Just a Kid From Coshocton features Rick Ciccone
Rick Ciccone
The news Just a Kid From Coshocton feature focuses on former Redskin running back and outside linebacker from the late 1990s through the 2000 season, whose name is near the top of many of CHS’s offensive records is Rick Ciccone.
Ciccone graduated from CHS in 2001. In his junior season the running back was first team Eastern District, first team ECOL, and first team All Ohio. In his senior year Ciccone repeated his Eastern District and ECOL honors along with being player of the year in both and earned second team All Ohio.
After his playing days at Coshocton, Ciccone continued his education and playing career at Mount Union where he earned three letters and was a two-year starter. During his tenure at Mt. Union his teams won four conference titles, was national runner up one year and won two National Championships. Ciccone earned a bachelor’s in integrated social studies and history from Mount Union and a master’s in education from Marietta College.
Some of the memories that Ciccone shared about his playing days at Coshocton were winning playoff games in 1999 for the first time in school history along with going undefeated and winning the league championship in his senior campaign and again making the state playoffs. The thing that he most credited for the team having this kind of success was they had won nine out of 10 games in his sophomore season, with their one loss being a “blow out” loss to a very strong Dover team a loss kept them from the state playoffs that year. He felt that the entire team and members of his class used that loss as motivation for the remainder of their careers at Coshocton and personally made him realize that “he hates losing more than he likes winning.” Ciccone shared his thoughts on how football taught him to “be intrinsically motivated and to be consistent to sustain success.” He also shared that the game taught him to “Put in the work to reap the rewards and that sometimes a step or two backwards is necessary to take a step forward.”
Ciccone has had an equally successful career coaching the game as he had as a player. He is currently in his sixth year as the director of player personnel and recruiting coordinator at the University of Toledo. Ciccone has spent his life either on the sidelines or in the press box coaching the game he grew to love as a Redskin, including stops at Mt. Union, Marietta College, Marietta High School, Tri-Valley High School, Kenyon, Blufton, Olentangy High School, and Ohio Dominican.
Ciccone lives with his wife Tessa, their 2-year old son Luca and his twin sister Harper, and their 1-year old daughter Lillian.
