Courtesy photo New Escanaba High School football coach Bailey Lamb (left) and former coach Dave Wilson (right) pose at Escanaba High School recently.

ESCANABA — A new face will lead the Escanaba Eskymos football team this fall as Escanaba native Bailey Lamb takes over the reins of the program from Dave Wilson.

Wilson resigned from the head coach position earlier this year after suffering a stroke in the spring. While he is on the mend, Wilson has taken a step back from coaching for the immediate future with hopes of returning to some type of coaching role further down the road.

Lamb — a 2014 graduate of Escanaba High School — is no stranger to the program or school, however. In addition to his years as a player, Lamb has been an assistant coach for football over the last several years as well as coaching the JV baseball team this year. On top of that, he is also a teacher at EHS.

“It’s kind of a dream come true,” Lamb commented about the coaching position. “It’s something I kind of always thought would be a place I’d end up eventually. I’m kind of just jacked.

“It’s going to be really fun. I get to work with the kids, which is my favorite thing to do in the world,” he said. “It’s really just an opportunity to give back to the community and give the kids the same great experiences I was able to get and how meaningful it is and make them better people in the process.”

With a new position comes new challenges, one of which being building a coaching staff, said Lamb.

“The challenges have been putting a staff together that I think work really well with the kids and is very passionate and ready to go,” he remarked. “I think we’ve done that. I think our staff is lights out.”

One major asset the Lamb brings to the table for the position, though, is the relationships he has already created with his student-athletes in the classroom.

“I get to make relationships with the kids (at the school), and that’s kind of the most important thing, I think,” he said. “Being able to understand how these kids tick and where they’re coming from, especially coming off of COVID — and I think that changed the landscape of a lot of things — just being able to be in there in the school with the kids is an advantage. It’s helped me understand what’s going on in these kids’ mindsets, and that’s played a huge role.”

While Lamb understands the importance of earning wins to build a successful program — along with adding to the history of the more than 100 years of Eskymos football — victory alone is not the primary goal.

“(The goal) first and foremost is create a program that is sustainable not only for the program itself but for the kids,” he said. “I want to facilitate an environment that really helps the kids shine and maximizes their ability and give them a sense of responsibility and pride and leadership and really just instill good, quality characteristics in these kids.

“I think that’s the number one job of any high school program is to really just give the kids a great experience and help them learn how to become better people. I think that’s the biggest responsibility.”

Lamb noted he wouldn’t be taking the role if not for the support from his wife.

“I couldn’t take this leap at all without the support of my wife,” he said. “I think that’s kind of where it starts. That’s a big sacrifice for her. Just allowing me to go for it and understand that it’s going to be a lot of my time and her being willing to really embrace it has been awesome.”

Helping Lamb acclimate himself to the head coaching position has been former coach Dave Wilson.

“Coach Wilson has been a huge help,” commented Lamb. “He has been kind of at my hip when I need to make a phone call whether it’s an actual question or just talking about things. He’s been an unbelievable help.”

For Wilson, the choice to step down wasn’t entirely in his control. While on vacation this spring, Wilson suffered a stroke. He has since been on the road to recovery.

“I need to take care of me for a while, that’s the big thing,” commented Wilson. “Bailey will do a good job. He’s young, and he’s going to work hard. The big thing about being the head football coach of Escanaba is people have asked me, ‘he’s young’ but when are you ever ready? I had the job at 51, and I wasn’t sure I was ready either. But, he’s gotta put a lot of time in and work hard. But, he’s an Eskymo.”

The 2022 season will be the first in over 20 years that Wilson hasn’t been in an official role in or around the team.

He hopes, despite this, he can still contribute to Lamb’s success on the field.

“It’s tough for me,” he said. “I’ve been involved with the program since 1999 either as a coach or (athletic director). But, I’m hopefully going to be kind of in an advisory role for him and help any way I can behind the scenes. That’s basically my plan for this year, and we’ll see what happens next year. I’d certainly like to coach again, but that’s going to depend upon how I feel.

“Bailey will do a good job. Bailey’s an Eskymo, and he played during my years as AD, and I know him very well. This will be his third year teaching, and he’s coached with me, and he’s coached with Dave Howes. He’s been around the last four or five years coaching. What’s different is, well, he’s the head coach, and the eyes are on him. But, he’ll work hard and surround himself with good people, and he’ll be fine. He’ll do a good job.”

In addition to the staff he has brought in, Lamb also gave thanks to Escanaba Athletic Director Kristen Farkas.

“Kristen Farkas, our AD, has also been super awesome in helping me through the process and helping me understand what needs to get done next and where to go,” he said. “It’s really been a great team effort.”

Farkas noted Lamb’s ability to connect with his students as a major factor in his hiring.

“Bailey was selected as head coach because of his ability to make connections with students,” Farkas commented. “He has a clear passion for the game of football. But, more importantly, we are confident that Bailey will build and establish long-term relationships. When students know you care about their skill development and well-being, they’ll do anything for you.”