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SYRACUSE — In an unexpected move, Wawasee High School announced on Thursday that Matt Thacker has resigned from his position as the Warriors’ head football coach.
Thacker recently completed his second season in Syracuse, finishing 1-9, including an 0-7 record in the Northern Lakes Conference. The team’s only win came in week one, a 10-9 home victory over Jimtown.
For the season, the Warriors allowed an average of 32.8 points while managing 14.6 points per game. The team showed offensive improvement in its last three games, scoring 21, 14 and 26 against perennial conference powerhouses Concord, Mishawaka and Northridge, respectively. The season ended with a 35-26 road loss in the opening round of sectionals to the Raiders, which was a vast improvement against a team that had beaten them 42-7 only 21 days earlier in a game played at Warrior Field.
In his first season at Wawasee, Thacker’s 2024 Warrior team also finished 1-9, with the lone victory coming in a 36-7 NLC home matchup with Goshen. That season ended with a 38-13 sectional opener loss at Plymouth.
Prior to coming to Wawasee, Thacker spent six years as head coach at Fairfield, where he amassed a 30-32 mark, including a 10-14 record in the Northeast Conference big school division. His best year in Benton came during the 2020 campaign, in which the Falcons finished the regular season undefeated at 8-0. Fairfield lost in the second round of sectionals to eventual state runner-up Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
Overall, Thacker’s teams went 32-50 over eight seasons.
“Over the past two seasons, Coach Thacker has served the Wawasee football program and Wawasee Athletics with professionalism and dedication during his tenure, leading the Warriors with integrity and pride,” Wawasee Athletic Director Brent Doty said in press release. “His leadership in developing student-athletes of all ages both on and off the field have had a lasting impact on the football program, Wawasee High School and the Wawasee community.
“Coach Thacker has been a positive influence on our student-athletes while focusing on developing student-athletes with high character, connecting our football program to our community and raising our competitive performance.”
The press release stated that Wawasee High School will immediately begin the process of identifying its next head football coach. Additional information regarding the search and future plans for the football program will be communicated as it is available.
“The Wawasee community extends its appreciation to coach Thacker and wishes him success in his future endeavors,” Doty said.
“I don’t have any future plans as of yet,” Thacker said. “I just felt that for my family and for myself that it was time for me to step away. We’ll see what the future holds. ... I will be coaching in the future. Coaching football and coaching young men is what I’m about, whether I’m a head coach or an assistant coach. It’s about football and about being on the sidelines. That’s where I belong.”
Wawasee is the third NLC school that will have a new head football coach next fall.
Plymouth High School did not renew the contract of Adam Handley and replaced him earlier this week with {span}Ron Shaffer, who previously coached at Rochester High School where he compiled a 39-13 record over five seasons with the Zebras.
Additionally, Northridge head coach Chad Eppley resigned shortly after the completion of the season after five years, during which he led the Raiders to a 33-28 mark, including a state finals appearance in his first season in 2021. He will remain as the head boys track and field coach in Middlebury this spring. Northridge has not yet named a replacement for the football position.
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Thacker recently completed his second season in Syracuse, finishing 1-9, including an 0-7 record in the Northern Lakes Conference. The team’s only win came in week one, a 10-9 home victory over Jimtown.
For the season, the Warriors allowed an average of 32.8 points while managing 14.6 points per game. The team showed offensive improvement in its last three games, scoring 21, 14 and 26 against perennial conference powerhouses Concord, Mishawaka and Northridge, respectively. The season ended with a 35-26 road loss in the opening round of sectionals to the Raiders, which was a vast improvement against a team that had beaten them 42-7 only 21 days earlier in a game played at Warrior Field.
In his first season at Wawasee, Thacker’s 2024 Warrior team also finished 1-9, with the lone victory coming in a 36-7 NLC home matchup with Goshen. That season ended with a 38-13 sectional opener loss at Plymouth.
Prior to coming to Wawasee, Thacker spent six years as head coach at Fairfield, where he amassed a 30-32 mark, including a 10-14 record in the Northeast Conference big school division. His best year in Benton came during the 2020 campaign, in which the Falcons finished the regular season undefeated at 8-0. Fairfield lost in the second round of sectionals to eventual state runner-up Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
Overall, Thacker’s teams went 32-50 over eight seasons.
“Over the past two seasons, Coach Thacker has served the Wawasee football program and Wawasee Athletics with professionalism and dedication during his tenure, leading the Warriors with integrity and pride,” Wawasee Athletic Director Brent Doty said in press release. “His leadership in developing student-athletes of all ages both on and off the field have had a lasting impact on the football program, Wawasee High School and the Wawasee community.
“Coach Thacker has been a positive influence on our student-athletes while focusing on developing student-athletes with high character, connecting our football program to our community and raising our competitive performance.”
The press release stated that Wawasee High School will immediately begin the process of identifying its next head football coach. Additional information regarding the search and future plans for the football program will be communicated as it is available.
“The Wawasee community extends its appreciation to coach Thacker and wishes him success in his future endeavors,” Doty said.
“I don’t have any future plans as of yet,” Thacker said. “I just felt that for my family and for myself that it was time for me to step away. We’ll see what the future holds. ... I will be coaching in the future. Coaching football and coaching young men is what I’m about, whether I’m a head coach or an assistant coach. It’s about football and about being on the sidelines. That’s where I belong.”
Wawasee is the third NLC school that will have a new head football coach next fall.
Plymouth High School did not renew the contract of Adam Handley and replaced him earlier this week with {span}Ron Shaffer, who previously coached at Rochester High School where he compiled a 39-13 record over five seasons with the Zebras.
Additionally, Northridge head coach Chad Eppley resigned shortly after the completion of the season after five years, during which he led the Raiders to a 33-28 mark, including a state finals appearance in his first season in 2021. He will remain as the head boys track and field coach in Middlebury this spring. Northridge has not yet named a replacement for the football position.
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