Bio

Defiance College welcomed Stephen Alspaugh as its Director of Athletic Bands in April 2026 as he takes charge to reinstitute the band program beginning with the 2026-27 academic year.

Alspaugh comes to DC with 33 years of experience in education, including 26 years as an administrator and 11 years as a band director. Before DC, Alspaugh spent 18 years as the principal at Bryan High School and retired at the close of the 2025-26 school year. He has experience leading junior and high school bands at Williamson High School (Williamson, W.Va.), Euclid High School (Ohio), West Jefferson High School (Terreton, Idaho), and Marion Pleasant High School (Ohio). He completed his bachelor's degree in music education at Ohio Wesleyan University in 1988 and went on to obtain his master's in Educational Administration and Supervision at North Carolina State in 1996. While at NC State, Alspaugh spent two years as a graduate assistant band director for the Wolfpack.

In addition to his vast leadership experience in music, he also engages the community through music in several ways. He is a principal horn in the Bryan City Band, part of the pit orchestra for the Fountain City Festival, a member of the Defiance Community Band, the marching band announcer for Bryan High School, and the choir director at Wesley United Methodist Church in Bryan. He is also a sitting member of the Bryan City Council, representing Ward 4.