SPOKANE, Wash. – After finishing 0-10 last season, the Ferris Saxons hired former Washington State defensive back Billy Newman as head coach and brought in a veteran coaching staff to help rebuild a program that hasn’t posted a winning season since 2019.
Newman, who has deep ties to the South Hill community, said the opportunity to lead Ferris felt personal.
“I’ve been a part of the South Hill community for a long time,” Newman said. “I have two kids who graduated from Ferris, one who’s there now and another coming up. The opportunity to coach this team felt like something I was called to do.”
Ferris has won just 11 games over the past six seasons, but athletic director Ryan Eucker believes the program has the right leadership in place to begin changing that trajectory.
“I think the biggest thing for us was finding the experience that we needed across our coaching staff,” Eucker said. “Coach Newman has been in the area, he’s worked with a number of high schools, and he’s come up through the youth programs as well.”
Eucker also pointed to the staff Newman assembled.
“I think we have one of the most experienced coaching staffs in the GSL right now,” Eucker said. “That’s going to be very exciting for us moving forward.”
The energy around the program was evident during a recent 7-on-7 session.
Senior defensive end and tight end Jack Christiansen said players have embraced the changes.
“There’s definitely a different energy,” Christiansen said. “There’s a lot more buy-in. We’re getting more people out. It’s a lot more positive culture inside the team and inside the school.”
Christiansen said Newman’s message has resonated throughout the locker room.
“He’s very persistent with everything,” Christiansen said. “He’s big on being the best we can be and not settling for mediocrity.”
Senior quarterback Sam Colton has also noticed a dramatic shift.
“I know for sure it’s a different feel,” Colton said. “We’ve got new coaches, a new scheme, and it’s going to be an entirely new team this year.”
Colton, who is stepping into a larger role at full-time quarterback, believes the Saxons are capable of changing the narrative surrounding the program.
“We’re trying to flip the script,” Colton said. “Last year was tough and the years before were tough, but it’s going to be an entirely new team this year.”
Newman understands that rebuilding a program takes time, but he believes the process starts long before opening night.
“September games started back in January,” Newman said. “We’re doing everything we can to get caught up.”
He also emphasized that the culture being built this summer will determine what happens in the fall.
“Everything is set during spring ball and during summer,” Newman said. “Our thought process, the way we operate, the steps that we take — all of those things have been set by the time we get to fall camp.”
While Ferris is still in the early stages of its rebuild, Newman sees momentum beginning to build.
“It’s almost like there’s a wave that’s building,” Newman said. “We’re at the infancy stage of that wave, but I think by the end of the summer we’ll have had an opportunity to help these players understand what our expectations are and what it takes to believe in themselves.”
For Newman, the goal extends beyond wins and losses.
“Football is the ultimate teacher of life,” Newman said. “We get an opportunity to impart some wisdom in these kids and help them understand what it means to compete.”
The Saxons know they won’t erase years of struggles overnight. But with a new coach, a veteran staff, and renewed optimism throughout the program, Ferris believes it has taken the first steps toward a brighter future.
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