Noel Rash is back as a head football coach in Northern Kentucky.
Conner High School hired the veteran coach to replace Dave Trosper, who died suddenly June 7.
Rash retired as Beechwood’s head coach after the 2022 season with a 193-46 career record (80.7%) and eight state championships. Rash was an assistant coach with Holmes and Covington Catholic since then.
When he stepped down from Beechwood, Rash, 58, wanted a break from full-time coaching but in the wake of Trosper’s death he will step in and lead the Cougars program less than two months before their first scrimmage. He met with players and their parents Thursday.
As of noon Friday, Rash had not returned calls from the Enquirer asking for comment.
“That’s what we’re going to try to teach these young men,” he said in an interview with Joe Danneman of Fox19 TV Thursday. “How to gather yourself when things are at their worst and have a mission, and have a purpose. And our purpose this year is to honor him by playing our butts off and coming together to become a unit that’s unstoppable. Ultimately we’re going to honor Dave by playing together and playing for each other.”
In a letter to the community, Conner principal Andy Wyckoff stated: “Having to search for and replace a legend such as Dave Trosper was one of the hardest tasks I’ve had to complete as a principal. We wanted to honor his name and make sure we upheld the quality of coaching the school and Dave deserved.
“Hiring Noel Rash was a no-brainer. Not only is he an incredible head coach with years of experience and an incredible track record to prove it, but he also loves Dave and wants to honor his name and coaching legend.
“Noel’s track record speaks for itself, but even more importantly, he brings character, discipline, and a deep commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field. During his time at other institutions, Coach Rash established himself as one of the most respected and successful high school football coaches in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Under his leadership his student athletes earned multiple state championships and consistently ranked among the top football programs in the state. His reputation for fostering a winning culture, while emphasizing sportsmanship, academics, and community involvement make him the ideal candidate to lead the next chapter of Conner Football.”
Rash, a 1985 Lloyd Memorial High School graduate, played football there and at Thomas More. He was an assistant coach at Lloyd, Simon Kenton and Moeller before joining Mike Yeagle’s Beechwood staff in 2000.
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Noel Rash takes over Conner football program after coach’s death
Reporting by James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
