Penn-Harris-Madison School Superintendent Dr. and Mrs. Thacker donated $10,000 to the P-H-M Education Foundation Naming Rights Campaign to name the the plaza located at Penn High School’s everwise Freed Field the Yeoman Family Plaza, after Penn High School Retiring Head Football Coach Cory Yeoman and his family.

Per PHMEF’s Naming Rights fundraising initiative, 80 percent of the donation will go into the Foundation’s endowment, which will in turn provide alternative and additional funding for various co-curricular and extracurricular programs. The remaining 20 percent directly funds professional development initiatives for P-H-M teachers. Continuing the education and training of teachers is a major priority for P-H-M School District.

The mission of the Education Foundation is to develop alternative sources of income to support education initiatives in the School Corporation by strengthening partnerships between the community and the District. PHMEF supports education through awarding innovative teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

On February 8, 2024, Hall of Famer Coach Cory Yeoman announced to Kingsmen student-athletes and assistant coaches that after 40 years with the Kingsmen he’d be retiring at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Coach Yeoman spent his first 19 years as an Assistant Coach under Hall of Famer ​Coach Chris Geesman, and the past 21 years as Head Coach. Yeoman took over the Kingsmen program in 2003 and compiled a 208-56 record overall.

In his first season after replacing legendary Coach Geesman, Yeoman guided Penn to the 2003 State Championship Game. Yeoman also led Penn to Semi-state titles in 2017, 2015 and 2011. In addition to winning four Semi-state Championships, the Kingsmen have won nine regional crowns under Yeoman’s leadership, 13 sectional titles and 17 Northern Indiana Conference championships. 

Coach Yeoman bleeds black and gold and has always been a Kingsmen. He played for Penn, earning all-state honors at defensive tackle. In 1979, Coach Yeoman led a Kingsmen defense that only allowed 33 yards rushing a game. That Kingsmen team finished 11-1, winning an NIC Championship before losing to Hobart in the second round of the playoffs. Yeoman graduated from Penn in 1980. Coach Yeoman is in the Indiana Football Hall of Fame, the first Penn player nominated for the Hall.

Coach Yeoman’s father, Wally Yeoman, coached under Chris Geesman. Wally then coached alongside Coach Cory. Brothers, Trent and Todd, were assistant coaches. Coach Cory coached his son Gary who played for Penn; Gary later also became an assistant coach.

At the March 25 meeting of the P-H-M Board of School Trustees, the Board approved the request of PHMEF to add the signage  to the plaza. The naming rights will be effective August 1, 2024 and will last for 12 years.

Per PHMEF’s Naming Rights fundraising initiative, 80 percent of the donation will go into the Foundation’s endowment, which will in turn provide alternative and additional funding for various co-curricular and extracurricular programs. The remaining 20 percent directly funds professional development initiatives for P-H-M teachers. Continuing the education and training of teachers is a major priority for P-H-M School District.

The mission of the Education Foundation is to develop alternative sources of income to support education initiatives in the School Corporation by strengthening partnerships between the community and the District. PHMEF supports education through awarding innovative teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

A few hours after being introduced to his team as the Kingsmen’s new Head Football Coach, Pete Riordan was introduced to the South Bend sports media in his first news conference. News outlets in attendance were WHME-TV, WSBT, WNDU, ABC 57, and the South Bend Tribune. Students from PNN (Penn News Network) and The Pennant were also present and participated. Click here to see the full news conference. Click here to see a full photo gallery below.

Here are some highlights of the news conference. Penn High School Athletic Director Jeff Hart introduced Coach Pete, who made a few short remarks before opening up the discussion with reporter questions.

Also taking reporter questions were retiring Coach Cory Yeoman and Hall of Famer Chris Geesman. 

Returning Penn players Vinny Freeman and Kellen Watson also spoke to how excited they are to have Coach Pete take over. In the clip below Freeman talks about the sense of family that Coach Pete invoked at this morning’s team meeting.

Watson is also on the Penn Track & Field Team; as a member of the 4×100 team, Watson was one of the players that broke the school record. Watson was last year’s backup quarterback!

Click here to see the full news conference.

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Penn High School football players learned in a “surprise introduction” during an early morning team meeting that Pete Riordan would be their new head coach! The announcement came in the locker room of the Chris Geesman Kingsmen Athletic Center on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Riordan has been an assistant coach on the Kingsmen Football staff for 20 years (most recently serving as Defensive Coordinator). Riordan will be the seventh head coach of the Kingsmen Football Team. 

It was important for Coach Riordan to talk to his players first this morning before making a public announcement. Coach Matt Cates and Coach Cory Yeoman set the stage for the team announcement. Click to watch the video below.

Click here to see the photo gallery below of this morning’s team meeting.

A news conference with local sports media was held at the P-H-M Educational Services Center later in the afternoon. Click here to watch the highlights and photo gallery.

Taking over one of Indiana’s elite Football programs, Riordan replaces Cory Yeoman, who recently retired as the Penn Football Head Coach. Penn finished the 2023 season with a 10-2 record, winning Sectional and Northern Indiana Conference Championships. Riordan has coached in four State Championship Football games as an assistant with the Kingsmen (2003, 2011, 2015 and 2017), with Penn earning a State Runner-up finish in those seasons.

Riordan started his teaching career at Penn High School in 2000. He relocated to Indianapolis from 2007-2009 while his wife was in residency as a physician. During this time, Coach Riordan served as assistant coach at Ben Davis for three seasons (2007-2009), the last two seasons as the Giants’ defensive coordinator.

Penn AD Jeff Hart was in on the planning of this morning’s surprise for the players.

“Coach Riordan brings a proven track record of elite success to this role, both on and off the field,” Hart said. “A state champion as a high school student-athlete, and two decades of coaching while being mentored by Hall of Fame coaches at both Penn and Ben Davis have shaped him for this moment.”

Riordan also teaches Economics, Advanced Placement Economics and ACP Business at Penn High School. He was recently named a teacher Impact Award winner by the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation for helping his students increase their test scores on their AP exams by as much as 20%. Click here for more information.

“He has a teacher’s heart and his high character leadership in the classroom and on the field fits our culture perfectly,” Hart said. “I can’t wait to see where his positive vision takes the program.”

Riordan is excited about the opportunity to lead one of Indiana’s elite Football programs.

“It is humbling and an incredible honor to be chosen to continue the success and tradition of the Long Black Line as the next Head Coach at Penn,” Riordan said. “While it is a great responsibility, it is one that I am thrilled to undertake.

“The Penn Football Program has always been a family that has supported each other,” Riordan added. “The coaches, their wives and families, the administration and boosters have always had great camaraderie and that is one of the things that helps make Penn Football such a special program.”  

Riordan is grateful to the Penn-Harris-Madison leadership for the opportunity to lead the Penn Football Program.

“I would like to thank Coach Cory (Yeoman), Coach Geesman, and all of the great Penn assistant coaches for helping me get to this point,” Riordan said. “Additionally, the support of the Penn Athletic Department led by Jeff Hart, the school Administration led by Dr. Galiher and the corporation’s leadership from Dr. Thacker and Dr. Leniski has been tremendous and I look forward to this opportunity.”

Coach Riordan and his wife, Nicole (Penn Class of 1999) have two daughters who attend P-H-M schools.

Riordan owns a state championship legacy. He played on the 1995 South Bend St. Joseph State Championship Football Team and was a three-year starter. Riordan also played one year of Football at Wabash College. He earned a B.A. from Wabash and earned an MBA in Finance from Indiana University South Bend.

Riordan credited his high school coach, Frank Amato, for teaching love and respect for the game of Football. He also credited former Penn Defensive Coordinator Don Monhaut for teaching the details and preparation of game-planning, and credited former Penn Head Coach Cory Yeoman for his unbelievable passion for the game.

Riordan embraces the standards of excellence that are at the foundation of Kingsmen Football.

“I look to continue the traditions and improve on the successes that have made Penn a premier program in the state,” Riordan said. “The staff and I will continue to evolve without losing sight of what makes Penn such a special place.” 

Yeoman leaves Penn after 21 seasons as the head coach. He compiled a record of 208-56, winning four Semi-state championships, nine Regional championships, 13 Sectional championships and 17 Northern Indiana Conference championships. Click here for more information on Coach Yeoman.

Prior to Yeoman’s tenure as the Penn Football Head Coach, Chris Geesman coached the Kingsmen. Geesman led Penn to five state championships and had an overall record of 310-48. The legendary Kingsmen Head Coach guided Penn to 16 undefeated regular seasons and a state-record 89-game regular-season winning streak. Click here for more information on Coach Geesman.

Riordan joins an elite Football fraternity as the Kingsmen head coach. Yeoman and Geesman are both Indiana Hall of Famers. Rogers Reynolds (1970-1972) played for the New York Giants, and Bob Ward (1965-69) played for Notre Dame. After coaching one season at Penn, Ron Meyer (1964) eventually coached at SMU and coached the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. Dale O’Connell started the Penn Football program (1958-1963) and compiled a 32-21-4 record.

In addition to coaching Football at Penn, Riordan was a Junior Varsity Baseball Coach at Penn (2001-2003). Penn won State in Baseball in 2001. He served as the Boys Basketball Freshman Head Coach (2001), the season that the Kingsmen finished as State Runner-up. He was a volunteer assistant Football coach at Northridge for the 2000 season.

The P-H-M Board of School Trustees will officially approve Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker’s recommendation of Coach Riordan to this position at its meeting on Monday, March 25, 2024.

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To celebrate Penn’s Speech and Debate Team State Debate Tournament winning Penn’s first Debate Team Championship ever instead of just having a celebratory party (which the team did), they also through in a “team activity.”

After school on Tuesday, January 30th, Team Captains and students got to cut off their Team Coach Mr. Jeremy Starkweather’s hair! Mr. Starkweather is known for his golden, poofy afro. But to motivate the team to win the ISSDA State Debate Tournament, he told his team captains last summer when they were at the National Competition that the students could cut his hair if they won the State Championship in 2024. Of course the team won, so that meant Mr. Starkweather had to give up his golden locks. Click to watch the TikTok video below. Click to see the full photo gallery.

To make the fun go for a good cause, Mr. Starkweather reached out to the students who run Short Hair Because We Care to donate his hair. Remarkably but not surprisingly, Mr. Starkweather had 9 inches to donate! Because he was donating his hair, the students couldn’t just shave his head with clippers, his hair had to be sectioned off and braided into mini-pony tails, which made the process a little longer. But the payoff was worth the wait for the students!

It was quite the turnout to see this big event. Not only were the Debate students there, but so were other Penn students who heard about it, Principal Dr. Sean Galiher, and other Penn teachers and coaches. Even PHM District administration and Superintendent Dr. Thacker turned out for the big show. Dr. Thacker even had the honorary last cut!

One of the Team Captains Bella Schaetzle’s mother is a hair stylist and loaned her daughter the tools to cut Mr. Starkweather’s hair. She also graciously offered to clean up his “cut” once the students were done. Below is what Mr. Starkweather looks like the day after on Wednesday, January 31st. He says his hair should grow back in a few months!

Thanks for being a good sport and such a dedicated coach Mr. Starkweather!

See the full photo gallery below …

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Penn High School was named a 2023 Cognia^® School of Distinction for excellence in education on Thursday, September 15. Penn achieved this accreditation based on its 2022–23 Accreditation Cognia review. The Schools of Distinction program recognizes schools and systems that truly stand out in their service to learners, as demonstrated in meeting the Cognia Performance Standards. Cognia is a global nonprofit school improvement organization grounded in research-based performance standards. 

Penn High School first earned Cognia Accreditation in 2008 and reaccreditation in 2013, 2018 and 2023. During the 2022-2023 school year, Penn participated in Cognia’s rigorous Accreditation Engagement Review process, which is grounded in research-based performance standards. The process includes a third-party review of evidence by education experts, interviews, and classroom observations. The review evaluates institutions and seeks evidence of growth in learning, a healthy culture for learning, engaging and high-quality instructional environments, and effective leadership for learning—all characteristics Cognia expects to see in quality schools that also demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement. 

Penn Principal Dr. Sean Galiher presented Penn’s Cognia results as part of his 2022-2023 End of School Year Report at the June 26 Board of School Trustees Meeting.

Penn High School is among 33 schools and school systems in the United States and in four other countries across the globe named as 2023 Cognia Schools or Systems of Distinction.

The full list of 2023 Schools and Systems of Distinction and the Cognia news release are listed on the Cognia website. Cognia^® is a global, nonprofit improvement organization dedicated to helping institutions and other education providers grow learners, teachers, and leaders. Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, and improvement services within a framework of continuous improvement. Serving 40,000 public and private institutions from early learning through high school in more than 90 countries, Cognia brings a global perspective to advancing teaching and learning.