Wooster High hires Leek as new head football coach
Ray Leek
When a high school football team has an opening for a head coach in mid-April, time is of the essence to fill the position.
Ray Leek and his family will never forget the whirlwind day of Tuesday, April 15. It started with Leek as the Dalton football coach and ended with the Wooster Board of Education hiring him to lead the Generals’ program.
“I got a call around 12:30 in the afternoon and accepted the job,” the 37-year-old Leek said. “I then met with the Dalton administration and let them know the direction I was going to go and met with the kids at 2:30, so there’s a quick turnaround.
“That was a hard conversation to have at Dalton. You build those relationships with kids. You spend a lot of time with them, and they mean a lot to me. Then, I was over to Wooster for a 6 p.m. board meeting.”
When Leek finally returned to his house around 8 p.m., he sat down, caught his breath and smiled. He knew taking the Wooster job was what he’s been working toward his entire career.
“When you put your hat in the ring, you never know what’s going to happen,” said Leek, a 2013 Mount Union graduate whose previous head coaching jobs consisted of leading Dalton (10-4 in 2024), Cambridge (19-23 record, 2020-23) and Mapleton (1-9, 2019). “There’s a passionate community here in Wooster, and they have all the pieces to build something really special.
“I have followed Wooster, and now to be trusted leading this program means a great deal to me.”
Leek replaces Austin Holter, who compiled a 16-27 record over four seasons before opting to leave to take The College of Wooster head football coaching job on March 13. The Generals were 2-8 last fall.
Wooster athletic director Alex Mallue wrote in a press release that beyond the X’s and O’s and on-field success Leek has experienced, what is even more impressive is his level of commitment to develop student-athletes into great people first.
“(Leek) takes pride in the fact that his teams have carried great GPAs over the years,” Mallue said. “He is committed to ensuring that his student-athletes serve as great representatives of their families, their team, their school and community.”
Leek has an administrative and teaching license. Wooster administrators are still working out what other role he will play in the building besides football coach.
As Leek toured the Wooster campus and met with administrators, he envisioned the potential for greatness at Follis Field and the Generals’ overall community.
“You start with the facilities and they’re top tier, from the stadium, to the weight room and the school, everything’s in place to support a championship-level program,” Leek said. “The community is great, and there’s incredible support, from the administration, to the parents, to alumni.
“That kind of backing makes a huge difference in building something sustainable. And, it sounds like there’s a lot of talent in the building and coming up in the district. Kids who want to work, want to be coached and are hungry to win. There’s a new structure in the youth program, which is the foundation of your program.”
During the interview process, Leek said Wooster’s emphasis on well-rounded student-athletes aligned with his own vision of a complete football program.
“Wooster is the kind of place that values academics and character, just as much as wins and losses,” said Leek, an Alliance H.S. alum. “That’s the kind of environment I want to lead in.”
Of course, Leek knows that football coaches ultimately need to win games, and that’s fine with him.
“I want to compete at a higher level, and Wooster has got a tough schedule,” Leek said. “That’s not a cakewalk schedule, and I welcome that.
“I believe iron sharpens iron, and we’re looking to get after it at a high level every Friday night.”
Asked what type of coaching style players, parents and community members can expect, Leek said it begins with building strong bonds.
“My coaching and leadership style starts with relationships,” he said. “I coach with energy, purpose, and I believe in being detail-oriented.
“I’m demanding but passionate. There’s always an intention of building our players up. We’re not going to break them down. I want our team to play fast, physical and confident. That only happens when they’re well-prepared and fully bought into that process.”
Leek has coached quarterbacks and called the offensive plays in his past jobs, but he said once he sets up his coaching staff, he’ll do whatever he believes is necessary to have the most success. He played defensive end at Mount Union and has also been involved in defensive game-planning at the high school level.
“We’re going to adjust our system to our players,” Leek said. “We’ve got to get our best players the ball and have our best players on the field.
“Whatever offensive or defensive scheme that dictates, that’s what we’re going to do, and that may look different year to year. There may be years where we spread it out more and years we’re more of a run-oriented team.”
Leek made sure to thank the Dalton players and community. Ultimately, the Wooster job was simply an opportunity he could not pass up.
“I told (the Dalton student-athletes) that this has nothing to do with them,” Leek said. “I wanted them to know that they’ve done everything that we’ve asked of them. I just told them to continue to be themselves, continue to work hard.”
Leek is excited about his family also becoming a part of the Wooster community. Ray and his wife, Jacqui, have four kids: eighth-grader Trey, third-grader Nathan, second-grader Sydneigh and Raymond, who will start kindergarten in the fall.
Wooster players, families and community members are invited to meet Leek on Monday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in the Wooster Main Gym.