Publisher’s Perspective
The Noblesville School Board has approved the hiring of Dave Sharpe as the new football coach.
Leading up to the announcement, school officials had remained tight-lipped. Not many rumors floated around the community about who the next coach would be.
Those sitting in the packed school board meeting room on Tuesday evening got their first glimpse of the new guy. Coach Sharpe walked in flanked by Noblesville High School Principal Craig McCaffrey. Both quietly sat in the front of the room.
Just prior to the board’s approval of Sharpe, a former NHS football player spoke publicly challenging Noblesville’s hiring process. He also asked the board to not approve Sharpe as the new coach.
While the young man was making his fervent pitch to run the coach out of town before he took his first snap, I watched Sharpe. He sat strong is in chair and listened without showing emotion. A class act.
After the board’s unanimous approval, Sharpe left the meeting room and was greeted by a handful of current Miller football players.
The players introduced themselves one by one. With each introduction Sharpe called them by their jersey numbers and position. The coach had done his homework before coming to town. He already knew these kids. He admitted to watching hours of Noblesville game video, long before his first paycheck.
Later, Sharpe told Reporter Sports Editor Richie Hall to expect “old-school football” this coming season. Double tight-ends, a full house backfield and grinding it up the middle. Now that’s something Miller fans haven’t heard since legendary coach Jim Belden’s term.
Overhearing Sharpe’s conversation with Hall, I thought to myself, maybe that is what Noblesville needs. Old-school. Not just old-school X’s and O’s, but old-school community support.
The school board has done their job selecting a coach that has the talent and energy to revamp the program. It is now the community’s turn to support Miller football, old-school style.
Longtime Miller fans will remember, a young Jim Belden went 0-10 his first year, but never produced a losing season after.
Fans didn’t bail on Belden. The community, headed by people like Lucille Gossard and her cowbell, filled the bleachers. Fans like Don Bailey and Tom Edens lined the fence next to the sideline cheering the team as it entered the field.
To the Miller fans and Noblesville community, you have a young coach that wants to bring old-school football back to Noblesville. Support the coach with some old-school Miller football pride.
To Noblesville Schools, job well done selecting Sharpe. Now provide him the support and tools to rebuild a program.
Let’s make Miller football great again.