Published: August 15, 2008 05:38 pm            

Former Maroon track record-holder Ryan New named head coach at Ohio Northern University

Somerset — Out with the old and in with the New.

Ryan New, the former track star at Pulaski County High School became the head coach at Ohio Northern University on Tuesday.

“I am really excited about the opportunity and the up coming season,” says New about his first coaching gig. “It will take time, but I am looking forward to the challenge. It's a new start for the kids.”

Just in case you were wondering where ONU is located, don't pull out the atlas. Ada, Ohio is a town that sits halfway between Dayton and Toledo about 15 minutes off I-75.

NFL fans should know about Ada because the town that houses just under 6,000 residents is home to the NFL football. It’s the only manufacturing facility in the United States of NFL footballs and has produced every football used in the Super Bowl since 1969.

New not only faces the challenges of being a first time head coach, he faces the challenge of a colder, more snow induced winter.

“I have been asking some of the locals about what’s it like up here in the winter time and they tell me that about 30 years ago, the temperature was as low as 30-below-zero. Now that is cold.”

New spent three years at Centre College in Danville as an assistant. Before that, he ran his way in the Pulaski County Maroons’ record book.

In 38 years of track record keeping at PCHS, New left as the Maroons’ all-time leading track scorer with 1,095 points. He is one of only two people with over 1,000 points.

New was the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference runner of the year and also the Centre Athlete of the Year in 2004.

When Ryan New left Pulaski County High School, he held a number of records including the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.99.

Ryan New was Pulaski’s ‘Michael Phelps on land’.

“Ryan loves the sport,” says Byron Childers, who coached New in high school. “He lives, eats, and breathes the sport, and I am really happy for him.”

New became an assistant for Childers in 2001. Under Childers, New says he learned that the sport is about the kids.

“There are two really important things Coach Childers taught me,” New explained. “One is the kids come first. Two, it’s less important what you do. It’s more important that they believe it.”

When New was hired he became some what of a mystery to the kids who ran. After he met with a few kids and talked to them, he felt like they were excited. New has set high goals but they are goals he feels the team can reach.

“I want to establish an environment that will get kids excited about running, “ New said. “If I do that, then the other things will come."

New wants to take a cross country team that finished 17th last year and get them into the top five. He also wants to continue the success that has already been established in the Ohio Athletic Conference. (OAC)

With New, you know what you get. He is up front and his passion for the sport he loves is like no other. He understands that trust is an important thing with the kids.

“If I tell the kids to eat a hog dog and go run, I want them to have trust in me so that they will do that,” New said. “They have to trust me and in return, I will understand them. I will listen to them and together we can be successful.”

The Ryan New era begins Sept. 7, 2008, when his cross country teams (men and women) will compete at the Hanover (Indiana) Invitational.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.