Indiana high school football new faces in new places: Coaching hires, transfers, move-ins

It's time to kick off the Indiana high school football season! A few schools are on the move via the success factor and there's been some conference realignment.

Here are some more folks on the move heading into the 2024 season:

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QB Connor Cruz (Jr.)

From: Covenant Christian; To: Mooresville

Cruz passed for 2,631 yards and 33 touchdowns last season as a sophomore for Covenant Christian. With the Pioneers, he steps in for Hogan Denny, who graduated as one of Mooresville's most-decorated athletes ever.

QB Jacob Davis (Jr.)

From: Springboro, Ohio; To: New Palestine

New Pal's new QB seems to have supplanted junior quarterback Gavin Neal, who passed for 1,469 yards, 14 TDs and ran for 499 yards, five TDs last season. As a sophomore in Ohio, Davis passed for 1,023 yards and nine TDs a year ago. The Dragons are ranked No. 1 in Class 4A to start the season

RB Kendall Garnett III (Sr.)

From: Westfield; To: Warren Central

Garnett rushed for 2,034 yards over the past two seasons for the Shamrocks with 27 total touchdowns (three receiving). He had a monster game in the regional final against HSE, rushing for 223 yards and three scores in Westfield's 24-21 win. He joins a Warriors backfield that returns seniors Jaylan McMoore (926 rushing yards, eight TDs) and James Clark (559 yards, four TDs).

Coach Max Goodin

From: Decatur Central (defensive coordinator); To: Indian Creek

Goodin coached at Decatur Central in 2017, then two seasons at Lafayette Central Catholic in 2018 and ’19, before returning as the Hawks’ defensive coordinator for the past four seasons.

The 31-year-old Goodin is a first-time head coach. But Kyle Enright, who has led Decatur Central to a pair of Class 5A state finals appearances in his eight seasons, including last November , said Goodin is more than ready.

"... he’s great for kids. They’ll run through a brick wall for him," Enright said. "He does a lot of things outside of football, whether it’s academics or whatever else. He was that person for us. He’s a student-first person who just kind of gets it. We’re going to miss him but this has been his dream.” ( Read more on the hire .)

Coach Dan Harris

From: Roncalli assistant coach; To: Scecina head coach

Harris replaces Ott Hurrle, who retired in March after 32 seasons as head coach and nearly five decades on the Scecina staff. A Roncalli grad, the 29-year-old Harris played at Franklin College and has worked on staffs for seven years with Jason Simmons at Noblesville and Ben Davis.

“Coach Hurrle has his imprint everywhere here,” Harris said. “Kids are very disciplined, and they know how to work hard. But I’m young and dumb, so I like to make sure we’re having fun. I think the kids are starting to realize it’s OK to be goofy and have fun and hoot and holler – have some juice. It’s been a work in progress, but I think they are having fun but also working hard. It’s been a tough balance, but I think we finally hit it.” ( Read more about the hire .)

Coach Josh Miracle

From: Westfield defensive coordinator; To: Westfield head coach

Miracle, 35, takes over for Jake Gilbert, who joined the coaching staff at Wabash College as defensive coordinator and coach-in-waiting as Don Morel will lead the Little Giants for one more season before retiring after the 2024 season.

Miracle established himself as a top candidate to replace Gilbert during his 13 years on staff at Westfield, earning the Frank Broyles Award last season as the top assistant coach in Indiana. For the past 10 years, he has worked as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator for the Shamrocks. ( Read more on the hire .)

Coach Rajshawn Mosley

From: Christel House; To: Beech Grove

A Tech grad, Mosley played two seasons at Northern Illinois before finishing his college playing career at Indiana State. He served as an assistant coach at Perry Meridian and Lawrence Central before taking the Christel House head coach position last season, going 3-6. Mosley replaces Brandon Winters, who went 12-19 in three seasons leading the Hornets.

Coach Sam Otley

From: Roncalli offensive coordinator; To: Roncalli head coach

The first Roncalli alum to lead the program, Otley, 31, was team captain and offensive MVP as a senior for Indiana Football Hall of Fame coach Bruce Scifres . The 2011 Roncalli graduate has been an assistant coach on the staff for the past eight seasons, including the offensive coordinator role in 2022 and ’23.

Otley, the oldest of five brothers who all played football, has a deep connection to Roncalli, extending back three generations. After playing fullback at Franklin College, he returned to Roncalli as a fullbacks and tight ends coach in 2016 when Roncalli finished 15-0 and won the Class 4A state championship in Scifres’ final season.

“(Scifres) was a great mentor for me as a player and then working with him for a year,” Otley said. “My experience with him and understanding what it means to be a leader was important to me. Mike Leonard was another Hall of Fame coach I was fortunate enough to play for (at Franklin). Learning what championship football looks like from those two guys, you can see the process behind it and what it means to establish a championship team and culture. Those relationships mean a great deal to me.” ( Read more about the hire .)

QB Jaydin Rivers (Jr.)

From: Hammond Bishop Noll; To: Warren Central

He may split time with sophomore Anthony Dennison, who passed for 617 yards as a freshman last year in relief of an injured Keith Jackson. Jackson will be used more in an all-purpose role this season. Rivers, who began his prep career at Marist in Illinois, threw for 1,015 yards and seven TDs. In his first start last season, he helped Noll snap a 16-game losing streak.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school football new faces in new places: Coaching hires, transfers, move-ins