SEYMOUR — Over the past few years, a small private high school on the northeast side of Seymour has become increasingly appealing to those in Bartholomew County.
Trinity Lutheran’s athletics program has a myriad of connections to Columbus going into the 2018-19 school year.
The school recently hired Columbus resident Andy Denny, a Seymour native, as its new athletics director. Denny saw an opening for the job at church and decided it would be a great way to get back into athletics.
“I ran an insurance business and semi-retired from it a couple years ago,” Denny said. “I was sitting in Immanuel (Lutheran Church in Seymour) and saw in the informer that (Trinity) wanted a soccer coach, tennis coach and athletic director. The previous person, Aaron (Rudzinski), got a call to Colorado, and he took that call. I came in and talked to Clayton (Darlage, principal) about it, and it kind of worked out.”
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The new AD grew up in Seymour and was a standout basketball player in high school before graduating in 1968. He then was a member of the second varsity basketball program at the University of South Alabama, playing four seasons for the Jaguars while establishing several school records that still stand today.
After graduating from college in 1972, Denny was drafted by the NBA’s Buffalo Braves. He was selected in the eighth round as the 115th overall pick. In that draft, Bob McAdoo was taken by the Braves with the second pick, Julius Erving was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 12 and Jim Price got taken at No. 16 by the Los Angeles Lakers.
After a short stint with the Braves, Denny went back to South Alabama for more schooling.
“I came back and got my master’s degree at South Alabama,” Denny said. “I was a freshman coach and then got a head coaching job in Mobile, Alabama. I was there a few months and then a college job opened up at Samford University. The head coach from New Albany that won state (in 1973), Kirby Overman, and I went down there together as assistants. I was there 2½ years and then came back here. We wanted to raise our kids in Seymour.”
Denny and his family came back to Seymour in 1975. He then worked in insurance for more than 40 years. About four years ago, he and his wife, Carol, moved to Columbus to be closer to his two kids and four grandkids.
“I talked to Clayton about bonding a bigger relationship with Bartholomew County through St. Peter’s, St. Bartholomew and the middle school kids,” Denny said. “We still want to serve the Jackson County kids and parents, but want to reach out and grow the school. Probably the best way to grow the school is by adjoining counties.”
Denny, 68, said he is looking to a few peers in Columbus for advice in his first year.
“Jeff Hester, the athletic director at (Columbus) North, I’m pretty close with him,” he said. “Paul Ferguson, the basketball coach (at North), I’m really close to him because my grandkids play summer ball for him. I’m really close to the North program.
“I know (girls basketball coach) Danny Brown really well at Columbus East. We used to play AAU ball together. I’m also really good friends with (East football coach) Bob Gaddis. I will probably lean on him a lot. We play golf together and sometimes have dinner together. He was athletic director and is a great coach that developed a great program. We would like to kind of bring that philosophy down here.”
One of Denny’s biggest goals is to help the school continue to expand to Columbus.
“Really and truly, population-wise, the most students should be from Bartholomew County,” Denny said. “There is a large group of people there. It’s a 25-minute drive from Columbus to Trinity. It could be a little quicker if the interstate isn’t under construction. If you live on the west side of Columbus and go to (Columbus) East, it is three minutes longer to come (to Trinity) than to go to East. From a transportation standpoint, it’s not a lot different.”
Meanwhile, Joe Doggett, who owns an investment firm and has lived in Columbus for 40 years, recently was hired as the Cougars’ boys soccer coach. Doggett’s son, Sawyer, is an incoming junior at the school.
Trinity, which had 142 kids enrolled last school year and is expected to have a record number of incoming freshmen, wasn’t an initial thought until the family got to know the school.
“We thought a long time ago that our son, Sawyer, was going to go to (Columbus) North,” Doggett said. “We went to St. Bartholomew and shadowed there, and then he shadowed here at Trinity. He said that he wanted to go to Trinity. We originally thought he meant in Louisville. I didn’t know that Trinity Lutheran really existed. It was a pleasant surprise for us. We are really excited about the academics here and the super group of educators.
“I get a lot of phone calls,” he added. “When Sawyer started coming down here, everyone wanted to know where he was. They thought he would be at North. The faith-based schooling part is what you get. I think it’s phenomenal. It fits all of the requirements we were looking for.”
Doggett is a former standout football player from Jeffersonville. He played at Indiana University, lettering all four years, before graduating in 1977. He played under former coach Lee Corso and also was named a captain for the Hoosiers.
“My main goal for the kids is to get a learning experience out of it,” Doggett said. “Winning is great, but I want to be a good counselor to them. I think athletics breeds more confidence and self-sufficiency and esteem.”
Three other Columbus residents also coach at Trinity. Faith Wilder-Newland was hired as the volleyball coach this past fall, Jennifer Brinegar has coached swimming since 2016 and Jeff Nolting has led the girls soccer team since 2015.
