By Greg Gielczyk
LocalSportsJournal.com

HOLTON — After several previous stops as an assistant coach, including a stint at Reeths-Puffer and North Muskegon, Tommy Moore got his first gig as a head varsity football coach when the Holton school board approved his hiring this week.

Moore, an Air Force veteran, started coaching youth football in Oklahoma when he was stationed there, before he was moved to Michigan in 2010 and jumped on the North Muskegon staff.

He stayed at North Muskegon for a couple of years, and then spent two years at Reeths-Puffer where he was the junior varsity head coach for a year.

Later, he became the defensive coordinator at Ravenna. He took a year off, and then coached his son’s youth football team last year while finishing his Batchelors Degree at Grand Valley.

“Holton is very excited to have Tommy’s energy and passion for the game infused into the football program and hallways,” said Holton athletic director Jared Hudson.

Moore was the defensive coordinator at Ravenna. He will be teaching secondary physical education and health at Holton.

“I love defense,” said Moore. “Defense is where my background is. I’ve coached predominantly defense in my tenure.”

But, he played quarterback as a prepster in Indiana, and started out as the wide receivers coach his first year.

Halfway through training camp, Moore was asked to coach if he’d like to be the defensive coordinator. He was told he’d learn on his feet.

“Once I made that switch, I was locked in,” Moore said. “But, I still have the offensive mindset. With my understanding of defense, it helps me prepare more for offenses as well.

“My passion is with the defensive backfield. I love to coach linebackers, they are super important. But in high school, if you can have a good, solid secondary you can make your defense pretty good.”

Offensively, Moore says he likes to use the entire field with the power spread, similar to what Ravenna ran when he was there.

“Spread the field out, but still be able to run between the tackles when needed,” said Moore.

Defensively, Moore says he likes an odd front.

“I like to keep a lot in the box, and cover on the outside with my secondary guys,” he said. “Middle run gaps are fitted pretty nicely with an odd front, and the secondary guys are free to roam without having to worry about that many run responsibilities.”

Moore has brought some guys with him that he’s been coaching with for awhile, including Chad Tevern who’ll be the No. 2 man behind Moore and a key assistant in installing the offense.

Moore and his wife Brittani have two children, a daughter Karsyn who is 13 and a son Trey is 10.