Junior Eli MacNeal is a powerhouse quarterback for the Lancers this season. Coach Thadd MacNeal is not only Eli’s head coach, but also his father. Both Thadd and Eli MacNeal share their insight on how their close relationship affects their life on and off the field.
Eli’s ever-present skill in the sport has earned him playing time at the varsity level since his freshman year. As Thadd MacNeal has coached at CHS for 13 years, having his dad as his coach is not a new experience for him.
“It helps [my dad and I] to game plan and communicate better,” Eli MacNeal said. “So overall it helps me on the field because we have that personal relationship.”
Some might assume that because Eli MacNeal is the son of the head coach, he might receive special treatment. However, he is treated no differently than anyone else on the team. He is simply playing his favorite sport with his friends.
“Coach Mac is not soft on Eli like most people think,” junior Kingston Jarrard said. “He does the bear crawls [and] has the same punishments as everyone else.”
From early on, Thadd MacNeal has inspired Eli MacNeal to work hard and to play his best every time he steps on the field. This long-term experience with the football fundamentals has especially helped him to become the skillful player he is today.
“My dad has always pushed me since a young age, that’s kind of given me an edge,” Eli MacNeal said. “Just good training since I was little. He knows what he’s doing, so in a sense I got a head start that way.”
Thadd MacNeal has coached for Lakewood High as well as the East-West and 605 All Star game. Growing up in a household with an elite football coach as a dad meant that he was surrounded by the game from a young age. From exposure to top-tier players, to exceptional coaching, Eli MacNeal now holds himself to these high standards.
“He’s seen all our great players, here [and] at other schools I’ve been at,” Thadd MacNeal said. “He’s also been to some really big games, whether that be high school, college or pro. I think the exposure has given [him] some edge for sure.”
From Eli MacNeal’s perspective, his relationship with Thadd MacNeal hasn’t had much of an effect on the overall team dynamic or how the players and other coaches treat them. To his teammates, Eli MacNeal is another player that works just as diligently to improve his skills.
“He doesn’t treat me very differently from anyone else,” Eli MacNeal said. “I have a high standard and I play quarterback, so it comes with that as well.”
While Thadd and Eli MacNeal share a professional relationship on the field, the love and passion they both have for the game has always strengthened their bond. They aim to keep their personal relationship outside of football and keep in mind that at the end of the day, it’s just a game.
“I’d say [their relationship] strengthens the dynamic if anything,” Jarrard said. “It’s interesting, sometimes Coach Mac yells at Eli and sometimes they’re just having fun. Sometimes in the weight room they’re even just laughing together, it’s a fun thing to see.”
As Eli MacNeal has already received numerous college football offers as a junior, Thadd MacNeal has talked to college coaches to educate himself on the schematics of the higher level game. Applying these learnings to his own football team, Thadd MacNeal continues to work to make the high school program similar to a collegiate-level program to prepare both Eli MacNeal and the rest of the players.
“Everybody sees that I’m pretty hard on quarterbacks in general, whether it’s [Eli] or anyone else,” Thadd MacNeal said. “I think the team sees how serious and locked in we both are when it comes to Carlsbad football.”
