Ron Prettyman, interim athletic director for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), announced on Thursday that Blaine Powell would become the new head sprint football coach effective April 25th. Coach Powell comes to the Pomeroys from Sullivan High School, where he has been the head football coach since 2017. His overall record at SHS was 39-16 (.709), winning SHS only Sectional title in 2020, and he was 17-7 (.708) in Western Indiana Conference (WIC) play. SHS won the WIC title outright in 2017, and a share of the WIC Gold Division title in 2021.
Prettyman said of the hiring of Powell, “We are so fortunate to have been able to get Coach Powell. He brings a wealth of knowledge of football and the Wabash Valley to SMWC. He will be able to hit the ground running.” Brennan Randolph, vice president for enrollment management and institutional technology, expressed his excitement about having Powell join SMWC. “Coach Powell will be a great asset to the athletic department at SMWC. His enthusiasm is contagious, and we look forward to having him join our team.”
Previously, Powell was an assistant coach at Sullivan for ten years, serving as a position coach, defensive coordinator, and offensive coordinator for seven seasons. Powell expressed his gratitude to SHS, the Sullivan Community, and players, past and present. “I am so grateful to the people at Sullivan High School and the community, and extremely proud of all our players I was fortunate enough to coach. The relationships I gained leading the football program at SHS will last a lifetime.” He added, “I am excited for this next phase of my coaching career and looking forward to the opportunity to build the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods football program into a champion in the classroom, on campus, and on the field. It is an incredible opportunity, and I am eager to get started.” Powell also coached at Sullivan Middle School and Linton-Stockton High School, his alma mater, where he played football for four years. He attended the University of Southern Indiana, Lincoln Trail College and Vincennes University.
In June 2021, the College announced that it was adding a sprint football team to start in fall 2022, joining five other schools to form the Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL). The other founding members of the MSFL are Fontbonne University (MO), Quincy University (IL), Calumet College of St. Joseph (IN), Midway University (KY) and Bellarmine University (KY).
The Pomeroys will play their first home game September, 24. For the entire schedule, visit https://smwcathletics.com/sports/sprintfootball/schedule.