Ulry has overseen the Eagles’ ascension into a state power during his 10 seasons.
New Albany soccer coach Johnny Ulry was selected by Dispatch.com readers as the central Ohio boys coach of the year in the 2024-25 school year.
Ulry has overseen the Eagles’ ascension into a state power during his 10 seasons, and New Albany finally broke through as Division II state champions in the fall after Division I runner-up finishes in 2020 and 2022. Ulry, who helped Westerville North to the 2003 big-school championship, is 159-32-11 at New Albany with six district and three regional titles.
He received 55.1% of the vote, followed by Olentangy Orange basketball coach Anthony Calo, who received 27.7%, Olentangy baseball coach Ryan Lucas (4.4%), Watterson lacrosse coach Chris Sauter (4.1%), Olentangy Liberty football caoch John Sansbury (4.1%) and Watterson wrestling coach Felix Catheline (2%).
Calo, the runner-up, led the Pioneers (26-2) to their first state championship, ending the season with a 15-game winning streak and 56-41 win over Reynoldsburg in the Division I state final. It was the first championship game between two Columbus-area teams. Calo, the son of longtime and recently retired Westerville South coach Ed Calo, is 203-119 in 13 seasons at Orange with three consecutive district titles.
Lucas’ 13th season with the Braves culminated in the program’s first state championship. A year removed from going 10-15, Olentangy (24-7) reached state for the first time since 2006 and edged Springboro 2-1 in the final. Lucas, who is 216-119 with the Braves, has led Olentangy to four league championships and two district titles.
Sauter guided the Eagles to their third state tournament in nine seasons this year and then to their first championship, a 9-7 win over Wooster in the Division II final. Sauter, who was an assistant coach on Watterson’s first state semifinalist team in 2017, is 103-38 with the team and has led the Eagles to at least a regional final six times.
Sansbury's Patriots pulled off a dramatic turnaround to win their first state championship, going 4-8 in 2023 — Sansbury’s first season — and 14-2 this year with a nine-game winning streak to end the year. Sansbury played baseball at Otterbein and coached in the Liberty football program for several years, including as defensive coordinator in 2022, before being tabbed to succeed Steve Hale atop the program in April 2023.
Catheline took over the Eagles’ program at a nadir in 2018, when the school took two years away from the sport because of a lack of interest, and guided them to the Division II team championship in March. Two Watterson wrestlers, Michael Boyle (215) and Mitchell Younger (144), won individual titles. Catheline, who also was defensive line coach for the Division III state championship football team, stepped down during the spring because of family commitments.
Also nominated were Westerville North basketball coach Shan Trusley and Upper Arlington hockey's Craig Hagkull.
The Athlete of the Week will resume in August.
Have any questions? Email sports editor Brian White at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio boys coach of the year: New Albany soccer's Johnny Ulry
Category: General Sports
