He spent 20-plus years on the Centennial sidelines. Now this football coach has resigned.
After 23 years in maroon and silver, Centennial football coach David Koch is stepping away from the program.
The former Boise State offensive lineman has resigned after six years as the Patriots head coach. He also previously served as the offensive coordinator for seven years and the offensive line coach for 10 years under Lee Neumann.
The third head coach in program history said he stepped down to spend more time with his family. His son, Dayne Koch, just finished his redshirt season as a freshman quarterback at Idaho State. And his two daughters, Miya and Makenna, play volleyball at Centennial.
“I have all three kids involved in sports in the fall, and I want to get a chance to go see them play and be a dad,” Koch, 50, said.
Centennial went 11-43 and 6-32 in its conference or pod under Koch, continuing a decline for the former state powerhouse. The Patriots haven’t posted a winning season or reached the playoffs since 2010.
Koch said the program fell into the swirl of losing seasons, which hurt turnout, which led to more losing seasons and further hurt turnout. But he said the Patriots have the tools for a turnaround under a new coach.
Centennial started a youth movement this fall, leaving plenty of returning varsity experience. It has the third highest enrollment of any school in the state (2,103). And it opened a new weight room last spring and plans to install a turf field this summer.
“Someone’s going to walk in and be able to have a chance with experienced players that are going to be a year older, bigger and stronger,” Koch said.
Centennial Athletic Director Jon Watson said the school expects to post the job next week. He said the Patriots are looking for a teacher in the building, but it’s too early to know what teaching positions will come open.
“What’s become really important in the 5A SIC these days is a leader with the ability to recruit good assistants at every level,” Watson said. “We are looking for the Pied Piper who is looking to grow the interests of the student-athletes to come out and play football.”
Koch is the second head football coach in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference to step down this offseason, following Boise’s Jerry O’Mahony.
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 3:37 PM.
