Pending board approval, Curtis Crager, shown posing for a picture at Big Walnut High School, will be the school’s next head football coach.

Courtesy | Big Walnut High School

It doesn’t matter how many talented players you have — and the Big Walnut football team has more than a few — if you don’t have anyone to coach them.

That was the problem facing the Golden Eagles up until this week. Thursday, though, BW Athletic Director Brian Shelton confirmed, pending board approval, it’s no longer an issue as Curtis Crager is set to take over for Rob Page, who resigned early last month.

Crager, who recently moved into the area, said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take over a top-tier team in a top-tier community.

“Big Walnut is an awesome community … it still has that small-town feel even though there is some growth moving to the area,” Crager said. “The community is invested in the school system, both academically and athletically. The extracurricular activities, especially football, are important.

“I’m excited to get started, and humbled and blessed to lead the program.”

Crager makes the move from Dublin Coffman, where he spent the majority of his 20-year coaching career as a position coach and the Shamrocks’ defensive coordinator.

“Through our interview process, we quickly learned that our applicant pool was strong,” Shelton said. “We feel fortunate to bring someone like Curtis, who has been successful at the D-I level, on to join our football community.

“Curtis is the perfect fit for our football program. His ability to relate to student-athletes, hold them accountable, and challenge them to maintain a growth mindset are his core strengths.”

Crager, who recently moved into the Big Walnut school district with his wife and three children, graduated from Capital in 1996. Since then, he’s coached and taught at Coffman as an intervention specialist, PE teacher and weight room coordinator.

He takes over for Page, whose highly-successful stint started in 2020 and included back-to-back regional semifinal appearances each of the last two seasons.

Big Walnut, with All-Ohio standouts Nate Severs (running back) and Garrett Stover (linebacker) leading the charge, finishing 10-3 last season and 12-1 the fall before that — a season in which Page was named Division II Co-Coach of the Year.

Shelton said a meet-the-coach night is in the works, and will be scheduled soon.