Assistant coach of Parkersburg, Mike Kupfner, proper, and head coach Matt Kimes, appears to be like at a match final season at Stadium Area. (Photograph of Nate Morris)
Mike Kupfner paid her taxes as a soccer assistant coach.
Member of coach workers Parkersburg Excessive relationship again to 2015, Kupfner has felt greater than able to take over the place of chief of a program. Throughout the college session of Marietta Metropolis Colleges, Kupfner was authorized as the subsequent head coach at Marietta Excessive College.
He succeeds to Jason Schob, who resigned earlier this yr, after 11 seasons Alma Mater.
“I’m delighted by this chance,” Kupfner mentioned. “I’m blissful that the administration has trusted me and supplied me the place. It was a purpose of mine within the final eight or 9 years. I all the time had ambitions to be the pinnacle coach. I labored with quite a lot of nice head coaches who have been mentors for me. I felt this was the right time for me to take the subsequent step.”
Kupfner graduated PHS in 2008. Two years later he began coaching center college soccer in Hamilton. In 2015, Don Reeves, the pinnacle coach of Massive Reds, introduced Kupfner to the varsity workers. In 2017, when Mike Byus was appointed PHS head coach, Kupfner was promoted to the defensive coordinator.
Kupfner and his household moved briefly to South Carolina earlier than returning to PHS.
He joined the Massive Reds Teaching workers once more, this time as a broad coach, earlier than changing into DC once more when Matt Kimes was employed as head coach.
Having coach expertise on each side of the ball is a significant profit for Kupfner.
“I really feel assured in interesting the crime or protection,” Kupfner mentioned. “I additionally really feel assured solely in being a head coach and having an offensive and defensive coordinator. It’s going to really rely upon how I meet the boys and I’ll present the workers. I’ve to browse subsequent week.”
Kupfner has additionally touched what their philosophers on each side of the ball are and what sort of schemes may be anticipated to see from the tigers.
“The bottom of the crime might be oriented widespread,” he mentioned. “We wish to be multiplied. For instance, if we did not have 1 / 4 that may slam the ball, you may go into a number of H-formas and an influence to run. I do know there have been wings final yr.
“Defensively, a Four-Three, Copert-2, get to cowl it, run a small man. I prefer to be a bit of dangerous in protection. I believe you must attempt to dictate a little bit of what occurs to your protection”
Kupfner’s philosophies have been partially by many individuals who’ve labored through the years.
“I had the pleasure of being guided by many alternative guys,” Kupfner mentioned. “Mike Byus had a big impact when he got here from North Carolina. He was a significant affect on me. (PHS assistant) Mike Dawson, in the identical approach. He taught me a sort of protection and enjoying plans. And I received to offer a giant shout to Matt Kimes.
Kupfner hopes to assist make an id in Marietta, just like what Parkersburg has among the many Nice College of Western Virginia.
“We wish to be generally known as a incorrect pile,” he mentioned. “We are going to arrive after groups, play onerous and play with effort. Management the issues we will management. We wish to play clear, aggressive soccer, with a tough nostril.”
Two years in the past, the tigers made the Ohio playoffs for the primary time in 2002 -without counting the Covid 2020 season during which everybody did. Then, final yr, Marietta posted her first successful document (6-Four) from the identical 2002 marketing campaign.
Kupfner likes the route that this system is heading and desires to assist her proceed to construct and develop.
“I believe this system is in a stable state and this can be a mortgage to the Schob coach,” Kupfner mentioned. “I’m trying to get in and put my contact and improve this system. I sit up for working with the workforce, administration and neighborhood. It takes a village for a soccer program to develop. We’ve got already had quite a lot of nice folks from the neighborhood.
Contact Jordan Holland to jholland@mariettatimes.com.