It’s been a rough week and a half for the Conner community with the passing of longtime football coach Dave Trosper, but Thursday offered some good news as they’ve found a highly acclaimed replacement.
The high school announced that they’ve hired Noel Rash to be the next head coach of the program, replacing Trosper, who had been the coach the last 18 seasons. Trosper died unexpectedly on June 7.
“Having to search for and replace a legend such as Dave Trosper was one of the hardest tasks I’ve had to complete as a principal,” Conner principal Andrew Wyckoff said in a press release. “We wanted to honor his name and make sure we upheld the quality of coaching the school and Dave deserved.”
Rash had retired as the Beechwood coach after 17 seasons in 2023. He was close friends with Trosper.
“Hiring Noel Rash was a no-brainer,” Wyckoff said. “Not only is he an incredible head coach with years of experience and an incredible track record to prove it, but he also loves Dave and wants to honor his name and coaching legend.”
Beechwood won 200 games and eight state championships under Rash. He joined the staff in 2000 under Mike Yeagle before receiving the promotion to head coach in 2006. Rash played in high school at Lloyd Memorial graduating from there in 1985 and then played at Thomas More University.
Prior to his time at Beechwood, Rash was an assistant coach at Lloyd (1985-87), Simon Kenton (1993-94) and Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (1996-99). He coached defensive backs at Holmes during the 2023 season. Rash was Beechwood’s head baseball coach from 1998-2001, and in ’99 was selected as the Northern Kentucky Baseball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year.
“Noel’s track record speaks for itself, but even more importantly, he brings character, discipline, and a deep commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field,” Wyckoff said.
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