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Meet the new Chelsea head football coach: Josh Lucas

Courtesy photo. New Bulldog head football coach Josh Lucas, wife, Bethany, and future Bulldog Lincoln.

Josh Lucas can’t wait to get to work as the new Chelsea High School football coach.

He is just the 4th Bulldog head coach since 1965 and he’s ready and eager to take hold of a winning program and throw everything he has at it – downfield, receiver untouched for a touchdown.

“I can’t wait to get to work,” he said Tuesday afternoon.

He’ll be handed the whistle from retired coach and Athletic Director Brad Bush and he’ll be supported and surrounded by seasoned assistant coaches, who are on the same page when it comes to player-safety, hard work and winning expectations.

“We are excited to have Josh as our new football coach. We know he will do an excellent job as teacher and coach,” Bush said.

Not afraid of taking on huge challenges, Lucas arrives in Chelsea with five years’ experience as an assistant coach at East Zealand High School and three years’ head coaching experience rebuilding a small Allegan High School football program that had less than 40 players.

But, let’s back up here a bit. Lucas knows the sweet feeling of playing in a state championship game. He was the Hudsonville High School quarterback coached by Dave Duram.

Feel free to ask him about how football is truly a game of inches. And about calls made by referees and umpires. Oh yeah, and back judges, too.

He’s poised to do everything he can to make that championship march through the playoffs again – preferably sooner rather than later.

In fact, he’s getting started rather quickly and plans to spend a day later this week getting to know some of his players and coaching staff while visiting Chelsea.

Although there’s been no team meeting yet, already, some of the seniors on the team and the assistant coaches have been in contact with him.

Everyone’s ready to get to work.

Lucas plans to call the offense and perhaps work with the QB’s. There may be a different scheme, he says, although he’s not had a chance to really get into the Bulldog playbook yet.

That first team meeting? Get ready. “It’s gonna be exciting,” he says.

But what he most looks forward to is working in a small town and in a school district where academics and athletics are so important. He’ll not only coach football but also teach PE and health, Bush says.

His wife, Bethany, is an elementary school teacher and a football fanatic as well. Both are looking forward to making Chelsea their home. And, they’re bringing along a future Bulldog when they come – 16-month-old son, Lincoln.

Lucas is ecstatic to take over a program with seasoned assistant coaches and 60-70 kids on a football team.

He’s excited to coach at a school that expects district and regional appearances, where Friday Night Lights are blazing bright, the band plays loudly, and the stadium’s filled with partisan fans rooting for his team.

“Programs” win football games, he says, when asked to fill in the blank, and he knows he’s about to take over a pretty good one.

Lucas has been an Eagle and a Chix and a Tiger, but once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog, coach.

Welcome to Chelsea.

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7 thoughts on “Meet the new Chelsea head football coach: Josh Lucas”

  1. Are you kidding me? 2-7, 1-8, 0-9 is the record of Josh Lucas the past three seasons.
    Further, Chelsea had a HIGHLY QUALIFIED winner coach interview for the position but
    was rejected cuz he cost too much.
    This hire is on the Supt. It’s her baby to deal with. In 3 years Chelsea will wish they hired
    the more expensive Coach.

  2. We are very excited to have coach Lucas in the community and on the field. Go Bulldogs!!

  3. Bruce:
    A face to face encounter with this man completely contradicts his record. His optimism and his charisma is very high. There are many reasons to why he could’ve had a not so good year. All teams have bad games, bad days, or perhaps even a bad season. Maybe his players weren’t up for the task to take on the challenge of getting better and better everyday. The first step that us players take on that field will be the start to a new era in an impressive amount of years. I’m telling everyone now that we are up for the challenge and will strive to get better and better everyday. With Coach Lucas’s great knowledge of football and the players’ attitude, Chelsea Football is going to have a year just as amazing as the Class of 2017 did.

    Trust Me…. I’m a 63 warrior.

  4. As a player on the chelsea football team, we are nothing less than excited to play under coach Lucas. We believe he’s more than highly qualified to lead our team. Go dogs

  5. I am trying to inform you sheep of what the Supt did to the football team. The new Coach
    may be a fine person and a fine Coach. I do know for a fact that a different fine Coach
    and a fine person WITH A STERLING COACHING RECORD was not hired because he was
    more expensive for the district. In the long run the more expensive Coach (with less downside) would eventually be less expensive and less likely to result in another Coaching search in 3 seasons.

  6. Bruce:
    I regret to inform you that that’s not the case. Chelsea is a VERY wealthy district. I’m sure if Chelsea wanted they could get the most expensive Coach not only because of the money of the school but the community. This community looks forward to the Friday nights. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to chip in if needed. I’m sure once you see Chelsea in the playoffs AGAIN, you will need to rethink your opinion. And if you’d like, you can come and watch us “sheep” play. I’m sorry you think this man isn’t “up to your standards”. He’d do better than you any day. And I’m sure since you’ve obviously met all of the other coaches (NOT) you’d know that they have such a huge part (maybe even bigger) in making this team and leading them to glory. BTW these coaches aren’t going anywhere. either, ESPECIALLY in the next 3 years like you’ve stated.
    Trust me, Bruce…. I’m a 63 warrior

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