Walk into the Holyoke High School Football locker room, and a large purple and white sign will immediately catch your eye. The sign is emblazoned with the mantra, “Do the right thing, all the time.” The sign is a new addition this year, as is the man who speaks and lives these words with his team each day: the new Holyoke Head Football coach Rick Jewell. Since taking over in August, Jewell has set out to inspire less of a cultural change amongst the program, but more of a cultural revolution. Jewell has said in several interviews with Masslive.com that this year will be focusing mainly on “hard work, discipline and investment,” with a spotlight on attitude and perseverance, and with the “increasing the work ethic” that is central to the new coaching style.

No stranger to success, Coach Jewell spent the last three seasons leading the Agawam Brownies, where he took over and turned around a languid program facing a hazing scandal and turned them into a contender in a very short amount of time, guiding the team to a 10-1 record, a hallmark victory vs. Longmeadow, and a playoff win, before appearing in the Super Bowl for Division 3, for which he won the 2013 Western Massachusetts Coach of the Year Award, a crowning achievement for any head coach.  A man who bleeds purple and white, Jewell spent three incredibly successful seasons as starting Quarterback for the Knights from 1985-1987. He spearheaded a dynamic HHS team that he lead to three consecutive victories against Thanksgiving arch-rival Chicopee, which Jewell states is his favorite Holyoke Football moment.

When asked about his top priority as coach, Jewell replied, “aside from getting the win? Providing a positive environment for my players,” making clear that positivity and focusing on getting things right are the emphases of his coaching style, which has brought Jewell much success and is sure to change the Purple Knights football program. Joining Coach Jewell is an all-star coaching staff rich with experience: Offensive Coach Francis Smith and Defensive Coach Thomas O’Neill, who bring a veritable lifetime of coaching and football experience to the staff, as well as the addition of a figure familiar to all Knights athletes: Coach Thomas Brassil, who now brings his expertise to the Knights defensive backs, in addition to his roles as head coach of the Baseball and Girls Basketball programs. HHS alums David Guzman, of the 1995 Super Bowl team, and Nathan Allen bring their talents to the staff. Coach Jewell also brings change to the Knights game plan on the field, planning to bring out the talent of Western Massachusetts passing leader HHS Junior Captain Andrew Peltier by utilizing the run to open up the devastating play action pass in a two-back offense, a method that stresses ball control and often minimizes mistakes, which will result in Peltier throwing less but scoring more.

In all, Holyoke players and students are overwhelmingly excited for the season in progress, with Senior Captain and standout Wide Receiver Danny Boyle ‘15 stating, “everyone’s excited, you can feel the change,” and self-proclaimed student section leader Michael Cabral ’15 stating, “we’re all going to the games, you better believe we’re cheering loud, and we are all rooting for the guys.” There is clearly a mood of excitement and interest in the Purple Knights program in 2014 among all aspects of the student body.

As for Coach Jewell, when asked about the true meaning of Holyoke Football, he replied, “it was my foundation in learning about life, and something I think back to on a daily basis whenever there’s a challenge.” Holyoke High Football has undoubtedly inspired many fine men such as Coach Jewell, and under his direction will inspire another generation of young men to do similarly great things. Go knights!