An assistant football coach who has head coaching experience in two other varsity sports has been named Littlefork-Big Falls’ new head football coach.
The L-BF School on Wednesday approved the hiring of John Larson to the position.
“I’m excited,” Larson said. “It’ll be fun.”
Larson replaces Derek Bilben, who stepped down as the Vikings’ head football coach after seven seasons.
“Derek did a really good job of being head coach,” said Larson, who has been one of two assistants on L-BF’s nine-man football team in recent years.
The best years under Bilben’s tenure as head football coach came in 2007 and 2008 when the Vikings won the Section 7 nine-man title and brought a perfect 11-0 record into the state quarterfinals, where L-BF’s season ended with a loss in both years.
After having finished 7-3 and winning the St. Louis County North Conference two years ago, the Vikings ended up 2-7 last season and were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs.
Though L-BF primarily ran the ball on offense last year, Larson said he plans to “change up the offense a little bit,” given the personnel he expects to have on the team this season.
He said Doug Henrickson, who has been an assistant coach with him, will remain on the team as an assistant with another assistant to be named.
Practice for L-BF’s football team begins Aug. 13 with the first game of the season scheduled for Aug. 30 at Silver Bay.
Larson has also been the head coach of the Vikings’ girls basketball team and the boys baseball team. While he plans to remain on as the girls basketball head coach, Larson said he wants to leave the head baseball coaching position to become an assistant coach.
The L-BF School Board on Wednesday also accepted the resignation of Christopher Bachmeier as an assistant baseball coach.
