Prep Football
Krause new Middletown coach
He made the difficult decision to leave Monroe because of the potential he sees with the Middies.
Friday, April 25, 2008
MIDDLETOWN — Jason Krause was looking for an opportunity to take his career to the next level. He believes he found the perfect fit at Middletown High School.
Krause, the coach at Monroe the past four seasons, was announced Thursday, April 24, as Middletown's new coach, pending school board approval Monday.
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"Anyone in any field wants to be at that top level," Krause said. "To coach in the (Greater Miami Conference) with the potential the Middletown community has, I don't know how you can do any better at a public school in the state of Ohio."
Middletown Athletic Director Gary Lebo believes Krause is equipped to turn around a program that has struggled in recent years. The Middies have had just five winning campaigns in the last 15 seasons and last reached the state playoffs in 1990.
"Our goal as an athletic department is to build championship programs," Lebo said. "We feel that Jason has the ability to take our program to the next level — to compete for (Greater Miami Conference) championships, make the playoffs and, hopefully, make a run at a state championship."
Krause had that kind of success at Monroe.
After going 2-8 in his first season, Krause guided the Hornets to three straight playoff berths, including two trips to the state semifinals in 2005 (Division IV) and 2007 (Division III). He was 35-15 in four seasons at Monroe.
Though it was difficult to leave such a successful program, Krause said the relationships he forged won't be forgotten.
"It was very tough to leave Monroe," Krause said. "You get so close with the kids and the people you work with. That's the hardest part (about leaving). But the thing you find in this profession is that you're going to make relationships with the new kids on your team.
"I'm still going to watch the Monroe kids. The first thing I'll look for on Friday nights after our games is the Monroe score. I still talk to DeShawn Wynn, who I coached at Lockland and is now a Green Bay Packer. That's one of the things I love about coaching."
Krause was one of five finalists from a group of 50 applicants.
Krause, 36, also was the head coach at Lockland (1997-2000) and Stebbins (2000-2004). He lives in Monroe with his wife, Denise, and their four children — Haley, 12, Hunter, 10, Hayden, 8, and Henlie, 2.
