RODNEY ROBERTS
Age: 42
Experience: Head coach at Franklin (2006-13), Springboro (2002-05) and Carlisle (1996-2001).
Last three teams: Combined 28-6.
Quote: "That's what really excites me and entices me about this job, the fact that the culture doesn't need changing."
Rodney Roberts will leave Franklin to become the new head football coach at Centerville High School.
Roberts emerged from a half-dozen finalists and was announced by Centerville athletic director Rob Dement on Thursday. The list of finalists included head coaches Ryan Wilhite (Springboro), Dave Miller (Covington) and Rick Meeks (Springfield Shawnee).
The prestigious coaching position opened when Ron Ullery wasn’t retained following his 13th season as Elks head coach. Centerville was 8-3 last season, losing in the first round of the Division I playoffs.
“It’s been an emotional day,” said Roberts, who also on Thursday informed the Wildcats he was leaving. “The level of excellence that is Centerville football is an awesome responsibility to take. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”
Roberts’ hire christens a new era of Centerville football that isn’t linked to Ullery or former longtime coach Bob Gregg. Ullery was with the program for 37 seasons and Gregg was the head coach for 27 years prior to Ullery taking over.
A Franklin native, Roberts has been a high school head football coach for 18 seasons at three area programs. All of his tenures have been marked by restorations of win-challenged programs.
Roberts has been the head football coach at Franklin the last eight seasons. The Wildcats have won three straight Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division titles and have been beaten just twice in each of the last three seasons.
Franklin posted records of 9-2, 10-2 and 9-2 from 2011-13. Super junior quarterback Luke Kennard has guided the Wildcats the last two seasons.
All three of those teams qualified for either the Division II or III postseasons. Franklin was eliminated in the first round of the D-III, Region 10 playoffs last season by eventual state runner-up Trotwood-Madison, 42-7.
Roberts landed at Franklin following a successful four-year run at Springboro that culminated with a 12-1 season that ended in a D-II regional final.
Roberts began his head coaching career in 1996 at Carlisle. He guided the Indians to their first playoff berth in program history in 2001.
“Everywhere that he has been, he has built a program, not a winner, but a program,” Dement said. “When he leaves, they still win. That means he had more than just an impact; he changed things. Obviously, he’s not walking into something that needs a whole lot of change.”
Dement said Roberts and Wilhite finished 1-2 for the job. Wilhite has lifted Springboro back into playoff contention following a couple of lean seasons. The Panthers were 9-2 this past season and 10-1 in 2012.
Both of those teams won Greater Western Ohio Conference South Division titles and qualified for the D-I playoffs. Wilhite previously was the offensive coordinator at Wayne.
Also in contention for the Elks position were Moeller offensive coordinator Pat McGlaughlin and Centerville assistant John Puckett. The position drew more than 50 applicants.
Dement said Roberts would immediately begin to oversee the Elks football program. Roberts will remain as Franklin’s AD through the end of this school year. He is expected to join the Centerville teaching staff this fall.
“The culture that is ingrained at Centerville is exactly what you need to be a championship program,” Roberts said. “It’s been established through hard work and dedication and high expectations. We’re going to embrace that part of the tradition.”
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