Good high school coaches may not be the best in the classroom although some can be great teachers. But they are smart about understanding their kids...... sort of street smart in a gridiron sort of way. The mediocre to poor football coaches I observed when my sons were playing high school football over 20 years ago were of two basic types: 1) coaches who knew football, but didn't understand the kids and were coaching primarily for love of the game and extra pay; and 2) coaches who didn't know the game, didn't understand the kids, and were mostly there for the extra pay. Good coaches are of course special in that they know and love the game, understand the kids on the practice field, in the lockerroom, weightroom, and classroom and are always willing to work with parents when or where needed. I know that Don James always had a significant and positive affect on area high school, junior high school, etc football coaches and I think Petersen will also. As Boise State's stature in college football has risen nationally the past several years, the quality of prep football in southwest Idaho at all sizes of high schools has improved amazingly. There are now some local kids in the NFL....... that would have been unheard of ten years ago.