Connection Before Direction: Meet Riverside's New Assistant Offensive Line Coach
- Amber Carlisle
- Jul 29
- 5 min read
BY AMBER CARLISLE
July 29, 2026
PAINESVILLE, Ohio - Michael Carlisle is settling into a new role as Riverside High School's varsity assistant offensive line coach as the Beavers prepare for their Aug. 21 season opener.
As he begins his first season with the program, Carlisle hopes to help student-athletes develop both on and off the field while helping build a foundation for the future of Riverside football.
As a new member of Riverside's coaching staff, Carlisle brings years of youth coaching experience and military leadership to a program preparing for one of its toughest schedules in recent memory. The Beavers enter the upcoming season facing stronger competition in the Greater Cleveland Conference, something Carlisle said has already become a focus among the coaching staff.
“Everybody, all the coaches have talked about how the level of competition is going to raise this year. The people that we’
re playing, they are tougher.”
During a recent summer practice, offensive linemen shuffled through footwork drills under the morning sun as Coach Carlisle moved from player to player, demonstrating techniques, correcting mistakes and offering one-on-one instruction. Rather than simply telling players what to do, he took time to explain the purpose behind each movement, reinforcing the relationships he hopes to build with them.
One thing quickly became apparent during practice: much like Roy Kent from Ted Lasso, Carlisle has no interest in using an actual whistle. Inspired by the character's solution, he simply yells "Whistle!" to stop practice.
Carlisle's path to the Riverside sidelines has been anything but traditional. He served 8½ years in the U.S. Army as a UAV operator and instructor before earning his bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University. This summer, he has returned to the classroom to pursue a master's degree in education.
Those experiences shaped the coaching philosophy Carlisle now brings to Riverside. Long before wins and losses enter the conversation, he believes coaching starts with building relationships.
"When you see the right way to do things and the wrong way to do things, I have learned that the right way is to build a connection with people before you're trying to give them direction," Carlisle said.
"Just having authority doesn't make you a leader," Carlisle said. "My approach is to give them leadership, not just be a boss and tell them what to do."
Carlisle hopes the lessons his players learn on the football field stay with them long after the final whistle. He believes one of a coach's greatest responsibilities is helping young athletes become better people, not just better football players.
"I want them to know that I'm going to be their biggest fan, their biggest advocate, but also their biggest critic," Carlisle said. "None of that is personal, and it's not even necessarily about just winning football games. It's about doing what I think is right by these kids."
That philosophy extends beyond leadership. Carlisle believes one of the most valuable things a coach can give a young athlete is confidence.
"You want to help an athlete on and off the field," Carlisle said. "Teach them how to have faith, belief and confidence in themselves, even when they're not great at the thing that they're doing."
Carlisle said that lesson extends beyond football. He recalled one of the players on his youth baseball team as an example of what confidence, perseverance and hard work can accomplish.
"I've got a second baseman who might not be the most naturally athletic kid on the field," Carlisle said. "But he's hitting over .300, and he makes a ton of plays at second base. They all look goofy as hell, but he makes the plays."
For Carlisle, the story isn't about natural ability. It's about believing in yourself, embracing failure and continuing to improve.
"If you can just give them enough to try, and they are receptive enough to failing and trying again, you can make anybody a decent athlete or a decent player," Carlisle said.
While offensive linemen are often judged by their physicality, Carlisle believes the position demands just as much mental discipline. Every play requires five players to communicate, react and work together as one unit.
"The game is so much more advanced than it was when I was playing," Carlisle said. "Especially on the offensive line, you've got five guys all working in tandem doing different things as a unit."
It's also one of the few positions where mistakes rarely go unnoticed.
"A quarterback can throw a 70% completion percentage and that's an amazing day," Carlisle said. "But if a tackle gives up three sacks out of 10 pass attempts, that is a terrible offensive tackle. He has to go for perfection, and that's really tough to ask of the kids."
Carlisle said that standard is one reason his goals for the season extend beyond the win-loss record.
"A successful season is one that this school can build off of going into the future," Carlisle said.
Carlisle believes Riverside has the talent to compete. Whether the Beavers reach their potential, he said, will depend on consistency and work ethic.
"We have some guys that are really talented, and they know they're really talented," Carlisle said. With many of the team's offseason workouts remaining voluntary, Carlisle hopes returning starters will set the standard for the younger players working to earn their place.
"I'd still like to see my guys that I know are going to be starters ... put in an effort to show the guys that are younger ... the type of effort that you should be putting in while you're there."
As Riverside continues preparing for its season opener, Carlisle believes the foundation being built this summer reaches far beyond football. While winning remains the goal, he hopes the lessons players learn through the process stay with them long after the season ends.
"Winning is obviously super important," Carlisle said. "But it can't be the only important thing."
The influence of Ted Lasso extends beyond Carlisle's refusal to use a whistle. The show's emphasis on trusting the process, building relationships and developing people over simply chasing wins mirrors the philosophy he hopes to instill at Riverside.
"If you do the right thing, if you do all the work that you can do, if you take care of you the best that you can and prepare, everything else will fall in place," Carlisle said. "Don't get so wrapped up in what the result is or what it could be or what it's going to be. Get in love with the process, so that way when everything shakes out in the end, you can at least be happy that you did all you could to try to come out on top."
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