New Hebron Christian football coach shares how police career shaped him

2. What are the strongest areas of this team, and what areas need the most work?

“I think our biggest bright spot is our offensive line. When you look at teams on film and you see a tough, big, nasty offensive line, it’s a really scary thing because the ball’s going to move. You’re going to run the ball no matter who’s the running back, right? It doesn’t matter who you put at running back — if you’ve got some big guys that are moving people in front of them, you’re going to get a couple yards. We have that, and I think that’s one of our bright spots, and I’m really proud of those guys and the work that they put in daily. (Coach Tim Foster), our offensive coordinator, he leads those guys and coaches those guys, so I’m really proud of them. That’s one of our bright spots, and then you talk about around the offense, we’ve got some older guys. We’ve got a senior at quarterback right now in Jordan Greene, who has some starts under his belt and was part of that state championship run, and then we have a young guy at running back, JJ Stowers, and Beau Bennett — he’s going to defense, as well, for us — but he’s the backup running back. So I’m excited about that. And then I think we have a breakout star at wide receiver, Dylan Hudson. He’s going to be a name that everybody is going to be saying after this year as we get him the ball and spread some things around, so I’m really excited about the offensive side of the ball.”

3. You’ have a unique career background with time in security and law enforcement. How has that helped you transition to full-time coaching?

“When you talk about from a law enforcement standpoint, even going back to the academy, showing up Day 1, we had to be squared away. Our shirts needed to be tucked in. We had to be clean. We couldn’t have crap just sitting everywhere. So that really resonates with me right now as a head coach and as a father, really, as well. So I’m able to impart that on the boys, like, ‘Hey, how your environment looks and how you look is going to be how you play because you look like everything around you.’ So that’s been a good thing. I’ve been able to impart on the boys: “Let’s take care of the stuff around us. Let’s watch how we look.’ If we come out looking like crap, our jerseys are all whatever way, we’re going to probably play like that, so we must look like we’re going to play. So it’s been a big help for me coming from that law enforcement world. Just policies and standards. Playing on a team, there’s certain rules and standards that we have to live up to, and if we don’t in law enforcement, somebody can get hurt, somebody can get killed. On the team, we may lose, so it’s the same in a sense. So I’ve been able to impart those things as well. High standards, high policies we all need to follow. No man can be bigger than the team.”

4. (Former Hebron Christian head coach) Kenny Dallas was also trying to lead this team to another state title as a first-year coach last season. Did he have any advice for you?

“Me and coach Dallas had a special relationship last year. We both were coaching those outside linebackers, so we were together all the time. As far as continuing to communicate, he does do some … I don’t want to call it consulting, but he kind of disciples me and does some of that still, so I can pick up the phone and call him anytime I want. I think his main message to me was (to) get some good people around me and just be who I am. That was a simple, clean message that I’ve continued to do today.”