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In his final season in a Lemon-Monroe High School football uniform, Dave Koger was an all-league outside linebacker for a Hornet team that reached the state tournament. Now, Koger is sharing his knowledge with a new generation of Hornet defenders.
Varsity days
Koger spent three seasons on the Lemon-Monroe varsity football team as a center and outside linebacker. During his senior season, Koger received first team all Mid-Miami League honors while helping lead the Hornets to a 10-2 record and a berth in the 1983 state semifinals.
“It was great. There were a lot of good friends that I grew up with on that team,” Koger said. “It was great to experience that with guys you spent your entire childhood with.”
Koger was also a member of the Lemon-Monroe swimming team, where he competed in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events and the 100 individual medley. He received first team All-MML honors during his junior and senior seasons.
Today
After graduating from Lemon-Monroe in 1984, Koger attended Ohio State University where he majored in Technology Education. He graduated in 1989 and returned to Lemon-Monroe as a Technology Education teacher and assistant football coach. He departed for Lakota East in 1998 and served as an assistant coach for nine seasons before returning to Monroe last season as defensive line coach.
“It’s great being here,” Koger said. “It’s kind of rejuvenating to make a change. Coach (Ken) Meibers is awesome to work for and the staff is great with the kids.”
Koger, 43, teaches photography at Lakota East and resides in Liberty Twp. with his wife, Amy. The couple has two children:
Quotable
“Everybody that I called and asked about him said that he was a great coach, great technician and just an all around great guy. That perked my interest up right away. I sat down with him and (Monroe defensive coordinator) Joe Ward and we just talked football and about 15 minutes into the conversation I knew he was the guy that I wanted to pull the trigger on to be our defensive line coach.” — Monroe head football coach Ken Meibers
— Dan Gedney, staff writer