The biggest thing about Rutherford County that catches everyone’s eyes is the support each school gets for athletics from the community. Kriesky says everyone seems to understand the importance of sports and how it can influence the lives of students in a positive way.

Kriesky had many coaches influence him over the years, helping him get to where he is today. His dad was a high school coach for 18 years and his brother and he learned a great deal from him. James Counce Sr. is another person who was very influential to Kriesky when he was growing up.

The coaches Kriesky played for were Donnie Webb and Kevin Creasy. They also helped him get where he is today. Coach Creasy is the reason he landed his first job as an assistant coach at Mount Juliet High School, and for that, Kriesky is forever grateful. Coach Aydelott and coach Roger Perry were two coaches Kriesky worked under and they taught him how to run a successful program.

“I have learned a lot from each one of these coaches and use a little bit from all of them,” he said. “They have all been outstanding high school coaches who have helped change young men’s lives.”

When speaking of competition, Kriesky quickly talks about the Battle of the ‘Boro. It’s the oldest rivalry in the city of Murfreesboro and if there is only one football game alumni attends each year it’s the game between Riverdale and Oakland.

Kriesky’s most memorable game as a coach was his first game as Riverdale’s head coach. The game was played at MTSU and his team beat Ooltewah 47 to 14. “We had a lot of distractions during the game due to the weather conditions,” he said. “The players did a great job and stayed focused so they could accomplish their goal.”