Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

The Newfound Regional High School football program has a new head coach, and, if things go as planned, they'll have a new field in the near future as well.

Plymouth resident Greg Dalzell, 51, was hired as the program's head coach last week. He'll be guiding a five-year old program that has yet to play a home game because it doesn't have a home field.

"They're planning to have the new field right at the school," Dalzell said. "It won't be ready for this season, but next season hopefully. To have a field and a place for a Homecoming game has these kids excited."

Dalzell, 51, is a former Army pilot who moved to New Hampshire in 2006. He teaches at Plymouth Regional High School and was a volunteer coach with the Newfound program last year. Shortly after the Newfound job opened up, he was talked into applying.

"Initially I had thought about it, but it seemed like a lot of responsibility," Dalzell explained. "Then (Plymouth coach) Chuck Lenahan pulled me aside, asked me what was going on with the (Newfound) position, and told me, 'You need to go after it.'

"Chuck Lenahan is an important figure in athletics. When someone like that tells you you'd be good for another school's program you take him seriously."

Dalzell said 40 players have signed up to play football at Newfound and he has two assistant coaches in place -- defensive coordinator Brad Austin and offensive coordinator Shane Tucker. Austin will also serve as the junior varsity coach.

"We're still working on the offensive and defensive package, but I can tell you it's going to be a basic program," Dalzell explained. "We're not going to do a lot of crazy stuff."

Newfound won't win any home games this year, but that could change in 2009.

"Everybody has been very supportive of that project (the new field), even though there are a lot of other needs," Dalzell said. "The friends of football have done an immense amount of fundraising. The community has really come together for the kids."