Linn takes over as New Haven football coach with hopes of continued success

NEW HAVEN, Ind. - New Haven High School has elevated longtime football assistant Jimmy Linn to head coach.

Linn replaces Jim Rowland, who stepped down in December.  Linn was on Rowland’s defensive coordinator for 15 years.

“Coach Rowland kind of sprung it on us,” Linn remembered of Rowland’s decision to step down. “I kind of fell into the roll I’ve had.”

Rowland preferred Linn to succeed him, Linn says. From there, Linn says he interviewed and was awarded the job. While Linn is a more defensive-minded hire, he says New Haven football will continue a lot of the tradition and success Rowland found.

“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel here,” Linn adds. “There are some thing we’re going to tweak and make better and improve on.”

Over the last 4 years, the Bulldogs won back-to-back Northeast 8 Conference championships, a penultimate Northeast Hoosier Conference title and 2 sectionals.

Linn, a Whitko High School graduate, played college football at Manchester. He teaches physical education at New Haven, where he also will continue to be head wrestling coach.

New Haven High School is one of 25 high schools in Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio that Parkview Sports Medicine partners with for athletic training and other medical services for student-athletes.