Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

It had been nearly two decades since Solon had to hire a new football coach, a task the school has only faced twice in the past 46 years.

Solon didn’t take long to settle on its new leader.

Less than two months after Kevin Miller announced his resignation Solon announced that former Anamosa head coach Lucas Stanton has been named the new football coach pending approval of the school board.

Solon Activities Director Casey Hack announced the hiring of Stanton in a release on Friday afternoon.

“It kind of came down to this could possibly be a good place for us to really dig in and be for the rest of my career,” Stanton said. “Knowing the stability that has been there and the consistency that they have had it was one of those deals where it was an all-around great fit.”

Stanton, who posted an 8-19 record in three seasons at Anamosa takes over for Miller who resigned March 11 after 18 seasons leading the Solon program.

A Mount Vernon native and Cornell College graduate, Stanton becomes the third Solon coach in 46 seasons.

Ed Hansen won 206 games in 28 seasons at Solon and Miller followed by winning 190 games and four state titles in 18 seasons.

“I always had a lot of respect for coach Hansen when he was there and then coach Miller came in,” Stanton said. “Over the years I got to know him really well and just have a lot of respect for him as a person and as a coach and we hold a lot of the same values in how we live our lives and really value relationships with young people.

Stanton directed Anamosa to a 5-4 record in his first season in 2017 after taking over a team that went 3-6 the previous seasons.

Anamosa was 2-7 last season.

Prior to spending three seasons as head coach at Anamosa Stanton spent a single seasons as an assistant at Mount Vernon and Dubuque Wahlert and was head coach at North Cedar for one season going 2-7 in 206.

“I wasn’t out looking by any means, I was pretty content with where we were and what we were doing at Anamosa,” Stanton said. “I felt like Solon was always a program that I had a lot of respect for,” Stanton said. “Even when I was competing against Solon as an athlete it was a rivalry but I always had a lot of respect for the other side.”

Stanton takes over a Solon program that has reached the state playoffs each of the past 15 seasons.

Solon was 12-1 and finished as Class 3A state runner-up finish last season.

“I always kind of admired the program from a far,” Stanton said. “I am very familiar with the culture that has been built at Solon.”

The Spartans dropped to Class 2A this season and are scheduled to open the season at home on August 28 against Williamsburg. 

“Obviously the success makes it an attractive place,” Stanton said. “Coach Miller would be the first to tell you a lot of that was due to the assistant coaches that we were there and the consistency they have had in the coaching staff and the kids. They have bought in to that culture and that mentality and that is not going to change.”

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