ELIDA — The Elida Board of Education plans to hire Wayne Trace’s Bill Speller as the new head football coach Wednesday.
The board plans on accepting the recommendation of a hiring committee to hire Speller at a special board meeting at 5 p.m. Board president Jason Bowers said the committee was made up of athletic director Dave Evans, high school principal Darren Sharp and two other members.
Speller has been head coach at Wayne Trace for 14 years. He has put together an 82-66 won-loss record, including a 5-3 mark in three postseason appearances. Speller’s teams were Green Meadows Conference champs in 2005 and 2013 and his 2013 team was state runner up to Kirtland in Division VI. Speller will also teach high school government and social studies. His teams made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2013 and 2014.
Speller said after helping establish a successful program in Wayne Trace, he wanted to see if he was able to do the same at the next level.
“I wanted to see if I could help a larger program have success,” Speller said. “I have passed up on opportunities before because I was content where I was at. This time, I talked it over with friends and family and was impressed with what they had to offer.”
Speller said he saw the Elida football program as one that has had success before.
“I didn’t want to get into a rebuilding program,” Speller said. “With Elida, I see one that doesn’t need rebuilding but maybe needing some refining. With the amount of athletes they have coming back from last year and coming up from the lower grades, I feel there are some athletes there.”
Speller said he will bring his spread offense that likes to throw the ball and a 4-3 defense that will make changes depending what opposing offenses are doing with him from Wayne Trace.
Speller missed the final five games of last season after complications resulting from surgery.
“I am feeling better now and the situation has been taken care of,” Speller said. “It will not be an issue.”
