Editor’s Note: This story was updated after Plymouth named Brent Corbett interim head coach.
Less than five months after his hiring on Jan. 6 and before ever leading Plymouth football on the sidelines, Rockies head coach Ron Shaffer resigned Wednesday, May 20. Shaffer also resigned from his position as the high school’s dean of students, with both resignations effective immediately.
A day after Shaffer’s resignation, Brent Corbett was named the interim head coach for the 2026-27 season. Corbett, who was the defensive coordinator last season and planned to stay in the same role on Shaffer’s staff, is also Plymouth High School’s Athletic Coordinator.
“Rockie football means a great deal to me personally, and I’m excited to work with our student-athletes, coaches and community. Our goal is to build Rockie football back to the championship-level teams of the past while creating a program and team our community can be proud to support,” Corbett wrote in a press release shared Thursday, May 21.
In a press release shared by Plymouth Athletic Director Josh Troyer May 20, Shaffer said his decision to resign “was not made lightly” and that he took “careful consideration” of his decision that he told school leadership was “the right thing to do for the program and Plymouth High School.” When the South Bend Tribune reached out to Shaffer to comment on the matter, Shaffer did not respond.
When the Tribune reached out to Troyer, he said there was not much else to share aside from what was in the press release and that it was a “personnel matter.”
“He has chosen to no longer coach the Rockies of his own accord, and we are moving forward,” Troyer wrote via text message.
Troyer also wrote the following statement in the initial press release Wednesday evening.
“Our focus remains on supporting student-athletes, coaching staff and the football program as we move forward. Plymouth High School will work quickly and thoughtfully to determine the next steps to ensure stability for our players and school community. We appreciate the continued support of Plymouth Athletics.”
Shaffer was hired in January after previous head coach Adam Handley was fired Dec. 2, 2025. Handley led the Rockies to a combined 12-30 record in his four seasons with the program, including a 4-7 mark last year.
Shaffer was the head coach at Rochester for the past five seasons, his first high school head coaching role. In a half decade leading the Zebras, Shaffer compiled a 39-13 record, including an 0-8 to 5-3 turnaround in his first season.
Plymouth has not won a sectional championship since 2015, and Corbett is be its fifth head coach this century. Official practices begin in early August.
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleSmedley03.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Plymouth head football coach Ron Shaffer resigns before coaching a game
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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