Coaches

Meet the members of the Blue Valley West coaching staff.
Blue Valley West Jaguars Coaching Staff

Josh Koerkenmeier

Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator/ Super Backs-Tight Ends

This will be Coach Koerkenmeier’s 17th season at Blue Valley West and his 10th season as the head coach after coaching the offensive line for 7 years. He played at Blue Valley High School and Emporia State before starting his teaching and coaching career at BVW in 2008. Coach Koerkenmeier teaches PE and Social Studies while also serving as the throws coach for the BVW track program. He is married to Darcy and has 10-year-old and 12-year-old daughters.

Ryan Copp

Associate Head Coach / Quarterbacks

Coach Copp is a 2005 BV West graduate and member of the BVW Athletics Hall of Fame. He was in education for 15 years and has coached football for 19 years. He is currently working with his brother in the private sector while still coaching at BVW. He is married to Amy and they have two daughters, Charlotte (9) and Madison (6).

Danny Catanzaro

Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs

This is Coach Cat’s 18th year coaching high school football and his 9=10th year at BVW. He played in high school at Vernon Hills High School in suburban Chicago. After graduating from VHHS he attended Bradley University where he played rugby. Coach Cat teaches mathematics and also coaches freshman wrestling at BVW. He is married to Nellie and they have a daughter, Bella, who will turn 4 this season.

Luke Farnsworth

Strength Coordinator / Outside Linebackers

This will be Coach Farnsworth’s 8th season coaching football at Blue Valley West. He is also an assistant track coach for Blue Valley West. This is Coach Farnsworth’s 4th year as a teacher at BVW where he teaches weights classes and serves as the strength coordinator. He graduated from Emporia State University and also has his Masters from Pittsburg State University. Luke is engaged to Taylor and they have a golden retriever named Cooper. 

Joe Allison

Special Teams Coordinator / Nickels

Coach Allison is in his 8th season as the head baseball coach as well as coaching football and teaching PE at BVW. He coached football and baseball at Leavenworth HS for 19 years. While at Leavenworth, Coach Allison spent time as the defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, head middle school coach, and worked mainly with running backs, linebackers, and defensive backs. Coach Allison played college football and baseball for 2 years at Benedictine College before transferring to Washburn University to finish up his last 2 years of football. Joe is married to his wife Heather and has 4 children.

Tyler Dickerson

Wide Receivers

Coach Dickerson is in his 6th year teaching and coaching at Blue Valley West. He graduated from the University of Kansas. Coach Dickerson is also the head softball coach at BVW. He is a part of the Business Education Department where he teaches Business Essentials, Marketing, and also runs the School Store. Coach Dickerson and his wife, Molly have a one year old son. 

Ben Ehret

Run Game Coordinator- Tight Ends/SuperBacks

Coach Ehret is in his 2nd season at Blue Valley West. He joins the Jaguars with 14 years of offensive line and tight ends coaching experience. He graduated from Blue Valley High School and earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Northwest Missouri State University. He is married to Sara and has 1 daughter, Madelyn, who will turn 3 this winter. 

Eric Fritch

Offensive Line

Coach Fritch is in his 5th year coaching football at BVW. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Special Education and a minor in coaching. He will be entering his 6th year teaching at Pleasant Ridge Middle School where he has coached basketball and track. Eric is currently a Resource Teacher at PRMS.

Nate Harrison

Offensive Line

This will be Coach Harrison’s 4th season coaching at BVW and his 19th season coaching football. He has coached offensive line, running backs, and quarterbacks during his career. He played high school football at Hugoton High School (KS) and college football at Butler Community College and Pittsburg State University. He currently teaches Physical Education, Strength and Conditioning, and is the head track and field coach at Olathe South High School. Coach Harrison and his wife, Liz, have three daughters.

Reed Howard

Inside Linebackers

This will be Coach Howard’s 4th season coaching at BVW and his 13th season coaching high school football. He is married to Megan (13 Years), and has three children Owen (9), Grant (7) and Lucy (3). Coach Howard graduated from Olathe South and attended Washburn University where he played baseball and majored in biology. He has his Masters in Teaching from Baker University. Coach Howard currently teaches biology at Olathe South and has served as an assistant baseball coach since 2012.

Codi Willard

Safeties

This will be Coach Willard’s 12th year coaching high school football and 4th at BVW. He is starting his 7th season as a baseball coach at Olathe South. He grew up in Olathe and played high school football at Olathe North. After high school, Codi played football at the University of Central Missouri. He has a Liberal Arts degree and is currently a Salesman for Rhino Roofing. He and his wife, Sarah, have a 3 year old daughter, Kehly and a 15 -year-old son, Kaden. 

Andrew Thurman

Wide Receivers

This will be Coach Thurman’s 4th year coaching at Blue Valley West. He is a 2017 BVW alumni and played wide receiver for the Jaguars before continuing his academic and football career at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Coach Thurman is currently an Electrical Engineer at Black & Veatch.

Matt Wood

Defensive Line

This will be Coach Wood’s 4th year coaching at BVW. He has 20 years of experience coaching and teaching experience in the Olathe School District. Coach Wood played football and graduated from Ottawa University. He and his wife Kate have 3 kids (Lexi, Lily, and Luke).

Travis Thurston

Offensive Line

This will be Coach Thurston’s 3rd year at BVW.  This is his 15th year teaching and 17th year coaching football.  He has coached offensive line, running backs, and quarterbacks in his career.  Coach Thurston also teaches statistics and college algebra at BVW.  He is a 2010 graduate from Kansas State University.  He married his wife Katherine in July 2022 and they have a 1 year old daughter. 

Phillip White

Nickels

This will be Coach White’s 2nd  year at Blue Valley West. He is originally from Topeka Kansas, attended Highland Park High School. Coach White played and graduated from MidAmerica Nazarene University with a degree in English Education. This is his 3rd year coaching highschool football and teaching at Pleasant Ridge Middle School.