Charleston names new head football coach

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Brett Blackman, seen here in 2008 talking to a Sikeston junior high player, has been named the head football coach in Charleston. David Jenkins, Staff

CHARLESTON -- After two different coaches and two straight 1-9 seasons, the Charleston Bluejay's football program has made another coaching change, selecting Brett Blackman to try and turn things around.

"I think I bring strong leadership to the program," Blackman said. "I've served as a head coach and as an offensive and defensive coordinator. I've come from programs that have been turned around before."

In the coming seasons, Blackman hopes to install an aggressive style of play.

"I like to go wide-open on offense," he said. "I like the idea of playing basketball on grass."

"Defense is going to attack. We're going to hit you hard and we're going to have great tacklers."

Blackman last coached football at Sikeston from 2007-2008, where he served as the varsity assistant coach, head freshman coach and supervised the seventh and eighth-grade programs. Prior to that he was the varsity head coach for East Prairie in 2003, guiding the Eagles to a 4-5 record.

With the Charleston program clearly in rebuilding mode, Blackman thinks one of the biggest things he can bring to the team is continuity.

"Turnover is key because sometimes kids think that a coach will come in here and be one and done," he said. "One thing I talked to the board and to administration of Charleston is about that for me this a long-term commitment because I know it takes more than one year to turn a program around."

Getting more kids involved will be key to the Bluejays success. Over the past two seasons Charleston has finished the season with a roster of fewer than 20 players.

"As far as getting kids out, that's going to be our number one priority," Blackman said. "It's going to be key to us building a successful program down there."

He added that progress may not be initially evident in the win-loss column.

"We're not going to go in talking about winning or anything like that," Blackman said. "Our goal is to come in and produce kids that are fundamentally sound on the football field and that are doing the right things on and off the field.

"If we can focus on the little things, the things that don't take talent, over time we'll become successful on the field."

Charleston will kick off their season on Aug. 27 when they host the Kennett Indians.

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