When longtime Hockinson football coach Rick Steele announced his retirement last month, Clint LeCount immediately knew he wanted the job. On Friday afternoon, Hockinson principal Andy Schoonover announced on social media that LeCount was picked as the next head coach of the Hawks’ football team. The hire is pending school board approval.
LeCount spent the past 11 years with Hockinson football, including as the defensive coordinator for the past eight.
“It becomes a part of who you are after awhile,” LeCount said.
Steele left big shoes to fill. He went 112-54 after starting the program in 2004, and won back-to-back state championships in 2017 and 2018.
“I don’t know if you can replace a guy like coach Steele,” LeCount said. “I’ll have to do things and prove myself over time that it was a good choice to bring me in.”
It is the first head coaching job for the 43-year-old LeCount, who is an Evergreen High School graduate. He then played wide receiver at Central Washington University. He became a position coach 11 years ago, and has coached linebackers, receivers, quarterbacks and the secondary during his time with the Hawks.
In his day job, LeCount works as a land surveyor for the City of Vancouver.
While there’s pressure to prove himself, LeCount feels comfortable with the lessons he learned alongside Steele and the coaching staff over the past decade. While he hopes to put his own unique imprint on the program, much of it will be status quo.
“I want to keep that same amount of intensity whether it’s a practice or a game, just keep that fire,” LeCount said. “But we also want to make sure young student-athletes know that football is supposed to be fun. I think that’s one of the great ways to maintain a healthy program.”
The Hawks won a seventh straight 2A Greater St. Helens League title this season. They return several key pieces, including all-league first team receiver Andre Northrup, starting quarterback Jarod Oldham and a trio of first-team all-league defenders.
LeCount becomes just the third Hockinson football coach in the program’s history.
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