The new leader of the Pella football team has been selected, and as a longtime assistant coach and player in the program, comes in fully aware of the high expectations ahead.

Ben Bollard, pending school board approval, will lead the Dutch into the future as its first new head coach in nearly thirty years.

Bollard has great admiration for what Jay McKinstrey accomplished since 1997, and while there are many traditions he intends to continue, the new leader of Pella football has his own vision for where the program can go.

This is a special program for a lot of reasons, certainly as a player and as an assistant coach for a number of years, and surrounded by a lot of great men–both as players and his coaches,” he says. “So it’s a great honor and I don’t take it lightly, but that certainly also comes with some expectations that I welcome as well.”

Ben has been an assistant for McKinstrey since 2010, serving as the defensive coordinator for the team since 2017. Bollard is a 2003 Pella graduate who played for Jay and Matt Schulte in high school before competing for the Central Dutch, where he was an Academic All American in 2006.

Hear more from Ben Bollard about his promotion on Today’s Lely Radio Sports Page.