What to know about the coaching changes around the 740
By: Andrew Woods
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — It was a busy offseason for coaching changes in the 740. In total, 19 teams will take the field with new head coaches this season. This article will introduce all of them and give fans a taste of what they can look forward to in 2025.
FAC:
Chillicothe: TJ Carper
2023 Gridiron Glory Coach of the Year TJ Carper has returned to the 740, taking the helm at Chillicothe. Carper built his reputation at Vinton County. He led the Vikings to three straight winning seasons and the 2023 TVC-Ohio title. However, Carper struggled in 2024, not winning a single game at Zanesville. The Chillicothe job gives Carper a chance to coach closer to home and start fresh with a program aiming to rise in the FAC.
Washington Court House: Chuck Williamson
After their worst season in a decade, Washington Court House has turned to a familiar face to change the program’s trajectory. Chuck Williamson coached the Blue Lions from 2016 to 2022. During his tenure, Washington CH went 41-27 with five winning seasons. In his last season, Williamson led the Blue Lions to their first playoff win since 2001. Although Williamson struggled at Marion Harding, going 4-16, a return home could benefit both him and the Blue Lions.
MSL-Buckeye:
Circleville: Jay Sharett
After losing six of their last seven games in 2024, the Circleville Tigers have hired alum Jay Sharett. Sharett has one of the best resumes in Ohio high school football. After becoming Pickerington Central’s first head coach in 2003, he turned the program into one of the best in Ohio. Sharett led Pickerington Central to 17 conference titles, eight regional championships, and two state championships. More impressively, Sharett has never had a losing season as a head coach. Sharett will look to bring his winning ways to a Circleville program that has not had a winning season since 2017.
MSL-Cardinal:
Fairfield Christian: Craig McGruder Jr.
2024 was a disappointment for the Fairfield Christian Knights. After winning the MSL-Cardinal in 2023, the Knights went 3-8 and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Even worse for the Knights, after the season, head coach Marcus Pardon-Dudash left for Crooksville. Pardon-Dudash has been replaced by first-time head coach Craig McGruder Jr. for the 2025 season. Although McGruder has never served as a head coach before, he has coached for 17 years and has served as an assistant an assistant at successful programs such as Bishop Ready and, most recently, Pickerington North. Although he has been successful in the past, Fairfield Christian could bring challenges thanks to the team’s young and relatively small roster.
MVL-Big:
River View: Tyler McKee
Coming into the 2025 season, River View had lost 19 straight games. In order to break that streak, the Black Bears have promoted assistant Tyler McKee to head coach. McKee has coached throughout the River View football program, including as the interim head coach in 2021 and an assistant for the past three seasons. Although it will be tough for McKee to build River View into a contender, winning just one game will be a major step forward for the program.
MVL-Small:
Crooksville: Marcus Pardon-Dudash
The Crooksville Ceramics have come a long way from their 21-game losing streak, improving their record for a second straight season in 2024 despite being led by an interim coach. New head coach Marcus Pardon-Dudash has been tasked with continuing the Ceramics’ rise. Pardon-Dudash coached the Fairfield Christian Knights from 2021 to 2024. During that time, the Knights made the playoffs every season and won an MSL-Cardinal title in 2023. Despite his successes at Fairfield Christian, Pardon-Dudash may find success harder to achieve at Crooksville because the Ceramics playing in a stronger region and conference than Fairfield Christian ever did.
Maysville: Chase Bowman
Craig Clarke, who coached the Maysville Panthers since 2012, has passed the torch to former assistant and former Morgan head coach Chase Bowman. Bowman served as an assistant under Clark before becoming Morgan’s head coach from 2018 to 2023. Although he struggled early in his tenure as head coach, Bowman led the Raiders to consecutive winning records and playoff berths in 2022 and 2023 before stepping down to become an assistant. With a new head coach, the Panthers are ready to step into a new era as they try to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
OCC-Buckeye:
Logan: Jimmy Peyton
In their search for their first winning record since 2015, the Logan Chieftains have turned to former Warren head coach Jimmy Peyton. Peyton served as the Warriors’ head coach for three seasons. After two straight 4-6 seasons, the Warriors broke out in 2024, going 7-3 in the regular season, winning the TSL title, and qualifying for the playoffs in a stacked Region 11. Although Peyton has proven himself to be a winner, the OCC is a much harder conference to win in than the TSL.
OVC:
Chesapeake: Kevin Hutchison
The Chesapeake Panthers have come a long way from their winless 2021 season, improving their record in three straight seasons. 2024 represented a continuation of their climb. The Panthers won their first OVC game in four years and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Despite those improvements, Chesapeake decided to go in a new direction when they hired former Chesapeake Middle School head coach Kevin Hutchison. Hutchison served as a varsity assistant for Chesapeake between 2008 and 2014, then was Chesapeake Middle School’s head coach for five seasons. He also coached in Chesapeake’s youth league system between 2007 and 2018. Although he has not coached at the varsity level for a while, Hutchison’s familiarity with the Chesapeake football ecosystem could help him as he takes over a rising program.
Gallia Academy: Dalton Jarrell
The 2024 season was a disaster for the Gallia Academy Blue Devils. After two straight 9-3 seasons, the Blue Devils fell to 1-9, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017. After this shocking season, first-year head coach Nathan Mettler left the program. Gallia Academy alum and assistant coach Dalton Jarrell replace Mettler for 2025. Since 2023, Jarrell has played multiple roles within the Blue Devils program. Those roles have included being the JV head coach, the special teams coordinator, and the wide receivers and defensive backs coach. As Gallia Academy’s third head coach in three seasons, Jarrell will be tasked with stabilizing a program that has had its share of highs and lows in recent years.
SOC-1:
Green: Shane Colvin
Larry Hall’s return to Southeast Ohio football did not last long. After a disappointing 2-7 season with the Green Bobcats, Hall retired again. After his sudden retirement, Green turned to Shane Colvin to take the reins. Colvin is relatively new to the Green program, only joining the Bobcats last season. Colvin will try to bring new energy to Green and get a program that had a winning season just three years ago back on track.
Notre Dame: Bob Boldman
Notre Dame was riding high after the 2024 season. In head coach Buster Davis’ second year, the Titans had reached the playoffs for a fourth straight season. However, Davis suddenly resigned just before the season began. Notre Dame assistant coach and athletic director Bob Boldman will take over for the 2025 season. Boldman has coached the Titans for 10 seasons. He has served as the assistant head coach for the past six seasons. Boldman wrote in an email that he would be filling in as head coach for this season, and the Notre Dame athletic department plans to look for a new head coach after the season concludes. In the meantime, Boldman will face the internal challenge of stabilizing the program after a sudden coaching change and the external challenge of competing in the new, stronger Region 28.
SVC:
Paint Valley: John Penwell
Despite leading the Paint Valley Bearcats to five straight playoff appearances, Corey Dye has stepped down to become the Miami Trace defensive coordinator. Dye’s replacement, Paint Valley defensive coordinator John Penwell, has his own history of success. He was the head coach of the Adena Warriors from 2016 to 2020. In his last three seasons at Adena, he led the Warriors to three straight playoff berths and an SVC title in 2020 before moving to Paint Valley in 2021. Although Dye left big shoes to fill, Penwell’s success at Adena shows that the Bearcats are ready to take the next step.
Southeastern: Larry Willoughby
The Southeastern Panthers have struggled to win this decade. Since 2020, the Panthers have won only one SVC game and have not had a season with more than one win. To make progress for the first time in years, the Panthers have hired alum Larry Willoughby as their head coach. Willoughby has had two separate stints as a head coach. He led Heath from 1994 to 2000, where he went 41-29 and won the MSL-Cardinal twice. He then had a less successful stint at Columbus Briggs from 2014 to 2016, in which he went 9-20. With a weak non-conference schedule, Willoughby has a chance to start his tenure at Southeastern strongly and give the Panthers their first multi-win season since 2019.
TSL:
Marietta: Mike Kupfner
To build on their best record since 2002, Marietta has hired first-time head coach Mike Kupfner. Kupfner has coached since 2015 at Parkersburg High School and in South Carolina. At Parkersburg, Kupfner served as a wide receivers coach and, most recently, as the team’s defensive coordinator. Kupfner inherits a rising program that could be in the thick of a tight TSL title race.
Point Pleasant: James Higginbotham
Point Pleasant will have a new head coach for the first time since 2007, because longtime leader Dave Darst, who led the Big Blacks to 16 winning seasons and 14 playoff trips, has stepped down. To continue Darst’s consistent success, the Big Blacks have tapped James Higginbotham, who has served as a varsity assistant in every season that Darst has been the head coach. Higginbotham has coached at Point Pleasant for 30 years, including 18 as a varsity assistant. Higginbotham’s experience and familiarity with the Point Pleasant program could be incredibly helpful as the Big Blacks look to continue the success of the Darst era and compete in the tough TSL.
Warren: Jason Gandee
2024 was a landmark season for the Warren Warriors. The team won their first TSL title and made the playoffs in the incredibly strong Region 11. To continue that momentum, Warren has hired assistant coach Jason Gandee. Gandee has been an assistant coach at Warren for seven seasons, serving as a defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. Although Gandee has never been a head coach, his experience within the Warren program makes him a perfect choice to take over as head coach.
TVC-Ohio:
Alexander: Cory Bean
After two straight seasons with only one TVC-Ohio win, the Alexander Spartans will have a new head coach in 2025. New head coach Cory Bean is relatively new to coaching varsity football, as he started assisting the high school staff in 2024 and has never been a varsity head coach. However, Bean is not new to the Alexander community. He played for the Spartans football and baseball teams in high school and has coached in Alexander’s youth football, basketball and baseball programs. Bean has also coached the Spartans’ varsity baseball team. His previous coaching experience and familiarity with the Alexander community could be helpful as he tries to lead the Spartans to more conference wins.
TVC-Hocking:
Federal Hocking: Dominic Branch
2024 was a milestone year for the Federal Hocking Lancers. For the first time since 2019, the Lancers scheduled a full 10 game season, and for the first time since 2018, Federal Hocking played nine games. Unfortunately for Federal Hocking, Cody Mason, who brought the Lancers back to the football field, stepped down. Federal Hocking defensive coordinator Dominic Branch will take over the recently revived program. Branch served as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2024 and its strength and conditioning coach during the offseason. In his first head coaching job, Branch will be tasked with guiding the Lancers as they play a full TVC-Hocking schedule for the first time since 2019.