With a new season on the horizon, a fresh era is dawning for Affton High School football. The Cougars will take the field this fall under the leadership of Max Buck, a rising young coach with deep ties to the St. Louis area football scene and a vision rooted in mentorship, community and player development.
Though this is Buck’s first year as a head coach, he brings a wealth of experience and insight cultivated over nearly a decade as an assistant under some of the region’s most respected coaching minds.
“I’ve been really fortunate to learn from some incredible coaches,” Buck said. “From Coach Markway at St. Dominic to Coach Masters at DuBourg, and Coach Muyco here at Affton last year, each has taught me something that helped prepare me for this moment.”
Buck’s coaching career spans eight years and includes stints at multiple levels of high school football. His most recent role as an assistant under Muyco allowed him to embed himself in the Affton community — a tight-knit environment that Buck says he immediately connected with.
“Last year was instrumental,” Buck said. “I got to learn the culture of the program and the heartbeat of the community. When Coach Muyco stepped down, I felt ready to step up. This is a place where I believe we can build something special.”
Buck’s coaching philosophy extends far beyond X’s and O’s. While competitive success is always a goal, his focus centers on creating well-rounded student-athletes who can grow physically, mentally, emotionally and socially.
“I want our program to be about more than football,” Buck said. “We’re developing young people into community leaders. The skills they learn — discipline, accountability, teamwork — will serve them long after they play their final down.”
In today’s high-pressure high school sports landscape, Buck’s player-first approach offers a refreshing emphasis on character, growth and inclusivity. That mindset has already begun to influence offseason workouts and team bonding activities, which Buck said have been “intense, focused and full of energy.”
Buck credits much of his development to a long list of coaching mentors, including Dan Berkowski — who has his own connection to Affton — Chad Masters and Pat Markway.
“Coach Berkowski’s father coached here for years, so it’s kind of a full-circle moment,” Buck said. “I even had a chance to sit down with him recently and talk about the school’s football legacy. It’s humbling.”
As for personal inspiration, Buck isn’t afraid to keep things light. One of his go-to quotes for players comes from an unlikely source: the hit TV series “Ted Lasso.”
“I love telling the kids, ‘Be a goldfish,’” he laughed. “It’s about letting go of mistakes quickly and staying focused on the present. It’s a silly quote, but the message sticks.”
The Cougars have shown promising flashes in summer competition, and Buck is optimistic about what lies ahead.
“We’ve had a great summer,” Buck said. “The kids have competed hard against a variety of skill levels, and we’ve seen them rise to every challenge. I think we’re in a good spot heading into the fall.”
But for Buck, success this season won’t solely be measured by the scoreboard.
“If our kids grow as people and have a positive experience — if they become better teammates, better students and better members of the community — that’s a win,” he said. “The victories on the field will come from that foundation.”
