A Local Kid: Greencastle's Stephens coaches where it all began

As he enters his fourth season at the helm, Greencastle head football coach Dave Stephens takes pride in coaching where it all began for him. 

However, he admits that leading his team onto the field on Friday nights and teaching U.S. History and World History were not things he completely envisioned doing during his days as a student at Greencastle High School. 

"I love doing that. I didn't know what I wanted to do junior and senior years of high school, and I got a chance to do some Cadet teaching, grade some papers and that was the first time where I thought it may be something worthwhile to pursue. When I was in high school at Greencastle, I was fortunate enough to be there at a time when there were some great men who were tremendous mentors. I thought it may be a worthwhile life to be a teacher, be a coach and help and be a part of the community. I never thought it would end up full circle back at Greencastle, but it is a dream come true. I get to walk the halls as a teacher that I walked as a student and get to be a mentor for students every day. There isn't a day that doesn't go by I don't feel blessed and fortunate to be able to do that," Stephens told The Putnam County Post. 

Stephens said it is "incredibly special" to coach and teach at a place that means so much to him. 

"When I took this job, I felt like I had a handle on the Greencastle community. I had an opportunity in 2011, 2012 and 2013 to come back as an assistant coach. I was the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach during those times. It was nice to have an opportunity to do that. I had an idea of how it would be, but the head coaching job is a little different. I understand the positives and some of the drawbacks that come with coaching in this community. It was real exciting and it was an exciting time as the superintendent and school board made heavy investments in the program and school with the field turf and weight room. There were a lot of things headed in the right direction for the program to be competitive year in and year out. It is really special to come back home, be a part of it and it is a really nice deal," Stephens said. 

Stephens said Social Studies always held his attention during his school years. 

"Every Social Studies class that was available, I took it. I was bored with busy work, and my academic profile didn't match my ability to learn. However, if there was one class that always caught my attention for whatever reason it was the Social Studies. I loved the Sociology, the Psychology, the U.S. History, the World History, the Modern World Civilization. My attention grativated towards those things. I love football and sports, but that was the academic thing that captured my attention," the coach said. 

In a day and time when athletic landscapes are changing, students can transfer and student-athletes can make money through personal branding, Stephens admits it is an interesting time for coaches. 

"The biggest thing is we are competing against a lot of things. I talk to Coach (Chuck) Sorrell at South Putnam, who just won a state title in Class A and their roster numbers are down. Our roster numbers are down. Roster numbers across the state are down. We are competing against so many more things than when I was in high school or my younger coaches were in high school. The social media, the phones, the way to entertain yourself, you can socialize without ever leaving your home now. It is difficult," Stephens said. 

However, he still believes football holds a special place and teaches valuable lessons. 

"Football is hard. I don't care if it's at Cloverdale, if it's at Greencastle or Avon, it doesn't matter. You are going to have to lift weights. You are going to have to endure physical pain. You are going to have to endure running and sprinting. You are going to have to endure the stresses of really hot and cold days, being outside in the rain. You have to endure when your muscles are sore, getting up and lifting anyway. For some kids, it is too much of an ask when you have competing interests. The number of kids who just aren't doing anything across the state is the biggest challenge. We try to encourage kids that football is uniquely special because it is hard and it prepares you for life. You have to deal with and overcome adversity. We want to promote better husbands and fathers with our players, and we teach selflessness. When we talk to kids, we talk about the benefits of here and now and the benefits five to 10 years down the road. I've never had a kid in 27 years tell me they regret playing high school football, but I've had scores of them tell me they wish they stuck it out," said Stephens, who has coached for 27 years. 

Stephens is currently preparing the 2026 installment of the Tiger Cubs for the upcoming season, which kicks off August 21 at Cloverdale High School. As he does so, he wants his team to remember the moments. 

"Where we live, 95 percent of these kids aren't playing at the next level. It is a special time in your life where you get to put helmets and pads on and have that moment with your brothers. In some sports, you have two good players who carry the team, and you're just along for the ride. Football really ensures everyone plays a role," he said. 

And those roles can ignite an entire community. 

"Some of my favorite things to see is the local towns that close up and put signs in the storefronts that they are closed and off to football. We got to experience that at Owen Valley when we hosted the defending state champions in the second round of the tournament when a business owner purchased every ticket and we had 8,000 people there when we beat Gibson Southern in 2022. That is part of the community buy-in, and to see that and life that is really special. I know when I didn't live here, I was looking to see how Greencastle was doing and was really excited as an alum. It means a lot to a lot of people," Stephens said.