Jan 19, 2024 By Chris Dugan 3 min read

Who says you can’t go home again?

You can at Ringgold High School, where for the third time in five years the Rams have turned to one of their own to rebuild the school’s struggling football program.

Former multi-sport Rams standout Robert Heller was hired Wednesday night as Ringgold’s new head coach. He succeeds Marcus McCullough, who spent two years at the helm. McCullough followed Darwin Manages, another Ringgold graduate.

Heller, who was an assistant at Ringgold in 2018 under then-coach Mike Zmijanic, has been out of coaching in recent years but remained involved in the sport by training athletes. Though he has lived in North Carolina, Heller has kept tabs on Ringgold’s program and its recent struggles.

Ringgold was 0-10 this past season and has lost 25 consecutive games. The Rams’ last win was in 2021 over Uniontown. Ringgold went 3-7 that year.

Heller knows turning around the program will be a lengthy process, but he says there are positives. He pointed out that Ringgold has always had quality athletes.

“They’re still here,” he said. “They just didn’t come out for the team. Why? I don’t know. It could be because of the losing. But I can sense a different vibe around here since Wednesday.

“Is this going to be easy? No. It is going to be different.”

Heller will meet with the players Monday and give them a simple message.

“I’m telling them to believe in me,” he said. “The culture needs changed. I’m not going into this with only one foot in. I’m going all in. The competitor in me makes it hard to tell myself that I’ll need to be patient, but we’re definitely going to put the work in and see progress.”

Heller can point to the hard work he put in as a player and the results he produced. In 2003, he scored four touchdowns four different ways – a 37-yard interception return, 60-yard punt return, 76-yard kickoff return and 50-yard run – as Ringgold clinched a WPIAL Class 4A playoff berth in the regular-season finale with a 59-34 win at Albert Gallatin.

In 2006, Heller was the Observer-Reporter’s Boys Athlete of the Year.

As a freshman at Waynesburg University in 2007, Heller put together a record-breaking season. He led all NCAA Division III running backs with a school-record 2,176 rushing yards in 11 games. It remains the most yards gained by a freshman in Division III history. His 162 points that season also led Division III.

However, one game into his sophomore season, Heller left Waynesburg.

“Because this is Ringgold, I think I can relate to the players very well,” Heller said. “I know a lot of the kids. I can tell them what to do and what not to do and why.

“What I want to instill in the program is pride. While I might not have played on the greatest teams in my day, the kids had so much pride in playing for Ringgold. They felt the pride when putting on that jersey. I want to put that pride back in the program. Once we do that, then winning games will come.”