MUNCIE, Indiana — Wes Del football has not had a successful season since 2016-17, and last fall’s 0-8 record was its worst yet.
Ryan Cole, who replaced longtime coach Brad Hess, left after just a year to oversee Centerville’s program. The move caught sporting director Kye Denney by surprise and he once again looked for a coach, hoping to find a long-term solution.
Matt Nuckols officially retired on May 12th. He has coached football and basketball at Wes-Del middle and high schools for the past decade, but retired from the gridiron last year after the birth of his second child and took up a new job as an elementary school assistant principal.
Denney approached Nuckols to replace Hess, but Nuckols had too many other commitments to worry about. This spring, however, the timing was right. Nuckols missed the game and Denney believes his passion for the opportunity made him the perfect choice.
“He eats, sleeps and breathes football and he’s a football guy. He has tremendous knowledge of the game and the most important thing is that he’s been in this community for a long time,” Denney said. “He really loves this school, he loves our student athletes and we are confident that he will do whatever it takes to ensure we are successful here and I am just thrilled to have him on board.”
A graduate of Blackford High School and Ball State University, Nuckols began working in Warriors’ athletics while attending college. He later taught math at Wes-Del middle and high schools, coached freshman and JV basketball, and was Hess’ assistant football coach and offense coordinator for seven years.
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He was part of Wes-Del’s last winning season and other rosters that hovered around the .500, so Nuckols has seen firsthand what it takes to field competitive Warriors teams. Though he still coached basketball this winter, it couldn’t replicate the joy he felt on the soccer field.
“I’ve always bled football and loved Wes-Del and loved everything about it, so I just had to try,” Nuckols said. As soon as I stepped away, I missed it. I missed it a lot… football was always my first love and just something I knew I wanted to do again someday.
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Reversing the warriors will not be an easy task. The Mid-Eastern Conference is impressive, and Wes-Del didn’t actually play a game last season. Three of the team’s top-five total distance chasers will graduate this spring, including quarterback Evan Whitesell, as well as its top-three tacklers.
Nuckols is happy to have returnees like lineman Bray Hill, quarterback Triton Blevins and receiver Trey Adams, whom he described as a “stud” and “playmaker,” but the team as a whole will be young.
Expectations will not be high in Nuckols’ first year at the helm. Instead, Denney wants to see culture-changing habits formed and accepted by student-athletes. He’s confident that will happen and having plenty of opportunities to give the youngsters playing time should help that cause.
“We don’t say, ‘Hey, our goal is to win that many games or our goal is to win a section title.’ Our goal is to come in every day and win the day,” said Nuckols. “We want to make sure our guys know every day that they’re in there (that) they’re going up against everyone, themselves, they’re going up against their teammates for game time and then every team on the schedule.”
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Though the names of the team’s new assistant coaches can’t be officially announced until after the Wes-Del Community School Board meeting on May 26, Nuckols went to work on day one recruiting assistants and coordinators dedicated to the quest should join after improving the Wes Del football.
Nuckols said that while a few “familiar faces” are returning, there will be some new additions who are either former Warriors players or coaches who “know Wes-Del inside and out.”
It was important to Nuckols that his employees invest in Wes-Del as a whole and not just see it as a bridge between their previous job and the next. He wants this to be consistent over the long term and finding trainers who are passionate about the game and the community has been a focus.
They have already discussed strategic changes, most notably the switch from a spread offensive to a more ‘smash-mouth’ style of football. Nuckols grew up with the triple option and helped coach pistol formations alongside Hess, but he believes implementing a traditional scheme, quarterback under center with some power run blocking, suits a small school like Wes-Del better and leads to greater success.
The defensive coordinator will return, and Denney said he’s confident that side of the ball will eventually improve as well.
“I’ve never been more excited about a team that’s been put together …[it has]a lot of knowledge and experience and a good mix of youngsters that I think our kids will relate to,” Denney said. “[The offense]they’re putting together is perfect for our school, our size and the athletes we have. It’s an offense they can take from youth soccer to varsity soccer. We’ll have an identity and these kids will know exactly what they’re doing.”
Nuckols has already sent out the team’s June schedule and looks forward to officially starting summer practice and scrimmage. He said the team will meet three to four times a week and more frequently in July, and the kids will do strength training with the strength and conditioning coach before practice from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
It will not be an overnight solution. Nuckols said he’s glad to have a supportive community like Gaston behind him as he embarks on this journey. There is optimism that there will be brighter days in the future of Wes Del football.
“We have a really great group of young kids who are doing through elementary and middle school… being able to bond with those kids is going to help with future success,” Nuckols said. “The coaching staff we’re putting together is quite unique and elite and I think they’ll be able to turn that into a really strong football programme, hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SPand contact him at [email protected] or 765-729-4742.