New Comet football coach is a ‘Man of all Seasons’

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — When you’re in fifth grade, life is an open book allowing you to dream about becoming whatever you want to be when you grow up.

Some kids aspire to become astronauts. Others envision themselves as major league baseball players … movie stars … or even the President of the United States.

During Bryan Bjorklund’s “wonder years”, he wanted to become a head football coach. For him, such a dream recently became a reality.

“I always imagined myself one day becoming a football head coach … even back when I was in fifth grade,” said Bjorklund, who was named Charles City’s new head football coach in early February.

“It was my dream, but life tends to happen … things like getting married and raising a family,” Bjorklund said while referencing wife Bethany and their two children, Briella (4) and Blake (1 ½).

Bjorklund had been the varsity defensive coordinator for the Mason City varsity football team. He also taught business education and computer science at Mason City High School.

He replaces Darren Bohlen, who resigned as the Comets shortly after the end of last season.

Bjorklund had applied for a head coaching position before but ultimately didn’t get the job. Now as the Comets’ HC, Bjorklund views the previous setback not as a closed door but a prelude to the open door at Charles City.

“I really like the culture here … we share the same beliefs,” Bjorklund said. “If I had gone somewhere else, I wouldn’t have ended up here.”

As part of the interviewing process, Bjorklund got to meet several of Comet players due to return next fall. Though he has access to archived video of past Charles City games and is aware of some of the innate athleticism he is due to inherit, Bjorklund is anxious to interact with his players up close and develop seasonal strategies and schemes based on the team’s talents and strengths.

Bjorklund had planned to take in several Comet boys basketball games when the season was still in process, as well as several spring sports like track and field, and baseball in the summer.

Bjorklund was a four-sport athlete at Armstrong-Ringsted High School — now North Union — before continuing his football career at Waldorf University, where he was a team-tackle-leading defensive back and was named the Warriors’ Senior Male Athlete of the Year in 2008.

“I believe in the multisport athlete,” said Bjorklund, who also found time to play baritone in the school band and class president at Armstrong-Ringsted. “When you play football, you train and workout with football players. When you play basketball, you train and workout with basketball players. Same thing with track and field … baseball.

“You’re training different muscles, mastering different body movements. That just naturally makes you a much better athlete.”

Not only a diverse athlete in his youth, Bjorklund is due to bring an array of expertise to CCHS, where he will teach computer science. He has experience teaching accounting, entrepreneurship, intro to business, sports and entertainment marketing, economics, psychology, sociology, advanced placement macroeconomics, world history, and U.S. government.

Bjorklund also served as a youth counselor at Forest Ridge Youth Services.

Bjorklund is still in the process of relocating to Charles City from Mason City, where still teaches for the remainder of the school while still serving as a coach in the Mohawks T&F program.

But when he and his family finally get her, Bjorklund plans to stay.

“I want to build a program that I want my son to play in,” he said. “That takes time, that means doing things the right way. It’s a process. It’s hard work.”