Drew Steffen was named the new head football coach during Thursday night’s School Board meeting.
Steffen has had previous experience coaching football as a defensive coordinator in Mission Valley and, more recently, in Eudora. He also was an assistant head coach/special teams coordinator for Shawnee Mission East for five years.
“I know we have a great group of kids here on the team,” he said Friday. “All the way from our freshmen to our juniors. With the seniors graduating, I’m excited to see where this takes us.”
Steffen has over a decade of experience working as a special education teacher and also has a degree in health and human performance with an emphasis in physical education/strength and conditioning.
Former head football coach Sean Hayden resigned from his position in February. Steffen and Hayden both played football together in their years at Fort Hays State University.
Steffen said that in the previous seasons at the high school, Hayden and the other staff of the football team had a phenomenal weights program that the new coach is eager to get back to.
“The energy and dedication kids bring into that weight room has been extremely beneficial to not just our football team but to all the athletes here at the school,” Steffen said.
In anticipation for the next season, Steffen will attend a parent meeting Wednesday to give out forms for youth camp as well as inform the students about summer conditioning to get an early start in the weight room and to practice drills.
Athletic Director Cara Kimberlin said Steffen was a good fit for this new position given his previous work and his dedication to the kids.
“Coach Steffen was very interested in taking over this position. He is in our building and has already made great relationships with the student-athletes. He seemed like the perfect fit to me,” Kimberlin said.
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Reach reporter William Crow at [email protected].
