MORGANTOWN — One of the youngest football programs in the Mountain State has a new head man, as Jason White was approved as Trinity Christian’s new head football coach last Thursday.
White, a social studies teacher at the school, has been away from the sidelines for two years after previously spending a total of nine years coaching at University High and Mountaineer Middle.
“It’s very exciting; I’m so excited to get back on the field,” White said Monday. “It was helpful for me to step away for a couple of years. It gave me an opportunity to take a step back and come back with a new perspective.”
White, 31, is a 2009 graduate of Shady Spring High School and graduated from WVU in 2016 with a degree in athletic coaching and education. He is in his third year teaching at Trinity.
The position was available following the mid-season resignation of former Trinity head coach Christopher Simpson last fall. At the time, Simpson cited personal differences with the Trinity administration. Mike McKenzie finished out the season as interim coach.
Already knowing many of the students will be an advantage for White as he tries to build a roster for next season. As one of the smallest football-playing schools in the state, the Warriors are, expectantly, on the lower end of roster sizes.
“I have the built-in advantage of I already know the kids as a teacher and I coach track,” White said. “I have a goal (for turnout) in mind and I have no doubt that we will hit that goal. On Friday I had the opportunity to talk to some of the kids and I’m already about half of the way there, having talked to only about half of the kids I plan to.”
Trinity listed 15 players on its roster last fall, three of whom were graduating seniors.
Despite the program’s youth and comparatively low numbers, the Warriors have had success in past seasons. The team made its first playoff appearance in 2021, finishing the regular season with a 7-2 record, and missed the playoffs last season despite going 6-3.
“It’s not like I’m coming in and working from scratch,” White said. “There’s already a good foundation where the people before me have had success and there’s also a lot of kids who love football.”
White’s coaching career started when he took an internship under long-time UHS coach John Kelley. A classmate helped White get in touch with Kelley, after which he secured an internship with the long-time coach.
“I really owe my whole coaching career to Coach Kelley,” White said. “I started with Coach Kelley; he really helped me get my foot in the door.”
Working under Kelley, White said he learned what it takes for a program to be successful year in and year out.
“He’s had sustained success. It seems like he makes a playoff run every year. Even when they have a down year, they bounce right back the next season,” he said. “When you’re starting out and you’re with someone who’s been doing it that long, you have to pay attention to what he does with culture and what he does with the weight room. … He’s always seen in that building. Even since he’s retired from UHS, he does a great job of being seen.”
White eventually became the defensive coordinator at Mountaineer Middle School for four years and spent one season as the head coach, after which he returned to University as an offensive assistant.
White hopes to have a coaching staff in place within the next month and expects the Warriors to run some variation of a spread offense.
“I’m an offensive mind,” White said. “I think with the talent here at Trinity, the spread offense I learned at UHS can be adapted to what we have here.”
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