New North Schuylkill head football coach Joe Tomtishen, right, and his daughter Gretchen pose in front of gigantic NS letters in the main lobby of the high school following Wednesday night's board meeting (Photo by Leroy Boyer).

Former Spartan takes over at alma mater

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Joe Tomtishen called it “a dream come true” to be able to be the head football coach at his alma mater, North Schuylkill.

“It seemed like it was meant to be,” he said Wednesday night.

The North Schuylkill School District Board of School Directors made Tomtishen’s dream come true Wednesday night when they unanimously hired him as the Spartans’ new head football coach at a salary of $6,337.50.

A high school guidance counselor in the district since 2009, Tomtishen takes over for Wally Hall, who stepped down after 13 seasons as the Spartans’ sideline boss. The 41-year-old was an assistant coach under Hall for 12 of those seasons, serving as defensive coordinator from 2015-22.

“I’m super excited. Just full of Spartan pride,” Tomtishen said after the meeting. “I always thought it was a cool opportunity to be able to coach at your alma mater. Having the opportunity to be the head coach truly is a dream for me.”

Tomtishen is a 2003 graduate of North Schuylkill. A four-year member of the football team, he played tight end, defensive end and linebacker for the Spartans before going on to play for four years at Lebanon Valley College.

The Ringtown resident started his coaching career as a student coach at Lebanon Valley in 2007, then was a position coach from 2009-11, coaching outside linebackers, offensive line, tight ends and kickers in different seasons.

Tomtishen coached for one year at Tri-Valley under then-head coach Mike Kogut before coming to North Schuylkill when Hall was hired as the Spartans’ head coach in 2013. Tomtishen was a paid assistant from 2013-22, then took 2023 off due to family reasons. He was a volunteer coach the past two seasons.

Hall compiled a 115-38 overall record (.752 winning percentage) in 13 seasons at North Schuylkill, guiding the Spartans to the playoffs every season. He directed the Spartans to District 11 championships in 2018, 2020 and 2021, runner-up finishes four other seasons and two trips to the PIAA 3A playoffs. His 2020 squad finished a perfect 8-0.

North Schuylkill went 8-4 in 2025, 6-2 in the Schuylkill-Colonial Football Cooperative’s Red Division. The Spartans downed Panther Valley 53-27 in the District 11 Class 3A quarterfinals before falling to eventual district champion Northwestern Lehigh 49-21 in the semifinals.

“Wally did a tremendous job,” Tomtishen said. “I was really fortunate to be able to join his staff in 2013. We’ve won a lot of football games, we’ve had a lot of success.

“We look at success, on the field and off the field. The culture that has been established here … we’re looking to develop kids to be not just great players, but great men. That’s something that’s not going to change while I’m here.”

Tomtishen was one of several coaches hired or re-appointed at Wednesday’s board meeting. Among those hired were John Cuthie, head golf coach; Tyler Mutchler, head volleyball coach; Dave Reeder, head girls’ soccer coach; Jarrid Todd, head boys’ soccer coach; Matt Klingerman, head cross country coach; Autumn Montemuro, assistant track and field coach; and former Pine Grove head coach Keith Lehman, volunteer baseball coach.

The hiring of Tomtishen, however, was the night’s biggest event. He was joined at the meeting by his wife, Megan, and their 8-year-old daughter, Gretchen. Tomtishen and his family received a round of applause and congratulations from the board after the vote, then posed for photos out in the main lobby of the high school.

As he sat in his office for our interview, you could tell Tomtishen was ready to get to work. He already talked to high school principal Ken Roseberry and assistant principal Nick Sajone about scheduling a meeting with the North Schuylkill players during homeroom Thursday to get offseason workouts started.

“Being a graduate of North Schuylkill, I have a lot of pride in where I come from,” Tomtishen said. “We get after it, we have a great work ethic, and that’s going to continue.

“The expectation is that they are in the weight room right away. That’s where things start, that’s where the family starts to build.”