BY CRAIG STEWART

The Truman varsity  football season is still in the early stages, but so far the road has been a little rocky for the team trying to adjust to the new head coach.  This is Charlie Pugh’s first season as Truman’s head football coach. The schedule gave them no easy games early, and its been a good learning experience for him and as well as his team.

The Pats lost their first three games, but teams like Fort Osage, Raytown and William Chrisman are all solid opponents with hopes for postseason. They are also veteran teams with a game plan ready to go. Truman is still molding itself to the new style and scheme of Pugh.

Coaches and teams often take time to gel. To find a great example of this look no further than Arrowhead Stadium. The Kansas City Chiefs struggled in 2012 when Andy Reid took over. They went 2-14, but after a couple years of adjustment they improved dramatically.  By 2015 the Chiefs stormed to an 11-5 record and 2nd in the AFC West. They even saw success in the playoffs winning their wild card against Houston before falling to the Patriots. Last season Reid and company won the AFC West and narrowly missed out on the AFC Championship game after a close loss to Pittsburgh.

It’s not a perfect match, but the Patriots can draw inspiration from the Chiefs. They faced an uphill climb and after taking their lumps early have become one of the best teams in the NFL.

Pugh can already see signs of his team improving. “Its been a different experience, but we’re getting better and we have played three hard and good teams. Plus there’s a learning curve with me being new coach, but will get there,” said Pugh. This year for Coach Pugh and the football team is a good learning experience for them to develop and work towards becoming the better team they want to be.