Dublin Scioto tabs defensive coordinator Alex Place to lead football program
After serving as an assistant football coach at Dublin Scioto for 12 seasons, including the last eight as defensive coordinator, Alex Place is preparing for the next step of his career.
Principal Thomas Cochran and athletic director Nick Magistrale have recommended Place to succeed Karl Johnson as head coach. Johnson, who led the Irish for 23 seasons, stepped down in December.
Place's promotion is pending school board approval.
“This is really important; the program means a lot to me,” Place said. “The players and parents, both past and present, mean the most to me, so being able to have the opportunity to be their head coach is a great opportunity.”
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Place, 33, is a 2007 graduate of Kettering Alter and a 2012 graduate of Ohio State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management. He earned a master’s degree in education from Ohio State in 2013 and is a seventh-grade math teacher at Davis Middle School in Dublin.
“It was a great candidate pool and we were very pleased with that, but we feel we got the best guy for the job in Alex Place,” Magistrale said. “I know the program is in good hands moving forward. I know the kids are excited and ready to get to work. Although it’s an internal hire, I would expect for there to be some change.”
Under Johnson, Scioto went 146-104 with 14 winning seasons and 12 postseason appearances. He was the longest-tenured head football coach in the OCC at the time of his resignation.
The Irish finished 4-7 overall last season, losing to Uniontown Lake 33-17 in the first round of the Division II, Region 7 playoffs. Scioto went 4-3 in the OCC-Capital Division to tie Canal Winchester and Delaware for third behind champion Westerville South (7-0).
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Place expects a smooth transition after working under Johnson.
“It’s very important for the kids and also the coaches that are on the staff to keep that stability and keep going in a positive direction,” said Place, who also has coached baseball at the high school and middle school levels in Dublin.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dublin Scioto High School tabs Place to lead football program
