In the morning during the school year, they are mild-mannered college students who attend classes at Ball State University. But by the afternoon, they are yelling and screaming coaches trying to get the best out of their football players.
Three Ball State students are currently playing the role of student-coaches this fall by coaching football at Muncie Central High School. Freshman Erick Lowe and junior Bryan Spisak are graduates of Muncie Central and are both entering their first year as assistant coaches. Senior Jason Tucker, a graduate of Plymouth High School, is entering his fourth year with the squad.
Lowe and Spisak began their high-school coaching careers at the beginning of August and found out immediately that Muncie Central doesn't introduce its new coaches at a slow pace, Spisak said.
"You kind of get thrown into the fire a little bit, but you learn to roll with it," Spisak said.
Spisak started coaching football last year at the middle school level and was asked this summer by Muncie Central coach John Hochstetler to fill in the open position as the wide receivers and defensive backs coach. After a two-year break from high school football, Spisak said he had to learn the ropes again.
"I've been out of [football] for two years, so I had to learn to get back in the swing of things," Spisak said.
Spisak is also an assistant baseball coach for Muncie Central in the spring.
Lowe, who graduated from Central in May, was a three-year starter for the Bearcats and is now the linebackers and tight ends coach, positions he knows well.
"I pretty much knew all the linebackers, and when the position coach left, coach Hochstetler asked me to come back and stay on," Lowe said.
He is pursuing a business degree at Ball State and said he does not plan to coach after college.
Tucker has worked his way up the coaching ladder at Muncie Central throughout the past three years. He started coaching the freshman squad in what he called a "try-out" position, and he is now the special teams coordinator and defensive and offensive line coach. Tucker said the atmosphere of both the team and the coaches makes Muncie Central a great place to coach.
"The coaches kind of become a family with everybody working together," Tucker said. "I couldn't ask for a better place to start off, especially starting out at a coaching position like this. It's a great experience."
All three student-coaches balance class loads with their full coaching schedules. Not only do they attend the team's practices in the afternoons, but they must also attend coaching meetings throughout the week and on weekends. They have to schedule their classes to be before practice every day of the week. So, learning to balance time is the key to being a successful student and coach, Tucker said.
"For me, it's a big commitment," Tucker said. "You have to learn how to balance time between classes, especially if this is something you want to do."
Tucker said that after graduation, he hopes to continue coaching at Muncie Central, where he is wanting to get a position to teach physical education or health.
During Tucker's tenure at the school, Muncie Central has a staggering 35-4 record, including three straight sectional championship wins. Last year's 12-1 season, however, ended like the previous two seasons -- with losses in the regional game. The team is 53-21 under Hochstetler, who has been with the team for the past seven years.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
