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A move here, a move there and before you knew it the Mexico Bulldogs suddenly were in the market for a new head football coach.
Devin Brown, who coached the Bulldogs to a 15-19 varsity record but took them to the playoffs in the first two of his three seasons here, was announced Wednesday as the new head man at NCMC rival Boonville. He replaces Brad Parsons, who left the Pirates after four seasons last month to move closer to family and took an assistant position at Kirksville, another league rival.
As a result, the Mexico Board of Education moved quickly this week to promote defensive coordinator Nick Hoth to the position as the 19th head football coach in Mexico High School history. Hoth will direct preseason practices starting Aug. 8 and be in charge for the 2011 varsity season opener Aug. 26 against Hillsboro at Hawthorne Heights – and beyond.
Hoth also will continue as head wrestling coach come this winter.
“I like challenges and I know I couldn’t do both jobs without good assistants,” he told The Ledger on Wednesday. “If you’d told me on the Fourth of July that I’d be the new head football coach too, I’d have thought you were crazy.
“But being a head football coach has always been a dream of mine,” he said. “I’ve gone after wrestling full-speed, but I’ve been a football guy for a long time.”
Brown, a former Hickman and Rock Bridge assistant, interviewed at both Boonville and Mexico before starting his head coaching career with the Bulldogs. Brown continued to live in Columbia.
“Devin lives just a few minutes away from Boonville, on that side of Columbia,” new MHS athletic director Jeff Anderson said. “He’s got two young children and I think a lot of his move was a family thing. We hope it turns out to be a good thing for them.”
Mexico went 4-7 in 2008, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1995, and 6-7 in advancing to the state quarterfinals in 2009; the Bulldogs finished 5-5 in 2010 after moving up from Class 3 to Class 4.
“Our boys are good boys, they really are, and they’re understandably upset right now (about Brown’s departure), but the system really isn’t going to change,” Hoth said. “Devin’s been awesome to work with and he’s really turned the program around here. It’s up to me now to keep it going in the right direction.”
Hoth’s wife Jan also is a member of the MHS coaching staff, directing boys tennis in the spring. The search to fill Hoth’s assistant spot on the football staff is under way; it could be for a new defensive coordinator or not, Hoth said.
“We’re going to take the best guy for the spot we can find,” he said.
Hoth’s Bulldogs will face Brown’s Pirates in Game 5 of the upcoming season, Sept. 23 at Boonville.
The full press release from the Mexico Public Schools announcing the change in coaches follows.
Mexico High School defensive line coach Nick Hoth has been named head football coach, following the resignation of Devin Brown. Brown has accepted the head coaching job at Boonville High School.
Hoth has been employed by Mexico as physical education teacher and coach for five years. He has been defensive coordinator for the football Bulldogs for the past three years.
“I am very excited to become head coach,” Hoth said. ‘This is something I wanted to do when I came out of college. It’s even more special now because I will continue to work with young men I have known for the past five years.”
Hoth is a graduate of Lindenwood University (in St. Charles). He was an assistant coach there for two years, and also was an assistant at St. Dominic High School in O’Fallon.
Hoth, who will continue as head wrestling coach, says his goals are to keep the football program on track. “I plan to set specific goals with the senior players,” he said. “We will determine what we need to see happen.” Hoth has seven returning senior starters.
He will schedule a meeting with the parents of football players next week. ‘I want to tell them how excited I am to have my first opportunity as head football coach to be here in Mexico,” he said. “My wife and I have planted roots here and started a family. My wife and little girl and I hope to be in Mexico for a long time.”
A move here, a move there and before you knew it the Mexico Bulldogs suddenly were in the market for a new head football coach.
Devin Brown, who coached the Bulldogs to a 15-19 varsity record but took them to the playoffs in the first two of his three seasons here, was announced Wednesday as the new head man at NCMC rival Boonville. He replaces Brad Parsons, who left the Pirates after four seasons last month to move closer to family and took an assistant position at Kirksville, another league rival.
As a result, the Mexico Board of Education moved quickly this week to promote defensive coordinator Nick Hoth to the position as the 19th head football coach in Mexico High School history. Hoth will direct preseason practices starting Aug. 8 and be in charge for the 2011 varsity season opener Aug. 26 against Hillsboro at Hawthorne Heights – and beyond.
Hoth also will continue as head wrestling coach come this winter.
“I like challenges and I know I couldn’t do both jobs without good assistants,” he told The Ledger on Wednesday. “If you’d told me on the Fourth of July that I’d be the new head football coach too, I’d have thought you were crazy.
“But being a head football coach has always been a dream of mine,” he said. “I’ve gone after wrestling full-speed, but I’ve been a football guy for a long time.”
Brown, a former Hickman and Rock Bridge assistant, interviewed at both Boonville and Mexico before starting his head coaching career with the Bulldogs. Brown continued to live in Columbia.
“Devin lives just a few minutes away from Boonville, on that side of Columbia,” new MHS athletic director Jeff Anderson said. “He’s got two young children and I think a lot of his move was a family thing. We hope it turns out to be a good thing for them.”
Mexico went 4-7 in 2008, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1995, and 6-7 in advancing to the state quarterfinals in 2009; the Bulldogs finished 5-5 in 2010 after moving up from Class 3 to Class 4.
“Our boys are good boys, they really are, and they’re understandably upset right now (about Brown’s departure), but the system really isn’t going to change,” Hoth said. “Devin’s been awesome to work with and he’s really turned the program around here. It’s up to me now to keep it going in the right direction.”
Hoth’s wife Jan also is a member of the MHS coaching staff, directing boys tennis in the spring. The search to fill Hoth’s assistant spot on the football staff is under way; it could be for a new defensive coordinator or not, Hoth said.
“We’re going to take the best guy for the spot we can find,” he said.
Hoth’s Bulldogs will face Brown’s Pirates in Game 5 of the upcoming season, Sept. 23 at Boonville.
The full press release from the Mexico Public Schools announcing the change in coaches follows.
Mexico High School defensive line coach Nick Hoth has been named head football coach, following the resignation of Devin Brown. Brown has accepted the head coaching job at Boonville High School.
Hoth has been employed by Mexico as physical education teacher and coach for five years. He has been defensive coordinator for the football Bulldogs for the past three years.
“I am very excited to become head coach,” Hoth said. ‘This is something I wanted to do when I came out of college. It’s even more special now because I will continue to work with young men I have known for the past five years.”
Hoth is a graduate of Lindenwood University (in St. Charles). He was an assistant coach there for two years, and also was an assistant at St. Dominic High School in O’Fallon.
Hoth, who will continue as head wrestling coach, says his goals are to keep the football program on track. “I plan to set specific goals with the senior players,” he said. “We will determine what we need to see happen.” Hoth has seven returning senior starters.
He will schedule a meeting with the parents of football players next week. ‘I want to tell them how excited I am to have my first opportunity as head football coach to be here in Mexico,” he said. “My wife and I have planted roots here and started a family. My wife and little girl and I hope to be in Mexico for a long time.”
