http://www.monett-times.com/story/2387620.html
Hoover takes reins of Mustangs
Saturday, February 18, 2017
By Jared Lankford
sports@monett-times.com
Hoover
Monett assistant gets McDonald County coaching job
The Monett football team will need to replace its quarterbacks and running backs coach in the upcoming season, as Kellen Hoover was named the head coach at McDonald County.
“It was a hard choice,” Hoover said. “I called a couple of coaches that I knew there and asked a few questions, and they said the kids were great and the administration was supportive. Those were two keys that I felt had to be there for me.”
Hoover has been on staff at Monett since 2012 and is 28 years old.
“I’m excited for him,” said Derrek Uhl, Monett coach. “I think he’ll do a great job at one of the biggest schools in the Big 8 Conference.”
The Mustangs are a sleeping giant of a program that has long had talented athletes, but struggled to put wins up on Friday nights.
McDonald County is 11-59 in the last seven years, winning just 16 percent of their games. Knowing this, Hoover is starting out to build a vertically integrated program.
“I want there to be a culture at Anderson where kids want to be a Mustang football player,” Hoover said. “From the time they enter third grade until the time that they graduate and even go on to become fathers themselves, I want them to want to be part of the Mustang heritage.”
Hoover said he needs players to buy into his system, and he knows that the fix will take longer than one or two years. But, he is going to pour in all the energy he has to make it a successful program.
Monett Athletic Director Daryl Bradley said Monett has not decided if it will promote from within or hire from outside of the school to fill the vacant coaching position.
