SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio - Notre Dame College head football coach Adam Howard has resigned from his position after six seasons at the helm, accepting his new role as the Athletic Director at Berea-Midpark High School in Berea, Ohio. Bill Rychel, formerly the offensive coordinator/assistant head coach for NDC football, will become the second head coach in the history of the Falcons football program.
 
"I'm very thankful for all the hard work and effort Adam Howard put into building the NDC football program," said Director of Athletics Scott Swain. "Starting any program from scratch is a very tough task, and he has built a strong foundation for the future of Falcons football. I wish Adam the best of luck in his new position, and am excited to see the future of NDC football continue to grow."
 
Howard was the first head coach in the history of Notre Dame College football when it initially began in January 2009. The New Carlisle, Ohio native joined the Falcon Flock after spending six seasons as the defensive coordinator at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, where he was named the 2003 Ohio Athletic Conference Assistant Coach of the Year.
 
"First, I'd like to thank the coaches and players, both current and past, that have sacrificed a great deal to start and continue to develop the Falcon football program," said Howard. "This program was just an idea six years ago, and now it's a program that Notre Dame College can be proud of both on and off the field. I will forever be grateful that I had an opportunity to serve NDC, the players, the coaches, and the community of South Euclid as the head football coach."
 
After the Falcons went 10-9 in their first two development seasons, Howard continued to lead the Falcons to improvement, posting a 5-6 mark in the 2011 season. Before the 2012 season, Howard added the title of Quarterbacks Coach to his responsibilities, shifting focus from the defensive side of the ball to offense.
 
Fall 2013 marked new beginnings for Howard and the Falcons as they began competition in the Mountain East Conference while also opening the season with a 37-31 win over Malone at the newly-dedicated Mueller Field, marking the first football game ever played on NDC's campus.
 
In two seasons of play in the Mountain East Conference, Howard led the Falcons to a 12-10 mark, including a 7-4 record during the 2014 campaign - the best mark in program history.
 
Howard, a 1997 Wilmington College graduate, coached numerous student-athletes to successes while at NDC, including 12 All-Mountain East Conference honorees most recently in 2014. Furthermore, Howard coached three Falcons to All-Region honors this past season while also having one student-athlete (Doniel Gambrell) named First Team All-American by D2Football.com.

"I will look back and enjoy all the memories I have of the players, coaches, and people who work at NDC," said Howard. "It's the relationships I built with the people here that mean the most to me. I'm also proud that we were able to not just build a football program, but it's a team of people that believe in service, that are sincere about education and self-betterment, and that love Notre Dame College."
 
 
Bill Rychel named Head Coach of NDC Football
 
Having spent the past six seasons as offensive coordinator/assistant head coach, Bill Rychel becomes just the second head coach in the history of the Falcons football program. Rychel has been with NDC football since the program's inaugural season in 2009, and has worked diligently to develop and grow Falcons football.
 
"I am so excited with the promotion of Bill Rychel to be our next head football coach," said Director of Athletics Scott Swain. "Bill has done great work during his time here at NDC. The student-athletes and administration are very optimistic about our football future. I look forward to working with Bill in his new role and making Falcon football the best it can be."
 
"Working with Adam [Howard] has been fantastic. I loved working for him, and I wish him the best," said Rychel. "I'm excited for him and this opportunity for his family, and I'm grateful for the opportunity given to me here at NDC."
 
A 2001 graduate of the University of Mount Union, Rychel was a standout football player for the Purple Raiders from 1997-2000. As a player, Rychel helped lead Mount Union to National Championships in 1997, 1998 and 2000. At guard, he earned All-American honors as a senior in 2000 while twice being named First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference.
 
Following his time at Mount Union, the Cleveland native made coaching stops at Coe College, Tri-State (now Trine), and Ohio Northern University, where he was the Polar Bears' co-offensive coordinator from 2006-2008 before joining NDC in 2009.
 
While serving as offensive coordinator for the Falcons, Rychel orchestrated a dynamic offense that averaged 33.5 points per game in 2014.
 
Rychel's offensive system ranked sixth in the nation in passing yards per game (343.4) in 2014, also good for the top mark in the Mountain East Conference. The Falcons aerial attack also ranked second in total offense (457.5 yards per game) among Mountain East Conference teams.
 
"There's no doubt in my mind that Coach Rychel will take this program to the next level," said Howard. "I can't express how thankful I am to Coach Rychel for all the hard work and dedication he has put in to making our program what it is. I'm proud to say that he's not only a trusted colleague, but as close of a friend to me as anyone."
 
Furthermore, one of the biggest reasons the Falcons' offense has had so much success is due to the strong offensive line play. Under Rychel's tutelage, the Falcons offensive line yielded just 13 sacks in 2014 - a top-25 mark in Division II.
 
"It's still surreal," said Rychel. "I'm extremely excited for the opportunity and so was my family. It's a dream come true to be a head coach at the scholarship level and especially to be the head coach at Notre Dame College."