New Bay coach brings the hammer

For the record, the Hudson’s Bay athletic department hired Mike Funderburg as the new football coach because of his 29 years of experience on the football field.

Of course, it did not hurt that the dude is a one-man odd-jobs shop.

At a recent practice, I watched Funderburg turn an old, seven-man blocking sled into two new (but used) four- and three-men sleds. I am not much of a handyman, so I have no idea what he was using. It was powerful and sharp and it cut through metal like it was butter.

Later, I found out the seven-man sled had been sitting near the Hudson’s Bay practice field for years. No one was using it. Weeds had overtaken much of it. Funderburg saw it as an opportunity for two new pieces of equipment.

Later, the coach showed me what he had done with the interior of the trailers used to store the football gear. Before he arrived, the pads and other equipment used for practice were just throw inside the trailers, with no home for individual items.

Funderburg built a series of shelves and now everything has its place.

Bay fans just hope Funderburg is as good at building football programs.

Hudson’s Bay will play at Washougal in Week 1. Game time is 7 p.m.