Friday night lights adopted a major coaching change this year and started with a 4-0 start to their season.
Varsity captain and senior Jack Elvekrog said that the new coaches have brought an entirely new culture of inclusiveness to the team as well as the improvement in their record.
“Coach Trot has done a great job asking the other coaches to provide feedback [to all players],” Elvekrog said. “He has created an environment which encourages people to speak.”
Junior Sam Christensen said he felt the change in culture this year too.
“The team feels way more open this year,” Christensen said. “I feel like everyone is enjoying it a lot.”
While the majority of the coaching staff is new, Trotman was promoted to head coach after coaching at Piedmont for three years.
“I was the passing game coordinator and receivers coach [for] the last two years, and my first year I coached quarterbacks,” Trotman said.
Trotman said that before he came to Piedmont, he was the head coach at Albany High School and San Lorenzo High School, and was the offensive coordinator at San Leandro High School, his alma mater.
Elvekrog, thrilled that Trotman is the new head coach, said that he has always been great.
“It’s awesome to keep coach Trot around,” Elvekrog said. “He’s doing a phenomenal job so far.”
Christensen said he was optimistic for the 2018 season after all the coaching turmoil from last year.
“The vast majority of the coaches played in college, so they have phenomenal playing experience and great coaching,” Elvekrog said. “They’ve definitely pushed us very hard but are also super empathetic.”
The head football coach normally hires the supporting coaching staff, and Trotman hired the best possible coaching staff he could find, Elvekrog said.
“The team feels great,” Elvekrog said. “Winning game three was a big win because we have struggled with week three in past years.”
Christensen said that he can see how much work Trotman put into hiring the staff, and that he believes this coaching staff will improve the team’s success this season.
Trotman said that he hired 10 new coaches and that five coaches are returning from last year’s coaching staff.
“It is a testament to his confidence and leadership qualities,” Elvekrog said. “These coaches are able to contribute and share ideas and make adjustments as opposed to one man running the show.”
Christensen said that he has enjoyed this season significantly more than last season so far.
“It’s just way more fun,” Christensen said. “The coaches seem like they genuinely want to help the team improve. They’re very enthusiastic.”
Trotman said he has tried to make many positive changes to the team.
“The biggest change is that we’re 4-0,” Trotman said.
Despite the teams success so far, Elvekrog said that they are continuing to focus on building on what they have accomplished.
“The new coaching staff is honestly the best thing that ever happened to us,” Elvekrog said.
