After working as the defensive coordinator for Hayes, Ryan Montgomery was recently hired as the head coach for the Pacers.
With head football coach Scott Wetzel stepping down, Hayes had a vacancy at the head coaching position and elected to hire from within.
This is the second time a head coach has been hired from the staff, the last being Dave Brown in 1985.
“We have good people on staff,” Athletic Director Steve Glesenkamp said. “We have quality people that work hard, that care, that are invested in the program. My belief is if you don’t ever reward people when they are assistants and working hard towards the goal of being a head coach, that can be a problem.”
After playing under Steve Hale at Olentangy Liberty, Montgomery said he has witnessed a program be built from the ground up. His focus is to help his players grow not only as athletes, but as people.
“My vision and mission for Delaware Football is to build a tradition of excellence and to create leaders in the classroom, in the community and on the field,” Montgomery said. “To do this, I’m going to work tirelessly to assemble a coaching staff that is going to put the players first and unite the team as a cohesive group.”
In the history of Delaware Football, the win-loss ratio is not great for the Pacers. The Orange and Black are 230-376-3 all time, a winning percentage just over 37%.
While Delaware is, of course, looking to find more success on the field, Montgomery said a foundation for success is a good culture, a key factor in his vision for the program.
“Playing with integrity, learning how to be leaders and giving back to our community are going to be staples of my program,” Montgomery said.
He said there are key qualities he hopes to encourage in his players throughout the day to day actions of the team.
“Putting the team above yourself, being responsible for your effort and responses, taking pride in your preparation, respecting the game and respecting the black and orange,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery also stressed the importance of responsibility and preparation during the offseason.
“The first measurable goals we have [are] consistency in our program during the offseason training and making sure our players are all in and accountable,” Montgomery said. “We measure this by attendance at offseason workouts and volunteer opportunities.”
While it can be a bit of a process when a new head coach is instated, players are optimistic and are looking forward to the new era in Pacer Football.
“He has a good balance between holding people accountable but also still wanting people to do better and demand more of themselves by pushing them the right amount,” sophomore linebacker Logan Frye said. “Overall, it will be better for everyone involved to have someone like [Montgomery] as our head coach this year.”