Mike Kirschner tabbed to lead Mt. Vernon football program

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FORTVILLE — A little more than a week after Mike Kirschner notified the Ben Davis administration of his resignation on Jan. 9, the two-time state championship head football coach has found a new home.

At a special meeting on Wednesday, Superintendent Dr. Shane Robbins recommended Kirschner as the next head football coach at Mt. Vernon High School.

Kirschner led the Ben Davis Giants to an Indiana High School Athletic Association Class 6A football state title in 2014 with a 12-2 record. In 2017, he guided the Giants to a perfect 14-0 campaign for their second 6A state championship and ninth state title in program history. Kirschner was 95-36 in 11 seasons as head coach at Ben Davis.

The veteran coach spent 18 years at Ben Davis before his resignation and served as an assistant coach for seven seasons before taking over the football program in 2007.

While at Ben Davis, Kirschner, a 1979 Warren Central graduate, was part of back-to-back 5A state championships as an assistant under Indiana Football Hall of Fame coach Dick Dullaghan in 2001 and 2002. He was also an assistant at Ben Davis from 2004-06 for Tom Allen, who is currently the head football coach at Indiana University.

Prior to Ben Davis, Kirschner was an assistant at Warren Central for head coach Dave Shelbourne from 1990-95. As a head coach at Cascade, his teams went 14-26 from 1996-99.

In his head coaching career, Kirschner has compiled a record of 109-62 along with five sectional, four regional and two semistate championships. He was a finalist for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2017 and an Army All-American Bowl head coach in 2017.

He was named the Indiana Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2017.

Kirschner received his bachelor’s degree from Ball State University in 1983 and teaching license from the University of Indianapolis in 1989. He earned his master’s degree from Olivet Nazarene University in 2006.

“While the accolades were impressive, the humility coach Kirschner displayed throughout the process only increased our excitement for what he may bring to our students and community,” Dr. Robbins commented in a press release. “We look forward to the leadership that coach Kirschner will bring to the Marauder family. As a coach, teacher, father, and motivational speaker, coach Kirschner has had a tremendous impact on the lives of thousands of people throughout his career and will undoubtedly leave his mark on MV. Please join me in welcoming coach Mike Kirschner and his family to Mt. Vernon.”

Kirschner is replacing Neil Kazmierczak as head coach at Mt. Vernon. Kazmierczak led the Marauders to a 4-7 record in his lone season after taking over for former head coach Doug Armstrong. Prior to being hired last February, Kazmierczak coached two seasons at Lebanon and led the Tigers to an 11-11 record during his tenure.