Marvin Morton was recently named Billingsley High School’s head football coach.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity, and I’m just excited for this upcoming season,” Morton said. “My hopes for this season is to bring the program back and get the Billingsley name out there.”

Morton was an assistant coach on last year’s squad and was also head coach of the varsity basketball team.

According to Morton, already having been around the players and the program for an entire year has allowed for a smooth transition.

“The thing that has helped me out is that I’ve been with these guys and was able to build relationships,” Morton said. “My goals for this summer is for us to compete, get stronger in the weight room and condition. Come out and be better than yesterday.”

As is the case with most new coaches, Morton will rely heavily on the eight seniors that help make up the Billingsley roster.

“We’re definitely going to be leaning on the senior class a lot,” Morton said. “We’re taking it a step at a time, but we’re here to bring the excitement back. Our numbers have been good this summer. That was a big goal of mine.”

Morton wants to establish a physical style of play and a competitive mindset. He hopes to lay the foundation for that approach this season.

“It starts in the weight room,” Morton said. “You can’t be physical if you’re not in the weight room, and you can’t compete if you don’t compete against each other every single day [in practice].”

It is the first football head coaching job for Morton. He replaces Tyson McLean, who had spent the past seven years in that position at Billingsley.

Morton is familiar with the area, having played football at Maplesville for Brent Hubbert. Current Isabella head coach Tate Leonard was his position coach.

“I learned a lot form those guys,” Morton said. “They’re part of the reason why I became a coach. They were happy and proud when they got the news that I was finally a head coach.”