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Velasquez hired to coach Lowellville football team
By charles grove
Doug Velasquez has been named the new head football coach at Lowellville High School.
The board was forced to interview candidates after P.J. Mays resigned from the position in March due to a series of social media posts that appeared to be an attempt at recruiting players away from nearby schools.
Velasquez was the head coach at Mineral Ridge during the fall of 2013 where the team went 5-5, finishing ninth in the region and just missing a spot in the playoffs.
After resigning from Mineral Ridge the following February — citing a search for a full-time teaching position — Velasquez worked behind the scenes for Bo Pelini’s Youngstown State football team putting together scouting reports for the Penguins.
Velasquez, a linebacker on Boardman’s 1987 state runner-up team, was signed on to the be the defensive coordinator this upcoming season at East, but threw his hat into the ring when he heard about the opening at Lowellville.
“I wasn’t really looking but then I saw the opening and I just thought ‘Well, let me send in my resume,’” Velasquez said.
When asked what drew Velasquez to the position, community pride was an immediate response.
“[Lowellville] has a lot of pride and tradition,” Velasquez said. “That’s always a good starting point for building a good football program.”
A starting point for building a winning program will be an uphill climb for Velasquez. The Rockets have gone 37-63 over the past 10 seasons and have had only one winning season. Lowellville went 6-4 in 2013, losing in the first round of the playoffs 49-0 to Danville.
Still, Velasquez has goals of home playoff games in Lowellville and said he’ll be putting the thought of a state championship in the minds of his players.
“If you’re not working toward a state championship then you’re not working,” Velasquez said. “I will go in there preaching a state championship, but in order to do that you’ve got to make the playoffs so we’re going to have goals to make the playoffs.
“I told the administration in the interview process that my goal is to have a home playoff game every year,” Velasquez said. “I want to reward the town and the community with a home playoff game every year.”
Velasquez said fans should expect an offense focused on a strong rushing attack and a defense that will have some schemes he picked up when working with YSU a season ago.
“It all starts with a sound running game and then with the pass. I like a quick passing game — one-step, three-step passes,” Velasquez said. “I’ve been a defensive coordinator for 20 years so that’s not going to change. We’ll run a 4-3 base and we’ll add some stuff I’ve learned the past year from YSU. I’m excited to implement that.”