By RICHIE HALL
Dave Sharpe has stepped down as the Noblesville High School head football coach.
In a Thursday interview with The Reporter, Sharpe said he told his players of his decision on Wednesday in a team meeting. He was hired in 2019 as a coach and physical education teacher at NHS and will continue to teach at the school.
“I’ll still be in the building as a teacher,” said Sharpe. “I still hope to coach football again someday, in some capacity.
Sharpe said he wants to spend more time with his family, but also said he “loved being the coach of the Millers. It was a lot of fun.”
“The kids were awesome to coach,” said Sharpe. “I hope they have a ton of success. I’ll be watching from afar.”
“I can confirm that we are beginning the process of identifying a new head varsity football coach,” said Noblesville athletic director Leah Wooldridge. “We will be making a thoughtful evaluation of the past successes and challenges of our football program as we evaluate plans for the future.
“I want to thank Coach Sharpe for serving our student athletes, and for his dedication and commitment to NHS football. He will remain in his role as a health and wellness teacher at NHS and we wish him the best.”
Sharpe coached the Millers for five seasons, starting in 2020. Noblesville went 14-38 in those years, navigating a tough schedule in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference and in the sectional. But the Millers still battled – this season, six of Noblesville’s losses were by a touchdown or less.
During that time, Noblesville opened its new Beaver Stadium; Sharpe said the excitement and energy of being in that new stadium “was amazing.”
Sharpe also enjoyed “seeing the kids year after year, knowing that at times, they were going to be underdogs going up against the gauntlet schedule. But they were fired up and gave it their all year after year.”
“It was truly a great group of kids,” said Sharpe. “I’ll treasure the memories.”