MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – It didn’t take long for Trinity Christian to hire a new head football coach, naming Chris Simpson as the Warriors’ frontman Tuesday afternoon.
Simpson, the Warriors’ offensive coordinator, and special teams and passing game coordinator in 2019, is the program’s second head coach in two seasons and looks to continue to build on what the staff started last year.
“I know the capabilities of the current and upcoming players, and I look forward to watching them grow into their full potential,” Simpson said. “Last year proved how resilient they were. Any time you go into a new program with kids who aren’t as physically mature – we took the field a lot with freshman versus seniors – but this group kept proving how resilient they were. It tested them from a physical and mental level. These kids responded really well and never gave up.”
The Warriors exceeded many expectations in 2019, albeit ending the season 2-8. Led by a group of freshmen, the team has plenty of time to grow with Simpson at the reins. A former semi-professional and arena football player, Simpson brings a lot to the table. He was also the former head coach and co-owner of West Virginia SMASH, a semi-pro team in the Gridiron Developmental Football League.
“They understand the pressure that goes along with it,” Simpson said of his young team. “I’m looking forward to seeing the continued growth and maturity on and off the field. What I’ve enjoyed is being able to go back and get to the fundamentals of the game. Before coaching at that level, I never had the opportunity to teach much on the fundamentals side. It was all about schematics and building a gameplan, and I had to go a lot off of what other coaches had instilled in players.
“I enjoy the personal challenge of trying to teach those techniques right now and trying to build from the ground level up. Right now they’re like clay for us. They’ve been extremely receptive through the process and I’m looking forward to seeing how they grow this season.”
According to the school’s news release, Simpson will stress the three pillars of faith, family and football in his approach to coaching. He was chosen from a pool of 10 candidates.
Simpson hasn’t finalized his staff yet, but another former assistant, Michael McKenzie, will be the team’s assistant head coach.
“Coach McKenzie is a valued asset with tremendous knowledge of the game and experience with the players,” Simpson said.
The sophomore-laden Warriors start the 2020 season on the road at Hannan on Aug. 28. Changes to the schedule include dropping Mapletown (Pa.), the Maryland School of the Deaf and Fairport Harding (Ohio), and adding games with Cameron, Tug Valley and Parkersburg Catholic. They will also play Bridgeport and Stuebenville Catholic, both from Ohio, both great programs that develop Division I talent.
“The mindset going in is that you don’t want to build yourself on false pretenses. You want these challenges to prove to the program, sponsors and everyone at the school that you’re willing to make that commitment,” Simpson said. “I don’t believe you can hide in the shadows and build up a schedule that’s really easy then sit around and act like you have pride in it.
“I think it’s good to be tested and thrown into the crucible – that’s how we saw the resiliency last year. I think that’s why we made it as a program last year, because we knew we were getting everyone’s best shot throughout the season, and we knew if we blinked and quit there’d be nothing left.”
Player watch
Simpson noted that although folks should keep an eye on standouts like Drew Boczek and Levi Teets, there are two other players who have serious potential: Kyle Knight and Dimitrius Deshields.
“I spent time with Kyle as a freshman and he’s got a leg,” Simpson said. “He was hitting regularly over 50-yard field goals for me in practice. He’s a big deal. He had three or four touchbacks off the kickoff which is pretty astounding, so I’m looking forward to see how he progresses as well.”
According to Simpson, Deshields, a Morgantown High OL/DL transfer, is “pure power” who has good speed and will bring versatility to the defensive front. Deshields was unable to play last year but cleared the waiver process in time for his senior season.
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