NEW PALESTINE — When Kyle Ralph took over as head coach of the New Palestine football program six years ago, he had done his research on the team, the program and the staff he was inheriting.
He knew they were successful. As he got to know them, got to work with them during that first year, he realized how good a lot of his staff members were.
The core of that group is still with the Dragons, playing a huge part in the team’s massive success over the course of Ralph’s tenure.
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“I still maintain that six years later, I think we’ve got the best staff around that you’re going to find,” Ralph said. “Our guys do such an exceptional job. These guys are in it because they love it. They love this community, they love seeing Dragon football be on top, they love our kids, they want to see our community be successful.”
Only two of the coaches are teachers — Ralph and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Large. The rest have jobs outside the school system. Yet they invest in the kids’ lives, and they care about them.
They aren’t just football coaches, Ralph said. They are mentors. Father-figures.
“Our coaching staff is great,” senior offensive/defensive lineman Austin Keele said. “They push us to be the best we can be every day, and it’s not just football-wise. They want us to be the best people we can be in life, and it’s amazing to have those people around us to push us all throughout. They’ve taught me so many life lessons that I’m going to take with me for the rest of my life.”
Some are former New Palestine players. Dan Buchanan, offensive line coach, and Gary Green, offensive coordinator for the freshman team, played for coach Marvin Shepler. Justin Harvey, the defensive coordinator for the freshman team, and Brandon Collins, the varsity receivers coach, were both all-state players who played for the team in the season before Ralph took over.
Two of Ralph’s former players, Garrett Kuhn and Sterling Curran, help out the team as assistants when they have time in their college schedules.
The Dragon coaches have championship experience outside of their own program, too. Assistant linebackers coach Scott McMurray joined the team in 2018 after time as head coach at Rushville and as an assistant at Lawrence Central during its state championship run in 2012.
James Evans, the Dragons’ linebacker coach, coached at Warren Central and Lawrence Central during state championship runs. John Horan, who coaches the defensive line and serves as defensive coordinator, is a state-winning championship coach.
The experience doesn’t stop there.
Large has developed all-state quarterback after all-state quarterback at New Palestine, some of the most successful quarterbacks in the history of the program.
Buchanan has coached the offensive line for over a decade, and Ralph said he’s done an exceptional job.
“Coach Buchannan, I mean, he’s hard on us, but our offensive line coach is phenomenal,” senior offensive lineman Alex Cotterman said. “He prepares us every week. There’s nothing we see that we’re not ready for. It’s great to have somebody like that coaching you every single day.”
Together, along with the rest of the coaching staff — Wes Anderson, special teams and receivers; Mike Luker, assistant receivers coach; Dan Walker, assistant running backs coach; Matt Keele, freshman head coach; and Will Elsbury, Matt Hayden, Mike Meyer and Kirk Woodcock, freshman assistants — comprise a dedicated group that excels at their jobs and has turned the Dragons into one of Indiana’s most dominant football programs.
“I’m very lucky. I’m just so privileged to have those guys,” Ralph said. “The great part is they were great before I got here. When I came in here we won so many games so fast, I probably got a lot of the unnecessary praise. We won with me coming in here, and everyone thinks oh, it’s got to be him. I don’t think that’s very fair.
“I think what I’m proudest of this year is that championship win, it puts our coaching staff on the map as this is one of the best staffs in the state of Indiana, period. That to me is really important.”
Tasked with taking a Class 4A school without Division 1 commits deep into the Class 5A state tournament, against bigger teams with standout athletes, the Dragons coaches put together successful gameplan after gameplan, successful adjustment after adjustment.
The players on the field executed those plans and changes, and made history by bringing home a 5A championship. They couldn’t have done that without the leadership they got from Ralph and his staff.
“The coaching staff, they make us better every day and make us better people,” senior linebacker Luke Ely said. “Everybody has so much respect for all of them. All the players love all the coaches. They are just great men overall. Their coaching has led us to this state championship.”
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A version of this story, with quotes from more players and coaches, will appear in the Daily Reporter’s commemorative football championship magazine, scheduled to release a week from today, Dec. 21.
Over the next few weeks, we will check in on first-year Mt. Vernon coach Mike Kirschner and take a look at some of the county’s standout football players, including a sophomore who was all-county on both sides of the ball; a championship quarterback; a true offensive leader and stalwart; and a do-everything, jack-of-all-trades unsung hero.
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