The Heart of Football: Why the Small College Game Matters

Phil Maas loves just about everything about football and the coaching profession.

That shines through in his book, “The Heart of Football,” which focuses on what he believes are the merits of the sport, in particular at the lower levels.

Maas, 75, lives in Weed, Calif., a town of about 3,000 situated at the base of Mount Shasta, just an hour south of Ashland. A high school and junior college coach for 50 years, he still coaches running backs at College of the Siskiyous, a member of the California Community College Athletic Association located in Weed. Chris Knudsen, the well-respected long-time coach at Gresham’s Centennial High, says Maas is a bit of a legend in coaching circles.