By RICHIE HALL
From Noblesville to Greencastle, and at all points in between, everyone that has ever met Luke Melloh knows he has a passion for football.
That love of the game led Melloh to success as a quarterback for the Millers, then for two years at DePauw University. But after a medical diagnosis led him to stop playing, Melloh switched his focus to coaching and has already proven himself successful at it – even though he was still a student when he began.
Melloh’s transition from player to coach happened during the summer between his sophomore and junior years at DePauw. He was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a lung condition.
“I wasn’t told that I couldn’t play, but it was a strong suggestion that I stop,” said Melloh.
Melloh and then-head coach Bill Lynch had a conversation afterwards, and Lynch suggested Melloh move into coaching.
“I hadn’t really considered it, but it was an opportunity,” said Melloh. “So, I did that for my junior and senior season and it went really well. I think I want to pursue this coaching thing long-term.”
And what better place to do that then right at his alma mater? Melloh graduated from DePauw this spring with a communications degree. He was also hired by Brett Dietz, who became the Tigers’ head coach in January, to come on board “and coach in a full-time role,” said Melloh.
“I was the quarterback coach, and he was a quarterback,” said Dietz. “I’ve known Luke for a long time.”
As a student-coach, Melloh had a variety of responsibilities during his junior and senior years.
“I was working with the quarterbacks and receivers, mainly receivers I would say,” said Melloh. He did a good amount of film work, charted plays and coverage of the defense during his junior year and also oversaw weight room workouts. Melloh also helped relay play calls; the offensive coordinator at the time would be in the press box, and would tell Melloh through the head set the play, which Melloh signaled to the players.
Melloh said that even though he was a student-coach, he was doing everything a full-time coach would do – he just also was in class.
“I got more responsibility in my second year doing it than I did my very first year, but I was doing a lot as a junior,” said Melloh.
“You can see Luke’s confidence grow,” said Dietz. “He started off playing quarterback and really just had that personality about him that you really just fall in love with the kid.”
Melloh also made quite an impact, which is why Dietz asked him to stay on the coaching staff after he graduated. He noted that Melloh has an “infectious personality,” and said “he’s got the energy you need to be a very effective coach. He has the respect of former classmates.”
“I think they can see his passion and genuine love for the game, and that makes him somebody you want to follow,” said Dietz.
“I had several players come up and ask me if Melloh was going to stay on coaching,” said Dietz. “In terms of what he will bring to the coaching staff, he’s going to bring energy, for sure. He brings a willingness that he wants to learn.”
Melloh has already learned quite a bit, and his new role helped enhance the life lessons that football teaches.
“I’ve always known as a player how much football can teach you about life both on and off the field,” said Melloh. “But I think once I transitioned to the coaching role, you see that play itself out even more so.”
“It’s a different relationship, player to player versus player to coach,” said Melloh. “Even though I was the same age as the players I coached, they respected me and looked at me as more of a coach than as a peer.”
“You just realize how important playing the game of football is,” said Melloh. That statement doesn’t apply to just the game itself, but also with what one does after his football-playing days are over.
“I want to make sure that I don’t miss an opportunity to impact these kids not just an athlete, but also people,” said Melloh. “This game is an unbelievable teacher of life, and what a way to bring people together in a pursuit of one goal.”
Melloh’s coaching career is just beginning, but for now he’s happy where he is. He said his goal is to be a head football coach, and he’s open to coaching in college or high school.
“I’m not going to pigeon-hole myself to any one level,” said Melloh. “College coaching’s going to be what I do right now. As long as the common denominator is the same, which is coaching football, I’m in for it. Having the opportunity to go back to my alma mater is something I couldn’t pass up.”
Dietz believes there is a bright future for Melloh in the coaching world. He noted that there are “a couple of guys I know that have made it up to the Division I level, and both of them have a very, very, very similar personality to Coach Melloh, where it’s that energy. It’s somebody that the kids want to play for.”
“I want everyone to be excited to be out there, I want our players to be excited,” said Dietz. “When there’s energy, then we’re going to get real work done. He has that ‘it’ factor.”