Plaza at Penn High School to be dedicated to former head football coach

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation announced a special dedication for recently retired Penn Head Football Coach Cory Yeoman will take place at the annual Community Tailgate before the Penn Home Opener Friday at 6:30 p.m.

School officials say the plaza at the south end zone of Everwise Freed Field, near the Zohlman’s Tire Concessions stand, will be renamed to Yeoman Family Plaza.

PHM Superintendent Dr. and Mrs. Thacker donated $10,000 to the PHM Education Foundation Naming Rights Campaign to name the plaza after Yeoman and his family.

Yeoman's father, Wally Yeoman, was an assistant coach with Chris Geesman.

Yeoman played for Penn, earning all-state honors at defensive tackle, and led a Kingsmen defense which only allowed 33 yards rushing per game in 1979. That Kingsmen team finished 11-1, winning an NIC Championship before losing to Hobart in the second round of the playoffs.

Yeoman graduated from Penn in 1980 and played football at Miami University in Ohio.

He joined the Kingsmen coaching staff after graduation from Miami and was at Penn for 40 seasons.

In his first season after replacing Geesman, Yeoman led Penn to the 2003 State Championship Game.

Yeoman retired at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.

Yeoman's brothers, Trent and Todd Yeoman, were assistant coaches for Kingsmen Football, along with his son, Gary, and nephew, Tyler.

Yeoman, along with his brothers, and the entire Yeoman family, will be at the dedication.

Penn will play Valpo at the home opener with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.