Albany defensive coordinator John Legoria talks things over during a timeout against Bogalusa during a game in 2017. Legoria was hired as Albany's new football coach Thursday.
Albany didn’t have to go very far to find its next football coach.
Former Hornets assistant coach John Legoria was hired as the program’s new coach Thursday and met with the team Friday afternoon.
He succeeds David Knight, who resigned last month after one season as the team’s coach.
“I’ve been at Albany for 11-12, years now, and this is the only head football job that I would take,” said Legoria, who is a head football coach for the first timer after being a head coach in baseball, softball and cross country during his career. “I’ve been offered other jobs and this and that to go other places, but this is the only place that I would take a head football job. I love this community. I fell in love with this school. It’s home to me, and I just want to try to restore some of the pride and really, the fun back in football.”
Legoria, who last served on an Albany football staff three seasons ago but remained at the school as a teacher, expanded on his philosophy.
“I think the game has gotten too serious and everybody comes out here and does interviews (talking about how) they’re going to change the culture,” Legoria said. “I just want to make it where the kids enjoy high school football. I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve coached 27 years. I’ve been around the game as an offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator. I’ve coached every position, and that’s kind of what Albany needs. We just don’t have a lot of spots for coaches, so I think we need a guy who’s been around the block and done it all, because that’s what it’s going to take.”
Legoria thanked Albany principal Sammie Lacara, assistant principal Amy Carter and girls basketball coach and athletic director Stacy Darouse for hiring him as coach.
Darouse said she’s hoping Legoria’s familiarity with the football program, school and students will bring some stability as he becomes Albany’s third head coach in as many seasons.
“We were looking for someone that the boys were familiar with, that was familiar with our boys and our program and our community, and John just fit the bill perfectly for that,” Darouse said. “He has tons of experience as an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator, so we just felt like that was the best fit for Albany High School football going forward, and I couldn’t be more excited. I think John’s excited as well.”
“When he meets with his team, he will know pretty much all the boys except the incoming freshmen because he has taught them or seen them on campus or had conversations with them,” Darouse continued. “That was just a huge factor for us and what we were looking for to make that third (coaching) transition for our boys in such a short time the easiest possible, and I think his philosophy is going to fit in well to what our boys do well, so I think it’s a win-win for all of us.”
Darouse said Legoria’s experience as an assistant coach is also a plus.
“We’ll call him a ‘seasoned’ coach, and with that, he will bring that level of discipline that our boys need to be successful,” she said. “I know this – our boys want to be successful, and John wants them to be successful. With those two things in mind, they’re going to work hard. The goal is for them to win games, and I think that will be the case.”
Legoria knows he and the team have some work ahead of themselves coming off a 1-8 season.
“I was here when we were down and out – 1-9, and I was here when we were 9-1,” Legoria said. “We’re going to try to get back to those 9-1 years. It’s a major re-build. I know it. We’re going to have to do some serious coaching and some serious teaching. That’s the thing we’re focused on right now this summer, workouts, and we’re going to be doing a lot of classroom stuff and a lot of teaching.”
Legoria is planning to base the Hornets’ offense out of the wing-T while adding some spread and run-pass option concepts.
“It’s not just going to be a run-oriented offense,” Legoria said. “I think that the offense fits the Albany type of players, because we don’t have guys who are 6-3, run 4.2 that we can throw the ball to and make people miss. We just don’t have those type of players at Albany High School right now. What we do have is we have good running backs, and we have a quarterback (Aiden Casteel) that’s going to be very smart.”
Legoria also plans to rely on running backs Antonio Lopinto, Jon Duhe, Walker Poe and Seth Hoffman.
“We’re going to be balanced,” Legoria said. “Whatever works in the football game, that’s what we’re going to do. If we’ve got to throw to win, we’re going to throw, or we’re going to be prepared to throw. If we’ve got to run it to win, then we’re going to run it.”
“Our issue right now is just to get the offensive line learning how to block a wing-T,” Legoria continued. “That is going to be my biggest challenge.
He noted it took nearly two years for the offensive line to get comfortable with assignments in the wing-T when he and former Albany coach Blane Westmoreland installed the system when they coached together at the school.
“It’s going to take some time,” Legoria said. “How fast they grasp it is going to depend on what kind of success we have this upcoming season.”
Defensively, Legoria said he’s not expecting to make any major schematic changes, but there may be a few new wrinkles.
“I went to the spring game, and I thought the defensive played really, really well for what they had out there and for the amount of kids they had on the football team and the amount of kids going both ways,” he said. “I liked the schemes.”
He said there will likely be some personnel changes because of an influx of players.
“Since I got the head (coaching) job, we’ve got a bunch more kids that are coming out for football that are excited for the new changes, and these are all players who can probably come in and immediately get some playing time,” he said. “We’re going to pick up some more eighth-graders coming in, so a lot of changes are happening on the good side. My job is to keep them healthy. Keep them out there, and keep them out there having fun and enjoying it.”
“We’re going to try to piece this thing together and really just recruit Albany High School and try to get as many kids that are at Albany High School to come out for football,” Legoria continued. “I got this motto from Randy Johnson back at St. Thomas: ‘If you come out, you’ll play, and if you play, we’ll win,’ and I’ve always had that mindset. It’s getting them out. That’s what I want.”
Legoria is also expecting a challenge in the re-vamped District 7-3A, which will feature Amite, Sumner, Bogalusa and Pine.
“I know it, and everybody knows it – we don’t have the athletes to play with Amite and Sumner and Bogalusa right now,” Legoria said. “We’re just hoping we can give them a good game and be competitive, and if some breaks fall our way, maybe surprise a couple of those guys. It’s going to ask a lot to come in with a whole new program and everything to jump in and really compete and to beat those guys, but I’m looking forward to the challenge …”
Legoria mentioned coaching under former Hammond High coach Carmon Moore, Johnson at St. Thomas Aquinas and Westmoreland at Albany.
“I’ve been with some very successful programs,” he said. “We’re just going to go out there, and we’re going to work hard, and we’re going to teach, and we’re going to enjoy what happens.
“I think we have the pieces to be successful,” Legoria continued. “We’ve got to come in and just put a stamp on my system. If the kids buy into it, I think we’re going to be successful, and we’ll go from there.”
