Marvin Rushing of Cass Tech approaches football the same way he runs his day job — with structure, accountability, and precision. The Cass Tech graduate and 2024 state-championship coach balances his career in banking with leading one of Michigan’s premier programs.
As a regional banking manager for Comerica, Marvin Rushing oversees 13 branches, each with daily operational plans. He applies that same model to Cass Tech football.
“We create a practice plan every day with every branch I oversee. We do the same thing with our football program,” he said.
Every morning by 8 a.m., his coaches receive a detailed football plan that outlines everything, from study tables to film reviews to practices. Each day runs like a finely tuned operation, built on clarity and accountability.
Empowering His Staff to Lead
Marvin Rushing Cass Tech leadership runs on a “CEO-type” approach. With nearly 20 assistants, he leads through trust and delegation. His coordinators own their game plans, and position coaches make autonomous adjustments within the team’s framework.
“The strength of our team is our coaching staff,” Rushing said. “If I’m overriding them in every aspect, how can they believe in themselves?”
That trust creates an environment where his assistants think like owners. It also supports Cass Tech’s long-term vision — a succession plan ensuring sustainability and leadership growth.
A Culture Built on Grit and Belief
Marvin Rushing built Cass Tech’s football culture to mirror its city — tough, disciplined, and resilient. Rushing models his program on Detroit’s blue-collar identity.
“We’re just like the Detroit Lions — grit, discipline, being physical, and figuring out a solution to the problem.”
His players live that mentality. In multiple early-season games, Cass Tech came from behind to win. When adversity strikes, his message stays the same: stay disciplined and trust the work.
Even during tense city-championship moments, Coach Rushing focuses on composure, not correction. He lets his players play freely on game day, knowing preparation has already been done.
Practices That Fit Modern Life
Rushing’s coaching staff — made up primarily of professionals from outside education — is another key to Cass Tech’s success. Bankers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and consultants bring a diversity of thought and professionalism to the program. Only two of his 20 coaches work inside the school building, which shaped his innovative 5–7 p.m. practice model.
Students spend the afternoon in tutoring or study hall, followed by weights or film before heading to the field. The schedule aligns with coaches’ workdays, helping players peak mentally and physically.
“We typically play better the later it gets,” Marvin Rushing explained. “Our bodies and minds are tuned to it.”
It’s a minor structural adjustment that has yielded significant performance results — especially in the second halves, when most teams tend to fade.
Beyond Football: Preparing Players for Life
Coach Marvin Rushing Cass Tech sees football as a vehicle for developing men who thrive beyond the game. His staff’s diverse professional backgrounds expose players to real-world careers and entrepreneurial thinking.
“I’ve got four entrepreneurs, a pharmacist, a lawyer,” Rushing said. “We’re constantly sharing our work experiences. If I don’t go to work, I don’t eat — just like in football.”
The program also partners with leadership and diversity organizations, such as RISE, and its coaches facilitate “greatness mindset” sessions to build character, confidence, and career awareness.
Coaching as a Calling
For Marvin Rushing, football isn’t about financial reward — it’s about purpose.
“This has transformed my life,” he said. “It’s given me more of a reason to live and grow as a man.”
Raised by a single mother and deeply influenced by his own high school coaches, Coach Rushing found in coaching what many leaders discover late in life — the joy of serving others and helping them reach their full potential.
At Cass Tech, that purpose is evident daily — in detailed practice plans, empowered coaches, disciplined players, and a culture that refuses to falter.
Key Takeaways
- Run your program like a business: Clear daily plans and accountability systems create consistency.
- Empower your staff: Trust drives retention, belief, and long-term growth.
- Align practice with purpose: Design schedules around energy peaks and coach availability.
- Develop people, not just players: Expose athletes to real-life examples of leadership and work ethic.
- Lead with gratitude: Coaching can transform not just a program — but a person.
Related:
Creating Roles For More Players – Justin Hamilton, Defensive Coordinator, Virginia Tech
What Gets Measured Gets Managed
More on Coach Marvin Rushing
Elevate your game with Modern Football Technology!
Modern Football Technology helps identify patterns and unlock hidden insights with real-time self scout and opponent tendencies while eliminating strenuous hours of manual data entry.
Book Your Demo with Modern Football:
Transcript
Coach and Coordinator Studio 1 (00:00.204)
So having them talk about different things, it helps diversify the mindset, but also what they can become. Because honestly, we’re supposed to be a vehicle of success for their entire lives. So that’s why we try to diversify the messaging. It’s not just going to be football related. And our principal, Lisa Phillips, does a good job, too, of getting us speakers and other forms to make certain we have other outlets for our kids to drive growth, not just on the field, not just in the classroom.
Coach and Coordinator Studio 1 (00:40.782)
Well, I’ll be honest, I grew up in a single parent household and one of the things that I started to realize, really drew to some of my coaches like Thomas Welcher, Sherrell Rowland in high school, just watching how they carried themselves, the men they were. I wanted to be that, right? And then the same thing at Eastern Michigan, some of the coaches that I held to highest esteem, just like the way they carried themselves. I wanted that confidence, I wanted that swagger they had. And it was an opportunity for me to give back. I’ll be honest, what I’ve learned in last five years of being able to be the head coach and think this has transformed my life.
giving me more of a reason to live and grow as a man, and that others believe in me has been really empowering to me, that people look up to me, they believe in me, and it’s a high opportunity for me to invest in them and make them better. So again, I think this has been by the of my kids, this has probably been the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me being the head coach of Casttec because it’s allowed me to grow as a man.
Coach and Coordinator Studio 1 (01:50.126)
Appreciate it, Keith.