|
| Adrian athletics video |
Adrian athletic director Craig Rainey announced the hiring of Joe Palka as head coach of the Bulldogs football program. Palka will serve as the 24th head coach of the program since 1900.
Palka comes to Adrian from nearby Saline High School where he served as head coach of the football team since 2012. During his time at Saline, Palka totaled a career record of 112-21 with 11 consecutive postseason appearances and 18 playoff victories. Palka led the team to ten conference championships including a 58-game conference winning streak. Palka has acquired six district titles, two regional titles, two semifinal appearances, and was the 2014 state runner-up. Saline was ranked in the AP Division 1 Top 10 rankings final poll in 10 of the last 12 seasons.
He replaces Jim Deere, who was let go on Oct. 17, ending his 14-year career. Deere was 76-60 overall, including 1-6 this season. Harry Bailey coached the final three games as Adrian finished 1-9.
While, at Saline, Palka was named the 2021 SEC Coach of the Year, and the 2012 and 2014 Ann Arbor News Coach of the Year. In 2012 he went on to win his first MHSFCA Regional Coach of the Year Award before becoming a repeated winner in 2016, 2018, and 2020. In 2018, Palka was named the recipient of the Detroit News Metro Coach of the Year Award.
Prior to Saline High School, Palka coached at Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio. From 2006-2012, he totaled a 59-17 record with six consecutive playoff appearances. The team was ranked in the AP Division 1 Top 10 in four seasons and was ranked in the 2011 USA Today Super 25 all season long. He was named a four-time winner of the National Football Foundation Coach of the Year Award and was a two-time recipient of the Toledo City League Coach of the Year Award.
From 2004-2006, Palka served as the recruiting coordinator at Eastern Michigan University where he was also the secondary coach and special teams co-coordinator. At EMU, he coached three cornerbacks to the NFL including Chris Roberson, Geoff Pope, and Jeremy Perry. Palka's other collegiate coaching experience comes from St. Joseph's in Rensselaer, Indiana, where he was the head coach and defensive coordinator from 1994-1996.
Prior to his coaching, Palka was a three-year starting linebacker at Eastern Michigan after walking on to the team. He was a two-time MAC All-Academic Team Selection and a member of the Dean's List.