Like many kids whose parents are career coaches, Tyler Cleveland became a gym rat and sports enthusiast at an early age.
"I used to follow my dad around all the time," recalled Cleveland, who went on to play baseball and basketball in high school.
Now the Stoughton High School graduate is following in his father's footsteps.
Tyler Cleveland was named the new boys' varsity volleyball coach at Madison East High School on Tuesday. Cleveland, who was the boys' freshman baseball co-head coach this spring also served as an assistant boys' varsity basketball coach last winter. He was also a freshman girls' volleyball coach at Stoughton last fall.
"I got a call from (East side) athletic director Dave Kapp that we had an opening for a volleyball coach after our coach took a job in another state," said the 19-year-old Cleveland, who is a student at Madison Area Technical College. "I had also applied for a JV coaching job at Stoughton and gotten an offer. But I told them I wanted to wait to see if I got a job as a varsity coach first."
The wait was worth it for the aspiring teacher and coach who just a year ago was graduating from high school.
"That means I am currently coaching freshmen baseball, am an assistant varsity basketball coach and now the head varsity boys' volleyball coach, and still a teenager," he said. "It's what I want to do. It's like a dream come true."
Cleveland said his father; Rich, the long-time varsity boys' basketball coach at Madison East, inspired him to be a coach and teacher. Rich Cleveland has a 238-207 record in 20 seasons as the East varsity boys' basketball coach and a career mark of 311-251 in 26 years of coaching. Rich is also the department chairman in the East physical education department where he is a teacher.
"Dad encouraged me and has been a role model," Tyler said. "I'm learning a lot every day and he's a good source of information and inspiration."
A 2007 Stoughton graduate, Tyler Cleveland played baseball and basketball for the Vikings. He was a two-year starter for varsity basketball coach Mike Hintz at Stoughton and was a key part of the team's defense. He set the Stoughton school records for charges taken in a season (24), and for his career (31).
Cleveland was asked by Hintz to coach the SBBA program last summer and coached in 105 games, (45 varsity, 60 JV) finishing with a record of 68-37.
Tyler just completed his freshman year at MATC, where he is working on an associate degree. He plans to eventually transfer to UW-Whitewater and earn a physical education degree before pursuing a career in teaching and coaching.
"I'm moving from Stoughton to Madison this summer and was looking for another coaching job in the area," Tyler Cleveland said. "I always rooted for East except when we played them. Now I'm really a Purgolder."