By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
Keeping things simple can sometimes lead to great accomplishments.
Ask Justin Roden, who called the scheme used by his East Central football team last year “simple,” yet it resulted in a state championship. If you’re close by Noblesville High School, you can ask Roden in person: He’s the Millers’ new head football coach.
Roden was announced as the new coach by Noblesville Schools on Monday, and his hiring was approved by the school board at Tuesday night’s school board meeting at the Educational Services Center. After that, Roden could be found right outside in the atrium, getting introductory handshakes and chatting happily with his new friends.
“I think that’s one of the biggest drawing points here is that the community is fantastic,” said Roden. “It’s a beautiful place to live. It’s a beautiful place to raise a family.”
Roden said that the administration, including NHS principal Jeff Bryant and athletic director Leah Wooldridge have been “uber-welcoming.” The new coach also said that his family is happy to be here, which is just as important as the football considerations.
“Sometimes the appeal of a football program is great, but then you go there and it’s not the right fit for the wife and kids,” said Roden. “So I think the whole Noblesville community, the school, the football program, the future where things are going, it’s a great job, and there’s a reason why a lot of people wanted to be the head coach here and it’s a reason why people recommended that I leave a really good situation for the potential for an even better one.”
Roden made his tenure at East Central a very good situation. He coached there for five years, compiling a record of 47-20. The Trojans have won three consecutive regional titles, and in 2015 made their first appearance in a state championship game since 1994 by reaching the Class 4A final.
East Central lost that game to Bishop Dwenger, but were back in the final two years later, in 2017. The Trojans beat Lowell 14-7 to claim their second state title, the first one being 1994.
Prior to coaching at East Central, Roden was the special teams coordinator at his alma mater, the College of Mount St. Joseph, which is located on the west side of Cincinnati. Roden received most of his education in Cincinnati, as he graduated from Colerain High School, on the city’s west side, in 1995, then earned a Bachelor’s degree from Mount St. Joseph in 1999.
Roden has also earned a Masters’ Degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. He’s been involved in coaching for 15 years.
“I’ve been coaching for a long time, and I’ve been in a few different places,” said Roden. “I think my background, the style of football that I’ve been a part of and that I coach and take pride in, I think that fits well here.”
Roden said that when it came to winning, especially last year for East Central, simple worked – “our scheme was a simple scheme,” he said. “We didn’t try to out-‘paper and pencil’ and -‘X and O’ people. We played a brand of football that is kind of a throwback, the simple things of tackling the right way and blocking.” Simple things, Roden said, that people take for granted nowadays.
“I think the experience, more than anything, allows me to come here and try to get back to a style of football that’s conducive for the kids here at Noblesville,” said Roden.
“We are extremely excited Coach Roden and his family chose to join us and I am confident he will be a great asset in leading the Miller football program,” said Wooldridge. “He has a vision and plan for making our football team successful on the field and for supporting our student-athletes off the field, both of which we value highly at NHS.”
Off the field, Roden will be a physical education teacher at the high school. His family is all involved with athletics in one way or another: Roden’s wife Jennifer is a physical therapist; his daughter Hailey (who will be a junior next year) plays softball, and his son J.T. (who will be in eighth grade next year) plays soccer.
Roden also has some familiarity with schools around here. He’s friends with Carmel coach John Hebert and knows some of the coaches in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference as well.
“I’m well aware that Westfield just won a state championship, Zionsville just beat New Pal last year,” said Roden. “Obviously Carmel’s Carmel, even in a down year they’re fantastic and even in a down year they can win a state championship. And it just continues. There’s nothing but great football played in the conference and you’re not even talking about Avon and some of the other players.”
With that, Roden will be getting ready for the likes of HCC play, which of course means play in 6A – or as Roden likes to call it, “big boy football.”
“That’s another one of those factor’s that’s exciting,” said Roden. “I want to coach at the highest level. I want to coach against the best people. I got a chance to coach against some pretty good people in 4A. But the appeal of coming to Indianapolis, coaching 6A against schools like that is a tremendous challenge.
“I’m not cocky and I’m not egotistical in thinking that I can just come in here and we’re going to win tomorrow. I’m not that kind of person. But I do know that the challenge will be fun and I know that we can teach the kids to be able to compete and want to compete against those players. Not be scared, but be excited to play Carmel.”
Justin Roden was hired as the new Noblesville High School football coach at Tuesday night’s Noblesville Schools board meeting. Roden, pictured here with his family, comes from East Central, where he compiled a 47-20 record in five years, winning last season’s Class 4A state championship. (Photo provided)