Jensen To Lead Tigers
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Haworth confirmed Friday afternoon that he will recommend Jensen's name to the WCS Board of Trustees during the April 21 meeting.[[In-content Ad]]"I'm going to recommend Phil Jensen be hired as the next football coach at Warsaw Community High School," said Haworth. "Obviously his experience showed, and that's what seperated him from the other candidates. We had some great internal candidates, and it was a very tough decision to make, but we're very excited about this opportunity with Phil Jensen."
If approved, Jensen would replace Troy Akers, who was the defensive coordinator during Jensen's eight-year stint at WCHS. When Jensen stepped down after the 2003 season, Akers was hired as the head coach, and he led the Tigers to a 19-24 mark the past four seasons, including a 7-5 mark and sectional final berth last fall.
Akers has been promoted from assistant principal to the head principal's position at WCHS.
"When I heard Troy was going to be promoted, both of my kids were like 'dad are you going to coach again?'" said Jensen. "They know where my passion lies, and my family is very supportive of me coaching again."
Jensen, a 1983 Penn High School graduate who played collegiately at Butler University, coached the Tigers from 1996-2003, compiling a 53-31 record. Prior to coaching Warsaw the first time, Jensen was the head coach at Churubusco High School for four seasons. In 12 years as a head coach, Jensen owns a record of 82-43 that includes six conference championships, three at each school.
In 1998, Jensen guided Warsaw to its first postseason win, a 46-20 victory over Marion in the first round of the sectional.
Jensen coached the Tigers to Northern Lakes Conference championships in 1999, 2000 and 2001, the first time the program won three consecutive conference titles.
In 2002, Jensen directed Warsaw to its first sectional final appearance in the program's history.
In a phone conversation Friday afternoon, Jensen said stepping down after the 2003 season, and later resigning his teaching position at WCHS to work in sales with his wife, Debbie, was the right thing at the time for his family.
Coming back to coach the Tigers again, he went on to say, is now the right thing for he and his family.
"I'm very excited, but also nervous," said Jensen. "The last four years, I've really missed coaching football. When I stepped down in 2003, my daughter was 9 and my son was 4. Now, Samantha is 13 and Michael is 9. My wife and my kids are very supportive of me coaching again, and I think this is the right thing for me and my family, just as it was the right thing for my family when I stepped down four years ago."
Jensen said he will still work in sales for McKesson, a distrubutor of medical supplies for physicians' offices, but that he will be in the WCHS cafeteria on Mondays and Wednesdays, and that he hopes he can substitute on Fridays.
When a position opens, Jensen said he sees himself in the classroom again.
"I told the (interview) committee that I needed a year to transition myself," said Jensen. "I'm going to be in the cafeteria on Mondays and Wednesdays. I want to get to know the kids, and we're going to hit the weights after school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. When a position opens in the business department, something I'm qualified for, I want to teach again."
Jensen inherits a team that was led by a number of underclassmen, including offensive standouts Justin Clemens and Andy Conrad, both of whom are currently sophomores. The Tigers' junior varsity team also posted a winning record during the 2007 season.
There is a buzz in the community about the current group of underclassmen on Warsaw's football team, something that Jensen is well aware of.
"I've been the coach here before, and we were able to accomplish a lot of things," said Jensen. "There's a lot of talent coming back from last year's team, and yes, there are going to be expectations right away. I'm not going to be a win-at-all-cost kind of guy, we're going to do things the right way on and off the field, but yes, there's going to be expectations."
Warsaw opens the season Aug. 22 at Columbia City. The Tigers' home opener is Aug. 29 against Homestead.
Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Haworth confirmed Friday afternoon that he will recommend Jensen's name to the WCS Board of Trustees during the April 21 meeting.[[In-content Ad]]"I'm going to recommend Phil Jensen be hired as the next football coach at Warsaw Community High School," said Haworth. "Obviously his experience showed, and that's what seperated him from the other candidates. We had some great internal candidates, and it was a very tough decision to make, but we're very excited about this opportunity with Phil Jensen."
If approved, Jensen would replace Troy Akers, who was the defensive coordinator during Jensen's eight-year stint at WCHS. When Jensen stepped down after the 2003 season, Akers was hired as the head coach, and he led the Tigers to a 19-24 mark the past four seasons, including a 7-5 mark and sectional final berth last fall.
Akers has been promoted from assistant principal to the head principal's position at WCHS.
"When I heard Troy was going to be promoted, both of my kids were like 'dad are you going to coach again?'" said Jensen. "They know where my passion lies, and my family is very supportive of me coaching again."
Jensen, a 1983 Penn High School graduate who played collegiately at Butler University, coached the Tigers from 1996-2003, compiling a 53-31 record. Prior to coaching Warsaw the first time, Jensen was the head coach at Churubusco High School for four seasons. In 12 years as a head coach, Jensen owns a record of 82-43 that includes six conference championships, three at each school.
In 1998, Jensen guided Warsaw to its first postseason win, a 46-20 victory over Marion in the first round of the sectional.
Jensen coached the Tigers to Northern Lakes Conference championships in 1999, 2000 and 2001, the first time the program won three consecutive conference titles.
In 2002, Jensen directed Warsaw to its first sectional final appearance in the program's history.
In a phone conversation Friday afternoon, Jensen said stepping down after the 2003 season, and later resigning his teaching position at WCHS to work in sales with his wife, Debbie, was the right thing at the time for his family.
Coming back to coach the Tigers again, he went on to say, is now the right thing for he and his family.
"I'm very excited, but also nervous," said Jensen. "The last four years, I've really missed coaching football. When I stepped down in 2003, my daughter was 9 and my son was 4. Now, Samantha is 13 and Michael is 9. My wife and my kids are very supportive of me coaching again, and I think this is the right thing for me and my family, just as it was the right thing for my family when I stepped down four years ago."
Jensen said he will still work in sales for McKesson, a distrubutor of medical supplies for physicians' offices, but that he will be in the WCHS cafeteria on Mondays and Wednesdays, and that he hopes he can substitute on Fridays.
When a position opens, Jensen said he sees himself in the classroom again.
"I told the (interview) committee that I needed a year to transition myself," said Jensen. "I'm going to be in the cafeteria on Mondays and Wednesdays. I want to get to know the kids, and we're going to hit the weights after school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. When a position opens in the business department, something I'm qualified for, I want to teach again."
Jensen inherits a team that was led by a number of underclassmen, including offensive standouts Justin Clemens and Andy Conrad, both of whom are currently sophomores. The Tigers' junior varsity team also posted a winning record during the 2007 season.
There is a buzz in the community about the current group of underclassmen on Warsaw's football team, something that Jensen is well aware of.
"I've been the coach here before, and we were able to accomplish a lot of things," said Jensen. "There's a lot of talent coming back from last year's team, and yes, there are going to be expectations right away. I'm not going to be a win-at-all-cost kind of guy, we're going to do things the right way on and off the field, but yes, there's going to be expectations."
Warsaw opens the season Aug. 22 at Columbia City. The Tigers' home opener is Aug. 29 against Homestead.
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