Get to know Southeastern & Fishers head football coaches leading up to Friday’s game
By LAURA MASONI
City of Fishers
Mudsock Week is perhaps one of the most unique and connection-building times of the year for Hamilton Southeastern High School (HSE) and Fishers High School (FHS) fall sports. Over the course of this week, soccer, volleyball, tennis, and football teams all compete for the coveted Mudsock trophy. However, one of the highlights comes on Friday night as rival football teams face off in a head-to-head battle met with some of the greatest student support in the state.
As we get ready for the Southeastern Royals and Fishers Tigers teams to kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9 at HSE High School, meet the head coaches behind the Mudsock football teams: Coach Curt Funk of FHS and Coach Michael Kelly of HSE. Between the two, they have a combined 36 years of coaching and teaching experience, and a passion for the game, as well as for their players.
Fishers High School’s Coach Funk
Coach Funk
Coach Funk began his coaching career in 2003 at Bluffton High School, where he was the assistant football coach and Industrial Technology teacher for two years. Over the course of his career, he has also worked at Muncie Southside, Mooresville High School, and Mississinewa High School, where he spent 10 years before landing at Fishers High School in the spring of 2020.
“We have moved eight times during that span, but I have been blessed at every stop and have made lifelong friends,” Funk said.
Beyond his career, Coach Funk says he most values, “building lifelong relationships with the players and watching them make a difference after their playing days.” These connections often prove vital in the experience student-athletes take away from high school and contribute to the group atmosphere.
Quick Q&A with Coach Funk
- Favorite local restaurant: Chatham Tap
- Favorite local business: Custom Embroidery
- Favorite Fishers park: Holland Park
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Hamilton Southeastern High School’s Coach Kelly
Coach Kelly
Coach Kelly of HSE High School began his coaching career at Central Hardin High School in Elizabethtown, Ky., in 2006. He moved to Fishers in 2008, where he taught at Fishers High School for nine years before beginning his transition to becoming a head coach at Seymour High School. Coach Kelly was there for three years prior to taking over as the HSE Head Football Coach in 2020.
For Coach Kelly, the experience and growth the players take away from the game is one of the most important aspects of it. “The growth we strive to see is in their character and in their personal, educational, and athletic life,” he said.
While the Mudsock game may prove intimidating, especially for new players, Coach Kelly says that concentration is key.
“We often allow the excitement of the game to cause our focus to drop,” Kelly said. “We must focus on us being the best we can be.”
Quick Q&A with Coach Kelly
- Favorite local restaurant: Ale Emporium
- Favorite local business: Forum Credit Union
- Favorite Fishers park: Flat Fork Creek Park
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Laura Masoni is the Public Relations Intern for the City of Fishers. She moved to Fishers from Greenwood in 2010. Her favorite activities include traveling, rowing at Eagle Creek, and going to concerts in Downtown Indy. In her free time, she loves to hang out with her friends and listen to podcasts and music.