‘It’s really about the foundation we’re making off the field’ – Jeremy Lochner
By Fancy Robbins
P.R.I.D.E – Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Discipline and Enthusiasm
PRIDE marks the beginning of a new era at Delta High School – Jeremy Lochner’s start as the new head football coach.
“I think if you can build your foundation on [PRIDE] when it comes to a program, that covers pretty much everything that you are going to run into,” Lochner said.
His focus for his first season isn’t about the wins and the losses as much as the impact he’s making and improving upon the foundation built by previous head coach Chris Overholt.
Lochner credits Overholt for building a good program where they’ve competed at a high level and he hopes to add onto the foundation, “with a bit of edginess.”
“Next season everyone will be seeing a lot of successful football, but I want to carry a brand of football that is physical,” Locher said. “We’re going to be very, very disciplined, but we’re gonna fly around and have a lot of fun.”
After the 2024-25 football season, Overholt retired as a head coach after nine seasons and around 20 years coaching overall. He moved into an administration role as assistant principal. Delta was looking for a new coach and Lochner decided it was time for him to start something new.
His football career began at Eastbrook High School near Marion, Ind. He then went to play football at Taylor University (Upland, Ind.) and Olivet Nazarene University (Bourbonnais, Ill.), where he graduated in 2009.
After graduating, he began coaching at Eastbrook Middle School, then in 2012 became the assistant football coach at Taylor University until 2018. He then coached at Anderson University (Anderson, Ind.) until 2022, then Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion, Ind.) while working in the business sector.
He left college coaching because he wanted to spend more time with his family, his wife and three young children. That’s when he started coaching and teaching at Mississinewa High School near Marion in 2023.
“We were really happy and comfortable where we were (at Mississinewa), but my wife kept pushing me because she knows that I’ve wanted to be a head coach,” Lochner said.
He decided to apply for the job as head coach and went through the interview process to get the job.
Lochner coached the defense on the Mississinewa team that ended Delta’s postseason run in the IHSAA sectional semifinal game this last season.
In two seasons leading the defense at Mississinewa, his teams finished with a 23-2 record. They limited opponents to one touchdown or less in 15 of those 25 games.
The 15th game was the 21-7 win over Delta.
Before the game, he knew the job at Delta would be open soon so he observed the team. He paid attention to how the players handled themselves, how the fans acted and how the Delta community supported the team.
“Just the attention to detail and the support that was behind the program was a big draw,” Lochner said. “This is a community that’s behind the program.”
For the rest of the 2024-25 school year, he’ll continue teaching his dual-credit class at Mississinewa in the mornings. But as of Feb. 3, Lochner now drives to Delta to teach weightlifting classes during the last three periods of the day. He will move into a full-time schedule here next year in the fitness center.
As an outsider to the Delta community, getting involved can provide obstacles – but Lochner is overcoming that well.
He’s been trying to meet and get comfortable with the community before his first season. He’s been attending different athletic events and trying to hang out with the coaching staff and football players.
He had his first callout meeting with the team in late January.
He talked about what’s most important in his life and important to his coaching – his faith.
“Everything starts with faith and works itself outwards from there,” Lochner said
He focuses on being a servant leader for the team and hopes that the players will take after him.
“You have to lead by example first, so my words and actions are very important,” Lochner said. “It all stems from my faith.”
With the coaching staff he plans to stay consistent. Previous assistant head coach Dave Edwards retired along with assistant coach Steve Wuthrich.
He plans to bring one or two new faces to the staff but said he will more than likely promote a current coach to be the new assistant.
“It’ll be a different energy,” assistant football coach Shane Conley said. “It’s a new phase, a fresh perspective, and I think that’s motivating.”
