Glenwood Names New Head Football Coach

The Ball-Chatham Board of Education has approved the hiring of James Dambacher as the next head football coach at Glenwood High School.

Dambacher most recently served as an assistant coach at Auburn High School during the 2025 season. Prior to that, he was the head coach at New Berlin High School for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In 2024, New Berlin finished with a 7-3 record and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in nine years.

Glenwood Athletic Director Caitlyn Moody said Dambacher’s experience and background stood out during the hiring process. She said the district was looking for a coach who values player development, accountability and success both on and off the field.

Dambacher said he is honored to join the Ball-Chatham and Glenwood community. He said he plans to build on the program’s foundation and work with his staff to develop student-athletes who represent the school well.

Dambacher previously coached at Auburn from 2018 to 2023, serving as defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator. During that time, he worked under head coach Dave Bates, a member of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

A 2010 graduate of Auburn High School, Dambacher played college football at Illinois College. He was named Midwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. After college, he joined the United States Marine Corps and later returned to Illinois College in 2017 as a linebackers coach.

Dambacher becomes the sixth head football coach in Glenwood program history. He replaces David Hay, who led the program for the past decade.