Westfield

[Boilernation]

On 3/11/2024 at 7:57 PM, WestfieldRocks said:

Not really a surprise to the locals here. Coach Gilbert ran for Westfield mayor last year, but lost to current mayor Scott Willis in the May Republican primary. With Coach Miracle taking over, a long time Gilbert assistant, the program is in good hands. 

Any chance you know where Westfield's future enrollment is projected? I'm seeing a lot of the rural areas in the western portion of their district (north and south of 32) rapidly being developed.

[temptation]

39 minutes ago, Boilernation said:

Any chance you know where Westfield's future enrollment is projected? I'm seeing a lot of the rural areas in the western portion of their district (north and south of 32) rapidly being developed.

Nothing specific, but I am betting the high school hits 3000+ by either next year or 2026.

[Cloudy14]

Westfield has lots of potential to increase enrollment in Hamilton County, unless surrounding communities Cicero, Atlanta, Arcadia (Hamilton Heights), Sheridan and Noblesville cut off potential growth - yes, school district boundaries are set, but students and families can continue to choose Westfield as the city grows out and up.

[Muda69]

More ugly, expensive urban sprawl.  No thanks.

 

[Coach Nowlin]

15 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

More ugly, expensive urban sprawl.  No thanks.

 

Buy your Potato farm for retirement yet in Idaho ?   😃

[Muda69]

6 minutes ago, Coach Nowlin said:

Buy your Potato farm for retirement yet in Idaho ?   😃

Still saving $.

 

[jets]

19 hours ago, temptation said:

1.  Money, great SES, two parent households, etc.

2.  One of, if not THE fastest growing area of population in the state.

3.  Facilities are top notch.

4.  Best conference in Indiana FORCES them to stay competitive (a rising tide raises all boats).

5.  Recent state championship appearance/success that can be sold as a cultural piece to the current crop of student athletes.

6.  Pay/teaching schedule.

 

Just my opinion.

Care to elaborate as far as Coach Gilbert's role within the school?? Dean of students? Strength Coach? That type of salary seems to suggest some type of Administration role I would guess?? 

[WestfieldRocks]

16 hours ago, BTF said:

Could very well be. We'd all be naive to think that a head coach is a one man show in any sport. I guess we'll know the answer in a few years. I could name a few programs (but I don't care to) who had great coaches leave the program, but the next man up didn't maintain the same level of play. 

For now, I'll just stick to "kudos to Coach Gilbert for building one of the top 'pound for pound' programs in the state." And "good luck to the new coach."

From the Indy Star article link at the top of this thread. This pretty much answers the question about the former assistant now head coach:

The plan is already in place for Gilbert’s replacement. Josh Miracle, an assistant for Gilbert the past 13 years, will take over for Gilbert. Miracle has been the associate head coach and defensive coordinator for the past decade and was named the Frank Broyles Award winner for the top assistant in Indiana last season.

[temptation]

26 minutes ago, jets said:

Care to elaborate as far as Coach Gilbert's role within the school?? Dean of students? Strength Coach? That type of salary seems to suggest some type of Administration role I would guess?? 

Eh, there are more qualified Westfield insiders on this board that could speak confidently but I have noticed that many schools (Indy large ones are the only ones I have really researched) use the model of weight room/APE guy with a couple of daily duties sprinkled in.  A couple that I know have gone the administrative route as it relates to the job title which is sort of amusing.

 

[CoachMack219]

20 minutes ago, jets said:

Care to elaborate as far as Coach Gilbert's role within the school?? Dean of students? Strength Coach? That type of salary seems to suggest some type of Administration role I would guess?? 

You would think that much pay would almost certainly mean some form of admin role but the gateway website that @FridayNightLights used to report his earnings will list administrators roles (including Deans) in the "Job Titles/ Duties" section of the compensation spreadsheet. That leads me to believe that Coach Gilbert had a teacher's schedule and/ or contract as opposed to an administrative schedule/ contract. I have NO CLUE, maybe @temptation has the answer for us or someone else does because upon a quick search through Google, Westfield's Strength Coach is listed as a "HS aide" and he makes more than most (probably 80%) contracted teachers in the state of Indiana. 

Upon further review, I think Temp MIGHT have sold 'em short by not saying "top 3 job. 😂

 

[CoachMack219]

2 minutes ago, temptation said:

Eh, there are more qualified Westfield insiders on this board that could speak confidently but I have noticed that many schools (Indy large ones are the only ones I have really researched) use the model of weight room/APE guy with a couple of daily duties sprinkled in. 

This would make me think that maybe Coach Gilbert was possibly the teacher in the weight room and the other fella (Strength Coach) the aide. Would make sense that a school THAT GOOD would spend $200,000 on their strength program and student-athlete growth/ development. Almost like that stuff matters.  

[WestfieldRocks]

2 hours ago, Boilernation said:

Any chance you know where Westfield's future enrollment is projected? I'm seeing a lot of the rural areas in the western portion of their district (north and south of 32) rapidly being developed.

I don't know about the enrollment. The high school just went through another renovation and addition which was completed prior to last school year. It's built out as much as it can be. There is talk of a freshman center being built to relieve the student population at the high school. For sure there is another middle school already approved, as well as an 7th elementary school. 

As for future Westfield population, it was around 50K after the last census in 2020. It's already nearing 60K now, and with new housing permits already issued, is expected to be close to 80K by the end of this decade. That is really the number that officials want as a max. There is already a push back on issuing any major new housing projects. 

[BTF]

7 minutes ago, CoachMack219 said:

This would make me think that maybe Coach Gilbert was possibly the teacher in the weight room and the other fella (Strength Coach) the aide. Would make sense that a school THAT GOOD would spend $200,000 on their strength program and student-athlete growth/ development. Almost like that stuff matters.  

Do athletic revenues justify these salaries or is it more of a tax burden? And I don't mean "burden" in a bad way. I don't think you can put a price tag on the development of young people. 

[US31]

9 minutes ago, CoachMack219 said:

This would make me think that maybe Coach Gilbert was possibly the teacher in the weight room and the other fella (Strength Coach) the aide. Would make sense that a school THAT GOOD would spend $200,000 on their strength program and student-athlete growth/ development. Almost like that stuff matters.  

Tavio Henson is the primary Strength Coach at Westifeld.  He is one of the best in the state at what he does, for all sports.  You will see him on the sidelines for football games as well as the bench at basketball games.  

[CoachMack219]

4 minutes ago, US31 said:

Tavio Henson is the primary Strength Coach at Westfield.  He is one of the best in the state at what he does, for all sports.  You will see him on the sidelines for football games as well as the bench at basketball games.  

That's what/ who I found and although I've never met or watched him work, his work speaks for itself.

 

Maybe coach Gilbert is just an EXTREMELY GOOD math teacher on top of how awesome he is at coaching football, warranting him the salary. 

[CoachMack219]

7 minutes ago, BTF said:

Do athletic revenues justify these salaries or is it more of a tax burden? And I don't mean "burden" in a bad way. I don't think you can put a price tag on the development of young people. 

That's a great question. I'm in agreement with you as far as "I don't think you can put a price tag on the development of young people," is concerned. Which is why whether coach Gilbert (or others like him) is compensated via an ever flowing athletic revenue stream or a community-wide tax "burden" (we both agree on the definition of burden here), I don't believe it matters. I believe he is fairly compensated for the work he's done/ doing and that if more places around the state (and dare I say country) followed suit, they would in turn see similar success and therefore enhance the culture of their schools and communities. 

[Muda69]

36 minutes ago, BTF said:

Do athletic revenues justify these salaries or is it more of a tax burden? And I don't mean "burden" in a bad way. I don't think you can put a price tag on the development of young people. 

For something labeled as an extra-curricular actively I think you can.  

 

[temptation]

A quick glance at the online master contract at WWS shows the top of the pay scale at $98,752.26. Take that information how you wish.

Edited March 13, 2024 by temptation

[Coach Nowlin]

3 hours ago, jets said:

Care to elaborate as far as Coach Gilbert's role within the school?? Dean of students? Strength Coach? That type of salary seems to suggest some type of Administration role I would guess?? 

Just putting this out there:  Gateway in INdiana where this data comes from is ANY MONEY the school corp pays you.   For instance, when I look at my "gateway" number, it is more than the teaching contract with the 2 varsity sports I coach and its stipends.   I do Middle School reffing for my AD, school has to put it on my payroll , which came from central office decision, so be it, but those type of things raises the number on Gateway.   

Just throwing it out there.    

[Boilernation]

6 hours ago, temptation said:

Nothing specific, but I am betting the high school hits 3000+ by either next year or 2026.

I think it'll happen. Town and Ditch are getting developed from 146th all the way up to 32. Spring Mill and Oak Ridge are pretty much "there" and any open land is getting developed.

North of 32, there are developments scattered around Ditch, Spring Mill, Grand Park, and up to Chatham Hills Golf Club. NE of the HS there's a lot of developments going in around 191st street over to the Noblesville border. I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up capping out around 3,500 in the future. 

[LCKathleticsupporter]

8 hours ago, Cloudy14 said:

Westfield has lots of potential to increase enrollment in Hamilton County, unless surrounding communities Cicero, Atlanta, Arcadia (Hamilton Heights), Sheridan and Noblesville cut off potential growth - yes, school district boundaries are set, but students and families can continue to choose Westfield as the city grows out and up.

 

[jets]

$118,000 for being a strength teacher and head football coach?? Sure, property taxes/land values and quality of living cost - I understand all that - but whoa - different world people are living in up in Westfield 

[temptation]

1 hour ago, jets said:

$118,000 for being a strength teacher and head football coach?? Sure, property taxes/land values and quality of living cost - I understand all that - but whoa - different world people are living in up in Westfield 

Spoiler alert:  It's not just Westfield. 

[Bobref]

19 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

I do Middle School reffing for my AD

I would pay to see that! 😂🤣😅

[LCKathleticsupporter]

Great hire for Wabash! Happy for Jake and his family, Westfield will be in good hands. Also it would appear many folks are waaaay too concerned at how much money is being paid to someone. I wish I had the time to be that concerned about other folks! Carry on.....