SPS names new head football coach for Central Bulldogs
Springfield Public Schools is pleased to announce John Ely will be the new head coach for boys football at Central High School beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
Ely is currently employed at Lawrence High School in Kansas where he has worked since 2018 serving in multiple leadership roles, including defensive coordinator, linebackers coach, director of football operations, film director and freshman head coach.
He is a detail-oriented leader with a strong focus on player development, preparation and organization. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Ely will work with students in the classroom as a math teacher at Central.
“I am thrilled to introduce Coach John Ely to the Central community. He has the motivation and plan to energize our current student-athletes to commit to rebuilding our Central football program,” explained Josh Scott, SPS director of athletics and activities. “As a math educator in our building next year, I am excited to see the relationships he builds to support our students both during and after school. Coach Ely has the exact experience we targeted for this position.”
Ely is visiting Springfield today to begin developing relationships by connecting with CHS players and their parents.
“I believe in building a positive, disciplined and hardworking culture that develops young men both on and off the field,” Ely said. “High school football is a powerful platform for teaching life skills, building character and fostering a sense of brotherhood that extends well beyond the game.”
Ely’s priority will be to increase participation in football by recruiting students at Central and building relationships with students from Pipkin and Westport middle schools.
“I want every player who enters the program to leave as a more confident, disciplined and prepared young man, ready for the next step on their path, whether that is football, college, trade school, the workforce or military service,” Ely said. “My goal is to lead a program that athletes are proud to represent and the community is proud to support.”
As defensive coordinator in Lawrence, Ely led his team’s defense to two shutouts in 2024. For the first time since 2011, his program recorded multiple shutouts in a season. His units produced 11 all-league players and nine college signees, including multiple all-conference linebackers. He is known for building effective defensive game plans, while maintaining program-wide consistency across varsity, junior varsity and freshman levels.