(LaGrange) — A familiar face has returned to the Michiana high school sidelines.

Tom Wogomon, who has career head coaching stops throughout the Northern Lakes Conference, is the new head football coach at Lakeland. Wogomon takes over after Ryan O’Shea left the Lakers to take the vacant post at New Prairie.

Wogomon is a three-time NLC Coach of the Year. After a successful stint at Wawasee, Wogomon moved on to Northridge, where he guided the Raiders to the semistate in 2014.  After leaving the Raiders, Wogomon served as the head coach of Goshen for the 2022 season.

Wogomon says there’s no secret to what he expects from his players: “Be a person of character, hang on to your passion, and treat others how you want to be treated… without these three rules, success on the field is impossible.”

He says developing an identity is crucial for his first year at Lakeland. “We want be known for our hitting, out hustle our opponents, and be the most physical team on the field,” says the veteran coach.

The Lakers were 5-5 last season. Lakeland has not won a tournament game since 2017 and has never won a football sectional.