Channell named Miamisburg coach

Longtime Edgewood coach will attempt to revive Viking program.

$Steve Channell\uFEFF talks to his team during Edgewood High School football practice. Channell was the Cougars' head coach for 21 years. Staff photo by Samantha Grier.$

Samantha Grier Steve Channell\uFEFF talks to his team during Edgewood High School football practice. Channell was the Cougars' head coach for 21 years. Staff photo by Samantha Grier.

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1:15 AM Friday, February 3, 2012

By Rick Cassano

Staff Writer

Steve Channell is a head football coach again.

Ousted after 21 years in charge of Edgewood High School’s program before spending last season as Middletown’s quarterbacks coach, Channell was named head coach at Miamisburg on Thursday, pending school board approval Feb. 16.

“It’s a very difficult decision because of the relationships I built in my short time at Middletown,” Channell said. “But down deep in my heart, my desire is to run my own program.”

He made it clear to Middies coach Troy Everhart that he wanted to be a head coach again, and Everhart had no problem hiring him with that in mind.

“If I had Steve’s resume, I would want to be a head coach too,” Everhart said. “Steve has been nothing but forthright, honest and a pleasure to be on our staff. ”

Channell described his Middletown experience as “a very positive one.”

“I must say I really, really thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Channell, noting his affection for quarterback Jalin Marshall. “It went as well as you could ever expect.”

Everhart said he’s not sure if he’ll hire another assistant coach to replace Channell.

“Our staff has a lot of layers,” Everhart said. “We may be able to get everything covered with the people we have. The big thing for us is that we’re losing a really good guy who’s really good for kids.”

Channell is grabbing the reins of a program he was very familiar with during his days at Edgewood. The schools were Mid-Miami League rivals.

Miamisburg, a member of the Greater Western Ohio Conference South Division, has fallen on hard times. The Division I Vikings haven’t had a winning season since 2003. In the past eight years, their record is 20-60.

“I think it’s a situation that has the ingredients to be successful,” Channell said. “I know the community is hungry to win.”

Channell said he will work hard in Miamisburg’s youth program, much like he did at Edgewood.

He was known for using the Wing-T offense with the Cougars and plans to run the same thing at Miamisburg, which utilized more of a spread approach under Tim Lewis in 2011.

“You do what you know,” Channell said. “The Wing-T is what I know, and that’s what I’ve been able to build success on.”

Channell is retired, but said he will be employed in some capacity within the Miamisburg district. That has yet to be finalized.

“He has the ability to bring together a football community, as he demonstrated at Edgewood,” Miamisburg Superintendent Greg Whitehead said. “His teams were noted for their discipline and competitiveness. He sets high standards and goals for his student-athletes.”

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