Harris named new head coach of Lynn Camp football program

New Lynn Camp football Head Coach Allen Harris 

Administrators at Lynn Camp High School made it official Tuesday that Allen Harris will be the school’s next head football coach.

Harris was brought on to the Wildcats’ coaching staff as an assistant in 2014, and was later named as a co-Head Coach alongside Willard Farris after the firing of former Head Coach Phil Russell in September.

Harris spent five years leading the South Laurel Middle School football program prior to coming to Lynn Camp, and spent several years as a Little League coach before his stint at South. He also has an extensive background in military and police work.

“I look forward to getting started,” Harris said Tuesday. “I want to bring football back to this community, and make it something that people can be proud of again.”

Lynn Camp High School Principal Anthony Pennington added, “We have made a lot of positive changes recently (at Lynn Camp) that we are very proud of. The football program is a vital piece to our community, and we do want our community to be proud of the football program. I feel like Coach Harris is exactly what we need right now. His work ethic is second to none, and he has garnered a lot of respect from the community and the school in the short amount of time that he’s been here. I believe the players will play hard for him.”

Lynn Camp Athletic Director Danny Green said that, after being involved in athletics at the school for 26 years, he would love to see the Wildcats get back to “the hitman days, when people knew after we stepped off the bus that they had better strap it up and be ready to play.”

Green also commented that he feels like Harris is the man for the job, saying that he should be able to teach his players the things necessary in order to be successful on and off the playing field.

Harris spoke at length about his vision for the Lynn Camp football program in the years to come, laying out a detailed plan of what he hopes to accomplish as head coach. “I want to teach the kids about the tradition, pride and character that Lynn Camp football once had,” he said. “We’re going to bring that back, and get back to our winning ways.”

Harris said that one of the main ways he plans on accomplishing this goal is by getting very involved with the younger students interested in being a Wildcat football player. He said that he is going to work closely with the middle school coaches, and he even mentioned the possibility of a flag football league being formed in the near future for kids in elementary grades.

In addition to this, Pennington and Green also expressed a great deal of enthusiasm about some all-new football facilities that will soon be opening up at Lynn Camp, and they mentioned plans for an upcoming media day where coach Harris and the Wildcats football team will meet with the community in hopes of generating excitement about this new beginning.

According to Pennington and Green, on that day fans will have the opportunity to learn more details about Harris’ future vision for the Lynn Camp football program, including who he plans on having with him on the sideline when the 2015 season kicks off next August.

The News Journal will have more details in the coming weeks and months as they become available.