Somewhat lost in the chaos that is the postseason was the news that a trio of area programs are searching for new coaches for next season.
While there surely will be more openings as we go on, Blitz thought he would examine each of the three openings that we know of and what it could mean for those programs going forward.
DEKALB
The Barons are going in a different direction after five seasons under Coach Seth Wilcox. DeKalb had just one winning season during Wilcox’s reign, a 6-5 record in 2023.
Most recently, Wilcox and the Barons went 4-6 this past fall, with back-to-back lopsided losses to Leo putting an end to the season.
Wilcox went 18-33 overall with the Barons.
DeKalb is an interesting job. Blitz has heard that it has one of the highest coaching stipends in the NE8, perhaps even tops in the league. It is a community that would love nothing more than to get behind its team, but the last conference championship came in 1996, while the Barons have not won a sectional since 1995.
There has been talent in recent years at DeKalb. Tegan Irk was a standout at quarterback and guys like Tylar Pomeroy, Landon Miller and Caiden Hinkle were grinders.
But to change things around, the Barons need to be able to compete in the trenches. They simply have not been able to match up with the East Nobles and Leos of the world. That must be addressed by the new head coach.
JAY COUNTY
Grant Zgunda called it a career when he announced his retirement at the conclusion of this season, which came to an end in a 41-8 loss to Bishop Luers in sectional play. The Patriots finished 3-8 this year, the fourth sub-.500 record in as many seasons under Zgunda.
Inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2023 for his dominant run at Delta for 18 years, Zgunda never could find consistent success at Jay County. He finished 12-29 in his four seasons in Portland.
Jay County has just one winning season since 2013. Its one and only sectional championship came in 2007 and its competitiveness in the Allen County Athletic Conference in recent years has not been up to par when considering the heavy hitters of the league.
A Class 4A program playing in Class 3A due to other teams being bumped due to Success Factor, Jay County has the highest enrollment in the ACAC, yet it has not been able to weaponize that advantage on that football field.
There is talent returning, but this won’t be a quick turnaround. The new coach must be able to galvanize a program from the youth league upward. With its enrollment, Jay County can be a perennial favorite in the ACAC with the right coaching staff and community buy-in.
WAYNE
Details are sketchy at the moment, but Sherwood Haydock has confirmed that he will not return to the sideline of the Generals in 2025. The job has been posted by Fort Wayne Community Schools, meaning Wayne is in the market for a new man to lead the program.
While it feels like yesterday to some, Wayne last won the SAC in 2014, the only league title for the program since 1993. It has also been a 28-year drought when it comes to postseason titles, with a sectional crown last won in 1996.
Wayne last posted a winning season in 2018 when Coach Derrick Moore led the Generals to a 9-3 record, falling by one point to Bishop Dwenger in the sectional championship game.
This job is very volatile. It can be very rewarding or exceptionally challenging, and sometimes both. In Fort Wayne, it is all about attracting athletes that want to play for your program. The challenge of the next coach is to sell those opportunities and lure those players to Winchester Road.
Coach Haydock did a good job with what he had. Guys like Kimar Nelson and Harold Mack this year were some of the top talents in the region at their respective positions. But for the Generals to take the next step, it needs to have more solid dudes, particularly in the trenches.
Wayne has never been a consistent winner in the SAC outside of the early to mid 90s. What will it take to return to those days? Is it possible?
As for candidates, there have been rumors that former Bishop Luers and Notre Dame star and NFL player Jaylon Smith, who was an assistant coach at North Side this past year, may be interested. True or not, a hire like that would immediately make Wayne a destination for kids.
But making an early splash and building a consistent program are two distinctly different things. Many have tried, but who can build a perennial winner at Wayne?
These opinions represent those of Blitz and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Blitz on Twitter at Blitz_OTH
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