The Otterbein football team enters their final game of the season knowing the athletic director is looking for a new coaching staff.
The Otterbein Athletic Department officially began searching for a new head coach today. The decision came amid a 1-8 start, with the team’s final game coming this Saturday against Ohio Northern.
Athletic Director Gregg Lott notified the team after a team meeting on Sunday. “I am doing everything in my power to set this program up for success and a big part of that is having the permanent head coach in place before the holidays,” Lott said in the email provided to the T&C.
“Many of you might question the timing of this decision, rightly so,” Lott said. “The easier thing to do would have been to wait until after the final game had been played.”
The Otterbein head coach opening was posted on the NCAA’s job market website early today.
Sophomore offensive lineman Lain Copper said he was surprised by the timing of the decision. “A big reason we’re all confused is he’s letting us know now,” Copper said. “That’s kind of a distraction going into the last game of the season.”
Copper will be led by his third head coach in two years. “There’s no culture on the team,” Copper said. “You’re not going to establish a culture by hiring a new coach every two years.”
“O” Club member Ron Jones said club members were not made aware of the decision. “I didn’t hear anything about it,” Jones said. “I expected they would at least wait until the end of the year.
In an email to T&C staff, Lott said the staff will keep their jobs through the search process.
