RAPID CITY, SD (PRESS RELEASE) – Rapid City Central High School Activities Director Jordan Bauer announced Tuesday, June 10, the hiring of Mike McCulley as the next head football coach for the Cobblers, pending school board approval.
“Coach McCulley is a proven winner, a relentless competitor, and a true culture builder,” said Bauer. “He’s aninnovative defensive mind and a leader who develops young people both on and off the field. Mike has been a proud Cobbler for 15 years, and there’s no one better suited to continue the momentum our program has built. He’ll also be surrounded by an experienced assistant coaching staff with over 150 combined years of football experience, providing outstanding leadership and continuity for our athletes. He’s a Cobbler, his family are Cobblers, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him lead our football program.”
Coach McCulley played football at Chadron State University where he was a member of three conference championship teams. He has over 15 years of coaching experience as an assistant coach at Rapid City Central High School and South Dakota School of Mines. During that time at Central High School he coached several all-state and allconference players. For the past 7 years, he has been coaching at South Dakota School of Mines as a defensive assistant. While at SDSMT, he has helped the Rockers transition to the Division 2 Level and become a competitive team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
“I want to start with a massive thank you to all the coaches that I was lucky enough to play for or coach with along this journey. I have been blessed to always be surrounded by people that can offer great guidance and leadership. I want to thank Activities Director Jordan Bauer for the opportunity to be the Head Coach of Cobbler Football. I enjoyed my time as an assistant several years ago and feel like my time at the college level has prepared me for this next step. I cannot accurately convey the excitement I have about leading this program. I feel like the program is in a great place right now and am dedicated to seeing it continue to grow into something that brings a sense of pride to future and past Cobblers alike. We as a staff will continue to foster great relationships with our athletes and the community in order to make success the norm. We are going to continue to change our perception with relentless effort and aggression. The standard has been raised, now as a program it is time to continue to grind, continue to grow, and flat out get after it. Go Cobblers!”
McCulley, who was named Rapid City Central’s Teacher of the Year this past school year, is known for his ability to build strong, meaningful relationships with students and athletes. “He knows how to hold kids accountable while pushing them to reach their full potential,” Bauer added. “Mike is an achiever who isn’t afraid to put in the time and effort it takes to be competitive at the AAA level. He understands the value of strength and conditioning, and his
genuine, humble, and positive approach will be a perfect fit with the culture we’re continuing to build in Cobbler Athletics. I’m beyond excited for Coach McCulley to begin putting his mark on the Cobbler Football program,” Bauer concluded.