Football, by Cosh

Mary Cosh sometimes feels as though she spent the entire fall at a football stadium.

She has gone to all seven home games at the University of Maryland, where her husband works as defensive coordinator. She has attended all 13 games played by Arundel High, which rode the passing arm of her youngest son to the state semifinals. She didn't dare miss any of the four junior varsity games at the Naval Academy since it was a rare opportunity to catch her eldest son in action.

Fortunately, Mary has grown to love the gridiron game so she doesn't mind the many trips to Byrd Stadium, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and Carroll Field.

"I didn't know anything about football when I first met my husband, but I could see he had a passion for the sport and that quickly rubbed off on me," Mary said.

To say football is a family affair in the Cosh household would be a major understatement. Chris Cosh has been a collegiate assistant for 25 years, serving as defensive coordinator at Illinois, Michigan State and South Carolina before coming to Maryland in 2006. J.J. Cosh is a sophomore slot back at Navy, a member of the scout team for now but hopeful of a spot on the varsity depth chart next season. Billy Cosh is the record-setting starting quarterback for Arundel, which had its bid for a second straight appearance in the Class 4A state championship game cut short by a loss to Linganore on Friday night.

"There's never a dull moment during football season, that's for sure. It gives us a lot to talk about whenever we get together," Mary said.

Chris Cosh, the son of a Washington police officer, grew up in the Prince George's County community of Hillcrest Heights. He was a standout linebacker at Bishop McNamara High and was named Metro Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

Cosh earned a scholarship to Virginia Tech and led the team in tackles in 1980 before suffering a career-ending injury. It was around that time that Cosh met his future wife, a fellow Virginia Tech student from Chesapeake, Va.

Cosh got his start in coaching by serving as a student assistant at Virginia Tech as a senior in 1983. That began a three-decade odyssey that featured stops at nine different schools in nine different states. J.J. was born during his father's tenure as defensive coordinator at Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Billy was born the year his father served as linebackers coach at Minnesota.

Nomadic life

That nomadic existence can be the tough on a college coach's wife and family. Picking up and moving to an unfamiliar town every few years means adjusting to a new neighborhood, a new church, a new school. Mary Cosh was better equipped than most to handle such a lifestyle since she is the daughter of a career Marine Corps officer and lived in seven different locations, including Spain.

"I grew up with that can-do attitude, that each new assignment is a new adventure," she said. "I believe that you bloom wherever you are planted."

Mary transferred that spirit to her sons, both of whom never had trouble settling into a different environment.

"I give a lot of credit to my wife. She is very outgoing and meets people easily. "I think the kids are that way, too. They have figured out how to re-acclimate, how to make new friends and get comfortable in a new environment," Chris Cosh said. "We have learned something and grown as a family in every place we have lived. Our lives have been enriched by every stop along the way."

Division I coaches practically live at the football complex during the season, working almost around the clock due to the nonstop regimen of watching film, preparing game plans, attending meetings and directing practices. Cosh has spent a career of getting home long after dinner has been served and the children are asleep, a hazard of the profession that put a burden on his wife to handle ferrying the boys to sports practices and helping them with homework.

"It's important to have a strong wife who understands the profession and can deal with the down sides," Chris said.

Relationships

There are plenty of upsides as well, such as the lifelong relationships that are built with fellow assistant coaches and their families along with the excitement of being involved with a Division I football team. For two boys that loved sports, hanging around the football building, getting to know players and attending practices was a blast.

"What you try to do is make your family a part of the program. As soon as the kids were old enough, I brought them to practices and camps. I had them shag footballs or clean helmets," Chris said.

J.J. joked that he was an honorary member of the equipment staff at South Carolina he spent so much time helping out. He learned how to catch punts by working with Ryan Brewer, the Gamecocks' outstanding returner.

"For as long as I can remember, Billy and I were always hanging around whatever team my dad was coaching at the time. It was a lot of fun," J.J. said. "When you're exposed to that kind of environment all the time, it definitely rubs off. Football is in our blood."

J.J., whose initials stand for James Joseph, was an outstanding wide receiver while playing high school football in Columbia. Chris Cosh left South Carolina for Kansas State in 2004 so J.J. spent his junior and senior seasons at Riley County High in Manhattan, switching to running back and leading the conference in rushing.

Annapolis ties

Chris Cosh's mother lives in Annapolis and she took her grandchildren on a tour of the Naval Academy during a visit about eight years ago. J.J. was blown away by the academy and told his mother, "This is what I want to do."

"I think the Naval Academy is ideal for J.J. He loves structure, loves order," Chris Cosh said.

Cosh was basically a walk-on to the football team and faces an uphill climb to get on the depth chart in a crowded field of recruited slot backs. Working with the scout team and playing in junior varsity contests is still quite satisfying for Cosh, who enjoys being part of the program and getting to put on the equipment every day.

"I'm an overachiever. I've always had to work really hard to do well in football," J.J. said. "My brother is the natural athlete in the family. Football, basketball, baseball… he's good at whatever sport he plays."

Chris Cosh describes his younger son as a "gym rat" who couldn't get enough of playing sports. "Billy always had a ball in his hand. Whenever I came home, he wanted to throw the football, play catch with the baseball or shoot hoops with the basketball."

Arundel High head coach Chuck Markiewicz said he has to throw Cosh off the field after practice or else he would stay all night working on pass routes with receivers. While serving as the backup to Nick Elko as a sophomore last season, Cosh took every practice repetition as though he were the starter, Markiewicz said.

Cosh took over as the starter this season and was charged with directing Arundel's high-powered passing attack. During preseason, the youngster confided in Markiewicz that he felt the pressure of having to lead the Wildcats to victory.

"I told Billy that every player on offense has a job and that all he needed to do was execute the play," Markiewicz said. "I wasn't sure that I got through to Billy so I called his father and asked if he would speak to him. Chris said 'Oh no, I'm not messing with that. You're the coach. That's your job.' Chris has probably gone overboard to not get too involved. He's just another father who has a son playing football at Arundel."

Benefits

However, Billy Cosh does have the benefit of living with a veteran college coach who can break down defensive coverages and discuss other aspects of football.

"I've learned an awful lot about football by listening to my father. We watch film all the time and he explains what is happening on the field and why," Billy said. "My dad taught my brother and I the basics of football. He's big on fundamentals so he made sure we understood what techniques were most important."

Billy Cosh enjoyed an incredible rookie season as a starter, completing 292 of 448 passes for 3,913 yards and 56 touchdowns. He shattered Elko's state records for touchdowns and passing yards.

"I had confidence coming into the season that I could get the job done. I play in a great system with great players around me," Cosh said. "Obviously, I could never have expected to put up these types of numbers and break all sorts of records. I feel very fortunate."

What is unfortunate is that Chris Cosh only got to see his son play live three times this season. Friday nights during football season are either spent on the road or at an on-campus hotel for home games. Chris saw Arundel play during Maryland's two off weeks and after the Thursday night game against Virginia Tech.

"I think it bothers Chris more than it bothers Billy," Mary said.

Chris Cosh admitted the time away from family, missing those important moments in life that can never be recaptured, is the hardest aspect of being a college head coach. He tries to make up for it during the off-season when there is a little more down time.

"It feels like I spend more time raising other people's kids than I do my own," he said. "I make sure I find time to be with my wife and children. I don't have any hobbies. My hobby is my family. I coach football and spend time with my family."

Prospects

Billy Cosh is only a junior and will spend this spring and summer attending combines and camps in hopes of earning a Division I scholarship. Chris Cosh has spent a career evaluating and recruiting high school prospects, but offered no opinion on his son's prospects.

"I think that is still up in the air. Time will tell," Coach Cosh said when asked if Billy is a Division I talent. "That's always been a dream of his and he seems headed in the right direction. He eats, sleeps and drinks football and has great work habits. When you care that much and work that hard, you have a chance."

Billy did not hesitate when asked what it's like to have a big-time Division I assistant coach as a father.

"It has its positives and negatives. On the one hand, you get the benefits of going to the games and spending time around the program and just soaking up that atmosphere," he said. "On the other hand, your father isn't home a whole lot during the football season."