Warren Central football buying into HC Kirschner’s vision
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — In the sweltering summer heat, two-time Ben Davis’ IHSAA state champion head football coach Mike Kirschner, fresh off 30 wins in just three seasons at Mt. Vernon, is running around with the energy and intensity of a first-year IHSAA sideline general.
This chapter as Warren Central’s head coach is fresh for the storied no-nonsense coach. And it’s personal.
When Kirschner agreed to take over the Warriors program following current Franklin Central Head Coach Jayson West’s decorated tenure, the word spread quickly throughout Warrior Nation.
The 1979 Warren Central graduate was coming home.
“I got calls from guys I played high school ball with that I haven’t talked to in 30 years,” Kirschner said. “Probably the neatest phone call for me was my high school head coach, who I played for on this field, Jerry Stauffer.”
“Coach Stauffer picked up the phone and called me. I am getting chills talking about it now.”
Stauffer knows his former program made the right choice.
Kirschner is thrilled with his new coaching staff, a mix of new voices and returning assistants from the West era.
Collectively, these assistants were in for a twist right away.
Kirschner is not one to sit back and be the ‘face’ of the program.
Instead, being in the trenches with the offensive line, patrolling the secondary with the defensive backs, and sorting through the finer points of the special teams’ plan? Yes, Kirschner wants in on all of it.
“On the offensive side, I work with the offensive line. On the defensive side, I work with the defensive backs.”
“I coordinate the special teams. My coaches here were kind of shocked when I first got here because I was so involved.”
“I want to have fun, and to me, that is fun.”
So how is the Kirschner era going from a player’s perspective?
It didn’t take senior Quarterback Prince Powell more than two seconds to respond.
“He (Kirschner) is the goat (greatest of all-time),” Powell said. “He definitely has the swag. He has the old swag to him.”
Coach Kirschner is back where he belongs. The best part? He hasn’t changed a bit.
