Paul Downing knows he’s heading into a challenge. But he doesn’t think it’s as steep as it may appear.
Downing was hired by Highland to as the school’s new football coach last Wednesday. He inherits a Class 1A program that has won three games in three seasons (3-24), and is just 4-41 since the start of the 2010 season.
It’s a program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2007, when they went 7-4. That season was also the Huskies’ last postseason appearance, when they won a first-round game but then lost in the quarterfinals.
Downing understands the history, but sees opportunity.
“Initially, I was thinking (lack of recent success) might be an issue, but I watched some of their film and I thought, ‘Gosh, they’ve got some good looking kids as far as talent and size,’” Downing said on Wednesday morning. “Watching the film, I thought … there was room for improvement.”
While out to interview at Highland last week, he took in a boys basketball game.
“A lot of the guys that play basketball also play football,” Downing said. “I just thought, ‘There’s really a lot here.’ There’s no reason why we can’t be successful here.”
That boys basketball team is 12-0 to start this season, and ranked No. 3 in CHSAANow.com’s 2A poll this week.
“So I think the winning culture is in the school. I just think it has been absent for football,” Downing said. “I really think it’s one of those things where fundamentally, they need to learn some things and be able to play better as a team. It just needs to be facilitated by the head coach.
“I really think I’m going into a situation where we can be pretty successful in Year 1.”
Downing comes to Highland after six years at Donelson Christian Academy, a “smaller prep school,” he said, in Nashville, Tenn., where he has been the defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. Donelson went 9-3 last season, and was 48-21 with him on staff.
He’s also been an assistant elsewhere, including a middle school head coach.
Highland will be his first role as a head football coach in high school, though he was the head track coach at Donelson.
“What I’m most excited about is taking a group of guys that have not had success and helping turn that around and change their experience,” he said. “You know, high school football is such a big deal for young men, and it can be a memory that lasts a lifetime. I’m really excited about taking that group of guys there that really wants success and turning that around for them.”
Highland athletic director Steve Latuda said Downing emerged as the choice because of his ideas for the program.
“What stood out to us with coach Downing was his knowledge of Highland High School even though he currently teaches in Nashville, Tennessee,” Latuda said. “His knowledge for the game of football, and his vision for football at Highland High School was also very impressive. I think coach Downing is the man that can get Highland football back on track.”
Downing said he pursed the Highland job because it was a smaller school, like Donelson, “so I thought it would be something that I’m familiar with.” He had a phone interview just before Christmas, then flew out last week to meet in person.
“It just seemed to be a great fit,” he said.
The move will mark a return to Colorado for Downing and his wife. Both taught at Kiowa straight out of college.
“We wanted to move back at some point,” he said. “This is something we’ve talked about for years.”
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