Brian Balsmeyer doesn’t hope to dominate on the defensive side of the ball. He expects it.

The new defensive coordinator for the Seymour High School varsity football team holds every player accountable and isn’t afraid to call out anyone who isn’t taking care of their responsibilities.

“(On defense) we need to be aggressive, physical and nasty and try to break the opponents’ will,” Balsmeyer said. “There’s hopes, and there’s expectations. I’m expecting it to be done, not hoping it to be done. If we don’t get it done, everyone will know about it. Do your job, win your battle and we will probably win the play. That’s the key.”

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

Balsmeyer joined head coach Mike Kelly’s staff in the offseason and has brought a wealth of information to the Owls’ program.

After graduating from Southridge High School in 1988, Balsmeyer played football at Hanover College.

He coached at Shelbyville for two years, starting in 1992, before spending four years at Whitko. In 1998, Balsmeyer joined Jasper’s staff and worked as the defensive coordinator for eight years. With Balsmeyer on board, the Wildcats were wildly successful.

Under Balsmeyer, who coached in 99 games, the Wildcats’ defense gave up 14.17 points per game (mean average) and had 17 shutouts. Jasper won the Class 4A state championship in 2001.

In 2006, Balsmeyer was hired as the head coach at Paoli.

After going 0-10 in his first season at the helm, Balsmeyer turned the Rams’ program around.

Paoli had a record of 80-48 under Balsmeyer from 2006 to 2016, including eight winning seasons and six seasons where the team finished with nine or more wins. The Rams were both sectional and regional champions in 2009 and 2013 under Balsmeyer.

The Rams’ defense gave up a mean average of 19.58 points per game over the 128 games Balsmeyer coached. They recorded shutouts in 25 of those games.

Balsmeyer stepped away in 2017 to spend more time with his family, including watching his two daughters play volleyball for Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Alabama.

While he wasn’t tied down to one program, he consulted with multiple schools inside and out of the state. He fully intended on coming back to football in some capacity in 2018.

“I was looking at all the opportunities, being a head coach, coordinator or position coach,” he said. “I wanted to go someplace that I would enjoy being at. You spend a lot of time and energy. Paoli was a staff that got along so well, and it was fun. You spend a lot of time with these other coaches…sometimes more time than with your wife and kids. I was trying to find a location, and someone said that coach Kelly was looking. We started talking, and after a few meetings and time spent, we felt that it was a workable deal.

“A lot of it was coach Kelly and the type of individual he is. I knew I could work for him. I’m sure there were thoughts by administrators about how I was (previously) a head coach and what kind of problems could this cause. (To me) it’s a team deal. I’m a man of faith. There’s a plan for me and my family. I feel like there are no reservations. There’s a lot of pros to being an assistant coach again.”

Balsmeyer has described his coaching style as old-school.

“We want to be physical and tough. We want to challenge,” he said. “I coach them hard. I’m loud and in their face, trying to stimulate an emotional response from the kids. They’ve responded well. I’m a little different, maybe a little over the top at times but very passionate. I’m an emotional-type guy as a player and coach.

“You have some coaches on staff that focus on being the good cop, and I kind of focus on being the bad cop. It’s never good enough-type of approach. I know that’s not for everybody.”

One of the things that Balsmeyer looks forward to most is competing in the Hoosier Hills Conference.

“I want to see hard-nosed, physical play,” Balsmeyer said. “If you’re not physically and mentally tough, it’s going to be difficult to succeed at a high level. There’s a great opportunity here. Right now, you get the reigning state champs (Columbus East) not only in conference but in sectional, as well. How awesome is that to go against the standard.”

Like New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Balsmeyer believes that if everyone on the field does their job, the team will be successful.

“We ask the kids all the time what their job is and what their alignment is that will allow them to do their job,” Balsmeyer said. “We need to align correctly to formations and understand what our job is. Let’s take care of ours before we take care of others. That’s very important.”

Last season, the Owls had a record of 4-6. They gave up 320 total points on defense over those 10 games.

Balsmeyer plans on helping change the defense’s identity.

“Coach them hard and love them harder,” Balsmeyer said. “You may be a focus of attention during practice, but don’t take that personally. That’s football out there. We’re trying to challenge kids, and sometimes, challenging kids is a little uncomfortable. It has been fun, and I think the kids are responding well. They don’t know how much you know until they know how much you care. If you’re in the day-to-day operations, they’ll know.

“Sometimes, an outside observer might say, ‘That guy is a jerk. I can’t believe he’s on a kid like that.’ You try to get to know the kids and how to press their buttons. You try to get them to do things. Everyone likes sausage but doesn’t want to know how it’s made.”

Brian and his wife, Laura, have been married for 25 years. They have two sets of twins, Riley and Hannah, 23, and Brett, 21, and Trevor (deceased).