Change is upon the Leopards. Not only will the football team face a big transition in the move to 4A, they will do so with a new head coach.

Matt Green, former Lake Travis High School offensive coordinator was picked for the head-coaching job on Tuesday, January 24 and was approved after a special meeting by the Lovejoy ISD school board on Friday, January 27.

The move is greeted with mixed emotions.

“It’s good but bad,” wide receiver Chochy Luce said. “Some of us have had the same coaches since we were in fourth grade so they have seen us grow up and develop but the fact that a new coach has never seen us gives all the players new opportunities and the new coach will be able to reevaluate and put us in the best position possible.”

Like Luce, most players agree that with a new coach come new opportunities and perspectives.

“New coach means new ideas,” wide receiver Brian Hesson said. “What our old coaches did was really good for our program. We’ve been to the playoffs every year but with new ideas and new visions we can get to our ultimate goal of being state champion.”

Coming from Lake Travis, it is clear that Green has a good track record; being a part of three of Lake Travis’ four state championships.

“We need a new face as we turn a page in Lovejoy history and move up to 4A,” wide receiver Brandon Scott said. “It’s going to be good to start our first 4A season with a coach who has coached 4A state champions.”

Though players are looking forward to a new coach, they realize there is a possibility that some of their former coaches may not be around for the next season.

“Most players are disappointed in the fact that we could possibly be losing the coaches that we’ve been with for so long, but having a fresh pair of eyes on the program could help to see new things that our coaches did not see,” lineman Mitch Hunt said.

Even more than Hunt, Luce feels strongly about the possibility of losing coaches.

“We’re definitely going to miss the coaches and we don’t want to lose any of them. I love all our coaches,” Luce said.