DANVILLE — Danville native Glen Rowell has been building up his football experience in coaching since graduating from Danville High in 2009.
Now he will bring that experience back home.
Rowell was named the head coach of the Schlarman Academy football team on Tuesday, replacing Jason Dixon, who went 0-9 in his only season.
Rowell went to Joliet Junior College in 2009 and transferred to Kentucky Christian University in 2011. He was a three-year starter at linebacker and after graduating in 2015, he tried out for NFL and CFL teams and played in indoor football with the Bloomington Edge, Kansas City Phantoms and the Tri-Town Titans.
In-between those tryouts, he coached the Ravens and Bears local youth football teams, was an assistant in the Hoopeston Area/Schlarman co-op of 2018, was an assistant wrestling coach for Danville from 2015-2019 and coached track and field at North Ridge Middle School.
From 2019-2023, Rowell was an assistant football coach, recruiting coordinator and assistant wrestling coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College and has spent the last few years in Indianapolis, where he was athletics director, head track and field coach, dean of culture and PE and health teacher.
The hiring of coach Rowell is to not only build a 8-man football team for the Hilltoppers as athletics director Erin Forsyth wants not only a change in the culture, but a move back up to 11-man football in the future.
More on coach Rowell’s hiring will be in Thursday’s Commercial-News.