Amidst the partying and celebrating a new year, people also make resolutions or goals for improvement. The Greeley West athletic department also used the time to introduce a brand new football coach this week.

Coach John Hickey will be taking over the program as a first-time head coach starting today when he will meet with the players and get a feel for the school at lunch time. New Years seemed like the perfect chance to reboot the program, which has not won a game in two seasons. 

Hickey plans on hitting the ground running. “ I plan to help the kids believe in themselves, to be in the right position for them and their skills,” Hickey said. 

He also hopes to be a great addition to the Greeley West spirit, and strengthen the team by emphasizing teamwork and reliability. 

Hickey said he will embrace the past with the new start. “I hope to embrace the history and traditions of the Greeley West football team.”

For Hickey, that tradition was an important factor in picking Greeley West over other schools. He has plans to continue some traditions at Greeley West as he has had the opportunity to speak to the old coaches and learn about the school community. “Greeley West is a great tradition, very competitive, a program designed to get to it,” Hickey said.

Hickey hopes to help the football players believe in themselves and become stronger together. He has had a lot of experience with kids and coaching, as he has been doing it since 2012. “ I like working with kids, helping them through their journey, helping them succeed,” Hickey said.

Hickey cares a lot for the students and said takes pride in his service as a teacher in Boulder, where he is currently finishing out his contract. 

Hickey hopes that he will also be joining the physical education and health department at Greeley West next year. 

Greeley West athletic director Mr. Ryan Hilbig is excited to see where Coach Hickey will take the team. “He had good relevant experience for what we thought the program needed, he had good recommendations from previous jobs and will do a good job building the team.”