For the first time since 1989, the Kenyon College football program has a head coach hired from within its current staff. Jill McCartney, Kenyon’s Director of Athletics, Fitness and Recreation, announced on Dec. 23 that Ian Good, previously the team’s defensive coordinator, was hired as the Lords’ next head coach.
Good, who has been with the Kenyon program since the 2017 campaign, replaces James Rosenbury, who resigned earlier this month after heading the program for three years. In the process, Good became the first staff member hired as head coach since Jim Meyer moved from offensive coordinator to head coach between the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
“The program is in a good spot right now.” Good said “We are coming off one of our best finishes since 2013, and we bring back a large majority of starters on both sides of the ball. Our team is starting to see its hard work pay off, and I’m excited to continue to improve upon what we have accomplished. We are going to focus on being the best version of ourselves each year.”
“I am confident that coach Good will continue the positive momentum of the program with his thoughtful leadership and commitment to sustaining a culture of success," McCartney said.
Hired as a Kenyon assistant coach in charge of linebackers prior to the 2017 season, Good held that role until 2019, when he was promoted to defensive coordinator. During that span, Good coached such players as Mychael Leno, Michael Picone and Sam Dickey, who all ranked within the top five players in the conference in tackles per game. Dickey, who joined the Kenyon staff for one season, later went on to play professionally overseas.
As he takes on his new role, Good plans to utilize his previous five years of Kenyon experience to further advance the direction of the program.
“I offer a deep understanding of what Kenyon is as an institution and how to build our program alongside it,” he said. “I understand where our team currently is, and I have established relationships, not only with the players in our program, but with the Athletics Department and other departments across campus.
“As a coach, I believe relationships are the root of any successful team and culture. My ability to lead will go as far as my staff and players trust in me and believe in my vision,” Good said. “I set high standards and expectations that our players can both understand and achieve. My first order of business will be to instill a sense of family and togetherness among our staff and team. We will become great citizens of the campus and engage in the community.”
Prior to coming to Kenyon, Good spent nearly a year at Wayne State University, where he helped coach linebackers and mentored a pair of all-conference honorees. Leading up to that post, he worked at his alma mater, Kalamazoo College, from the fall of 2014 to the summer of 2016. His main duty with the Hornets was working with the defensive line.
Outside the collegiate ranks, Good served as adviser to the head coach and talent scout of the West Michigan Ironmen, a team in the American Indoor Football League.
Good graduated from Kalamazoo in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and business. He later earned his master’s in sport management from Western Michigan University in 2015.
"Coach Good has shown a willingness to learn and grow as a coach, seeking out opportunities to extend his coaching network and find opportunities to develop off the field,” McCartney said. “He also understands how to use the resources available to him in the department, on his staff and within his team to build trust and empower the young men in this program."
