"We have set our expectations high for this position," Blair Oaks Superintendent of School Jim Jones said as he introduced LePage at Tuesday morning's press conference. "One of the reasons they're so high is a direct result of this man --- he dared to take on the leadership of this football program when there were no expectations. His leadership led to a creation of a culture of excellence.

"Since that time, the expectations have never lowered and now, he dares to take on the leadership of that same football program. But this time, it's full of expectations."

LePage won out over "an extremely rich candidate pool," Jones said, which was made up of 20 applicants. And at the risk of making a bad pun, LePage is returning to greener coaching pastures.

In his first tenure with the Falcons, LePage compiled a mark of 48-13, which included a 24-game winning streak and the 2004 state championship. But he could never reach the same level of success with the Jays, as his teams went 86-46, including a 3-7 mark last fall.

That, however, was his only losing season with the Jays, and he left as the second-winningest coach in program history.

"I'm very excited to be here," LePage said. "As I told the players (in a meeting prior to the announcement), journeys take you in different directions. I got out of football once before and it led me to Blair Oaks. This time, it led me back again.

"I can't wait to get started."

When asked to characterize his tenure with the Jays, LePage basically had no comment.

"I'm here to talk about Blair Oaks," he said. "I never look back, I've been raised that way since Day One. You do something, you do it as hard as you can, you're proud of it, you hold your head up high, then move on to the next goal."

LePage said he's changed since taking the Blair Oaks job in 2000, but not necessarily in his approach to the game.

"Honestly, I'm a lot better parent than I was when I was here previously," he said. "I got to experience going through high school with my kids, so I know what parents want, what they really desire for their children. I think that helps me.

"But I don't think my coaching philosophy has changed. When I first came here, I was going to do it the way I wanted to do it. I wasn't going to coach like anybody else, I wasn't trying to be anybody else. I was going to be me.

"The only thing that's changed is that I'm getting a lot more advice from the person sitting to my right (his wife, Shelly). I listen to her probably more now than I ever have. We work together as a team."

LePage said he'll start assembling his coaching staff immediately. As far as what the Falcons will look like on the field ...

"We're going to do what (the players) do best," LePage said. "I've coached 17 years as a head coach, seven years as an assistant, two years as a graduate assistant ... I've been in this game a long time. You can't put a square peg in a round whole, so we're going to look at what they do well and go from there.

"Then, it's about honing those skills."

LePage would be considered more of a players coach, in contrast to the hard-driving Walker who comes to the table with a 22-year military background.

"Early in my career," LePage said, "I was a coach. Now, it's more like I'm teammates with the players, because they're the ones who are going to remember this.

"I like being in the weight room with them, I like being around the dudes, I like helping young men grow to be better men. That's what I plan on doing."

Circle is complete: After 12-year

absence, LePage rejoins Falcons

Blair Oaks Superintendent of Schools Jim Jones introduces Ted LePage as the 'new' head coach of the Falcons on Tuesday morning at Blair Oaks.

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