Seneca Valley hires former Raider, Packers offensive lineman Don Barclay as new football coach
Don Barclay’s football career has officially come full circle.
The 2007 Seneca Valley graduate, a former star lineman for the Raiders, was introduced as the district’s next varsity football coach at Monday’s school board meeting.
Barclay was one of 24 who interviewed for the job. He was an All-Big East Conference selection at tackle for West Virginia University and started 25 games during a six-year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions before retiring in 2020.
“Several things stood out about Don,” SV athletic director Heather Lewis said. “First is his football knowledge. He was not a five-star recruit coming out of high school, wasn’t drafted into the NFL, but had a solid career after signing as a free agent. He knows how hard you have to work to succeed in football and will be able to convey that to high school players.
“He and his family live in Cranberry Township, they are part of the school district and he wants what is best for it. The success of our football program is part of that.”
Barclay takes over the Raiders from his former head coach, Ron Butschle, who resigned in November following a 3-7 season. He went 54-76 during two stints at Seneca Valley and led the Raiders to the WPIAL championship game in 2018, just the third coach to do so in the program’s 61 seasons.
Barclay most recently served as the offensive line coach at Pine-Richland last year and was on Butschle’s staff at SV prior to that.
Barclay’s hire fills the second of two Butler County high school football openings this offseason after Moniteau hired Clay Kohlmeyer in January.
