Oct 17, 2017 4 min read

Jason Kern is not short on confidence. When life sends him snow balls, he makes ice castles.

That’s why when he was part of a group of teachers furloughed this summer, he knew something else would pop up. It took a little more than a month.

Kern, 40, was hired this week as the head women’s softball coach at Penn State’s Dubois campus. Kern submitted his resignation as the Highlanders’ varsity girls softball team and will join the 2-year-old Dubois program with desire and the freedom to build it his way.

“It’s a good opportunity and the timing is right,” Kern said. “I’m excited about the next chapter. Coaching college has always been a dream of mine. But then McGuffey is where I was born and raised and I thought I’d be there until I retired. So it’s hard leaving the girls. You spend so much time together, you become a family.”

Dubois’ athletic director is Ken Nellis, a Shaler High School graduate whose name is familiar to area wrestling fans. The school participates in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association and is in the process of completing the $2.2 million renovation of the Dubois City Park facility that will host the USCAA Softball Championships in May. PS-Dubois also is part of the Penn State University Athletic Association.

“Jason has the desire to recruit young ladies to campus and build a team that will represent the PSUD campus with quality student/athletes and leaders on and off the field,” Nellis said in a release. “I am excited for the current players on campus and the future ladies that will join us in next fall.”

Like any change, there are challenges. Kern and wife Ashley want to keep their daughters, Trinity and Eva, in the McGuffey School District. Kern has secured a time-share in which he will spend six months out of the year running the Dubois program.

Kern also runs McGuffey Sports Network, an internet provider that streams McGuffey sporting events. Kern is keeping the service going and said it is thriving as more sponsors invest in it.

“The network is the easy part because I can update that from wherever I am in the world with my computer,” he said. “The hard part of all this is making the family situation work. We’ll make it because I have a great wife who supports me.”

Kern led the Highlanders to three straight playoff appearances – and a section title in 2016 – in his three years as head coach. But it was a bittersweet parting because, Kern said, the school district did not permit him to meet with the team to tell them he was leaving.

“I was a little upset about that,” Kern said. “It could be because I requested time at the end of a school day. … I went to the captains’ houses and met with them and the parents and told them personally.”

Kern is a graduate of McGuffey High School and California University, where he earned degrees in Sport Management and Criminal Justice. He began his coaching career as an assistant baseball coach with McGuffey and served as an assistant football coach under Ed Dalton.

“I want to thank Ed Dalton,” Kern said. “He has been a big help to me.”

Dalton said he believes Kern will do a great job.

“He’s very eager and loves coaching,” Dalton said. “He has great communication skills and that will serve him well. Recruting will be something he will excel at.”

Dalton, also McGuffey’s athletic director, said the search for a softball coach will begin soon.