Insights on the Coaching Transition
When Hebert stepped down from Carmel last month, it was time for him to embrace a new challenge. Neighboring Noblesville, which had been searching for a coach after Dave Sharpe's resignation in early November with a 14-38 record in five seasons, saw Hebert rise to the top. His strong relationships with athletes, families, and the community, along with his high integrity and outstanding winning record, made him the ideal candidate.Hebert, who graduated from Carmel in 1989 and has been coaching and teaching in the Carmel school system since 1995, followed Kevin Wright as coach in 2015 and will now be succeeded by Wright. Noblesville athletic director Leah Woolridge emphasized Hebert's qualities, stating that his years of leadership in the 6A division and the caliber of recommendations he received made him the strongest choice.
Carmel struggled last season with a 3-7 record and did not win a sectional title in the past four years. Noblesville, on the other hand, has a state-of-the-art $14 million stadium that opened in 2022 with a capacity of 6,000. The Millers, who were a 2-8 team last year and have not won a sectional since 2000 or posted a winning record since 2001, seem to have the potential for future success.
Analysis of Noblesville's Potential
"Hebert noted that everyone has been aware of the shift in Noblesville at the youth level with the number of good teams. His son in seventh grade has witnessed firsthand how these teams have been getting better," said Hebert.Last year's Noblesville team was closer to breaking through than the 2-8 record might suggest. They were within a touchdown in all seven Hoosier Crossroads Conference games except for one. "If you look at every game, there was a familiar pattern of them being right in it, if not leading into the fourth quarter. Just a couple of plays here and there separated victory from defeat," Hebert added.
Hebert emphasized the importance of perseverance and toughness in the face of pressure. "There is a barrier that sometimes develops when you expect it to happen and there is a lot of pressure to win. But at the same time, there is a lot of perseverance and toughness to keep coming back every week and being committed to competing," he said.
Hebert's Approach to Noblesville
Hebert is excited to be part of a breakthrough with the Noblesville program. He plans to listen to players, coaches, and community members as he gets started and has not yet begun building a coaching staff."I've reflected a lot on the past few weeks. The big issue we dealt with last year was injuries. I've come to some conclusions on how to better prepare for those situations that are out of our control. We have to safeguard for that and prepare players for more roles than we might expect so the team can move forward," Hebert said.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 270-4904.