Conner High School has a new head football coach, a new quarterback and a new motto. What hasn't changed is the program's connection to Dave Trosper.

Trosper, who led the Cougars for 18 seasons, died of a heart attack on June 7, 2025, at age 55. Fourteen months later, first-year head coach Chase Floyd is channeling that legacy into a 2026 squad built around unity and fresh talent at Conner's Hebron campus.

"Coach Trosper's favorite drink was Code Red," Floyd told Link NKY. "So we have these red shirts that say 'One Team, One Mission' on the back, and that's become our rallying cry. Last year we picked up the pieces. Now we're hitting the ground running."

Floyd, on the Conner coaching staff since 2018, was named head coach on Feb. 2 after interim coach Noel Rash resigned in December 2025. The path wasn't simple. Floyd was battling cancer and completing surgeries around the time of Trosper's death, which kept him from pursuing the job immediately. He told Link NKY he felt called to step into the role once Rash decided not to return.

Rash came out of retirement after winning eight state championships in 17 years at Beechwood and guided Conner to a 4-7 record in 2025. The Cougars opened 1-5 before winning three of their final four regular-season games, then fell to Scott County in the first round of the playoffs.

New faces on offense

Junior quarterback Ethan Estvanko inherits an offense that lost starter Grayson Montgomery, who completed 152 passes for 2,065 yards and 22 touchdowns with seven interceptions last season. Estvanko never attempted a pass in 2025 but made his mark on defense: 45 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and a sack.

That defensive experience, Estvanko said, gives him an edge reading coverages as a quarterback.

His top target figures to be sophomore EJ Barney, a 6-foot-1 receiver who spent most of 2025 on the freshman team. Barney said he models his game after NFL receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Evans, working on precision in his routes and using his size and length to create separation.

Veteran addition

Floyd bolstered his staff by hiring Roy Lucas Jr., a coach with nearly three decades of Northern Kentucky experience. Lucas served as head coach at Simon Kenton (1997-1999) and Lloyd Memorial (2000-2010), returned to Simon Kenton as offensive coordinator and later head coach (2012-2023), and most recently coached tight ends at Mount St. Joseph.

The Cougars graduated 16 seniors from the 2025 roster, including All-Area selections Shepherd Dozier, Aydin Depenbrock and Travis Keen. Replacing that production while installing a new system will test Floyd's staff early.

What's ahead

Conner opens the season Aug. 21 at Madison Central and hosts Lloyd Memorial on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.