Once a Caesar Rodney Rider, always a Caesar Rodney Rider.

Whether it was back in the day as a player or now as the head coach.

Shaun Strickland, an offensive and defensive tackle who helped the Camden, Delaware, high school win the conference championship three times and reach the state finals twice before graduating in 2001, went on to become a student-athlete at Lehigh University. It was there when the thought of getting into coaching first entered his mind.

"Tom Gilmore was our defensive coordinator, and Mark Fetterman was the defensive line coach, and it's funny, offensive players were friends with the defensive coaches because they didn't yell at us," laughed Strickland, who played on the O-line for the Mountain Hawks.

"I sat down with them and had some conversations. 'Hey, you don't have to always walk away from the game. Coaching is a great option for you. We were trying to figure that out as we grew older.' And the advice they gave me is to do it while you're young. So I kind of took that and ran with it."

Strickland's first stop was at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. From there, he moved on to Wesley College, where he coached the offensive line for three seasons before making a quick stop back at Caesar Rodney, where he was on Mike Schonewolf's coaching staff.

Strickland then became the head coach at Milford High School in 2015. And after eight seasons, he made his way back home to take the helm at Caesar Rodney two years ago.

"The position opened up and I applied and got it," he said. "So it was kind of one of those things. It was always a dream to get back and have a chance to coach where you played."

The young men who were playing there when Strickland got the job weren't enjoying the same success he had experienced at Caesar Rodney, winning only one game the previous two seasons.

However, it was a new beginning.

"I told them the talent's there, just the mindset has to change," Strickland said. "They just had to come in and have that workmanlike attitude and mentality that everyone's going to doubt you. But if you put the work in, hard work can beat talent. As long as we keep pushing, it'll make us better.

"And our guys came in and they were hungry and wanted to work. And from the jump, we did things a little differently. We wanted to keep classes together; we didn't want to pick and pull. And we wanted to get winning again.

"So the younger guys, we left them together and started seeing rewards at that freshman, JV level right out of the gate. And now varsity is back in the hunt, and our JV and young guys are still winning. So I just told them it takes time. It's nothing that can be fixed overnight, especially because we play in the highest division with the most talented teams. It was something we knew we had to really work at, and grind, and build our way back up."

Which they've done. A 1-9 record in 2023 was followed by a 3-7 mark in 2024. This season, after beating Sussex Central High School 45-35 on Friday, Caesar Rodney is 5-3. Experiencing gradual success aside, what does Strickland hope his players will take away from being on the team?

"Know that they're cared about, know that we are family. We preach that. That was one of the things that was always brought up to me when I was growing up. When you're a team, you're a family," Strickland said. "And knowing they always have a place here, and honestly, just be good people. Take what you've learned through four years here, the work you've put in, and have that workmanlike attitude and that mentality when you get into the real world.

"So at the end of the day, continue to do great things and be good people. And no matter what happens with what life throws at you, if you continue to do those things, you're going to be successful."

Successful himself at every stop on his way back to do the same at Caesar Rodney, Strickland hopes he has made an impact on his players. Not only those who are taking the field for him now, but also those who've graduated and moved on.

"Winning is great, it really is, and I know everyone loves winning and that solves a lot of problems, but also, as in life, you don't win all the time. So it's making these kids better people, better students, helping them plan a future," Strickland said.

"A running back my first year at Milford just got married. It's the first wedding I've been to for a player, and it was awesome. It was cool to go there and just see him and some of the guys he graduated with that were in his wedding, and they're all doing great.

"It's just one of those things. No matter what happens on the field, when you're getting birth announcements, invited to baby showers, weddings, and unfortunately, we've had a few funerals, it just lets you know you're making an impact that transcends the game. So that's the big thing for me."

Strickland is also making an impact off the field at Caesar Rodney, where he serves as a special education case manager.

"We handle all the IEPs (Individualized Educational Plans)," he said. "It's one of those things for students who need accommodations and services in the building. We're kind of at the front line and make sure the plans are tailored and help these kids continue to find success in the classroom.

"A lot of meetings, a lot of paperwork, but it's rewarding being able to be someone who advocates and puts these kids on the right track. It's not different from coaching, just doing it in the building and not on the field."

The Philadelphia Eagles High School Coach of the Week, Strickland is a lifelong Eagles fan and Season Ticket Member. He's putting together a fundraising team for the 2026 Eagles Autism Challenge. Last year, he was able to do more than cheer from his seats when the Eagles hosted Washington.

His former player, Eric Bennett, spent three years in the hospital waiting for transplants after battling heart and kidney failure. When he was finally strong enough to go to an Eagles game, Strickland reached out to the organization to see if something could be done to commemorate the occasion. The Eagles not only provided Bennett with tickets and pre-game field passes, but Strickland was there to surprise him.

"The first time I got to see him after the surgery was when they brought him on the field. They called me up and said, 'We want to get you on the field with him.' And so for all they've done for the community, I've tried to include them because they're phenomenal," Strickland said.