By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
DELTA – On April 24, the Delta schools announced via their Facebook page that Mike Vicars will be returning as the head football coach, pending board approval at their May 15 meeting.
This will be Vicars third go-around as Delta head coach after guiding the Panthers from 1999-2006 and in 2013.
He accumulated a record of 67-34 during his previous time at Delta, including NWOAL titles in 2002 and 2006, making him the winningest coach in Delta history.
Overall, Vicars has a record of 184-114 in 27 seasons at six different schools. Vicars has been out of coaching since 2018 when he stepped down as the head coach at Bedford High School in Michigan after one season.
Vicars will take over for Nate Ruple, who was the coach for the last six seasons after also being the coach from 2011-2014. Ruple was 36-65 in his two tenures at Delta, leading Delta to the playoffs three times.