New Centerville High School athletic director Brandon Hon off to the races
DAYTON, Ohio — Centerville High School (CHS) Athletic Director Brandon Hon knows how to hit the ground running. He accepted his new role with Centerville City Schools in Jan. 2025, and he’s already making strides.
The Cincinnati native was a track and field star at Walnut Hills High School. He went on to an impressive athletic showing at University of Cincinnati (UC), eventually qualifying for U.S. Olympic trials in both 2004 and 2008.
He remained at UC after graduating in 2002, as a volunteer and then full-time coach. “I’ve always been drawn to athletics,” Brandon said. “Sports leadership has been my identity and my passion for my entire adult career.” That identity led him to an array of opportunities within the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), including coaching positions at Florida State University, Texas A&M University and the University of Illinois.
In 2010, Brandon married the love of his life, Grace. The couple has been blessed with son Zachary (10) and daughter Dya (4). “A tour of NCAA coaching can be exciting, but moving around a lot with young kids can also be challenging,” admitted Brandon. “When I had the opportunity for a broader leadership role back at Walnut Hills, it was a natural fit.” He brought the family back to his hometown, where they could all settle in.
Brandon was thrilled to accept his new position with CHS in Jan. “Centerville is a special place,” he said. “It has an impressive reputation and record of achievement, both academically and athletically. My desire is to push that even further, maximizing Centerville’s impact from the athletic side. I want to build on the success that’s already been achieved here.”
Brandon sees athletics as a natural extension of education. “There are so many life lessons to be learned in pressure situations: how to navigate pressure situations or use your team to help achieve a goal, conflict resolution, delegation of duties,” said Brandon. “There are so many links to how the real world works. My greatest joy is witnessing how athletes and coaches can make that connection through sports.”
Brandon views coaches and students alike as seeds that can grow. “My job as an athletic director is to make sure there’s fertile soil all around them,” he stated. “I need to make sure their environment is such that they can grow in a positive way—to make them feel empowered, encouraged and confident, as they grow in identity and into who they were meant to be.”
Part of this vision will include facility upgrades, to enhance the game day experience. “Connecting people is one of most powerful things that athletics does,” Brandon shared. “Anytime you can bring a diverse group of people together in a city of excellence like Centerville, there’s a lot of potential to make things happen. When the community and school can connect at a deeper level, it’s limitless what can be achieved.”
Brandon hearkens back to his track and field roots, to sum up his feelings. “Everyone has a race to run. It isn’t always the same race, but each person has a destination,” he said. “Finding a great opportunity to expand the number of people I can help find their finish line is a great blessing.”
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