While he hasn’t played the game, Joe Doggett has the confidence that his knowledge of the game and experience in athletics will aid him in his newest coaching opportunity.

Trinity Lutheran High School recently hired Doggett as head coach of the boys’ soccer team.

Doggett replaces Brandan Tabeling, who coached the Cougars for the past four seasons.

Doggett’s son, Sawyer, an incoming junior in the program, encouraged him to apply for the position.

“My son has been playing club soccer for the past eight years in Louisville,” Doggett said. “He has been playing almost year-round for that time. I coached him when he was younger, which is what got my interest. The vacancy came to Trinity, and they needed somebody. I’ve never played soccer, but I’ve been around athletics all my life and I think I know what talent is.”

Doggett was a star football player at both Jeffersonville High School and Indiana University.

He was a South All-Star in 1973 at Jeff and lettered all fours at Indiana University while playing under coach Lee Corso. Doggett, who said he also wrestled at IU, was a captain for the Hoosiers and graduated in 1977.

Doggett owns an investment firm and has lived in Columbus for 40 years.

He said that he has spent a lot of time around soccer in recent years, and expects his team to work hard.

“I like having a good time as a coach, but as everyone knows, you can’t have a good time unless you win and you can’t win unless you prep,” he said. “Our goal is to have a really solid, in-shape team. We don’t have a lot of players, since we are a small school, so you kind of have to manage that.”

He plans on preparing the athletes in more than one way.

“I’ve coached before, and I think the biggest attribute to coaching is being a good counselor,” Doggett said. “We want them prepared for when they graduate. I think athletics is an opportunity for them to get some good life lessons.”

Doggett said that Justin Vorthmann will return as an assistant coach this fall.

“What I really like about Trinity is that all of the students are really supportive of each other,” Doggett said. “They are a really great group of young men and women.”