Blackfoot High School introduces new head football coach Josh Stewart
BLACKFOOT (KIFI) - The Blackfoot Broncos formally introduced their new head football coach Tuesday evening.
The Blackfoot gym’s main bleachers were as packed as a basketball game as players and parents got their first chance to meet Josh Stewart. The event began as a 25-minute Q&A session before players mobbed him to make personal introductions.
Stewart, a Driggs native, is a 17-year coaching veteran who played football for Teton before coaching at Ririe, Shelley, and most recently, Declo. He took the Hornets to the playoffs in all five years of his head coaching tenure, including a trip to the 2A state championship last season.
Stewart is tasked with turning around a Broncos squad which went 0-9 last year. He said he’s not totally tearing down the program to start fresh, but he does want to transform the team into a group of heavy hitters.
"I do have specific philosophies, defensively and offensively, that I'd like to bring in,” he said. “Like I said, more specifically, I think physicality. It starts up front with the offensive and defensive lines. And so we're gonna really focus on building those areas and go from there.”
Stewart said it can take time to connect and build relationships with players as a new coach. However, he already won the team over when a parent asked about weekend practices.
"Your weekend is, you go home to your families and hang out with your families,” he said.
The crowd erupted into applause equaling the ovation given during his introduction.
“I teach economics, and so there's a concept of diminishing returns,” he continued. “And I just don't think we need to be there on Saturdays. So that's my personal feeling on that. I want you to love football, not hate it.”
Stewart said he’s open to keeping Blackfoot’s existing coaching staff, but he will be interviewing other candidates. He’s already attempting to recruit other coaches and he’s already locked up someone he called “the best offensive line coach in the State of Idaho.”
The entire Q&A session can be viewed by clicking HERE.
