Cascia Hall (Oklahoma) football coach Joe Medina earns 300th win in huge rivalry, district contest
Cascia Hall (Tulsa, Oklahoma) football coach Joe Medina accomplished a milestone Friday night against crosstown rival Holland Hall, earning his 300th win as a head coach.
With 299 wins before Friday, it did not seem likely he would get the win that night, as his team trailed by double digits at halftime. But like great coaches do, they find ways to win, which is how the Commandos won, 29-27, in a huge district contest.
“I am happy to have been coaching for so long and have been fortunate over the years,” Medina said. “But, the important thing is we got a district win against a good Holland Hall team.
"It is a fun milestone and was fun to get a win in a rivalry game. I will take it, but also am happy to get a district win.”
Medina is also a Commando alum, having graduated there in 1984.
Cascia Hall never had a season better than .500 during those seasons, but he enjoyed playing. Next year in 2024, he will celebrate his 40th high school reunion.
“Wow, I am getting old,” he said jokingly. “But playing for Cascia Hall was great. It was so much fun playing football on Friday nights.
"I enjoyed my time as a student and playing football. We were average and never made a playoff appearance, but those years were great.”
Medina took his talents to play college football at Villanova for two years. He moved back to Tulsa in 1987, where he was an assistant coach back at Cascia Hall, while attending Tulsa University.
He was happy to be back home, but in 1991, he took an opportunity on the West Coast, as he accepted a job to be the head football coach at St. Augustine High School in San Diego, California.
"I loved being an assistant at Cascia Hall,” Medina said. “But I was ready to be a head coach, even at the age of 25.”
During his time at St. Augustine, three of his teams went to the San Diego Section Finals. These runs were equivalent to a state final due to the number of teams in that area. At the time, California did not have state finals.
He also coached several Division I players and some players who went to the National Football League, such as the late Darrell Russell, who played for the Raiders, and Fred Jones, who played for the Chiefs and Bills.
In 1993, Medina was offered to move back home to coach the Commandos, but stayed in California. While in California, he and his wife Lisa had a daughter named Jessica, but in 1999, his son Joey was born.
In that year, Medina made the decision to move back to coach Cascia Hall as he was offered the job, and the rest is history.
“I consider myself fortunate to have gotten the job and moved back home to a place I love,” Medina said. “We never regretted the decision to move to San Diego and did not regret moving back to Tulsa to be at Cascia Hall. I have fun every day and live a blessed life.”
He won the second state championship in school history during his first season, as Cascia Hall beat Bristow, 31-0. He has been a part of all five state championships for the Commandos.
Medina was an assistant during the 1989 championship and was at the helm for the 1999 title, along with the championships won in 2007-09. Yes, Medina and the Commandos three-peated. He also won 41 straight games during that streak.
“Well, you gotta be lucky and you gotta be good,” Medina said. “Winning 41 games in a row is incredible and we had such amazing players. The state championship wins are in a category by themselves.
"I have been part of so much success and we have had great players and coaches. Our administration has supported me to the fullest. I have enjoyed all our wins and it has been a great ride.”
Once a program reaches the top, it is tough to maintain that success. In 2015, Cascia Hall’s playoff streak was in jeopardy, as the Commandos had not missed the playoffs since 1987.
In its second-to-final district contest, it played Tulsa McLain, who had running back Josh Jacobs (now with the Las Vegas Raiders). They trailed McLain by 17 points at one point and Jacobs rushed for more than 400 yards in this game.
But like great coaches and programs do, the Commandos did not quit and Cascia Hall won the game, 45-42, to keep its playoff streak intact.
“Wins like this say a lot about the school and the program,” Medina said. “We have intelligent players and they come here for academics, not just football.
"Our kids are competitive and we can get overmatched sometimes, but they never ever quit. I am proud of this streak and it still is an incredible ride.”
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Medina not only coaches varsity football, but he also teaches environmental science and two theology classes. He's also the coach for the middle school and junior varsity programs.
Even though Medina is busy at 57 years old, he does not see himself doing anything else, anyplace else.
“It is tough, since I am coaching all our teams,” he said. “I have learned how to juggle everything and it is fun seeing kids and our student athletes. I love working with our middle schoolers and all our students.
"It is busy, since we practice with our middle school players after varsity practice ends. But I enjoy what I do and will keep doing what I am doing.”
As for the future, Medina plans to continue coaching football and teaching for the Commandos.
“I have a great love for the game, Cascia Hall and will continue to do this,” he said. “This makes my life complete.
"Every year brings new challenges, but it makes those challenges even more fun. We take it game by game and year by year. As long as this is fun, I will keep doing it and have no thoughts or intentions of not coaching.”
Medina did get to coach his son Joey, which were some of his favorite memories. When he was at San Augustine, he had much talent, but said nothing compares to coaching at Cascia Hall.
“We have been fortunate to have multiple Division I players during my time in San Diego,” Medina said. “I also have coached some guys who went to the NFL when I was at California.
"But the kids who win my heart are the kids who show up and work hard. We have those kids at Cascia Hall and kids here work so hard in academics and in football.”
Medina fell in love with the sport of football from a young age. He watched the game, and learned as much as he could throughout the years.
“As a young kid, I knew nothing about football, but I loved watching the physicality, which is what mostly drew me in,” he said. “I had gotten some jerseys and had all the playing cards. I would play whenever I could and kept loving the sport even more.
"As much as I loved playing, I love coaching more. It is fun not just worrying about yourself, but the entire team.”
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Medina is a man of many athletic hobbies. He plays ice hockey, runs marathons (seven of them) and enjoys taking care of and spending time with his grandson.
Also, Medina loves watching the NFL and is a diehard New England Patriots fan, specifically because of former quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick.
“My hobbies put me in a good mood to do all the work I have at Cascia Hall,” Medina said. “The Patriots are just winners and I read as much as I can about them.
"I can't wait to read Coach Belichick’s book. Tom made everyone in the building better, which is a true sign of a leader. When Brady left, the system has not operated on the same level.”
Photo of Cascia Hall coach Joe Medina (second from right) celebrating with members of his family after winning his 300th career game on Sept. 22, 2023
-- Josh Jennings | @SBLiveOK
