Crims find new football head coach

With the loss of homegrown football coach Rhett Stallworth to Yuma Catholic, Yuma High decided to broaden its search for the next person to lead the Criminals football program.

They needed to look no farther than Washington state, where Michael Chadwick will arrive from this fall to fill the head coaching void on Yuma's sidelines, pending approval by the school board.

Chadwick, who will also teach social studies at Yuma High, has been coaching varsity football for 11 years, most recently as a defensive coordinator at Lynnwood (Wash.) High School.

But the Criminals job will be his first as head coach.

"We're going to try and build up the participation numbers and bring a positive buzz around the program and continue the great tradition," Chadwick said. "That's probably the predominant element that brought me here when comparing it to others - the tradition and history here is really a draw and it's a wonderful opportunity."

Yuma High athletic director Mike Sharp said Chadwick was finally whittled down from over 20 applicants he received to replace Stallworth, who took the Shamrocks' open head coaching position April 26 after three seasons guiding his alma mater.

"(Chadwick) is all about the kids," Sharp said. "He's all about bringing in fresh ideas and is extremely organized and extremely thorough. The dedication came through and he's just the perfect fit for what we need right now."

Chadwick, 42, said Yuma's style of play won't change drastically from what Stallworth ran in order to provide a smooth transition.

"I'm probably more of an offensive-minded coach, but good defensive coordinators are good offensive coordinators because we know how to exploit defenses," Chadwick said. "The program was left in good shape and it's solid, so I've stepped into a situation that's a great opportunity."

Chadwick, who is married with three children, said his first priority is to search locally to build a coaching staff.

"That's the first obstacle we need to get out of the way," Chadwick said. "Then we can start to look forward to meeting students and participants and implementing the philosophy I endorse. It's one that I'm confident in and one I think Yuma will be very excited about in the long run.

Anyone interested in a position on the Yuma High football staff should call the athletic office at 502-5036 for more details.

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Scott Jungman can be reached at sjungman@yumasun.com or 539-6880.