Between football and wrestling, Matt Phoenix has coached for 28 years, spending 27 of those years at Mehlville High School. Now he’s taking over as the head football coach for the Mehlville Panthers, succeeding Kent Heinemann, who served in the role since 2013.
Following a 2-8 finish in the 2025 season, Phoenix says the team has fallen victim to focusing too much on results rather than the team’s standard of behavior over the past few years.
“I tell the kids all the time, ‘You take care of the small things and the big things take care of themselves,’” he said. “I would liken it to not cleaning your room because of a tough day — that ultimately manifests itself in all kinds of negative ways down the road.”
As a coach, Phoenix still thinks about results, but says the team can’t lose sight of fostering a “we before me” mentality above all else.
“It’s easy to say and hard to do,” he says. “I think for all of us, we’ve got to put our own desires and wants behind what the team needs. What’s really helped is the younger kids kind of believe in that more.”
One of the first things Phoenix did as head coach was start a leadership committee of returning players who recognize the goal at hand of being better people when they leave the program than when they joined it.
“Our goal ultimately is for them to be better men because they played Mehlville football, and to try to show them a process at which they can be better men,” Phoenix said. “Football isn’t the endgame for all of these kids, but life and being better is.”
With 70 athletes on the roster, the Panthers are welcoming back 25 upperclassmen who are looking to turn the tide.
Senior Adyan Hasanovic has garnered attention due to his work on the field and in the classroom. Phoenix says Hasanovic’s personal conduct makes him primed for a good season. He plays defensive tackle and offensive tackle.
Matt Ringenbach, also a senior, has been hard at work throughout the off-season. Phoenix says Ringenbach’s work over the summer is looking to translate into success. He returns to the team as a center.
Junior Ben McManus has stood out as one of the team’s best lifters in the off-season. Phoenix says McManus is part of a class of younger players who could take audiences by surprise. He plays defensive tackle and center.
The Panthers will open the season on Aug. 28 at Fox High School. They will next face off against St. Pius X High School at home on Sept. 4.
