Iola High head football coach David Daugharthy knows a thing or two about Iola football.
The former Mustang heads into his seventh year as the head coach at Iola after spending three years as an assistant. Iola came up short in a road playoff game to Frontenac last season but the team returns a number of players with starting experience this fall.
Daugharthy is hoping he can spark some of the magic he felt when he played for the blue and gold.
“It’s been cool to still get to experience the football aspect of it because in high school it seemed like I poured everything I had into the team,” said Daugharthy. “It’s always had a huge place in my heart and to come back and be a part of it and lay even more out there for the program, school and community is awesome. I’m proud of where the Mustangs are headed.”
Daugharthy was a running back and linebacker while playing at Iola.
His coaching philosophy includes spreading the ball out offensively and letting the skill players take over while the defense is a 3/3 stack.
“When I first came in I brought some freshness and a keep your nose to the grindstone-type mentality,” Daugharthy said. “I spread it out a bit on both sides of the ball, got the skill positions out and got the athletes involved.”
One of the best parts about coaching back in Iola for Daugharthy has been coaching alongside his twin brother, Dana. Dana serves as the track and field head coach and was an assistant for the football team the last few years before stepping down this year.
“It’s been really cool to coach with him (Dana) because we bounce ideas off each other,” said Daugharthy. “We think pretty similarly about different things so having somebody there that shares the passion for coaching and Iola has been awesome.”
Daugharthy graduated from Bethel College where he played on the football team for four years as a safety. After college, Daugharthy taught math for three years at a high school in Olathe for at-risk teens.
Daugharthy then taught and coached track and baseball at Yates Center High School. During his time there, Daugharthy became an assistant coach at Iola before moving to Iola in 2014.
“The reason I got into teaching was to build relationships with kids and to make an impact on their lives,” Daugharthy said. He teaches high school chemistry, while brother Dana teaches high school physics.
“I think I’ve had opportunities to build relationships on the football field as well. It’s rewarding because that’s why I was getting into the profession anyway.”
Daugharthy still credits his father, Jim, along with his high school football coach, Dean Taylor, for making a big impression on him at a young age. He credits his father for teaching him life lessons and how to be part of a team.
Daugharthy credits Taylor for his approach to both football and life. He believes Taylor was the main reason he got the chance to play college football at Bethel.
