Sensing he had taken the program as far as he could and wanting to devote more time to his family, Pat Cadden stepped down as Frederick High’s football coach.
“I loved coaching at Frederick High,” said Cadden, who submitted his resignation last week. “I graduated from Frederick High. I care a lot about the program. I just felt it was time to pass the torch and see if someone else can get it over the finish line.”
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Cadden served as the Cadets’ head coach for the last three seasons, during which they posted a 19-15 record and reached the state quarterfinals in Class 4A-3A in 2023 and ‘24.
More broadly, he oversaw the complete revival of a program that had hit rock bottom and went to an independent schedule for competitive reasons and helped restore it to being a well-respected program in both Frederick County and the state.
With the program at its lowest ebb, Cadden came aboard as Frederick’s defensive coordinator in 2017 under the previous head coach, Kevin Pirri, and helped the Cadets reach the 3A state semifinals in 2021 before taking over as head coach two seasons later.
“Having alumni at the helm of our athletic programs has contributed to some of our most successful years,” Frederick High athletic director Keivette Hammond said. “I am grateful to have worked alongside Coach Cadden and the entire football staff, as they continued to build Frederick High football into what it is today.
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“Coach Cadden’s time, energy and daily commitment to the program have been invaluable, and we truly appreciate the impact he has had on our student-athletes and school community.”
Moving forward, Hammond said Frederick High was looking for a coach “who is not only strong in football X’s and O’s, but who can lead a comprehensive program. Someone who can develop student-athletes on and off the field and help them reach the next level, prepare them for championship play, and ultimately ensure they leave our program as better people.”
Miles Robinson, who was a senior quarterback for the Cadets this past season, said Cadden “always put belief in me as a player since the second I put on a varsity jersey. He always took care of me and was someone I could talk to about anything, not just football. When he stepped down, I was surprised, but glad he can finally relax.”
Cadden played football at Frederick High. He was an offensive lineman and a linebacker on defense.
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He then served the Cadets as a defensive line coach under former coach Vince Ahearn from 2010-2012 before moving across town to be the defensive coordinator at rival Thomas Johnson under former coach Jerry Smith from 2013-16.
After Smith left to go coach at Brunswick High, Cadden saw the need to return to his former stomping grounds and help rebuild.
“I love this community,” Cadden said. “It meant a lot to me to be in charge of these young men. I want to see Frederick High succeed and achieve everything that it wants to achieve.”
He just wasn’t sure that he was still the man for the job. But he is fairly certain that he will be a coach again in some capacity.
“I am not done,” he said. “I’ll be itching to do something before real long. I am definitely not done.”
