Ark City High School Head Football Coach Jon Wiemers has accepted a job to be the head coach of 6A Olathe West.
According to a news release from Ark City USD 470 Monday, the school district has accepted Wiemers’ resignation.
In addition to coaching, Wiemers serves as a PE teacher at the high school and his wife, Sandy, teaches foods classes at Ark City Middle School.
Wiemers has served as the head coach of the Ark City Bulldogs on two different occasions over seven years (2011-2012 and 2018-2022). Under his guidance, the Bulldogs won a district title in 2012, 4A State Runner Up in 2020, and posted nine playoff wins in the last five years.
He was named the 4A Coach of the Year when the Bulldogs made their state championship game run.
The Owls finished the 2022 season in the sectional round of the state playoffs and ended the year 8-3. In January, head coach TJ O’Neill stepped down, according to the Olathe Reporter.
Olathe West is excited to announce our new Head Football Coach Jon Wiemers. Please see the attached press release. @OWNovacekOWLS pic.twitter.com/sMLUKYeh7W
— ADButlerOW (@ADButlerOW) March 6, 2023
Wiemers has seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows during his time back in Ark City, including the tragic loss of senior linebacker and tailback Rhett Lathers, who was killed in a rollover accident days after the final regular season game in 2021.
Wiemers and his seniors that season decided to forfeit the Bulldogs’ playoff matchup against McPherson to instead take time to honor Lathers’ life with a memorial gathering at Bulldogs stadium that following Friday night.
“We appreciate Coach Wiemers’ hard work and dedication to our football program,” ACHS Athletic Director Aaron Bucher said. “He will be missed but we wish him and his family all the best in their future endeavors.”
The decision to resign and accept a job with Olathe West was a difficult one for Coach Wiemers and his family.
“Ark City has been home to us and it will be hard to leave behind what we’ve built alongside the other coaches, the players, and their families,” Wiemers said. “This group has real heart and I look forward to seeing all they accomplish.”
The school district will begin the search for a new head football coach immediately.
