Jason Grunewald is ready to take on the Munster challenge.

Grunewald, an assistant for the Mustangs football team since 2009, was named the football interim head coach on Tuesday.

Interim athletic director Ira Zimmer said Grunewald will be evaluated after a year to see if the interim tag will be removed. Grunewald has been Munster’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach for the past six seasons.

Grunewald said he was happy to get the call. He graduated from Munster in 2004.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be the next head coach,” he said. “I’ve played here and coached here. I bleed red and white. I’m very thankful for the chance to be able to coach these kids.”

Grunewald was a free safety and running back at Munster and played for three seasons at Valparaiso University before missing his senior year because of an injury. Grunewald was all-state as a junior at Munster.

He served under longtime coach Leroy Marsh in 2008 as a volunteer assistant when Grunewald was a senior at Valparaiso.

Grunewald said being the interim coach “will give me the opportunity to prove myself.”

He also thinks following Marsh, who coached for 38 years, will have its challenges.

“It’s definitely hard to follow a guy like that,” he said. “Everything I know about coaching I learned from him. I know that I know the Munster kids, the Munster programs and I know the Munster tradition. I’m hoping I can bring a youthful, energetic aspect to the program.”

Grunewald said he “will do a lot of things to get kids excited to want to play football at Munster. I’m looking forward to a great year.”

mhutton@post-trib.com

Twitter@MikeHuttonPT