There are a lot of new faces roaming the sidelines this season — 32 to be exact!
That's right, 32 new heads were hired during the offseason and will be traversing the sidelines this fall. And while all of them each have the capability of making an immediate impact, these are five and one honorable mention who we feel like could make the most noise.
Ty Koepp - Kendrick Tigers (Class 2A)
Ty Koepp isn't even old enough to drink yet. But the 20-year-old is now in charge of a dynasty that's won four consecutive state championships and counting. Koepp was a part of three of those himself, having racked up 7,656 total yards and 139 touchdowns over a career that also saw back-to-back state player of the year awards.
Koepp inherits a program from his own former coach Zane Hobart, who built Kendrick into an 8-man powerhouse over his 12 seasons at the helm. So the pressure is immense, but if anyone understands what it takes to continue the championship culture, it's the former quarterback who helped create it.
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Still, going from playing to coaching is different. Especially when you didn't cut your teeth as an assistant and are now managing a coaching staff with decades more experience. It's one thing to lead on the field — it's another to manage a coaching staff and handle all the responsibilities that come with being the head man.
But he should be helped out with the return of two all-state receivers in Cade Silflow and Ralli Roetcisoender, who hauled in 39 catches for 887 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago.
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Zane Hobart - Lewiston Bengals (Class 5A)
Speaking of Zane Hobart, his move from Kendrick to Lewiston represents an intriguing coaching transition. After turning the Tigers into a football juggernaut, the question for Hobart now is, can his championship formula translate to traditional 11-man football?
The numbers speak for themselves: 96-27 record, four consecutive state championships, and a program transformation that became the gold standard for small-school football in Idaho.
But 5A presents entirely different challenges: larger rosters, more complex schemes, deeper talent pools, and exponentially higher expectations.
Lewiston hasn't been a consistent playoff contender in recent years with its last state title coming 28 years ago, potentially making Hobart's arrival a watershed moment for the program. If he can work his magic at the 5A level, it would cement his status as one of Idaho's greatest coaches regardless of classification.
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Steve Sosnowski - Centennial Patriots (Class 6A)
Fresh off his induction into the IHSAA Hall of Fame, Steve Sosnowski is coming out of retirement to lead Centennial's football program. At 67, when most coaches are settling into their golden years, Sosnowski is embracing one more challenge at the state's highest classification level.
His resume reads like a coaching clinic: 64-85-1 career record across multiple states, experience coaching nearly every sport imaginable (football, basketball, track, softball, wrestling, even cheerleading), and most recently four years as an assistant at Capital following his retirement as their Athletic Director in 2020.
He'll need to lean on all that experience as the Patriots haven't recorded a winning season since making the state final back in 2010. It won't help that they play in the state's biggest and toughest league, the 6A Southern Idaho Conference. But if anyone can get the program pointed in the right direction again, it's him.
David Joyce - McCall-Donnelly Vandals (Class 4A)
Perhaps no coaching move this year is more interesting than David Joyce's landing at McCall-Donnelly after Teton's school board controversially chose not to renew his contract despite overwhelming community support that included objections from nearly 100 students, parents, and coaches. In three years, Joyce went 20-12 and got the Timberwolves to the state title game for the first time in nearly a quarter century.
But Teton's loss could be the Vandals' gain.
Joyce also brings five additional years of success at Jackson Hole (33-22), proving he can win at different places and in different states no less. But unlike his previous stops, McCall-Donnelly won't be a rebuilding job. The Vandals are a sleeping giant, having posted only one losing season over the last nine years and playing for a state championship as recently as 2019. Joyce might just be what the Vandals need to get over the top.
Gary Thorson - Ridgevue Warhawks (Class 5A)
If there's one coach on this list with a proven track record of transforming struggling programs, it's Gary Thorson. The 56-year-old's resume speaks for itself: a 90-53 career record across four different Oregon high schools and playoff appearances in nine of his 14 seasons.
His success stories include turning Dayton High into a 22-3 powerhouse over two seasons, with consecutive state semifinal and championship game appearances. At Sisters High, he went 19-9 in his first stint before serving as athletic director, then returned for another successful 17-9 run from 2020-2022.
Ridgevue presents another rebuild opportunity and perhaps his most challenging one yet. In nine years as a program, the Warhawks have yet to record a winning season, make the playoffs, or win more than three games in a year. But if anyone seems up for that kind of challenge, it's Thorson.
Honorable Mention: Keith Director - Salmon Savages (Class 3A)
While not cracking our top five, Keith Director's move to Salmon deserves recognition as one of the year's most fascinating decisions. He chose to leave the comforts of North Fremont, which has posted 12 consecutive winning seasons and playoff appearances, for arguably the worst program in the state. The Savages have managed just 18 wins since 2013, cycled through five different head coaches in five years, and didn't even have enough players to field a varsity team two years ago. But Director, a former personal trainer to NFL and MLB athletes, is committed to a complete turnaround. So much so that he just closed on a house in the area and is also serving as the school's athletic director.
Now Director is taking on perhaps an even greater challenge at Salmon, a program that hasn't been to the playoffs since 2019 and hasn't won a playoff game since 2008. If anyone thrives on seemingly impossible rebuilding projects, it's Director. His success or failure at Salmon will determine whether his North Fremont turnaround was a fluke or a preview of coaching excellence.
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