TOLEDO, Ohio — Editor's note: Comment from Josh Lindke at a St. Francis pep rally has been added.
St. Francis de Sales School has hired Josh Lindke to be the school's varsity football coach.
Linkde, who has been the head coach at Otsego High School for two years, replaces former coach Charles Woolridge, who resigned in September.
Lindke previously served as the St. Francis offensive coordinator under head coach Dan Chipka in 2017 and 2018. Prior to coaching at Otsego, Lindke was an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University, Anthony Wayne High School and Central Catholic.
“My family and I are beyond fired up for the opportunity to lead the storied St. Francis de Sales football program,” Lindke said in a prepared statement. “It is a huge honor to have this role. Thank you to John Hall, Jamie Kachmarik, Fr. Rose and the rest of the SFS community for believing in me to lead this proud program. We can’t wait to get to work. Go, Knights!”
In late October, the school asked for applications from prospective football coaches after the football season with a 1-9 record following the departure of Woolridge after just four games.
Woolridge, who was hired in January to take over for interim coach Mike Blochowski, was St. Francis's fourth head football coach in four years.
“The St. Francis community is excited to have Coach Lindke back on Bancroft Street," said St. Francis de Sales School President, Fr. Geoff Rose, in a prepared statement. "We are confident that his leadership and coaching abilities are the perfect fit for our student-athletes.”
At a St. Francis pep rally after school Friday, Lindke said he plans to hit the ground running in his new position.
"Northwest Ohio's got a rich tradition of football and Toledo, St. Francis being a part of that," he said. "Kind of falling on hard times the last couple of years but hopefully our staff is able to come in and we're able to get this thing going on the right track and excited and honored to be here. We're going to have to lay the groundwork and continue to work hard every day and do the right things day in and day out. I think that's just our first order of business is making this thing a program again and moving forward in that direction."
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