NDP NAMES JASON WHALEN HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AND HONORS PAT FOX’S LASTING LEGACY

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March 30 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Longtime assistant and counselor to lead next chapter of Irish football as school celebrates Fox’s championship tenure and mission-driven impact.

Notre Dame Preparatory School announced Monday that longtime assistant coach and school counselor Jason Whalen has been named head varsity football coach, succeeding Pat Fox, whose 12-year tenure helped define one of the most successful eras in program history.

The transition marks both a celebration of Fox’s accomplishments and a continuation of a culture grounded in faith, character and competitive excellence.

“Success at Notre Dame Prep has always been measured by more than the scoreboard; it’s measured by the character of the young student-athletes who graduate from our locker room,” NDP Athletic Director Betty Wroubel said. “Coach Fox didn’t just deliver a state championship; he gave us 12 years of tireless, selfless devotion to our mission.”

Legacy of excellence and purpose

Fox compiled an 89-37 record at Notre Dame Prep and a 34-season career as a head coach. His teams captured district titles in 2019, 2024 and 2025, regional championships in 2024 and 2025, and the 2024 state championship, followed by a runner-up finish in 2025. He was inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019 and earned Associated Press and MHSFCA Coach of the Year honors in 2024.

Beyond wins and championships, school leaders emphasized Fox’s enduring influence on generations of student-athletes.

“He proved to our student-athletes that becoming a ‘Christian person, upright citizen and a scholar’ is a higher calling than any trophy they could ever hoist,” Wroubel said. “We are a stronger, more grounded community because Pat Fox called our sideline home.”

Associate Athletic Director Aaron Crouse echoed that sentiment.

“We cannot thank Coach Fox enough for everything that he has done for the Notre Dame Prep community,” Crouse said. “While the on-field accomplishments speak for themselves, the influence he's had on our student-athletes and helping to build them into individuals that live out our mission has been just as impactful.”

Seamless transition

Whalen steps into the role after 11 years on the Notre Dame Prep staff, including the past several seasons as offensive coordinator. During that time, the Irish have reached the playoffs in seven consecutive years and produced one of the state’s most dynamic offenses, highlighted by a 2024 championship season that averaged more than 45 points per game.

Wroubel said the appointment reflects both continuity and confidence in the program’s future.

“In naming Jason Whalen as our next head coach, we are choosing a leader who lives and breathes the Notre Dame Prep mission every single day,” she said. “Jason isn’t just taking over a program; he has been a primary architect of the culture we’ve built over the last 11 years.”

Whalen’s dual role as a counselor and coach has been central to his impact on campus since arriving in 2014. He previously served as a college counselor at University of Detroit Jesuit and as a school counselor at Clarkston High School. A graduate of Albion College, where he was a standout student-athlete and later inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame, Whalen also holds a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Crouse said Whalen’s familiarity with the program and its student-athletes positions him well for the role.

“Coach Whalen has been more than ready for this opportunity and is without question the right person to take over as the leader of our program,” Crouse said. “He has tremendous game-planning and play-calling abilities, outstanding preparation skills, and is able to motivate and engage our student-athletes to help them reach their full potential.”

Building on a strong foundation

As offensive coordinator, Whalen helped guide record-setting performances and consistent postseason success, including back-to-back appearances in the state championship game. His offenses have produced multiple 1,000-yard rushers and set several school records in passing and receiving.

School leaders believe that experience, combined with his daily presence in the building, ensures continuity for current players and families.

“Being in the building and having spent 11 years on our staff, he has a complete understanding of our Notre Dame Prep community and program,” Crouse said. “Most importantly, he is as mission-centric as they come.”

Wroubel added that Whalen’s leadership will extend beyond the field.

“As both a school counselor and a coach, Jason ensures that our football program remains a direct extension of our mission-centered classrooms,” she said. “He brings the proven strategic intellect of a championship coach and the heart of a true NDP mentor.”

Looking ahead

Whalen inherits a program with strong momentum, a deep commitment to its Catholic and Marist values, and a tradition of developing student-athletes both athletically and personally.

School officials expressed confidence that the transition will be seamless.

“I can’t wait to see how he blends our longstanding traditions with new ideas he has for the program,” Crouse said.

As Notre Dame Prep turns the page, the message remains consistent from this academic powerhouse school in Pontiac: the mission endures, the standard remains high, and the future of Irish football is in steady and capable hands.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.