MHS names Poehls, Simon as interim football coaches
Option one said no thanks.
Option two chose not to interview.
So after Middleton athletic director Jamie Sims had two external candidates turn down the Cardinals’ head football coaching job, he looked internally.
On Tuesday, Middleton named Joe Poehls and Tim Simon as interim co-head coaches for the 2023 season. Both men were assistant coaches in the program the last several years.
The duo will replace Jason Pertzborn, who resigned on Jan. 26 in the midst of a bullying scandal.
In the time since, McFarland defensive coordinator Brian Hellenbrand was offered the position, then declined it on March 28.
Middleton then re-opened the interview process and targeted Eau Claire Regis coach Bryant Brenner. Brenner opted not to interview, though, and Sims then turned to Poehls and Simon.
“Our most recent candidate has officially declined our offer due to the complexities of relocating across the state,” Sims said in an email sent to football families Tuesday. “With that being said, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. After conducting thorough searches and extensive recruiting efforts, it has become evident that what and who we are seeking to lead our program is already within our midst.”
Simon was Middleton’s head coach from 2004-2017, compiling a 111-39 record. Under Simon, Middleton qualified for the playoffs every year, went to the state semifinals in 2008 and the state quarterfinals in 2010 and 2016.
Simon’s 11-14 postseason record frustrated much of the fan base, though, who felt the Cardinals underachieved in the playoffs. Overall, though, there was far more good than bad during the Simon years.
Simon and Pertzborn served as co-head coaches in 2018, when the Cardinals went 6-4. Pertzborn then took over the head coaching duties in 2019 and Simon stayed on as an assistant coach.
Poehls has been part of Middleton’s football coaching staff since 2009, serving a number of different roles in that time.
Finding a head coach turned out to be much harder than Sims and Middleton’s administrative team ever envisioned.
Pertzborn resigned following an investigation by the school district and the Middleton Police Department into allegations of “student-to-student conduct.” The Middleton Police Department closed its investigation without making any arrests and sent the case to the Dane County District Attorney's Office for review.
The district’s investigation is still ongoing, though. And in a Feb. 7 letter to the community, the district said when that investigation was complete it would, “submit their report to a decisionmaker who will, in turn, review the report, make conclusions and recommend actions.”
Sims said there were 18 applicants when the job was posted the first time. From there, Sims & Co. targeted Hellenbrand to be their next coach, but he eventually turned the position down.
“It's disappointing,” Sims said at the time. “We thought it was a done deal.”
That sent Sims back to the drawing board, and MHS posted the position once again. Sims made a run at Regis’ Brenner in the past week, but Brenner opted not to interview for the position.
With little interest from outside the building, Sims eventually chose to stay in-house.
“I am confident that the leadership approach of support, healing and love for our student athletes will be best delivered by Coach Poehls and Coach Simon at this time,” Sims said.
