"The people in Jefferson City love sports, they love successful sports programs, you see the support the high schools get all the time," said Pitts, who will serve as defensive coordinator for the Blue Tigers. "I think they believe in successful programs and I think if we can show the city we're going to do the same thing, they're going to fall in love with us.

"That's going to be the Number One thing we're going to get fixed --- we want to tie the Jeff City community to Lincoln University and our football program. We want to give them a football program they can be proud of, they can believe in, that they can recognize. I think that's going to be extremely important to what we want to accomplish."

Pitts, who's starting at Lincoln immediately, will be joined on the staff by younger brother, Andy, who will coach safeties.

"Getting myself and my brother on board and getting the program to buy in," Phil said, "I think it's a gigantic step in the right direction. Andy and I work so well together, we can finish each other's thoughts, and we can challenge each other which you also need --- someone to look you in the eye and offer a different opinion."

Was this a package deal? To get one, you had to hire both? No.

"It was never even brought up for him not to come," Phil said. "Coach Smith told me to name one person I wanted, I told him, and he said: 'He's coming.'"

This will be Phil Pitts' fourth job in four years, as he's gone from head coach at Helias to a spot on Gary Pinkel's staff at Mizzou to head coach at St. Joseph Central to Lincoln.

Pitts, 35, is a 2000 graduate of Helias, and served as head coach of the Crusaders from 2011-14. In four years under Pitts, Helias went 40-15, won four district titles and advanced to two state championship games.

He stepped down as the Crusaders' head coach in January, 2015, to accept a position as a defensive analyst on Pinkel's staff at Mizzou. While the Tigers were a disappointing 5-7 that season, the defense was outstanding --- the Tigers ranked fifth in the nation in scoring defense and sixth in total defense.

Pinkel retired, however, and new Missouri coach Barry Odom chose not to retain Pitts for the 2016 season. Next stop, St. Joseph Central --- the Indians went 4-6 under Pitts --- and now, Lincoln.

"This is not something we were looking to do," Phil said, "We were really happy the way things were going; we were excited to have a normal offseason, because there hadn't been one in a few years. But when the phone rang, there were just too many boxes that this checked.

"We believe in what Lincoln's trying to do; Jeff City's where we're from and it's a great place to raise a family; it's an opportunity to get back to my extended family; and it was an opportunity to work with my brother and coach college football again."

This process happened quickly. On Dec. 6, Lincoln named Steven Smith the 22nd head coach in program history, taking over the full time duties from Mike Jones, who was fired after the team's 0-4 start this season.

Athletic Director John Moseley contacted Pitts and asked him if he'd be interested in visiting with Smith. Pitts said yes, and the talks were underway.

"The two of us just really hit it off," Phil said. "I think he's got wonderful vision, I think he's got a great plan and I think he has a great work ethic. He really wants to roll his sleeves up and get to work and turn Lincoln into something special. That's what I want, too, and I think the two of us are going to work together great.

"It just seemed like a perfect match."

While Jones was able restore some class and character to the program, he wasn't able to restore the wins --- he went just 8-51 in his five-plus years at the helm. Enter Smith, who's already talking about winning national championships.

National championships? Really? Pitts, however, loves Smith's shoot-for-the-stars approach.

"When you set your goals that high and you start talking about doing things the right way, that's what you want to do. I think you've got to set your goals that high, it's the only way to go about it. I think everybody understands that there's a lot of work to do and we have to get the kids to buy in, not only the kids who are here, but get some new blood and get out there and recruit some kids.

"If you do the right things and prepare the right way each and every day, sooner or later, it's going to happen."

No easy task, to be sure, as Lincoln hasn't had a winning season in Pitts' lifetime ... plus 10 years. What are his memories of the Blue Tigers growing up?

Vague.

"I just didn't know much about them," Pitts said. "I never went to a game, I never talked to the people who were involved ... it was like it was a distant thing, even though it was right down the road."

His mindset has certainly changed because now, his thoughts are this --- If it can happen at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, why not at Lincoln in Jefferson City?

"That's exactly right, that's the way you have to think about it," he said. "If you build this the right way, there are so many possibilities at Lincoln University. When I talk to some buddies of mine, they just rave about some of the possibilities if you get the right people in place.

"And I think we have the right people in place from the top down --- from President (Kevin) Rome to coach Moseley to coach Smith."

With the Pitts' brothers, Lincoln will automatically gain an edge in recruiting in the area, which is another PR residue of the hire.

"I'm going to have the ability to get some local kids," Phil said. "Coach Smith said I had one job in recruiting, and that's a 60-mile radius around this city, to lock it down the best I can. The way we know high school football in Central Missouri, I think that's going to be gigantic for us --- to give fans somebody they've been cheering for for years, now they can go cheer for them again.

"We've got some really good players around here, we've just got to find a way to keep them."

When Pitts took over at St. Joseph Central, he knew he was taking over a program with no history of success. While the Indians were sub-.500 this season, they did rally to win their final three games in the regular season after starting 1-5.

"We struggled at the start of the year," he said, "but the resiliency of the kids and the staff ... we just kept plugging away and kept getting better. We had to learn to win and earn the right to win. To win those three games to end the season, that's something I'm very proud of.

"People said to me that it should be pretty easy to leave, you were only there six months. But the people there are awesome, from the school district to the administration to the community to the parents ... the people were amazing. That's the lasting impression I'll have of St. Joe.

"The hardest thing we had to do was say good-bye to the friends we'd made so quickly. But ultimately, we're extremely excited to get back to Jeff City.

"It's where we're from, it's home."

Welcome home, coach. There's no place like home for the holidays, after all.

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With its hire of Pitts, Lincoln gets

great coach and hits PR home run

Smith truly optimistic

as he inherits helm

of Lincoln football