Lautzenheiser ready to lead Crestview

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

CONVOY — After 10 years as an assistant under former coach Jared Owens, James Lautzenheiser is stepping into the role of head football coach at Crestview High School.

Lautzenheiser, a 2000 Crestview High School graduate, was officially named head coach during Monday night’s school board meeting. He’s the fifth head coach since the program was restarted in 1996 and he’s replacing Owens, who resigned after the 2020 season. In 10 seasons at the helm, Owens compiled a record of 72 wins, 39 losses, two Northwest Conference co-championships and seven playoff appearances.

“Following in the footsteps of coach Owens is a tremendous honor and privilege, but it is also a significant challenge and opportunity,” Lautzenheiser said. “It’s one thing to work to be invested in a teaching or coaching position at a high school, but that level of emotional connectivity and passion to continue to improve is much more tangible when you call that district your home, and that place helped develop and mold you along the way.”

“I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of the Crestview football family as a player and coach, and have witnessed the development of the culture from “reboot” to consistent playoff runs and conference contender,” Lautzenheiser added. “I’m definitely excited to work to continue that journey with our student-athletes, coaches, and our community.”

While serving as an assistant coach, Lautzenheiser primarily served as offensive and defensive line coach and also served as offensive and offensive coordinator for the junior varsity program during two different stints.

“We are excited about the hiring of James Lautzenheiser as our football coach, Crestview Athletic Administrator Matt Perkins said. “We are looking forward to seeing the vision that coach Lautzenheiser presented in his interviews and how he plans to take the football program to the next level. Coach Lautzenheiser is invested in our community, our student-athletes, and in our football program, we are very blessed to have him as our next head coach.”

With an eye on the offseason and the 2021 season, Lautzenheiser indicated the vast majority of Crestview football elements will remain in place.

“We have grown accustomed to hanging our hat on a commitment to playing physical, disciplined football at Crestview over the past decade and that must continue in 2021 and beyond,” the new coach explained. “I would expect our offensive and defensive schemes to adjust to our roster’s strengths from year-to-year, but there are some elements of our football identity that will remain true to form as we transition this offseason.”

“The expectation for our coaches and players is to be in a position to set goals and then work to attain them on a consistent basis,” he added. “Hopefully, we can get back to a sense of ‘normal’ as much as possible as we continue to tackle COVID-19 challenges during offseason and in-season operations.”

In addition to the usual slate of non-conference games (pre-COVID) of Parkway, Hicksville and Wayne Trace, Lautzenheiser noted that teams in the NWC present a unique set of challenges, from the ground-pounding attack of Spencerville to a wide-open approach used by Allen East. In addition, traditional power Leipsic will join the conference in time for the 2021 season.

“I am looking forward to sitting down with our athletic director to preview the expected conference schedule alignment with the addition of Leipsic,” Lautzenheiser said. “I think you can once again expect the conference to serve as a proving ground for merit in the OHSAA playoffs, and I would not be surprised to see multiple teams position themselves for a shot at the conference title and playoff run. Part of my job is to make sure that those same types of expectations in our community are fulfilled as best as possible in 2021 and beyond.”

This won’t be Lautzenheiser’s first head coaching gig. He served as head track and field coach at Crestview from 2011-2019. Lautzenheiser teaches social studies at Crestview Middle School, and he and his wife Meghan live in Convoy with their children, Harper and Lincoln.