Wawasee FB Coach Ekovich Steps Down
April 24, 2017 at 4:07 p.m.
Wawasee FB Coach Ekovich Steps Down
By Staff Report-
Ekovich spent six seasons with Warrior football, the last four as head coach after Tom Wogomon took the job at Northridge, for many of the same reasons Ekovich is stepping aside.
“You know, a lot of this has to do with being so far away,” said the Kendallville resident. “There’s always that song in the back of my head (Harry Chapin’s “Cats In The Cradle’) and I think ‘man, I’m losing a bunch of time with the family,’
“As the spring went on, I started to look at other opportunities that might be a little bit closer to home, and the possibility that I could spend a little more time with the kids. As I was looking, it kept on dragging and I thought if an opportunity came up in the middle of June or the beginning of July, I didn’t think it’d be fair to tell the team ‘well, I got a new job,’ and leave them hangin’. That was the biggest thing, and with all things considered, it makes me more available, and gives Cory (Wawasee athletic director Schutz) some time in the school year to look for a replacement.”
The Warriors had an 11-17 record in the Northern Lakes Conference during the Ekovich era and had an 18-22 mark overall. Wawasee was 4-6 in 2016, and 2-5 in the NLC. The best season under Ekovich was 2014, when Wawasee went 6-4 with wins over Whitko and Warsaw. Wawasee was 0-4 in sectional games under the coach.
Ekovich said he wouldn’t rule out coaching in the future, and he will at minimum finish out his teaching contract this school year.
Efforts to reach Schutz regarding the hiring process and a timeline for Ekovich’s replacement were not successful.
Ekovich spent six seasons with Warrior football, the last four as head coach after Tom Wogomon took the job at Northridge, for many of the same reasons Ekovich is stepping aside.
“You know, a lot of this has to do with being so far away,” said the Kendallville resident. “There’s always that song in the back of my head (Harry Chapin’s “Cats In The Cradle’) and I think ‘man, I’m losing a bunch of time with the family,’
“As the spring went on, I started to look at other opportunities that might be a little bit closer to home, and the possibility that I could spend a little more time with the kids. As I was looking, it kept on dragging and I thought if an opportunity came up in the middle of June or the beginning of July, I didn’t think it’d be fair to tell the team ‘well, I got a new job,’ and leave them hangin’. That was the biggest thing, and with all things considered, it makes me more available, and gives Cory (Wawasee athletic director Schutz) some time in the school year to look for a replacement.”
The Warriors had an 11-17 record in the Northern Lakes Conference during the Ekovich era and had an 18-22 mark overall. Wawasee was 4-6 in 2016, and 2-5 in the NLC. The best season under Ekovich was 2014, when Wawasee went 6-4 with wins over Whitko and Warsaw. Wawasee was 0-4 in sectional games under the coach.
Ekovich said he wouldn’t rule out coaching in the future, and he will at minimum finish out his teaching contract this school year.
Efforts to reach Schutz regarding the hiring process and a timeline for Ekovich’s replacement were not successful.
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