Rochester coach Shaffer resigns after 5 seasons

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Rochester football coach Ron Shaffer has resigned after five seasons, per a statement from athletic director Cal Stone Thursday.

Rochester went 39-13 during Shaffer’s tenure. They shared the Three Rivers Conference title in 2022 and won it outright in 2025. Rochester went a perfect 8-0 in conference play, winning all eight games by at least 34 points and winning seven of them per the IHSAA Mercy Rule.

Shaffer inherited a team that went 0-8 in 2020 and improved it to 5-3 in 2021. He never had a losing season.

Rochester went 32-5 in conference games under Shaffer. Losses to Peru in 2023 and Maconaquah in 2024 denied them conference titles, but a Zebra roster loaded with 13 seniors won its first outright TRC title in 11 years this fall.

Rochester beat Elwood 44-0 in its conference quarterfinal game Oct. 24 before a season-ending 42-14 loss to undefeated and fifth-ranked Eastbrook last week.

Shaffer came to Rochester with no head coaching experience but 25 years of experience as an assistant coach. His last football job prior to coming to Rochester was at Lewis Cass, where he was the offensive coordinator for a Kings team that went 11-2 and won the sectional title in 2019.

He received his first head coaching job following the resignation of Sean Kelly in February 2021.

RTC has learned that Shaffer will remain on the faculty. Shaffer’s son Isaac is the defensive coordinator and also a faculty member.

Shaffer’s replacement will have to fill the holes caused by the graduations of fullback-linebacker Brant Beck; quarterback Carson Paulik; tight end-defensive end Grant Clark; tight end-linebacker Jack Reffett; wide receiver-safety Zakk Parks; wingback-linebacker Jabez Yarber; wingback-cornerback Clarence Garrett and linemen Declan Gard, Mason Hisey, Callen Ferverda and Matt Crossland; and kicker Spencer Backus.