Christopher Wilson has been named head football coach at North Webster.
The last two seasons Wilson helped North DeSoto achieve unprecedented success as an assistant coach in charge of running backs and the offensive line.
The Griffins reached the non-select Division II state championship game in 2022 and the semifinals this past season.
Before that, he spent two years as head coach at Plain Dealing.
Wilson replaced John Ware, who resigned after 12 seasons. He is now the head coach at Lakeside.
“I knew it was an opportunity where I could be successful in a place I felt was a match made in heaven,” Wilson said of the North Webster job. “I wanted to be at a place where I could effect some change and I think they were looking for somebody like me with the transition.
“So I felt it was an opportunity for me to come in and continue to grow and be the best version of myself and to serve the community and serve those kids.”
North DeSoto went 12-2 in 2022. The Griffins fell to Lutcher 28-25 in the non-select Division II championship game. Last season, North DeSoto went 11-2 and lost to eventual champion Opelousas 28-20 in the semifinals.
Wilson said he gained valuable experience and learned a lot working under Head Coach Dennis Dunn, who led Evangel Christian to multiple state titles before becoming the head coach at Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian). Dunn took over at North DeSoto in 2019.
“Really just organization and really getting a gauge on loving people and communicating,” Wilson said. “Coach Dunn was masterful how he dealt with people and how he led the boys and led his staff.
“So I was really blessed to have the opportunity to kind of sit back and to watch and see how somebody that has the prestige of Coach Dunn leads a program. I gained so much valuable experience just being able to watch. Having the success we’ve had in the past two years I know that what we we’re doing works.”
At Plain Dealing, Wilson’s record was 5-14. But he faced the challenge of playing in one of the state’s toughest districts while usually having less than 20 players available.
He helped rally the community around the team.
He said that experience has been invaluable in his journey to where he is now.
“I think what I learned at North DeSoto validated my experience at Plain Dealing,” he said. “I knew we were on the right track. We were doing things the right way. The community was engaged.
“The kids, albeit just a handful, they were engaged and they loved the program and loved what we were doing and what we were building. And so being at North DeSoto validated that experience. I knew I was on the right track as a leader. These two years gave me that experience as an assistant. I think it’s setting me up to be really, really good for the Springhill and North Webster community.”
Before going to Plain Dealing, Wilson was the offensive line coach and baseball coach at Mansfield for two seasons. He also was an assistant coach at Booker T. Washington and Fair Park.
Wilson will be taking over a North Webster team coming off a turnaround season. The Purple Knights went 7-5 and reached the second round of the non-select Division III playoffs after going 2-8 in 2022.
Wilson said he will remain at North DeSoto through the end of the school year. But he plans to take the Knights through 10 days of spring training.
Wilson said he appreciated North Webster Principal Gabe Lyons for giving him “the keys to the castle.”
“I’m just excited for the opportunity,” he said.