It’s no secret that the Math Department mirrors the Athletic Department. There is a clear domination of math teachers who coach athletics at DHS. There are some underlying character traits all math teachers have that makes them excel as coaches.

“We use a ton of statistics, both actual data like offensive and defensive stats, and tendencies to build our scouting reports and to make in-game adjustments,” math teacher Jason Watkins said.

The analytical nature of math teachers gives them the ability to organize their teams precisely. Looking at the game from a mathematical angle provides insight into how the game is going to go, and allows the coaches to plan accordingly.

Some of the other math teachers who are coaches at DHS include: Kyle Theisen, Sean Murray, Garrett Turner, Terry Schwartzkopf, and Jason Gehoski. Although these math teachers may not believe there is a common correlation between being hired as a math teacher and then as a sports coach, they will admit to their mathematical skills influencing the way they coach.

“If you went around the state and surveyed for a correlation between subject area teachers and coaching you would not find one except for PE teachers that coach,” Watkins said. “I think it is just a coincidence that we have so many math teachers at Dow High that choose to coach.”

Whether there is a correlation or not, all of these math teachers are having successful seasons/preseasons so far. For more information about how their teams are doing go to: http://dowathletics.com/ .