Concord will spread things around
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
Concord High School football will have a different look in 2009.
Former defensive coordinator Eric Brown has replaced Bob Camirand as the program's head coach, but the changes don't end there. Perhaps the most visible change will be seen when Concord has the ball next season. Brown said he plans to run the spread offense.
"As a defensive coordinator for the last 15 years, watching Nashua South run (the spread), Memorial run it, and North run it -- it gives us fits trying to defend it," Brown said. "It changes what you do. Plus I don't know if we have the linemen to overpower people, but we have decent athletes at the skill positions.
"When you're playing against the Straight-T you have to go into a goal-line defense. Against the spread you can't have just three defensive backs on the field. You have to have more athletes."
Brown, 52, was the choice to replace Bob Camirand, who resigned after the 2008 season. Concord had an 86-68 record in Camirand's tenure. Camirand guided the Crimson Tide to the Division I state championship in 2000.
Brown, a Concord resident, played at Manchester Central and was a member of New Hampshire's Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl team in 1975. His son, Colin, will represent New Hampshire in this year's Shrine Game.
Brown said most of last year's coaching staff will return. That group includes Kevin Nyhan (offensive line), Mike Pelletier (defensive coordinator), Hamilton Munnell (defensive ends/offensive line) and Dave Malay (split ends/defensive tackles).
"We've got a great group of guys who are loyal and committed to the program," Brown said.
Another thing Brown would like to change is the number of players in the Concord program. That number dropped to 37 (in grades 10 to 12) last season.
"One of the goals is to reach out to the youth programs and try to get the numbers back up," Brown said. "We'll also have to scour the hallways."
Brown was an assistant coach at Trinity from 1979 to 1984, and began coaching at Concord as an assistant to Jack Gati in 1990. He said he's entertained the idea of becoming a head coach for the last five years.
"There were a lot of other openings during that time, but time and place had to be right," Brown said.
