Ben Geisler stepped down as Blaine's football coach earlier this month after one season and just six full months on the job.
Why would he leave the Bengals, the team he played for in high school and the one he guided to an 11-1 record and the Class 6A semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium?
Geisler said Tuesday a blog post by his wife, Aminta, was "the best explanation" for his decision. The father of four put the home team first.
According to the post, Geisler resigned Jan. 3 and told players, "As we have moved into the offseason, it has become clear that my vision for this team does not match with the rest of the staff and administration. This is not MY team. This team, this tradition, is bigger than me. I have the deepest appreciation for the opportunity I was given to work with you. I am beyond blessed to have been allowed to be a part of the Bengal family, and I have too much respect for the staff and administration to continue down my own path. They deserve to have a head coach that has the same vision as they do.
"The head coaching job at Blaine is a HUGE commitment. I have always held to the belief that priorities need to be FAITH, FAMILY, and then FOOTBALL. I firmly believe that family needs to come before football, and I cannot justify rearranging my priorities so that my own family takes a back seat to football. I don't believe that is how a man is supposed to live."
Blaine activities director Shannon Gerrety, who coached Geisler as a football player at Blaine, said the decision "was really Ben's call. I love him. He's a man of family and faith and he felt this role wasn't the right fit. I respect him for respecting the importance of family."
Geisler, a 1995 Blaine graduate, was hired at his alma mater in late June. Previous coaching stops included Spring Lake Park (assistant) and Irondale (head coach).
On Jan. 17, Michael Law was promoted from offensive coordinator to replace Geisler.
Law, an Ohio native, previously served as the head coach for Oberlin High School in his home state. He played offensive line at Oberlin College and spent three seasons as the school's recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach.
He completed his masters degree in special education in 2017 from the University of Minnesota. Law is a first-year teacher in the Anoka-Hennepin School District.
