athletic director Bob Yanello was named principal at South. The Cougars needed an athletic director, an ideal situation for 54-year-old “Double Duty” Bublitz. He is entering the fall as the athletic director and football coach.

“I went into it knowing the athletic director job was posted,” Bublitz said. “It’s a one-year position for me right now. It was too late this year for me to give up football; I made it clear that I wanted to stay with football.

“After this year, if I want the AD job and they want me, then I would have to give up football. Otherwise, I would want to stay with football.”

Bublitz said the situation of how the dual role came about is not unlike a few years ago.

“It’s very similar circumstances to when I coached basketball and football at the same time,” he said. “I knew Mike [Briscoe, South’s former football coach] was going to move on. I was resigned to the fact they would hire an external candidate, but they didn’t. I didn’t think that position would be available again, so I went for it.”

Before Bublitz came to South for the 2004-05 school year, he was at Streator. He got an inkling there of what it might be like to pull double duty.

“When I was head basketball coach at Streator, I was interim AD for a semester,” he said.

Bublitz’s career in education has included 22 years as a social studies teacher and the previous seven or eight years as a dean. He always has been a coach as well.

“I never necessarily thought I would be the AD here, but I never ruled it out,” he said. “I have been in coaching 30 years and felt the opportunity would not come around again.

“Because of my background, I have a good perspective on everything. I’ve seen both sides of things. I can take different perspectives. Being the AD wasn’t something I felt like I had to do, but it was a good opportunity inside our building. It’s a chance to gain valuable experience.”

Bublitz said it could not possibly happen without superb help inside the athletic office, specifically from athletic assistant Melanie Jones and assistant athletic director Leah Carter.

“Melanie Jones and Leah Carter are phenomenal in what they do, and they are able to direct me,” Bublitz said. “They truly are amazing. It’s like having the good assets, the good assistants, that make an entire football or basketball program work.

“It’s been a lot of learning on the fly so far for me. With football season, with the fall season, going on, there is plenty to keep track of. I wouldn’t be able to do it without Melanie and Leah.”

Bublitz has been in South’s football program since the 2005 season, serving as offensive coordinator for Briscoe until becoming head coach. He has good feelings about his team now that summer is in the rear-view mirror.

“We had a nice summer,” he said. “We stayed pretty basic for the most part. We got enough done that heading into fall practice, we were where we wanted to be. Now, until the season begins [August 28], it’s time to implement specifics.”

Bublitz noted the slow start the Cougars endured last season. They were 0-3 before turning things around. They were 4-4 entering the Week 9 game against Oswego, where a tough loss knocked them out of playoff contention.

“We had three games early where we scored almost no touchdowns,” he said. “Now I feel more comfortable, especially on the defensive end. We have nine kids back on defense.”

Not that things won’t go well on the field, but if they don’t, the football coach will look in the mirror and answer to his boss, the athletic director.