By Jim Mashek – Sporting Times
Cary Fowler had big plans for the Warren Central High School football program.
The Dragons had not won a football game since the 2015 season when Fowler signed on, roughly two years ago this month. That’s still the case, of course, although Warren Central took Monroe County to the wire before dropping a 39-36 decision last October on its way to an 0-7 season.
The well traveled Fowler is on the move again, after what WCHS athletic director Jason Esters called a “mutual” decision to go their separate ways for the 2021-22 school year.
An advertisement for the job vacancy ran this week, and Esters said Warren Central will move fairly quickly to get Fowler’s successor on board.
Fowler’s background is largely in non-FBS college football, and he played Division I-AA football at Murray State University. Fowler spent five years as the head coach at Tarleton State, which was an NCAA Division II program during his tenure at the Stephenville, Texas school. He then returned to the Ohio Valley Conference, and two years as an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois University.
After Joel Taylor left after three largely futile seasons at Warren Central, without a single victory, Fowler decided to pursue the opportunity with the big picture in mind. He went to work with the middle school programs and other developmental aspects of the job. He stressed player accountability and building the program for the long haul.
Fowler understood the large number of international students at Warren Central would pose an unusual obstacle at the school.
Cary Fowler was willing to put in the hours. His style might have been a little different than what the Dragons’ players were used to, but he thought that was essential to turning the page toward a more prosperous future.
Now he’ll be stepping aside after two seasons and an 0-17 record. But Fowler believes the Dragons are on the right track.
“I have some other opportunities in my career and I look forward to the next chapter,” Fowler said via text message on Saturday morning. “Warren Central High School Football will be a very good football program in the near future.
“I can’t wait to watch the success they will have next season.”
Esters said Fowler had informed Warren Central officials of an impending “announcement” about his future, but added, “he didn’t say what it was.”
Asked to characterize the nature of the move, Esters paused and said, “Coach Fowler … I would say it would be a mutual thing.”
Esters said the Dragons’ assistant coaches will assume leadership of the program in Fowler’s wake, adding that the school will begin scheduling interviews for the job soon. The uncertainty created by the COVID-19 public health crisis doesn’t help, but Esters said Warren Central is forging ahead.
“We’d like to have someone in place before too long,” he said.
Esters said he appreciated Fowler’s personal approach with the student-athletes, and expressed his appreciation along those lines.
“(Fowler) did a lot for the kids,” Esters said.
Warren Central has lost 52 consecutive football games.
