New year. New season. New coach. Oh my…

   At the end of the 2015 season, head football coach Lance Scheib retired, leaving the job open to anyone who was qualified. That someone just happened to be Jason Simmons.

   “The job got posted, then I went through the interview process in January, two different interviews were conducted, and then the final school board approval took place in January,” Simmons said.

   With taking on more responsibility by transitioning from offensive coordinator to head coach, Simmons says some things will be much different, such as his relationships with the players.          

    Something that junior Tyler Gonzalez thinks won’t change is the energy Simmons brings with him to practices. Scheib agrees.

   “You always want to make the program your own. He’s got different ideas, the best thing he has going for him is he is younger,” Scheib said. “He will have the needed energy to do a good job.”

   Although the team is now under the control of a different coaching staff, Gonzalez says that he believes there will still be influence by Scheib,  especially in this year of transition.

    Simmons knows that having  new coach and staff with the team will be something that the players will have to adjust to.

   “Change is difficult,” Simmons said. “Transition is difficult for young people.”

   The plan for the team isn’t to just win games or be the best; that isn’t what Simmons has in mind for his players or for the program.

   “The overall plan is to grow our young men into better people, knowing that they will become better players,” Simmons said, “but we need to get our program in order and aligned to build positive momentum to get us to grow our players into better men.”

    Being the head coach means the beginning of a new era at NHS and in Noblesville in general for the football team, and the town isn’t the only ones excited to see how the season will progress. Simmons and the team are as well.

    “I’m excited about being head coach,” Simmons said. “It’s an exciting time for Noblesville, the corporation and the football program.”

    With all the changes and the new coaching staff, Scheib thinks that the best person to follow in his footsteps and yet still create his own path with the team is the one who was picked: Simmons.

    “[The school board] could not have picked a better person, leader or role model for the kids and for the program,” Scheib said.