New Hamilton Christian football coach Ragan McDaniel will be looking to pick up the pace and light up scoreboards throughout Southwest Louisiana.

The Baton Rouge native has spent the last five years as the offensive coordinator at Legacy Prep in The Woodlands, Texas. He runs the “Air Raid” offense, which features the passing game and has a goal of snapping the ball within 15 seconds.

“When you see the highlights, everybody is throwing the ball, going up-and-down the field; that is how the kids want to play,” he said. “It’s a game and we want the kids to have fun. We’re going to go all-out on defense too. They’ll never know where we’re coming from.”

McDaniel’s style will be new in District 4-1A, which features ground-based teams like Basile, Oberlin and Merryville.

“I think that will be an advantage for us,” McDaniel said. “It’s not an easy scheme to prepare for in a week. They’re not used to seeing this style of offense.”

“My wife is from Ponchatoula and we were looking for an opportunity to return to the state,” he said. “I had other offers, but when I visited Hamilton and met with (Athletic Director) Dexter Washington and (Principal) Morgan Daughtery, I felt right at home and knew this is where I wanted to be.”

Washington coached the football team the past two seasons. Last year the Warriors were 7-3. They tied for first place in the district with a 6-1 record and lost to Calvary Baptist in the first round of the playoffs.

“(McDaniel) caught my attention not because of his X’s and O’s, but because of what he said he has to do as a coach — build relationships and be there for his players no matter what, more so off the field than on it,” Washington said.