LP football team turns to a new head coach
Published 8:12 pm Tuesday, July 31, 2018
- Lyle-Pacelli’s Trace Fishbaugher, left, and Mason Holtorf, participate in a summer workout in Lyle Tuesday night. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
LYLE — The Lyle-Pacelli football team is looking for some consistent leadership and Dan King is hoping he can provide it.
King, who has lived in Lyle since 2000, is the new head football coach for the Athletics and he’s been on the job for about a month. LP went 0-9 overall last season and the program has compiled four total wins in the past four years.
King is originally from Saint Charles where he played football, basketball and baseball and he went on to play football and baseball at Winona State University. King was a high school official in football, basketball and baseball, he has a background in playing summer softball and he has coached girls basketball and softball over six of the past seven years.
“I don’t have any hobbies. I don’t hunt, I don’t fish and I don’t play fast pitch softball anymore,” King said. “This is my hobby now and we’re going to try and change the philosophy of what it’s been for the past few years.”
New Lyle-Pacelli head football coach Dan King looks on during a team summer workout in Lyle Tuesday night. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
King has led the team in summer workouts since he took over the job, but he hasn’t gotten a look at his full roster yet since some of LP’s players have been busy with other sports. He is looking forward to getting things started in practice in two weeks.
“We’ve been doing the summer stuff and we’re trying to get kids comfortable by talking to them and we’re trying to get an idea of an offense,” King said. “I want them to play hard and play aggressive. I want them to be confident in what they do. Part of my job is adjust to the strengths of my players.”
With LP playing in a tough section that includes defending state champ Spring Grove and Grand Meadow, which won the four previous state titles, the Athletics aren’t exactly contending to be state contenders this fall. But King is hoping he can begin to build a program that keeps players involved.
“I’m trying to give back and be part of the community,” King said. “If any of our other athletes had a sour taste [about football], we’d like them to understand that we’re trying to make this fun and enjoyable. We’re trying to change something and have fun doing it.”
