After back-to-back winless seasons, West Branch has hired Kenn VanDevander as its new head coach in hopes of turning the program around.
VanDevander graduated from Bellwood-Antis High School in 2005, and he won the District VI championship as a senior in 2004. He attended South Hills School of Business & Technology and graduated with an associate’s degree in Marketing and Business Management.
After graduating from high school in 2005, he started coaching football in the Tyrone Youth Football League (TYFL). After many successful years under his belt, he took over as offensive coordinator for the Tyrone Jr. High football team, which won Co-Mountain League championships in 2019 and 2021 and posted an undefeated championship season in 2020. In 2022, he took on the role of JV head coach and varsity assistant offensive coordinator. In his time, he has helped coach Tyrone to 6 playoff appearances and coached in two District VI 3A Championship Games.
VanDevander spoke about his decision to join West Branch, saying, “My goal from day one has always been to be a Varsity Head Football Coach. When the Tyrone head football coaching vacancy didn’t work out for me this past offseason, I was content on staying on the Golden Eagles staff. But then I heard about the West Branch Head Football Coaching vacancy, and I immediately turned my attention to it. I know the West Branch program has been down in recent years, but I saw that as an opportunity for me to carve my own path after 21 seasons overall at Tyrone and something that I wanted to take head-on. When I interviewed for the position, the West Branch Administration and Athletic staff couldn’t have been more welcoming. During my interview, I met a group of people with big hearts who truly cared about the kids and the community and wanted to build a winning program. Their hospitality and communication has been first class all across the board through this entire process, and I couldn’t be happier.”
VanDevander described what we can expect from the new-look Warriors, saying, “We are going to compete. We are going to compete in the classroom, in the weight room, on the football field, and in everyday life. We are going to adopt the “Warrior Grit” mindset, which is fast and physical, with relentless effort in the pursuit of greatness in everything that we do. There is a standard of football where I come from as a player under the late Bellwood-Antis Coach John Hayes, and where I come from as a coach under former Tyrone Coach John Franco, and I am bringing that standard of football here to West Branch. We are going to create a team-first mindset and atmosphere in which everyone on the team has an equally important role in the program, and together, through competing every day to make each other better, we are going to get this thing rolling at West Branch. I want everyone to be excited to be a part of this program and proud to be a Warrior once again!”
VanDevander will inherit an experienced skill position room, led by incoming senior quarterback Conner Danko. He states, “I’m very excited to get to work with experienced leaders and coaches, and I can feel the team’s morale is boosted, there’s a different energy around the team this year, it’s a positive one, with great coaches like the ones we just acquired, the whole team is very excited already.”
Coach VanDevander and the Warriors open up the 2026-27 season at home to take on the Cougars of North Star High School.
