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Brown returns as boys soccer coach; Backus, Atkinson also hired
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
On the same night that the Plymouth School Board approved his father Ron as their new football coach, Isaac Shaffer was officially hired as the new football coach at Rochester Tuesday.
Isaac Shaffer will replace Ron Shaffer as coach. Isaac Shaffer had been an assistant coach on his father’s staff since 2021. He was the defensive coordinator this past fall, when the Zebras recorded five shutouts and allowed just 7.5 points per game.
He also has coaching experience with middle school girls basketball, middle school boys basketball and middle school track. He is also a volunteer assistant coach on Joel Burrus’ Rochester girls basketball coaching staff.
Ron Shaffer resigned after five seasons as Rochester coach Nov. 6. His teams went 39-13. Rochester shared the Three Rivers Conference title in 2022 and won it outright in 2025.
His name surfaced as the new Plymouth coach in a South Bend Tribune report Monday. The Plymouth board fired Adam Handley as their coach Dec. 2. Plymouth went 4-7 last season.
Isaac Shaffer is a 2016 Lewis Cass grad. Ron Shaffer was an assistant coach at Lewis Cass while Isaac played there. Isaac Shaffer later played five years at the University of Indianapolis.
The Rochester School Board also approved the hires of Trevor Brown as boys soccer coach, Eric Backus as girls soccer coach and Jesse Atkinson as girls tennis coach.
Brown returns for a second stint as boys soccer coach. He also coached the Zebras from 2006-20, guiding the program from club status to IHSAA varsity status. Rochester won its only two sectional titles in school history in 2015 and 2016 under Brown.
Rochester moved from Class 1A to Class 2A starting in 2017, and they did not win another sectional game until this fall under Backus.
Brown also coached the Tippecanoe Valley boys in 2021-22. Denvil Mason, a former Zebra player who was an assistant coach on Brown staff at Valley, was also formally hired as Brown’s assistant at Rochester Tuesday.
Brown, Elmer Roque and Backus are the only coaches in Rochester boys soccer history.
Backus will replace Chantal Rensberger as girls coach after coaching the Rochester boys from 2022-25. Rensberger’s resignation was formally approved at the meeting as well. Rensberger is the mother of junior defender Bria Rensberger.
“At this time, my heart is pulling me in the direction of focusing on motherhood and I feel RHS Girl's (sic) Soccer is ready for a new direction,” Rensberger said in her resignation letter. “I am forever thankful for this opportunity and look forward to supporting the program as ‘mom’ in the future.”
Backus’ daughter Charlie will be a freshman on the team next fall. His son Spencer is graduating after scoring 22 of the Zebras’ 42 goals last fall.
Atkinson coached the Rochester girls tennis team to back-to-back sectional titles in 2016 and 2017. Those are the only two titles in program history. He is also a former Rochester boys tennis coach.
Atkinson replaces Adrian Paulik as coach. Paulik stepped down to spend more time with her family. Atkinson was Paulik’s high school tennis coach.
Atkinson is a teacher at the high school and the husband of Rochester High School assistant principal Lauri Atkinson. Alana (Franklin) Adams, a former Lady Z player under Atkinson, will be Atkinson’s assistant.
The board vote was 6-0 in favor of Isaac Shaffer, Brown, Backus and Atkinson.
The board also approved Peyton Hiatt as the new Rochester Middle School track coach. Brian McCants, Delaney Barkman and Kenzie Bradley will be the paid assistants.
Coincidentally, the board also approved the hiring of Ron Shaffer and Isaac Shaffer as volunteer high school track coaches this spring.
