Zanesville High School names T.J. Carper its new head football coach

ZANESVILLE – A new face will be on the sidelines for Zanesville football.

T.J. Carper was named the 33rd head coach of the Zanesville High School football program on Thursday. Carper’s hiring was confirmed by the Zanesville City Schools Board of Education during a special meeting conducted earlier in the day.

He replaces T.J. Langermeier, who stepped down from the head coach position in January.

"You look at the history and tradition here, and all the great players who've played here. There are still have some good ones," Carper said. "Who wouldn't want to be in this area and be a part of something bigger. I want to come in, help these players restore what this program used to be and see what we can accomplish."

Athletic Director Scott Aronhalt noted Carper "checked all the boxes" among the 25 applicants, including nine who were interviewed for the position.

"It was a difficult choice," Aronhalt said during the meet-and-greet with Carper. "He is a man of high character and in tune with his players and knows how to build relationships. He also values community service and education, and he has a high football IQ. Those are all qualities we were looking for with our new coach."

Carper comes to the Blue Devils after serving three seasons as head coach for Vinton County High School in MacArthur. He took over a Vikings program that had won just 38 of its previous 164 games and produced a 22-11 record with OHSAA state playoff appearances each season. Vinton County had not had a winning season since 2004 before going 7-4 in 2021.

Carper referred to himself as a "developmental coach" and felt he was able to change the mindset with the Vikings and has similar aspirations with the Blue Devils.

"We focused on our legacies and told the kids how important dedication is to achieve that," he said. "I see myself as a developmental coach, and we're going to need patience and time. It's trying to find what we're good at and mix those together.

"We also have to learn to overcome adversity," he added. "I know these kids want to win, and they have that mentality. It's learning how to do things the right way and sticking to it no matter what we face."

The Bluefield, Va., native was a first-team all-state player at Graham High School and holds 10 school records. He led the state of Virginia with 11 interceptions (2006) and was selected as a team captain for the VHSCA All-Star Game.

That led Carper to Marshall University, where he was team captain for two seasons (2011, 2012). He played in two bowl games for the Thundering Herd, and also earned the J.D. Coffman and Chad Pennington Leadership team awards. He graduated in 2012 with a degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, and four years later earned a master’s degree in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University.

Carper’s coaching career began at Cabell Midland High School in Ona, W.Va., just east of Huntington and Marshall University. He served as defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator from 2014 to 2020, helping the Knights to three conference championships, three undefeated regular seasons, and six straight playoff appearances. CMHS made five state semifinal appearances and was state runner-up twice. Carper’s efforts helped 25 athletes move on to play collegiately, including 10 who committed to NCAA Division I programs.

Also while at Cabell Midland, Carper served as an assistant track and field coach (sprints and jumps) for three seasons. The Knights won one Class AAA state championship (2016) and had 17 state meet qualifiers in individual and relay sprint events, including one who won championships in the 400 meters and 200 meters.

Carper’s first team at Vinton County included five players who went on to play college football. Two signed National Letters of Intent. There were eight all-conference selections, three Division IV all-district picks, and two were named All-Ohio.

The 2022 Vikings were 6-5, with three players who signed an NLI to play in college. Eight were all-conference, five were all-district and four were All-Ohio. The group included the Tri-Valley Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Carper’s program had a break-through year in 2023. The Vikings were 9-2, recording nine wins for the first time since 1993, and they won the TVC for the first time since 1999. The team averaged a school record 39 points per game, including a single-game record of 69, and had the 8th-best defensive scoring average in Division IV at 9 points per game. That produced seven all-conference, six all-district, and four All-Ohio selections. Five players signed an NLI, including the school’s first-ever NCAA Division I prospect, Ashton Allman. Another Viking, Parker Shonborn, was the school’s second straight TVC Offensive Player of the Year. The team also compiled animpressive 3.57 grade-point average.

With the success came the accolades for Carper himself. He was chosen the Division IV Southeast District Coach of the Year, the Tri-Valley Conference Coach of the Year, and the WOUB-TV “Gridiron Glory” Coach of the Year following the 2023 season. He was also district coach of the year and TVC coach of the year after his first season in 2021.

Carper also puts a heavy emphasis on community involvement for his program, and the Vikings were part of many initiatives within Vinton County.

Carper and his wife, Caitlyn, have three children – Carson (10), Nixon (6), and London (4).

bhannahs@gannett.com; X: @brandonhannahs

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: T.J. Carper hired to revive Zanesville High School's football program