The Princeton R-5 School District has announced the hiring of 1996 Princeton High School graduate Nathan Powell as the new head football coach of the Tigers. At Princeton, Powell will replace Thomas Hotmer, who resigned after three years at Princeton last week, citing a desire to return closer to his southwest Missouri home.
With Powell returning to his hometown as the coach of the Tiger program, Princeton will be getting not only a former Tiger, but one with a superb resume. Spending the last nine seasons as the Defensive Coordinator of the MEC’s Maryville Spoofhounds, Powell has overseen a defensive unit that has been the backbone for 11 district championships, eight MEC titles, four state championships and two Class 3 state runner-up trophies, and a 61 game home winning streak. Powell, at Maryville, has spent a total of 11 seasons on the Spoofhound coaching staff.
Powell, as noted by PHS Athletic Director John Goodin, will take over as coach of the Tiger track program, coming off the same job at Maryville, where he had four MEC championships, four district titles, a third place state finish in 2013 and a fourth-place state finish in 2017.
Coach Powell is married to 2002 Princeton graduate Ashlie (Moore) Powell. The couple has four children, all boys, with 10 year-old Corbin, six year-old Callao, four-year old Finn, and two-year old Locklar.
In his three seasons at Princeton, Coach Hotmer rejuvenated the Tiger program, rebuilding PHS in 2016 to a runner-up finish in districts, followed by a a Grand River Conference championship and Class 1 state quarterfinal appearance in 2017. Battling the combination of injuries and graduation losses in 2018, the Tigers managed a .500 season (5-5).
In a press release provided by Princeton R-5, Coach Powell passed on his excitement to “return home” to coach the Tigers, saying, “Ashlie and I are unbelievably excited to bring our family home. Our time in Maryville has been fantastic, but when an opportunity to get closer to our families and to raise our boys in a supportive community with a forward-thinking school district presented itself, there was no way we could say no. The changes and improvements the Princeton community has invested in are second to none and we can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Photo credit – Princeton R-5 School District
