Photo: Lynne Browske
Jack Hatem began his coaching career early– elementary school early. Thanks to a family tree that includes a football coach for an uncle, Hatem felt the call even before he could throw a full-sized ball. “I’ve been coaching football in one way or another since I was 10,” Hatem says. “My uncle would pass off old equipment, and I would coach all the guys in the neighborhood.”
A native of Lancaster, Ohio, Hatem’s love of the game only strengthened after coaching the local kids. His father encouraged his interest by taking him to Denison football games to watch the revered single wing teams of Keith Piper.
“I was a huge Keith Piper fan growing up. I still remember coming to Deeds Field on Saturday afternoons in the fall; seeing all the students on the hill; watching the games.”
After moving up the high school football coaching ranks–earning two Ohio High School Football Coach of the Year awards in the process–Hatem joined the Denison staff in 2005. He spent two years coaching defensive backs before becoming defensive coordinator in 2007.
After an extensive national search, Denison named Hatem head coach in March, making him the 20th head coach in the 121-year history of Big Red football. He succeeds Nick Fletcher, who coached the team from 2000 through 2009. With five seasons already under his belt, Hatem, 49, is ready to hit the ground running.
“In some ways, as the defensive coordinator, I was already a leader of the team and the coaching staff,” he explained. “At Denison, you’ll see a group of men who play with passion–passion that will show their love for Denison football.”