(Greenfield) Duane Matthess is excited to have landed the job of head football coach at Nodaway Valley. Matthess spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Clarke.
He told KSOM/KS95 Sports the more he learned about the Wolverines the more interested he became in the position. “My wife and I moved to West Des Moines so I started looking for a different opportunity and fell in love with Nodaway Valley after talking to them and talking to people that are familiar with Nodaway Valley and the history and the tradition. That was really unique and not something I had been a part of before. When they offered the position I felt like it was something I couldn’t pass up.”
Back-to-back new hires have left the program after just one season on the job. Coach Matthess looks to bring some stability. “That’s tough as a player. I couldn’t imagine what they’ve gone through. The biggest thing that I want to do that is show them that I’m going to be consistent in their lives. I think when they see that and start to buy in to some of the things that we are going to preach about accountability and their being no substitute for hard work, I think the sky is the limit.”
Nodaway Valley made some steps in the right direction last year, improving their win total by three games from the prior season. They have a lot of talent returning, especially in the skill positions where Nathan Russell and Tony Ayase return. Matthess wants to see his team attack the weight room and practice field like they would if it were a game. He’s introduced himself to the team remotely, but is looking forward to building relationships with the players.
Our initial story on the hiring of coach Matthess is available here.
