Courtney Porter is new Hawks Football Coach

Olathe East Hawks hires Courtney Porter

Courtney Porter is now joining the Olathe East Hawks as their third Head Football Coach in team history. 

Coach Porter is succeeding Jesse Owen who led the Hawks from 2015 to 2019. Jesse Owen finished 22-26 in his five seasons, and the Hawks themselves enter the 2020 season with a record of 184W-101L-285 games played, and a 19W-18L-37 games played in post-season both new format of 1-16, and the old District format of post-season.  

Courtney Porter's background in the Kansas City High School East is no secret to those of his student-athletes who he has mentored. With stops at BV Northwest, BV North, SM East (2014 State Championship season), and SM West have all gained a wealth of knowledge with him as their position coach and more. 

With plenty of knowledge of his own to gain on from previous BNW, BVN coaches, Dustin Delaney, and Tim Callaghan, the Hawks will be looking to reach higher goals and expectations once the Hawks have met their new leader. 

Over the history of the Sunflower League, only two Black Head Coaches have ever lead their High School team since the inception of the Sunflower in 1954. 

All that being said, you may be curious as to the other school? That would be the SM Northwest Cougars. 

Once Tony Severino was hired away to Rockhurst from SM Northwest, his AC Bill Leonard took over for the 1983 and 1984 seasons. Unfortunately in his brief tenure leading to an 8W-10L record after 18 games, Mr. Leonard passed away a couple years after his time in education. 

After the conclusion of Bill Leonard's 1984 season in the SFL, there has not been a Black Head Coach hired by any SMSD #512, LAW & LFS #497, Leavenworth #453 during their duration in the SFL 1981-2017, and Olathe #233 since expansion in 1981 of #OSF, #OEH, #ONW, and #OWO. 

Multiple Black Assistant Head Coaches have been hired on to the faculties of all of these programs in the 35+ years the schools have been in the Sunflower League, but never hired as Head Coaches.  

Congratulations to Coach Courtney Porter and his family joining the Olathe East Hawks, and looking forward to seeing you in the league for a very long time!  

Owen to leave Olathe East Hawks

Jesse Owen resigns from Olathe East Football

In a stunning move and out of the blue, Jesse Owen, who was about to enter his sixth year as the Hawks Football Coach resigned due to personal reasons. 

In most High School Football circles, resignations tend to come within weeks after the Thanksgiving weekend and the State Final game clock has wound down to 00:00 and a Champion is crowned. 

2020 for some reason has been quite the experience world wide, and for all of us locally as Kansas City residents.

For A.D. Kaleb Stoppel, a new hire will be looked upon immediately, either as on an Interim-emergency one season gap hire, or could be found internally within the Owen coaching staff of the last five seasons. 

For those Sunflower alumni Hawks tied deeply to the program, the 2020 season is 29th year of Football in the Olathe #233.

There have been only two Head Coaches in the program, and both are former Olathe-North Eagles. Jeff Meyers, who led the team the first 23 seasons with an overall record of 162W-75L in 237 games. His playoff record was a steady 16W-14L in 30 games. Back in the 2005 season, the Hawks made it to their first and only 6A State Final, losing to Randy Dreilings Hutchinson SaltHawks 24-7 and the best record in team history to this day at 12-1. 

Following Jeff Meyers after his 23 seasons, was long-time Olathe North Eagles Head Weights Teacher, and 1996 State Title member Jesse Owen in the 2015 season. 

Although his Hawks started off slow his first two seasons, the program took a turn, and found success soon after. Back to back 3-6 starts are not easy in a new opportunity but it happens to many new Coaches around the country. After a successful one year stint with the Eudora Cardinals, the Owen hire gained traction and strength quickly from 2017 to 2019. In that time, the Hawks finished: 5-5, 4-6, 7-3, and Jesse Owen and his staff finished 22W-26L overall in 48 games played, and a 3W-4L post-season record under the new @KSHSAA playoff format in the 6A East bracket. 

In 28 years of Varsity Hawks Football, the Hawks are 184W-101L-285 games since the 1992 season.