Rolla High School took a flyer four years back, hiring a up-and-coming coach in his mid-20s to take over its Class 5 football program.
It worked out well enough that the school has done it again.
New RHS football head coach Josh Smith only has to pick up his cell phone and dial good buddy Brock Roweton -- the man he’s replacing -- if he needs any advice about being a young coach leading a large-school program. But he’d better do it by this spring, because the two will be looking across the field from each other in the season-opener next fall.
On Thursday the Rolla Board of Education officially hired Smith to replace Roweton as RHS football head coach. Smith has been the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator the past four seasons, the same amount of time that Roweton has been the RHS head coach.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to continue to build upon what we have established,” Smith said. “(Roweton) has shown me the leadership needed to be in charge of a program at a young age. And he’s helped me build up my coaching knowledge.”
In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Smith also takes over for Roweton as the weight room/weight training coordinator at the high school during the 2009-10 school year. He is currently a physical education teacher at the Rolla Middle School and also served as Rolla Junior High School eighth-grade boys’ basketball coach the last couple of seasons.
Roweton resigned last month to accept the Willard football head coaching position, in part to be closer to family.
Ironically, Willard will play at Rolla to open the 2009 campaign on Aug. 28.
Smith will meet with the RHS junior and sophomore football players after school on Monday. And on Tuesday he will meet with freshman and eighth-grade players after school at the Rolla Junior High School.
It’s the first prep head coaching position for Smith, age 26. But age certainly didn’t seem to be a factor in the coaching search as it wasn’t with Roweton, who was almost the exact same age when he was hired here four years ago.
“Josh has proven in everything he’s done here that he does it the right way, be it in a assistant coaching position, a teaching position, with his basketball coaching responsibilities and with the leadership teams in works with in school,” said RHS Athletic Director Kelly Hinshaw. “He’s just a quality person and I believe he’s played an important part in the success we’ve experienced the past four seasons.”
“I think it is a great hire for Rolla,” Roweton said. “Josh brings stability and a winning attitude. He’s been a winner at everything he’s done his entire life. And that will continue here.”
Stability will be an important part of the transition, according to Smith. He plans to use the same offensive and defensive philosophies that the Bulldogs have used the last few years. That means the Bulldogs will continue to run their base offense from the veer formation, which requires a strong running game to be successful.
In addition, he hopes that the assistant coaches currently on staff will stay on.
“All the terminology, the offensive base, will be the same,” Smith said. “There will be tweaks, like it is every year. Personnel will dictate that. We don’t have Cameron Fore (Rolla’s all-state running back who this past season set the RHS career rushing record) coming back. But we have kids who can fill holes and perform at a high level in the veer offense.
“I have spoken with the (other assistant) coaches individually. We have a very good staff in place and the key to success in a program is continuity in the program.”
Smith hopes to continue to build on the gains that Roweton has made in the weight room as well, and he hopes to play a larger role in Rolla’s youth football feeder program.
“I plan to continue what we have established, with some tweaks,” he said. “I look to get more involved in the youth program as soon as possible, to get them on the same page with us and to let them know their importance to our program.
“The weight room is everything to your success. Most of the weight training will be the same. We look to improve the performance of all athletes in the weight room.”
Rolla has had a 22-19 record in Roweton’s four seasons here, including a 7-4, district championship season in 2006, during which the Bulldogs hosted a Class 5 Quarterfinal game. This past season RHS was 7-3, just missing the playoffs.
Prior to coming to Rolla Smith was an assistant coach for three years at the school he used to be a star athlete at, Springfield Kickapoo.
Josh and his wife, Casey, have one child, Easton, who is nine months old. Casey works in the St. James Public School District and is the high school girls’ soccer head coach there.
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Rolla High School took a flyer four years back, hiring a up-and-coming coach in his mid-20s to take over its Class 5 football program.
It worked out well enough that the school has done it again.
New RHS football head coach Josh Smith only has to pick up his cell phone and dial good buddy Brock Roweton -- the man he’s replacing -- if he needs any advice about being a young coach leading a large-school program. But he’d better do it by this spring, because the two will be looking across the field from each other in the season-opener next fall.
On Thursday the Rolla Board of Education officially hired Smith to replace Roweton as RHS football head coach. Smith has been the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator the past four seasons, the same amount of time that Roweton has been the RHS head coach.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to continue to build upon what we have established,” Smith said. “(Roweton) has shown me the leadership needed to be in charge of a program at a young age. And he’s helped me build up my coaching knowledge.”
In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Smith also takes over for Roweton as the weight room/weight training coordinator at the high school during the 2009-10 school year. He is currently a physical education teacher at the Rolla Middle School and also served as Rolla Junior High School eighth-grade boys’ basketball coach the last couple of seasons.
Roweton resigned last month to accept the Willard football head coaching position, in part to be closer to family.
Ironically, Willard will play at Rolla to open the 2009 campaign on Aug. 28.
Smith will meet with the RHS junior and sophomore football players after school on Monday. And on Tuesday he will meet with freshman and eighth-grade players after school at the Rolla Junior High School.
It’s the first prep head coaching position for Smith, age 26. But age certainly didn’t seem to be a factor in the coaching search as it wasn’t with Roweton, who was almost the exact same age when he was hired here four years ago.
“Josh has proven in everything he’s done here that he does it the right way, be it in a assistant coaching position, a teaching position, with his basketball coaching responsibilities and with the leadership teams in works with in school,” said RHS Athletic Director Kelly Hinshaw. “He’s just a quality person and I believe he’s played an important part in the success we’ve experienced the past four seasons.”
“I think it is a great hire for Rolla,” Roweton said. “Josh brings stability and a winning attitude. He’s been a winner at everything he’s done his entire life. And that will continue here.”
Stability will be an important part of the transition, according to Smith. He plans to use the same offensive and defensive philosophies that the Bulldogs have used the last few years. That means the Bulldogs will continue to run their base offense from the veer formation, which requires a strong running game to be successful.
In addition, he hopes that the assistant coaches currently on staff will stay on.
“All the terminology, the offensive base, will be the same,” Smith said. “There will be tweaks, like it is every year. Personnel will dictate that. We don’t have Cameron Fore (Rolla’s all-state running back who this past season set the RHS career rushing record) coming back. But we have kids who can fill holes and perform at a high level in the veer offense.
“I have spoken with the (other assistant) coaches individually. We have a very good staff in place and the key to success in a program is continuity in the program.”
Smith hopes to continue to build on the gains that Roweton has made in the weight room as well, and he hopes to play a larger role in Rolla’s youth football feeder program.
“I plan to continue what we have established, with some tweaks,” he said. “I look to get more involved in the youth program as soon as possible, to get them on the same page with us and to let them know their importance to our program.
“The weight room is everything to your success. Most of the weight training will be the same. We look to improve the performance of all athletes in the weight room.”
Rolla has had a 22-19 record in Roweton’s four seasons here, including a 7-4, district championship season in 2006, during which the Bulldogs hosted a Class 5 Quarterfinal game. This past season RHS was 7-3, just missing the playoffs.
Prior to coming to Rolla Smith was an assistant coach for three years at the school he used to be a star athlete at, Springfield Kickapoo.
Josh and his wife, Casey, have one child, Easton, who is nine months old. Casey works in the St. James Public School District and is the high school girls’ soccer head coach there.
