Head of School Michael Hirschfeld and Director of Athletics Jason Coulombe are pleased to announce the appointment of Kadeem Rodgers as Kent School’s next Head Football Coach. Rodgers will also serve as an Associate Director of Admissions and contribute to campus life as an advisor and dorm parent.
Rodgers brings more than a decade of experience in independent school athletics and seven years of head coaching experience. A graduate of The Gilman School in Baltimore, he completed a postgraduate year at The Hotchkiss School before earning his B.A. in Sociology at Union College, where he was a three-year member of the football program.
“I am eager to build a program that aligns with the School’s Mission and contribute meaningfully to the Kent community,” Rodgers said. “When we focus on developing young men of character— teaching accountability, effort, empathy, and service—the wins will follow.”
Rodgers most recently served as Head Football Coach at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia. After beginning his coaching career there in a variety of coordinator roles from 2015 to 2018, he returned in 2021 to lead the program. Under his direction, Episcopal won back-to-back Interstate Athletic Conference Championships in 2022 and 2023. His teams earned 50 All-Conference, 30 All-State, and 7 All-Met selections, and he helped guide numerous student-athletes to compete at the collegiate level. He also served as Assistant Athletic Director, Assistant to the Office of Community and Equity, and a dorm parent.
Prior to his return to Episcopal, Rodgers led a fledgling 8-man football program at Millbrook School to a 6–1 record in just its second season. While at Millbrook, he also served as an Admission Officer, Co-Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and a dorm parent.
Rodgers’ coaching philosophy centers on relationships, accountability, and service, with an emphasis on developing young men whose impact extends beyond the field. “As the Head Coach, my job is to care deeply about the players and hold them to a high standard,” he says. “When we build strong relationships and accountability within the team, success follows.”
Coulombe noted that this balance stood out throughout the search process. “Our priority was to identify a leader who builds competitive programs while fully engaging in school life,” he said. “Coach Rodgers has demonstrated that ability at every stop in his career.”
Rodgers’ background also includes a season as a volunteer strength and conditioning coach at Gallaudet University, where he studied American Sign Language, and six years as a master personal trainer.
Rodgers and his family look forward to joining the Kent community. He will be joined on campus by his wife, Rachel, and their five-year-old daughter, Amelia.
Please join us in welcoming Coach Rodgers and his family to Kent School.
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