New Kent Charles City Chronicle

News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | March 28, 2024

McCauley elevated to head coach for New Kent High School’s football team

By Andre Jones | April 20, 2020 8:33 pm

A familiar face will lead New Kent High School’s football team on the gridiron next year.

John McCauley, who was the previous head junior varsity coach for New Kent High School, has been elevated to the head coaching position at the varsity level on Monday afternoon.

McCauley has 15 years of experience of coaching the sport at both the middle and high school level. The last five years, he has been in charge of the junior varsity program, a program that went 7-2 last year.

“This year will probably be our biggest senior class along with a lot of young guys as well,” McCauley said in a Monday afternoon interview. “The key thing is trying to transition them into something I like to do.

“I’ve been there for the last four and five years and they know me.”

McCauley commented that he has worked with a lot of the current players at the little league level. As a 21-year resident of the county, he is excited about the opportunity to coach.

“This is my first year as a head coach at this level,” he continued. “It’s definitely a big challenge on the varsity level.

“There is a lot of difference coaching kids at this level,” McCauley added. “At the JV level, I didn’t have much help due to the size of the staff, but I am preparing these kids for games on Friday night.”

Some of the benefits the new Trojan coach has include having a system that the student-athletes are already familiar with. He’s hoping that it will play to his benefit during the season.

“Realistically, we’re going to have a good team,” he commented. “I’m confident we’re a playoff team. If I can get the most out of kids and get them to do what I know what we can do, we can make some noise in the Bay Rivers District.”

As far as preparation for the season, restrictions and limited access to facilities has McCauley thinking outside the box to keep players engaged.

“Coaches are meeting one day a week to hit the ground running when this thing [restriction] is lifted,” he said, referencing the closure of school facilities due to the ongoing COVID-19 saga. “We have provided players out-of-school workouts, but we can’t police them all the time. We are trying to get them prepared.”

In conclusion, McCauley hopes the community continues to buy into the ever-improving program.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to coach,” he said as he wrapped up his comments. “I’m passionate about football, about the kids, the community, and I’m ready to go.”