New Coach On Woodbury Football: ‘We’re Going To Be Successful Here’

New football coach Andy Hill was out in the heat this week, getting a look at his new team and grooming future players for the program.

Hill takes over this year after Beau LaBore job in Stillwater. from a school in Virginia where he finished 8-4 in 2010 and won a playoff game.

From Tuesday to Friday this week, about 110 players in grades 7-12 were at Royal Stadium, going through conditioning work and drills. Hill acknowledged Community Education and the Woodbury Athletic Association for their help getting things up and running.

Hill has been going over game film, talking with coaches on last year’s team and examining what he has on the field this week to get a sense of the team’s talent level.

“They’ve impressed me so far,” Hill said Thursday afternoon.

He recalled one of his first days in late June when he showed up for a 6:30 a.m. weight lifting session. He said he expected about 15 players. There were closer to 60.

Hill said four players are vying for the starting quarterback position, a job the 1996 Woodbury grad once manned as a Royal. “I was a lot skinnier back then,” he said.

As for his offense, he said it will be a combination of systems, from the spread to a traditional two-back set. Coming to Minnesota, Hill said he knows the Royals will have to run the ball, and anticipates a 60-40 run-pass split. He will incorporate a lot of motion and different formations in his offense.

“But I keep it simple,” Hill said.

After today, July 29, varsity players will continue their strength work and come back during the second week of August for more on-field work, Hill said.

So far, boosters and the community have been supportive, he said. Part of that stems from his willingness to have open communication with parents and team supporters. He will host a “coach’s corner” each Monday during the season to go over the previous week’s film and discuss the upcoming week’s game.

Hill said he will try to establish a new identity for the team—and that includes increased expectations.

“That’s what separates good programs from elite ones,” he said. “That’s how you go from a team on the cusp to a team that’s really going to be great.”

“This is where I’m from,” he added. “We’re going to be successful here.”