Patrick Reusse: A Miller on a mission

Giovan Jenkins graduated from Minneapolis Washburn in 1996. He was hired at his alma mater five years later as a teacher and a coach after graduating from Minnesota State Mankato.

"Eileen Wells was a teacher at our school," Jenkins said. "And when I came back, she gave me a piece of paper from my senior year. It was the notification that I was on the 'no-pass list.'

"That meant I had broken enough rules that I couldn't get a pass ... couldn't be out in the halls unless we were changing classes.

"I keep that piece of paper in my office and show it to students. It's a way of saying, 'I know the tricks, and I'm going to catch you just like my teachers caught me.'"

Jenkins is the dean of students -- the disciplinarian -- for ninth- and 11th-graders at Washburn. Lisa Jensen has those duties for 10th- and 12th-graders.

"I explain to the ninth-graders how things are going to work, Lisa helps the 10th-graders find themselves, I keep them headed in the right direction as 11th-graders, and then Lisa gives the seniors some of that mother love before they go out into the real world," Jenkins said.

Jenkins was an assistant coach in football and coached younger kids in basketball for eight years. Then, last December, Washburn's Pete Haugen was named to replace Jay Schoenebeck as the football coach at Gustavus Adolphus.

Haugen was Washburn's coach for 15 seasons. The Millers won 11 conference titles, including the past six without losing a game in the City.

Haugen took several Wash-burn assistants with him to Gustavus. Jenkins was not among them. Once the shuffling was complete, Jenkins was promoted to Washburn's head coach.

Jenkins' program includes three simple rules for his football players when in school. "Be in class on time, sit in the front of the room and don't walk around with your pants hanging down," he said.

Which of these do the young men find most difficult to follow?

"The pants, definitely," Jenkins said. "I'll see them and say, 'Pull 'em up,' and they'll walk around the corner and pull the pants down again. I'm not going to give in, though. As I tell everybody, 'No one has ever gotten a job who walked into an interview with his underwear showing.'"

Achua was an 11th-grader at Washburn. Jenkins had contact with Achua as the dean and eventually reached the conclusion the young man was homeless. Jenkins and others went to considerable lengths to assist Acua.

The dean also accumulates coats and other warm clothing that are in good condition in his office. He gives the clothing to students that he notices walking around underdressed for a Minnesota winter.

On the football front, the Millers graduated some outstanding players, including Ra'Shede Hageman, the tight end now with the Gophers.

The '09 Millers do have an explosive running back in junior Montrell Wade. He's had nine touchdowns in four games, including several long ones. His brother, Marchea, is a talented runner who has moved to quarterback for his senior season.

Jenkins' first season opened with victories over Roosevelt and Henry by a combined 88-8, then the Millers stepped out of the league and were clobbered 50-14 by Edina.

Enrollment decline has dropped the Millers down a rung to Class 3A.

"I was told our section was aligned 'the way the crow flies,'" Jenkins said. "He must be an energetic crow, because we're in with Le Sueur[-Henderson], Waseca, Blue Earth ... towns like that.

"Our players enjoy different experiences, and this new section will be that."