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HHF/GID Interview with Mike Kirschner - Warren Central


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HHF Interview with Warren Central Head Coach Mike Kirschner
 
Coach K comes over from Mt Vernon to take over his alma mater, with intentions of retaking The MIC and taking his team back to Lucas Oil Stadium on Thanksgiving weekend
 
 
Question 1
Coach, the consensus amongst Indiana high school football fans relative to your coaching career was that Mt Vernon would be your final stop, that you "had been there and done that" with big school football in Indy, and after 3 highly successful seasons at MV, that perception became even more embedded. Despite the fact that Warren is your alma mater, many were still surprised, and somewhat shocked, that you made the jump back into The MIC. Walk us through the decision making process if you will, and ultimately, what were the prevailing circumstances that pushed you over the top to make the move?
Response
I have always liked challenges and opportunities. The chance to coach at Warren Central High School fit this opportunity. I had 3 great years at Mt. Vernon and we accomplished many of the goals we set out to accomplish in that time. We won back to back sectionals for the first time in school history, we won the schools only regional title in football, and last fall we completed the schools first ever undefeated regular football season. I saw the WC job as an opportunity to see if our vision as a staff and program would work like it did at Ben Davis and then Mt. Vernon. At this point in my career (age 60) not sure what my last stop will be. I love coaching but most of all I love the process of putting a team/program together.
 
Question 2
You have now been on the inside of both of the biggest high school football programs in state history. In terms of overall size, numbers, talent, depth, facilities, resources, etc, only Carmel is in the same boat with Ben Davis and Warren Central. In what ways have you found similarities between the two schools, and in what ways are they vastly different in terms of their approach to the game?
Response
Many similarities as it relates to athletes, facilities, economic backgrounds etc. between Ben Davis and Warren Central. Both schools love their football teams and have a passion for football. I had great administrative support at Ben Davis and it is fantastic at Warren Central as well. There are not many differences at all between the schools. Proud football traditions (9 state titles each), great coaching staffs (numerous Hall of Fame Coaches), and student/athletes who want to be the next great team at their respective school.
 
Question 3
Your 2020 Mount Vernon team ripped through the Hoosier Heritage Conference unbeaten, supplanting long time conference kingpin New Palestine in the process, and then blitzed your sectional before running into a very solid Roncalli team in the regional that went on to easily win the state championship. Was your team overmatched against Roncalli, was it just a bad night for the Marauders, or were other factors in play that led to the eventual outcome. Also, did that experience factor at all in your decision to make the move back up to 6A football?
Response
The regional loss played no factor in my decision. I had some opportunities to pursue other jobs after the 2019 season but did not want to leave Mt. Vernon at that time the Warren job seemed to be a great opportunity. Getting past New Pal (great program) was a major hurdle for us last fall. Defeating a team that had not lost a conference game in 7 years is no easy task and was great for the team, school and community and one win that will always stand out for me. Roncalli physically beat us up front. Their offensive line and defensive line were just better than ours. I was proud of the way we fought but we needed to make some plays in the passing game that just did not happen. They were an excellent team and deserved the accolades that they received.
 
Question 4
It wasn't long ago that you could find several Warren players listed amongst the top players in the state on the various recruiting services including Rivals, MaxPreps, 247Sports, etc. The last two years have been a bit lean on the east side in terms of turning out high level Division 1 talent. What is your current assessment of the talent level at WC, and do you have confidence that the feeder system is in place and doing what it needs to do to build and develop future high school players for your program?
Response
We have several division 1 players on the team now and will have several more in the near future. Talent at all schools is cyclical. We have a great middle school program that feeds into the high school. This season we will have 70 incoming freshmen that we are very excited about working with. We have a strong youth league that is getting ready to go through some changes that will make it even better in the future.
 
Question 5
What will be the primary area of strength for this 2021 edition of Warren football, and who will be the contributors as you make a run for The MIC title and position your program for post season success?
Response
1. Primary area of strength is the number of players returning with varsity experience. We were a very young team last fall under Coach West and many of those players are returning this fall and that experience should help early in the season as we bring other players along.
2. Contributors QB - Prince Powell, RB - Rodney Johnson, WR's - Joe Walker and Quintin Del-Gado. On defense Safety - Lee Alexander, LB - Danny Harrell, DL - Dejuan Echoles, DJ Ward and Gerald Glover
 
Question 6
What is your greatest area of concern heading into the season?
Response
Our biggest area of concern is team depth and strength. We never went back to school full time last year as we stayed hybrid. We were seeing athletes every other day which hurt our off-season strength program. Some of our younger players could have benefitted from being in the weight room every day and developing their strength and quickness.
 
Question 7
You jump right into the fire in Week 1, facing off against a defending state champion Center Grove team that is heavily favored to repeat. It was not long ago that the Trojans were chasing Ben Davis and Warren for MIC supremacy. Now CG is on top , with everyone else in the MIC doing the chasing. How do you feel your team matches up against CG, and do you feel you have the pieces in place to possibly pull off a surprise?
Response
Week 1 will be a huge test for us. We are facing a very experienced football team with a Hall of Fame head coach. We will have to play exceptional football right out the gate. The beauty of high school football is that you do not have to win week one or week two. We all make the tournament. What is really important is how we improve as the season progresses. In 2014 we finished 7-2 regular season and 3rd in the MIC and we were fortunate to run the table in the state tournament. I am a firm believer that if you focus on the process and improvement then wins will take care of themselves.
 
Question 8
Warren finished 4-6 last season, the first sub .500 season for the school in 22 years. Mostly everyone, kids, players, fans, alumni, etc. can't even remember the last time WC went through a losing season. What is the general "vibe" surrounding the program, and have you found yourself spending time uplifting and reassuring people that the program is on good footing and that better times are ahead?
Response
To be accurate Warren Central was 5-6 during the 2012 football season. The general vibe is excitement. The parents and the community are excited to see what kind of team we will put on the field this fall. We have made some changes in the coaching staff and integrated that with some staff that have been in place for some time. The staff is excellent and are working daily to get things back on track. Personally I am doing what I have done for a long time - getting players to work hard, trust the process, be accountable for their actions and remember that this is a journey not a destination - take each day and enjoy it.
 
Question 9
The MIC continues to be the state's premier football conference, and one of the very best throughout the entire midwest. The Big 4 programs will continue to have the resources to maintain a very high level of play, and we have seen great strides made by North Central and Lawrence North over the past several seasons. Pike always has talent and can be very dangerous. Only Lawrence Central would be described as "struggling" How do you view the conference race this season, and in your view is WC a contender for a 2021 MIC title?
Response
We identify struggling by wins and losses unfortunately, but in the MIC we are all good and perform at a very high level. The physicality of the conference requires you to go deep into your depth chart as the season progresses. If you survive the regular season without many injuries you have to repeat the MIC schedule (most of us) in the IHSAA tournament. I view the conference as very talented and believe that week in and week out you are going to have to be on point. I feel we can make a run for the title but will need some young players to grow up and mature quickly.
 
 
Question 10. Coach, clearly returning to your alma mater must be the fulfillment of a lifelong coaching desire for you. What are your short term and long term goals for this program, and do you feel the resources and support are in place to get you there?
1. Short term develop team strength and quickness while we get them to understand the value of being a team member and a Warrior for life.
2. Long term develop a program that continues to produce excellent student/athletes that continue the traditions of the past and sets the standards for the teams of the future
We absolutely have the resources in place. Great administration, we have assembled a great staff, and the players are hungry and committed to being a Warren Central Warrior.
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9 hours ago, BDGiant93 said:

Wow, after all the abuse you've given Mike over the years, he gave you an interview. Classy individual.

I like the way he jumped on #3 and addressed that very clearly.

I may have been critical over the years with Coach K, but never disrespectful.

 

 

Just now, DT said:

I like the way he jumped on #3 and addressed that very clearly.

I may have been critical over the years with Coach K, but never disrespectful.

 

 

Look at it this way, in my view there is no higher bar for success than BD.  

Thats respect!

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